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SOUTH KAKALAKI GIRL
Volume 3, Issue 3 Inspiring girls to do their best for God. May/June 2014
Christian Characteristic:
Patience
Written by Amanda B.
The human race has not been granted a large dose of patience,
I can just tell you that. From every moment of the day, the
human’s motto is: “I want it, and I want it now.”
You know when your mom is making those brownies and you
are just sitting there, watching the timer count down? A
fleeting thought passes through your head, “What if I change
the temperature from 375° to 600°?” Or what about when
you are waiting to go on the Loopdaloop of Terror at the
amusement park and the line seems to extend on for forever?
“Maybe I should push through the crowd,” You entertain the
thought. “I wonder if anyone would object.”
Patience is a treasure that very few possess. Let’s take a look
at someone in the Bible who did have patience and see how
much God blessed him in the end.
Job was a very wealthy man. He had tons of sheep, camels,
and donkeys, and “a very great household; so that this man
was the greatest of all the men of the east.” (Job 1:4)*
Satan saw how prosperous both physically and spiritually Job
was, and Satan desired to rip Job’s wealth from him. Satan
reasoned that perhaps the only reason Job followed God was
because he had it all going for him. Of course it’s easy for
people to live for God when times are going good. So God
allowed Satan to take away everything Job had.
One day, a messenger told Job that while Job’s oxen and
donkeys had been eating, “ . . . the Sabeans fell upon them,
and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants
with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped
alone to tell thee.” (Job 1:15)
Job must’ve been thunderstruck with grief! I can just
imagine that, while he was struggling to find words,
another man burst into the room, his face red and
sweaty. A chain of words fell out of his mouth, “The
fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up
the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I
only am escaped alone to tell thee.” (Job 1:16)
Job’s face must’ve turned ashen. What did I do? He
must’ve been wondering. But this wasn’t the end.
Another man ran into the room and proclaimed, “The
Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the
camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the
servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee.”
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
Wow! More bad news?
Then yet another man burst into the room: “Thy sons
and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their
eldest brother’s house: And, behold, there came a great
wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners
of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they
are dead; and I only am escaped to tell thee.” (Job 1:18-
19) The next time you have a “bad” day, think of Job.
Continued on next page.
F UN THINGS TO DO
1 The South Kakalaki Girl is currently working on a new video.
What do you suppose it’s about? Watch the teaser at
http://www.southkakalakigirl.com/2014/04/25/funny-fridayteaser.
2 Read one of the books in the Nancy Drew series.
3 Play a round of badminton.
4 Challenge yourself to do something today that you could do
tomorrow. 6
*Note: All Bible verses are in the King James Version for
consistency.
Volume 3, Issue 3

In probably less than 10 minutes, his life had been ripped
apart and he had almost nothing.
In a situation like this, we would think that Job would’ve
forgotten about God and left Him for good.
But the Bible tells us that Job worshipped God and
prayed to him. “ . . . the Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
Job shows amazing patience throughout this trial and the
ones to follow. He trusted God and knew that He is
allowed those trials for a purpose. At the end of these
trials, God blessed Job by giving him twice as much as he
had before.
Why should we be patient? Is it Christ-like to want
something, and want it now? Jesus was the perfect
example of patience. He was patient to the very end of
His earthly life, long-sufferingly waiting for God to allow
Him to die for our sins.
When should we be patient? All the time! Every
moment of your life, be patient.
Who should we be patient with? There are many
different people that you can be patient with. Perhaps
when your little brother or sister is stammering out a
sentence and you know what they are going to say.
Instead of cutting them off, let them finish their sentence
and see how pleased they are with themselves. Perhaps
your mom or dad was supposed to pay you for doing your
chores. Instead of nagging them 24/7, why not show
patience and not mention it at all? There are countless
ways to show patience. 6
Questions
Question: What is your favorite animal?
Appaloosa horses – Alexandra P.
Owls, foxes, and wolves – Amanda B.
Dolphins and blue herons – Bentley P.
Dogs and horses – Emily K.
Hedgehogs – Emma G.
Well-behaved dogs – Joy F.
Dogs and cats – Korbyn G.
Owls and chipmunks – Lydia K.
Pandas – Maddie M.
Elephants – Rachel B.
Dogs – Rachel M. 6
Meet a South Kakalaki Girl Writer:
Julia F.
Submitted by Korbyn G.
When is your birthday? May 21
How many siblings do you have? I have five siblings.
Their names are Jeremiah, Josh, Jonah, Joy, and Junia.
What's your favorite ice-cream flavor? Orange Sherbert,
Vanilla, or Cookie Dough.
What's your favorite food/drink? Mac & Cheese. My
favorite drink would have to be Dr. Pepper!
“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us
all things.” – Romans 8:32
What is your favorite car? I have two: baby blue Mustang
Convertible and a BMW Mini Cooper.
What is your favorite Bible verse? Romans 8:32, “He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all
things?”
What do you want to be when you grow up? A fashion
designer or a make-up artist.
What is your favorite sport? It’s this amazing new thing
called . . . rest.
What is your favorite thing to do when you have time
on your hands? Blogging, sewing, and Pinterest or
Polyvore.
Do you have any pets? I have a dog named Max and a
rock spitting fish named Sir. 6
Dogs, cats, and monkeys – Julia F.
Cats – Kate C.
Horses and unicorns – Katherine M.
Volume 3, Issue 3

otatoes!
Jokes
Submitted by Julia F.
Q: What is black, white, green, and bumpy?
A: A pickle wearing a tuxedo.
Q: What do you call candy that was stolen?
A: Hot chocolate!
Q: What kind of nuts always seems to have a cold?
A: Cashews!
Q: Waiter, will the pizza be long?
A: No sir, it will be round.
Q: What is green and sings?
A: Elvis Parsley.
Q: Why did the banana go to the doctor?
A: Because he wasn’t peeling well.
Q: What is green and brown and crawls through the grass?
A: A Girl Scout who has lost her cookie.
Q: What is white, has a horn, and gives milk?
A: A dairy truck! 6
Useless Facts
Submitted by Joy F.
Source: www.djtech.net and www.uselessfacts.net
1. It takes 8.5 minutes for light to get from the sun to earth.
2. If you attempted to count the stars in a galaxy at a rate of
one every second it would take around 3,000 years to count
them all.
3. Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word novel without
any word containing “e.”
4. It can take as long as 4 hours to hard-boil an ostrich egg.
5. A snail takes 33 hours to crawl one mile.
6. The average person spends 6 months of their life sitting at
red lights.
7. It takes about 142.18 licks to reach the center of a Tootsie
pop.
8. The world's record for keeping a Lifesaver in the mouth
with the hole intact is 7 hours 10 minutes.
9. If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you will
have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of
coffee.
10. The average person spends 12 weeks a year 'looking for
things'. 6
Book Review:
Nancy Drew Series
Book review written by Maddie M.
Book series written by Carolyn Keene
I love this series by Carolyn Keene! It is about a teenage
girl, Nancy Drew, who solves mysteries. This series is for
people who like to solve things . . . like me!
One of the most recent Nancy
Drew books I have read is False
Pretenses, number #88 in the
series. In False Pretenses, Nancy's
dad's co-worker is – oh no! –
murdered. So, being the Nancy
Drew that she is, she has to find
out who the murderer
is. However, anyone could be the
victim, which only makes Nancy's job harder. With her
super-cool and mighty detective skills, will she be able to
find the murderer?
You'll just have to check the book out yourself if you want
to find out what happens!
But trust me; the Nancy Drew book series is awesome! I
hope you love it as much as I do! 6
Poem:
O Christian! Look Around You!
Written by Emily K.
O Christian! Look around you!
Lift up your eyes and see
A soul, a world descending
Down to eternal agony!
O Neighbor! See the heavy laden
Who live across the road;
Veiled in vanity, they sink
Beneath an unbearable load!
O Brother! Don't you realize?
Your sister, in bondage and despair
Reels to and fro, seeking freedom
From a debt she can never repair!
O Christian! Reach the dying,
Lift their loads, give them light;
Tell of Christ the Crucified
Who came to give them sight! 6
Our next issue is scheduled to come out on July 3, 2014.
If you would like to submit work for the next issue, please
email Amanda or Rachel with the job you want to do. A
job list will be emailed to you. The deadline to submit
your work is June 27, 2014. 6
Volume 3, Issue 3

THIS ISSUE’S THEME VERSE
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Wait a Minute!
In everyday life, we get so caught up with running around
and doing this and making that. Once a day, take the time
to just, “Be still, and know that I am God . . .” (Psalm
46:10a).
Hourglass Hunt
How many hourglasses can you find in this newsletter?
Count them all up, and then email the answer to Amanda. 6
God’s Girl:
God Hears Our Prayers
Written by Rachel M.
Have you ever been talking to a friend or family member and felt
like they didn’t hear a word you were saying? Well, recently I have
felt like my prayers were not reaching God, and I didn’t feel very
worthy to come before His throne. I felt like I had so much sin in
my life that God couldn’t hear me. Or I would wonder, “Am I
sorry enough?” Eventually, I resorted to praying the Lord’s Prayer,
and when I got to “forgive us our sins” I would ask for forgiveness,
and when I got to “give us this day our daily bread” I listed my
requests. At the end I thanked God for what I had, and said,
“Amen.” This worked for a few weeks, but then I had the same
feelings of unworthiness and empty prayers. Have you ever felt like
this?
One day I was reviewing verses with my little brother for Regionals
(a competition at our church). I realized that the verses he had to
memorize were the same ones I did when I was in 6 th grade.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten a lot of them, and went back to
reread them. I was looking over a lot of them, and going through
and highlighting them in New Testament, when I came across some
verses. The first one is 1 John 1:9. I know most of us have had
this verse memorized since we were little.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” –1 John 1:9
Take another look at this verse. The only thing we have to do to
receive forgiveness is to confess our sins. Even though I was doing
that, I wasn’t feeling worthy, because I wasn’t sure if God would
forgive my sins. Another verse I found was Hebrews 8:12, which
says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Yes! God forgives
and forgets my sins! It isn’t that He can’t remember my sin; He
chooses to forget my sin.
I also found these verses regarding sin since I have been saved. “Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God,
as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not
have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14)
I know that this means that now that I am a child of God, I
should be using my whole body to serve God, and obey
Him. An additional verse I found was, “Even the Spirit of
truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him
not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:7) I have the Holy
Spirit in me, so through His help, I can have victory over
temptation.
Now when I pray, I know that God hears me if I will
confess my sins. Yes, the Bible does demand that there
needs to be repentance, and I do sometimes feel that I am
not sorry enough, but God has promised to hear me when I
confess my sins.
I hope this encourages you. Have a great day! 6
Artwork:
Patience Girl
Drawn by Rachel B.
Volume 3, Issue 3

Sports for Girls:
Badminton
Written by Rachel M.
At 1:40 p.m. in a gymnasium, 15 girls stand on either side of a
net, grunting and swinging with all their might. There are
sounds of laughs and high fives, and everyone is having a good
time. “What,” you may ask, “are you playing?” This is the
wonderful game of badminton. Every day in P.E. class, we
gather and practice, and in March, had a lateral tournament.
Badminton is a less-known game played by people trying to get
a good grade in Physical Education.
Ok, so maybe not, but like I said, it is not very common
amongst young girls. It is at times very complicated, but when
you learn the rules, it’s not hard.
The basic gist of the game is to hit the shuttlecock, or “birdie”
as it is more commonly referred to, over the 5-ft net (green
lines). It has to stay in bounds, which differ, according to
whether or not you are playing doubles or singles. You either
score if you’re opponent(s) commit a foul (like hitting the net)
or if they don’t get the birdie over the net.
If you are playing singles, your boundaries would be the orange
lines (think long and narrow). If you were playing doubles, your
boundaries would be the raspberry lines (think short and fat).
Also, no matter if you are playing doubles or singles, you must
serve from behind the short service line (the yellow lines), and
you must make the serve over your opponent’s short service
line. There are also different types of serves if you are playing
doubles or singles.
Many of the girls in my P.E. like badminton. We play both
singles and doubles. Personally, I prefer doubles, because I’m
not that great at badminton, so I like someone who can cover
for me.
While I am not that good at badminton, I love it because it is
the sort of game that does not require much stress. My friend,
Melissa, says, “Badminton is a great way to goof off with
friends after a stressful day because it can be played goofy or
with rules.” Technically, in class we have to follow the rules, but
if you happen to have a badminton set, you don’t have to
follow the rules.
I encourage you to try to find some people to play with. My
P.E. teacher, Mrs. Asire says, “Badminton is a racquet sport that
can be played both competitively or just for recreation. It's a
fun way to get exercise!” It is a very fun sport. 6
Benjamin and Amelia Say . . .
Laugh out loud at these cute things that five year old Benjamin (Happy
birthday Benjamin!) and three year old Amelia say!
Benjamin loves watching Frozen. One day he was watching it
with his family. When we reached the part where Kristoff
blatantly states that all men pick their noses, Benjamin declared
proudly, “I do!”
One day while Christiana was showing Amelia a big limb that
had fallen Amelia said, “Daddy can fix that with a tree
hammer!" 6
Artwork:
Fox
Drawn by Katherine K.
In Your Community
Submitted by Alexandra and Bentley P.
Generous Garden Project- If you like to help fight hunger,
stock more fresh fruits and vegetables in food banks, shelters,
and ministries, then this is the volunteer job for you! If you
are eighteen years or younger than you must have your waiver
signed by your parent or guardian. For more information
please check out their website
http://www.generousgarden.org !
Friend Shop Sidewalk Sale- Help the library sell recycled
books, magazines, and AV materials! If you are the age 13 to
15 you will need a parent or guardian. If you are 16 and older
you do not need a guardian or parent. They require you to be
friendly volunteers! For more information please contact
http://www.greenvillelibrary.org 6
Volume 3, Issue 3

Meet a South Kakalaki Girl:
Emily .
Submitted by Rachel B.
When is your birthday? June 30.
Do you have any siblings? Yes, four. Lane, Drew, Elissa
Kate (or Lilla, and Baby Wyatt.
What are your favorite colors? My favorite colors are purple
and sparkles!
What are your favorite animals? Lambs have always been
my favorite but dachshunds are a close second!
What are your favorite and least favorite subjects in
school? Favorite is History, least favorite is Math.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate
chip!
What is your favorite type of soda? My Aunt and I both
share a love of Dr. Pepper!
What is your favorite car brand or type, if any? I would
love to have a lime green convertible VW Bug as my first car,
but my parents already put the kibosh on that!
What is your favorite thing to do? Read, read, read! I also
like drawing, painting, writing stories and hanging out with my
siblings.
Do you have any pets? I have two dachshunds, Redman and
Sophie. Redman loves to sleep and lie around (I wouldn't
blame him, he's 14!) and Sophie (she looks like a puppy since
she's so tiny, but she's actually a year old) loves to eat! Every
night at dinner we time her to see how long it takes her to
finish. Her record is 8 seconds!
What do you want to do/be when you grow up? I want to
be an author/artist/singer/stay-at-home-mom/fashion
designer/photographer/an actress on Broadway. Wow, I think
I have way too many jobs and not enough time in life!
Is there anything that makes your life different than
others? I have 9 loud, noisy cousins and we all live in the
same neighborhood! We're all best friends and are at each
other's houses all the time!
Would you rather live in the country or the city? I am a
Southern country girl. I can't stand crowded places (this is
one reason I prefer Dollywood over Disney World).
What is your life verse? "Let the words of my mouth and the
meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,
my strength and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14
Emily loves writing!
Why do you enjoy writing? I think writing is a chance to be
someone else — maybe someone like you; maybe someone
unlike you. It helps my creativity flow!
What type of books do you enjoy writing? I've been
working on a few stories and they all have different genres.
One is Christian Fiction, one is fantasy, and one is more of
ideas from a movie.
How many stories have you completed? Surprisingly, only
a few. Sometimes I'll begin one and completely abandon it or
I'll have a good idea, but it doesn't come out like I had hoped.
Where do you get ideas for your stories? Lots of different
places! Sometimes I'll see something on TV, magazines, or
other books and I'll think, “Ooh! I need to write about that!” I
get my characters names from a baby names website and
sometimes even the perfect name with the right meaning gives
me ideas to build on.
Would you like to share a summary of one of your
stories? Sure! Twelve-year-old tomboy Gia Malone's mom is
getting married — to her science teacher! That wouldn't be so
bad except Mr. Kim is boring, his daughter Danya is a snob,
and Gia is failing in that class! Can Gia, with the help of her
older brothers Gregg and Gavin, stop the wedding? Or is she
exactly where God wants her to be?
You could be our next featured South Kakalaki Girl! Just use
the contact form and let us know that you are interested. In
order to be a featured South Kakalaki Girl, you must have
read the SKG newsletter at least once, and you must also be
between the ages of 4-20. 6
What are your goals in life? Well of course accomplishing
some of the jobs on the first list. But I also want to find the
right man that God wants me to be with and have a Christcentered
marriage. And possibly 3 kids!
Have you ever earned any awards? I've won 5 trophies for
ballet and a medal each for drama and singing in a Junior
Talent Show for my church denomination.
Volume 3, Issue 3

Quiz:
What Color Code are You?
Written by Maddie M.
1. Which would you rather visit?
A. Hawaii
B. Alaska
C. Los Angeles
2. Which would you rather wear?
A. A blue tank top with an orange flower printed onto it
B. Lavender jeans with white polka dots
C. Mint green jeans with a sparkly belt
3. Which lip gloss?
A. Marvelous Mango
B. Icy Clear Mint
C. Ruby Red
4. Your friend wants to borrow your cute little top that you
just bought, and she promises to return the next day. You
let her borrow it and, after a week, she still hasn't returned
it. You:
A. Call your friend and ask her to return your top ASAP
B. Tell your friend to give your top back and tell yourself to never
let her borrow anything of yours again.
C. Demand her to give your top back and tell her you will not let
her borrow your stuff again.
5. You are a gymnast. The biggest gymnastics competition
of your life is coming up tomorrow, and you’re totally
excited! At the competition, you manage to score a gold
medal on beam, floor, and bars . . . however, you get a silver
medal for vault. You actually have a chance of winning,
when the judges announce your teammate, Anna, scored
gold medals for all events. You:
A. Are real excited! After all, you came in second overall and you
got more points for your team!
B. You’re upset you didn't come in first, but you congratulate
Anna. You let her celebrate her victory like you would have
celebrated yours.
C. You’re furious, of course. You didn't win the highest
title. It's such a bummer. You don't even congratulate Anna
because you really wanted to come in first!
Results (Add up the points to find your answer . . .)
1.
A - 1
B - 1
C - 2
5-7 points - Code Green: Aloha, my friend! You love natural
shades, like green, blue, and orange! These colors remind you to
stay calm, and they remind you to be patient and be a loyal
friend, no matter what! You’re an awesome sport when it
comes to losing, which means you’re totally code
green! Congrats on being an awesome girl and loving mango lip
gloss.
8-10 points - Code Purple: Hello, there! So . . . it is pure
awesomeness that you love those lavender jeans and Icy Clear
Mint lip gloss. Oh, and the fact you love Alaska, I hope (even
though it's pretty cold there . . . brr!). While you may be a great
friend, you still keep some important stuff to yourself, which is
very wise of you! But please keep in mind to be patient and
loyal, even when times are tough. Keep up the cool beans, code
purple!
11-12 points - Code Red: You were tested on your fashion
sense and your friend-style. You got a code red, which may not
be the hottest color. No fear, though! Just work on keeping
your mind at peace and being happy for everyone else. Also,
don't forget to keep calm and be patient . . . your chance will
come soon! Other than that though . . . continue loving the
amazing city and loving the red gloss, girl! 6
Bible Trivia
Submitted by Katherine M.
1. How many times is the word patience used in the Bible?
2. How many times is the word patient used in the Bible?
3. How many times is the word patiently used in the Bible?
4. True or false: the word patience is not used at all in the Old
Testament.
2.
A - 1
B - 2
C - 2
5. Who was the youngest king to ascend the throne mentioned
in the Old Testament?
6. What were the names of Lamech’s 2 wives (Genesis 4)?
7. Who was the second wife of Abraham?
8. Who was a seller of purple in Acts?
9. What was the name of the queen that the Ethiopian eunuch
worked for in Acts?
3.
A - 1
B - 2
C - 2
4.
A - 1
B - 2
C - 3
10. What was Queen Esther’s predecessor’s name? 6
5.
A - 1
B - 2
C - 3
Volume 3, Issue 3

1. 33
2. 9
3. 6
4. True
5. Joash
6. Adah and Zillah
7. Keturah
8. Lydia
9. Candace
10. Vashti 6
Answers to Bible Trivia
Submitted by Katherine M.
A True Story:
A Trip to Columbia
Written by Emma G.
On April Fools Day, 2014, my mom, my siblings, and I went to
Columbia, SC, to do fun activities and play with my cousins. It
was so much fun! Slowly, we drove the one hour and thirty
minute drive. When we crossed the “Welcome to Columbia” sign
we were as happy as a lark. We met Aunt Charlene at the Kroger
Center to watch an orchestra perform and to watch different
people do acrobatics while the music played. After we went to
the Cirque du Soleil Concert we went to Aunt Charlene’s house,
we played all afternoon and then we watched Frozen. :) Later
that night we put on a puppet show for my mom, Aunt Charlene,
and Uncle James (dad didn’t go with us). After the puppet show,
we went straight to bed. The next morning we got up, ate
breakfast, and headed to the SC History Museum with my mom.
We saw a bunch of cool things. We did school work and ate
lunch as soon as we got back to Aunt Charlene’s house. After we
played some more, Aunt Charlene told us to start to get ready for
the Keith and Kristyn Getty ( modern hymn writers ) concert.
We ate dinner as fast as we could, we finished getting ready,
hopped in the car and drove to the Getty concert. We met Uncle
James there. When the concert started I was so excited! I wanted
to scream! The concert was amazing! After the concert we met
Keith Getty. We went to Aunt Charlene’s house, and we packed
up, ate a snack, said good-bye to everybody and traveled back
home. My two day adventure in Columbia had ended.
Career:
Meet Lt. Col. MacDougall from the Air
National Guard
Written by Lydia K.
Lt. Col. MacDougall goes to our church, and he really wanted to
take our youth group to the Air National Guard base where he
works. We went last month, and I really loved it.
We got to go in the simulator where they train pilots, tour a plane
that was under inspection, learn about survival training, etc. So
when I saw that the career article was open I thought I could
interview him.
He told me so many things that he did not tell us on the tour. On
the tour, we toured the biggest plane in the US. It is called the
Galaxy C-5. It was huge!
Memorizing lots of Scripture is very helpful in the military,
because you don't always have a Bible with you. If you were
captured or in a scary situation, you wouldn’t have time to get
your Bible out.
They are cargo planes and they often times carry soldiers. When
they are carrying soldiers they drop them into enemy territory, so
they often get shot at. Their only defense system is flares and
chaff. They both mess up the missile's course in some way and
thus prevent them to hit the plane.
When Lt. Col. MacDougall was in training, they taught him to
stay alive for what matters in your life the most (i.e. family, career,
etc.). But for Christians, he said that would be to live for God
and serving Him. So memorizing lots of Scripture is very helpful
in the military, because you wouldn’t always have a Bible with
you; and if you were captured or in a scary situation, you don't
have time to get the Bible out. Here are his answers to the
interview questions.
1. What is your current position? I am a Lieutenant Colonel in
the Air National Guard, assigned to help maintain a squadron of
jets for worldwide military missions.
2. What positions have you had? I have primarily served in the
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves as a pilot.
3. What subjects do you have to study to be a pilot in the
military? To be a pilot in the military — whether that be in the
Active Duty forces, the Air National Guard, or the Air Force
Reserves — you must be commissioned as an officer, which
requires at least a college Bachelor-level degree of any major.
Pilot candidates also must successfully score high on various
qualifying tests that measure skills in math, verbal, piloting and
navigation. It really helps your competitive position if you have a
private pilot's license.
4. What do you like doing best during your job? Any position
flying is better than any position on the ground.
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Volume 3, Issue 3

Continued from previous page.
My favorite type of sortie is flying daytime low-level terrainmapping
missions in formation with other aircraft.
A “sortie,” as defined by the Encarta
dictionary, is “an attack on an enemy or an
aircraft mission.” It can also refer to a person
who is on a sortie.
5. Please describe a typical day at work. What I like best about
being a military pilot is that there is no typical day at work.
It could involve administrative office work on the ground,
studying, flying locally for training, working out physically, flying
real-world (non-training) missions, or a combination of those.
However, generally speaking, on days that flying is scheduled,
pilots arrive at the squadron a few hours ahead of take-off time to
read up on any updates regarding the plane or things that could
have an impact on the sortie. Then a series of briefings are held
that spell out what the mission is about and what is to be
expected from each flying member. This minimizes any
surprises. If the sortie is to involve flying in unfriendly territory,
then those briefings will include intelligence updates about the
situation.
The pilot then "steps to the jet" and accomplishes the mission.
Afterwards, a debriefing is held amongst all the participating
flying members and the sortie is discussed in order to improve
each other and future performance. Questions such as, "How did
it go," “Why did you do that?,” “What were you thinking?” and,
"What could have been done better?" are asked.
6. What made you decide to be an ANG pilot? I felt that it
was a career choice that made a difference. Also, there was a
personal intense fun factor and adrenaline rush that my then
current career, accounting, did not possess. No surprise there,
huh.
7. Where was your first job? Well, my first real job was as a life
guard when I was 15. But my first job out of college was as an
accountant for a big auditing firm. I was stuck in an office and
really disliked it. It's worth noting that one can serve part-time in
the National Guard or Reserves and still hold a full-time job
doing something entirely different. That was the route I took. I
have a full-time job as a sales manager with a regular company,
but I participate in the Air National Guard on the side. Juggling
priorities and time between the two can be extremely difficult, so
it's important that the full-time regular non-military job have a
good bit of understanding and flexibility built into it.
this interview. As I look back on my 25-year career thus far in the
military, I think my memory highlights are the two deployments
that I performed during our nation's operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan, which occurred during early parts of those
campaigns. Very austere living and so much of the daily work
was making it up as we went. The only constant was change and
the flying was, well, hot...on a couple of levels.
A note from Lydia: This a cool story that he told me. Once he was
landing out in the Azores and so while they were waiting on the
plane they got see a bull chase/fight. He said it was so cool.
9. What is the best thing about this job? It's different for every
military pilot. Some like the flying, some like the mission of
protecting and defending our nation, and some like the lifestyle
and follow-on opportunities it may bring . . . such as becoming an
airline pilot. For me, all of those are important, but I also like the
immense responsibility that comes with being handed the keys to
a jet, weapons, and crew at a very young age. It is a serious career
that requires a sharp mind, fit body, and demands effective
leadership, so maturity is a pre-requisite and develops very quickly
in this environment.
10. Do you have to like certain things in order to do this
occupation? You have to like altitudes and going fast. You also
have to like—or at least be willing—to not get into a routine and
being flexible with being away from home.
Also, it's awfully important that pilots stay physically fit, eat
healthily, and stay academically keen on all the systems of the
plane, procedures of flying, and enemy tactics and
capabilities. The effects of aerospace operations on the mind and
physical body are significant. Oxygen pressures, G-forces,
speeds, sensory cues and depravations affected by darkness,
weather, fatigue, in-flight emergencies, and the inherent stresses
of real-world missions, all help to make the pilot's sortie more
difficult. And I haven't even mentioned the real prospect of
having an enemy trying to shoot you down and what could
subsequently happen if they were successful.
11. Have you ever earned any awards? Military flying generates
opportunities and experiences that are broad, exciting and
frequently challenging, even difficult. Given enough years in this
business, all pilots will be decorated with numerous awards and
citations simply by the nature of what they do. Yes, I have
received many awards. I've even earned a few. Some of them are
recognitions for unit excellence, or participating in various
campaigns, or having achieved some qualification. But the ones
that I respect the most are the ones that are earned for true and
unique action. I have two in particular that were awarded to me
for specific flying things in what we call "the desert."
A special thanks to Lt. Col. MacDougall for his
brave service to our country.
8. Have you had any interesting things happen to you while
working in this job? Many. Actually, too many to recount in
Volume 3, Issue 3