Below is a link to Matthew's training calendar if you want to continue to follow his training to pray specifically.
http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/schools/soi/new/mct/trainingcalendar.htm

Church just out of Boot

Just before leaving to MCT Sep 9, 2008

Camp Pendelton after saying our goodbyes.

I cannot begin to express as a mom the swirl of emotion I am experiencing. Matthew seemed contemplative as he moved into the second phase of his training and had to say goodbye. He is a man now, and I have to let him go on to his dream. As soon as I have words for the experience of having him home and sending him away, I will update the blog and add more pictures. Until then, I will say that I thank God that my boy is in His hands and God cares for him more than I.

From Matt

Hey everybody, I'm back! Ooh-rah! It's nice to be home for a couple days. On September 9th I report to SOI, MCT (School of Infantry and Marine Combat Training) for my combat training. Straight from there I go to my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) school and then straight to a duty station. I'm not sure where my duty station will be but I may have a choice so that's something to hope for. I just wanted thank everyone that wrote me and prayed for me; I'm not sure where I'd be now if I didn't have the Lord to lean on. Thank you all also for supporting me in defending your freedom and supporting my mother as she has to go for long stretches at a time without being able to see me. The next time I will be home will probably not be for at least 6 or 8 months. Thank you again for all your prayer and support.

Ooh-Rah and Semper Fi!

Motivational Run on Family Day. The very first time we see him since June 1st.

Forming up for Liberty on Family Day

Dad sees his son for the first time in three months

...a proud moment

Derek, Isaac, Hannah, Samuel, Grammy & Rebekah waiting for graduation ceremony to begin.

Graduation Formation

Parade Rest posture

Graduation Day

I cannot express in words my pride in my son. Today was an extremely significant day in the life of this new Marine. We are spending time as a family tonight, so I will post pics and details tomorrow. I will say that he and his dad are developing their relationship on a whole new level, which is more a blessing to me than all of it together!

OOH-RAH!

Matt the Marine

Today is Family Day. It is 4:37am (or should I say 0437) and we are getting ready to jump in the van to spend a few hours with Matthew, then Friday we will see him graduate. I understand Marine Boot Camp Graduation is a pretty neat thing to see. I cannot wait! Last week the Chevron newspaper, which features the week's graduating company, was posted Thursday. The edition is dated every Friday-check it out (see last blog) to see Matthew's company and his name will be posted in the list of New Marines. Next post will feature actual photos of Matthew! :o)

Matthew will be home for ten days!

On Thursday we will see him for the first time in three months. Friday we bring him home. I imagine we will have to share him with others who will want to soak up every minute with him as much as we do. I'm sure it will go by very fast. While training is complete and I think by now he has been awarded the Eagle, Globe & Anchor, signifying his transition to Marine from Recruit, the official ceremony is still to come! Please check out the Chevron Newspaper. It is the MCRD paper and will feature the graduationg company of the week. I won't see it until we get home Friday with him, but who knows? He may be featured in it! Check it out-It was up Thursday last week for Friday's edition. http://www.mcrdsd.usmc.mil/chevron/index.htm

Graduation information

Check out this link for all graduation and family day information. http://www.mccsmcrd.com/Graduation/Graduation_Events.aspx

Matthew graduates Friday, August 29th. Family Day is Thursday the 28th. The festivities begin bright and early! So if you plan to come, plan to come very (Marine) early. The link above has the schedule and you can go from that page to directions and other important details and information.

Matthew would be so honored to have all his loved ones there to see him graduate!

Matthew with his platoon

Matthew's on the internet!

Wanna see Matt? He is in formation on this video. Pretty cool to see him in "real life". Click the link below.
http://devildogs.info/
Click on Second Battalion--> Hotel Co--> Platoon 2169
He is on the bottom row, fourth from right, facing left. You can rewind the video if you need to. If you see the white kid with big ears, then the darker kid, then there's Matt.

Gas Chamber and Crucible this week!

Please pray for Matthew very fervently this week. Today (Mon.) he goes into the gas chamber. Tuesday thru Thursday he will be doing The Crucible. Immediately after The Crucible he is awarded the Eagle, Globe & Anchor, which signifies his transformation into an official Marine. Then he will get the Warrior's Breakfast (a feast). Friday is a day of transition; he turns in his training gear and packs up to go to MCRD again for graduation week. Thank you for all your prayers and letters and support during this time. He has not had a delay and I am trusting he won't at all. I am looking forward to what a man my son has become. I can't wait to see him!

Boot Camp is almost over!

Thanks to all who have been keeping Matthew in your prayers. Please revisit the training schedule. You will see that this week is a great deal of physical training and next week is The Crucible which I previously posted info about. That is the week he will really need your prayers. After The Crucible is over, he receives the Eagle, Globe and Anchor in a special ceremony and is officially a US Marine! It is such a huge accomplishment that the guys are deeply emotional and proud! I am extremely happily surprised that he has not had any delays to his graduation so far and our God has been keeping his heart. Please pray that Matthew will still have no delays as well as thanks to our Great God who has abundantly poured out His grace! Love to all who love Brian Matthew with a genuine love!

From Ashley

August 3rd-
He begins his letter with how excited he is to be coming home in 3 1/2 weeks! :) He was kind of down when he wrote cause of some of the people there. I guess they aren't being quite fair to him :( He said he really wants to see me and that he loves me. He also said not to write anymore letters after August 19th cause it's too close to graduation. I am anxious to see him again! :)

I can't wait!! (from Sarah)

Matt wrote me another letter, he says he can't wait to come home again!!
He wants to be home again really bad and he also says he can't wait to go to church again. I'm so excited about seeing him again and can't wait to go to San Diego for the graduation.
he's made a couple friends and wants to stay in touch with one of them after Boot Camp. even though some of the guys there have been giving him a hard time, he is sticking it out and keeping a good attitude! I'm sooo proud of my big marine brother!

** Happy Birthday to Mom **

Well, "only three more Sundays," he says. Matt says he misses us. He has a friend and bunk mate that is from Montclair. They want to maintain friendship after Boot with plans to hang out. They want to go get new cell phones and spend a day or so together. He reports a couple other recruits that have bad attitudes and he is having trouble with them and is a little down. But he has been reminded of a song I like that they play at church there and it is encouraging to him. He wrote out the verse:

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call

He says he misses everyone a lot about five times in this letter. He says, "I see myself maturing through this time in life."

He is really counting on going to church as soon as he gets out.

He ends with Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to me & Dad and says he is sorry he can't be here for it. (The letter arrived today, on my birthday. Our anniversary is next Monday.)

P.S. Don't send any letters after the 19th as it is too close to graduation. I guess he won't get them. :o)

From Ashley:

July 27th-
He said that last week they were getting ready for field week so that is why he wasn't able to write. He explained to me what they have been doing at the WFTBN (Weapons and Field Training Battalion). The first week was grass week where they learned how to aim. The second week was table week where they learned how to shoot sitting, standing, kneeling, and prone. The third week was field week which just ended. He sounded excited about becoming a third phase recruit and about the fact that there are only 21 Training days left...yes!! :) He mentioned to Travis that bootcamp is easier then he thought. The hard part is always being busy. He says he can't wait to be home again :)

*red letter editing by Tish

Remember to send wallet-size photos and no bigger! :o)
Email me for Matt's address if you don't have it. Matt says letters are very encouraging.

Matt's letters to Sarah

Matt has sent me quite a few letters. He says he appreciates the letters everyone sends, and he would love to have some pictures sent to him! The letters sound very encouraging, and he says he can't wait to come home and eat Good Food! =)) I hope the time flies!!!!

Third Phase Recruit

Matthew mailed the family a letter this week. It was a welcome surprise since we didn't hear from him last week. He says he misses everyone and has so little time he cannot send individual letters anymore. He tries to get all the info in one letter.
He says he wants to go to church as soon as he gets home. He thanks us for all the encouragement and everyone for all the prayers. Letters have been deeply helpful and for those of you who have sent any, he really appreciates it.

They are third phase recruits now and says it gets a little easier from here on out. I notice more use of "we" mentality, which is one of the goals. He seems much more clear-headed and focused.

He concludes the letter with how much he loves all of us and misses us.

Keep the letters coming! He has this week and four more to go, so he still needs all the encouragement he can get! The Crucible is coming up soon, which is the most challenging event, I believe. Check out the link to the Training Matrix so you can see exactly when he will do The Crucible and when he will need your specific prayers. There is a description of The Crucible from the MCRD San Diego website below:


The Crucible
In the days leading up to the Crucible, as a part of the event’s preparation, recruits will become familiar with their field protective masks and go through the confidence chamber, more commonly known as the gas chamber.
The Crucible is a test every recruit must go through to become a Marine. It tests every recruit physically, mentally and morally and is the culminating event in recruit training.
The Crucible takes place over 54-hours and includes food and sleep deprivation and over 45 miles of marching.
The entire Crucible event pits teams of recruits against a barrage of day and night events requiring every recruit to work together solving problems, overcoming obstacles and helping each other along.
The obstacles they face range from long marches, combat assault courses, the problem-solving reaction course, and the team-building Warrior Stations. Each Warrior Station is named for a Marine hero whose actions epitomize the values we want recruits to espouse.
Bottom line -- The Crucible is a rite of passage that, through shared sacrifice, recruits will never forget. With that memory and their Core Values learned in recruit training, they can draw upon the experience to face any challenge in their path.
The culmination of the Crucible is the presentation of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, signifying the new Marine’s successful transformation from recruit to Marine.


Impressed? I am and I am also so proud of him. Please keep his faith and dependence on His Heavenly Father in your fervent prayers, for to seek Him and His Righteousness is our only hope of attaining all the things we need in this life and the life to come.

Tough Day for Mom

Pray for me, Matt's mom, today. I have been realizing how long five years really is and how much I already miss my son. I want to see things as positively as possible and I think I have been doing very well at this, but today all I can think about is that I won't get to watch him grow into a man from 18 to 23. :-(
How selfish is that? He is having a much harder time than I am. But I am a mom and my boy is not here.

from Ashley

Here's an update from July 15th:

Matt wrote a longer letter this time. He sounded like he was doing good! He shares the "head" with 89 other guys and said that that is no fun. He said that sleeping arrangements are ok, and that the beds are comfy. He misses homemade food and fast food. He had a good Fourth of July. He got to go to the theaters to watch a movie and then went to watch the fireworks. He said they were pretty amazing! He said he is looking forward to playing Guitar Hero when he gets back. He got moved to the WFTBN(Weapons and Field Training Batallion). He has a few buddies he mentioned. He can see the ocean from the rack and said it's cool!

Letter arrived Tue July 15

Got another letter today. I got none last week and he explained why: He only has free time on Sunday, he says. He was really depressed and just gelled out during free time. I am so glad to hear from him. I know he is really busy and he is having a much harder time than me, but it is really hard for me as his mom to experience this from my end. Getting an update helps.

He is a 2nd phase recruit. It's his second of three weeks at Pendelton (as opposed to MCRD) and he says all they are doing is shooting this week. (??I guess they go back to MCRD after this phase??)

Matthew sounds like he is growing up A LOT. From some things he wrote, I gather he sees things from a more mature perspective.

Matthew REALLY wants Grandpa & Grandma to be there for graduation!

Can't wait 'til the end of August when I see my man-son!

Hey guys,
Check out this link to see what Matt's scheduled to do each day:
http://www.recruitparents.com/downloads/2008MCRDMatrix.pdf

According to this calendar Matt is in week five, (week one of grass week) as of this writing, July 7th, 2008.

Longest letter I have gotten!! Four family letters in one envelope!!

Matt wrote some more letters and we received them today. They seem to get here very fast! He dated mine 06/29-that's only 2 days! :o)

He says letters are very encouraging. Matthew expressed that it's getting hard after having lost initial drill, which as I understand it was a competition between his platoon and another in the company, (They are working harder as a consequence of losing.) and the fourth week as the Marines count it, beginning yesterday. As hard as it has been, he sounds like he is clear headed and he understands what needs to be done. He gets free time at night and on Sunday mornings.
He seems very homesick, having mentioned a few times that he wanted to be home and missed us all. He would like to talk to us, not just write.

Please pray for thick skin as he said that he "need(s) to thicken it real quick."

They get a haircut every week and sleep 90 guys in barracks-each has the same bed every night. Guys are there from all over the country, he says, which he added a smiley after. And he said there are several believers. He is one of two prayer leaders, it sounds like, and he plans to talk over some of his struggles with the other guy who leads prayer. He feels demoralized over "to never do something right". That sounds like BIG discouragement. Please pray for him to cry out to God and seek Him first and that God would go before him to bring him strength and victory.

His bad ankle is fine since he has to wear combat boots every day.
He adds that he is not thinking he has made a mistake. He knows this is what God called him to.

Praise God that He has hold of my son's heart!

Miss you so much, my man-son!

Another letter :O)

A new letter came from Matt to the girls. He says to let me know the letters will be brief from now on. He sounds very busy. The week I thought he would be having a hard time he seemed very serious, but not down-he sounds like he really likes the busy-ness. If I know Matt, I know all the busy-ness is so good for him. He can't stand to be idle. (Unless you call video games or texting idle, which he doesn't.)

I also gather from the responses he gave that he has received my letters that were sent to the wrong address. Hopefully he has gotten all of them!

I also know he has sent letters to other families. So glad he is keeping in contact!

I have gotten another letter from Matt (Wed 6/25). I learned he is one of the prayer leaders for his platoon. He has to go to a meeting to learn how to lead military prayers, whatever that means, every Tuesday Night. He has lost five pounds and has to shower with forty other guys! He has gotten one of the letters that was sent to the wrong address, and should get the rest soon. He really appreciates letters as they are encouraging. There is a lady who is a chaplain assistant that makes calls on behalf of the recruits. We got a call last Sunday from her to let us know he was thinking of us and doing "OK".

Matt's first letter home from Boot

Matt mailed me a letter. I got it Sat. the 14th. He seems to be doing OK and wanted a family picture. He was excited to have gotten his rifle and was going to begin Martial Arts the next day.
Then Sunday I got a call from a lady who I guess volunteers at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot). She relayed a message to Aaron and me that he was thinking of us and is OK. Thanks, Matt!
We miss you and love you :0)