Workaround, workaround … I work around!

You know, half of my job exists because people have problems. Most people don’t come to me unless they have one. Sometimes the problems are small and easy, and sometimes the problems are—well, not.

A crane hoists a wall into its new position on the upper floor.
A crane hoists a wall into its new position on the upper floor.

Back in March, I heard that there had been a little incident on the construction site at Wycliffe Germany, where they are busy expanding their lodging and meeting facilities. In the initial excavation phase, a machine had severed some of the phone cables that traverse the center. Oops. Most of the lines in two buildings lost their connections, and several others were reduced to poor quality or instability.

Later that month, I was approached by their business manager about the possibility of installing a VoIP-based phone system to restore the lost phone lines. (The network cables had been untouched.) Such a system is what I installed in our own office in 2013. One difference was that this new system would have to work for a while with what remained of the old one. It was destined to become the only system, but it would be just a workaround in the meantime so that some important calls could get through.

To make a long story short(er)—remember, this happened back in March—my colleague and  I installed the new system and the first of the phones. (That was a really long workday.) Later, we tested and recommended some cordless units to put to work in the tricky areas where corded desk phones just won’t work. Slowly, we are going to plan and install our way from the initial workaround to the final replacement system.

The excavator and its companion in front of our building (on right).
The excavator and its companion in front of our building (on right).

It seems that we’ll be needing some kind of workaround at home, too. The road through our village is being repaved and the sewer system renovated, and the sewer work is right in front of our apartment now. On Friday, the excavator stumbled upon an undocumented pipe—our building’s drain pipe, from all appearances. If the window’s open, and we run a little water, then within minutes we hear a trickling outside. Fun, huh?

Earlier, I didn’t mention that one of the phones I replaced is the one used by my wife. If I can wrangle a picture or two out of her at work this week, I’ll write about what Katherine is up to these days over at Wycliffe Germany.

 

Newsletter, September 2013

“With your help, the next newsletter will be written from Germany!”

Yes, I wrote that more than two years ago – the last time I wrote and sent a newsletter.

“When I return from this conference, I will work on writing a newsletter to highlight what has happened in our family life and in my work over the past year.”

And, yes, I wrote that more than a year ago, promising to rectify the error. Ugh.

Among those reading these words now – or the words in the newsletter, if they’ve skipped over this drivel – are people who have faithfully kept us living and working in Germany despite our unfaithfulness in keeping in touch. And within that group are folks who began supporting our ministry two years ago so that we could come here in the first place. The actions and prayers of our brothers and sisters are a powerful testimony to their love, and we are indeed grateful. We have not been in want.

So here is our newsletter, a summary of life and work for the Liddles as we serve Wycliffe Bible Translators from central Germany.

September 2013: A Liddle Good News (for viewing on-screen)

September 2013: A Liddle Good News (for printing)

Thank you for reading – and for being patient with us!

The four basic needs

I wrote a few months ago about being asked by Wycliffe Germany to upgrade their wireless network. As I discussed the project with their current director, Angelika Marsch, I mentioned that I have observed that people aren’t content anymore with the traditional needs of food, clothing, and shelter. We (yeah, me, too) have added a fourth: Internet access.

When conference or meeting attendees arrive at the venue, they ask three questions, and not necessarily in this order:

  1. Where is my room?
  2. When (and where) is the next meal?
  3. How do I get on the Internet?

Most people have brought their clothing with them. (Well, those are the only kind I provide support for, anyway.)

Crazy access point setupSo my goal at the Wycliffe center was to give guests (and staff) a great experience with Internet access. Whether folks are inside or outside – it is, after all, a beautiful setting with cool weather – their devices should be able to connect quickly. The new equipment we ordered arrived over several days, and I set to work right away as each piece arrived and prepared it for installation. Some things, like the wireless access points you see in the picture, could be set up en masse.

No little green men in these "UFOs"Once I installed some core equipment around the center that would provide both data and power to the new wireless system – and at faster speeds than before – the rest of the installation went very smoothly. The center manager and I went from one spot to another, securing mounting plates and plugging the little “UFOs” into the network. Gradually, the new wireless network took shape and became active.

During the meetings that inspired the upgrade, we received nothing but compliments from the attendees. Since then, many people – whether guests or everyday staff – have commented on the improvement. There are areas in which I know I can make some improvements, but this experience has been very satisfying, and the sight of people happily and comfortably doing email or connecting with family back home is all the reward I need.