God moved that mountain (we're pretty sure, anyway!)

My heart is feeling lighter tonight. Ray called this evening and said they got to pick their orders today. The procedure is that they show all the available orders and the class gets to choose their orders according to their GPA. The person with the highest GPA picks first, etc. Ray is third in his class. There were a number of orders for Texas and Jacksonville, Florida among others. We had already decided last night that Jacksonville wouldn't be too bad because he and Thyda could at least fly to see each other on occasional weekends. But there was ONE order for Oceana, VA (16 miles from Norfolk!) and of course Ray picked it. According to Ray there is still a chance that a petty officer with higher rank could possibly get those orders instead of Ray. There is a website he must keep checking to see when it's absolutely final that HE is the one going there. So I will still be praying. But I do believe God moved that mountain (see my post from last night).

This whole experience has cost Ray some of his dignity. Because he has been transparent with those above him about his desperation and despair, he had to experience a humiliating meeting today during which he was strongly reprimanded for his lack of loyalty to the Navy. He said, "We were told from the beginning that if we're struggling we can always talk things over with our officers, mentors, etc., but I guess not." I have a feeling this is just like schools and colleges - to get people they say all kinds of pie-in-the-sky things, but reality is not quite the same as the hype they use to "sell" what they have to offer.