Breakfast with ALERT buddies.

This morning I had the great treat of visiting with a good friend of mine from ALERT, Ryan Sand. Ryan and I endured the challenges of Basic Training Unit 30 together, had the time of our lives in ERT (that's Emergency Response Training), and completed our EMT Basic course, both of us with grades in the top ten of our class (well, ok... there was only 15 guys in the class).

We met at IHOP for a wonderful breakfast and a great time of fellowship. Ryan, along with the rest of the medic class was down in San Antonio taking their National Registry tests so that they can be licensed paramedics. After a little over an hour, we parted ways, Ryan heading back to Big Sandy, and I to church. It was hard saying goodbye again, but we both promised to keep in touch, and to try to work out times to visit each other in the future.

Ryan and I spent many hours talking, laughing, praying, studying, and simply being together enjoying each other's company during the course of my 30 weeks (that's almost eight months!) at ALERT. He was and is a true friend, the kind that knows not only how to laugh and have a good time, but also how to be serious about the thing of God. The kind of friend that will not only encourage you for your strengths, but will also point out your weaknesses. I thank God for his friendship, and pray that it will continue for many, many more years.

While I left ALERT last May and came to Vision Forum, Ryan continued on at ALERT, recently finishing his Paramedic course, and was just offered a job working on the ambulance crew at ETMC (East Texas Medical Center) in Tyler. He will also be serving as one of the instructors for the EMT Basic course there at the ALERT Academy, along with Sergeant Jesse Brumbaugh. Congratulations Ryan, on your new jobs! Hopefully your students will be able to effortlessly pass their backboarding tests...