First, I want to thank those of you who prayed for my teleconference interview four weeks ago on Oct. 21. The interview that day went very well.

(The company is Research In Motion (or RIM), makers of the Blackberry wireless PDA.)

They sent me a "test problem" to see how I think and how I code. I submitted my solution and they must have liked it, because I now have a "face-to-face" interview tomorrow morning in Waterloo Ontario. (The job position is here in Ottawa, but the management team is in Waterloo). I am told that tomorrow's interview is the "next and final step" in the process of getting me on board.

PRAISE GOD, that the interview is early in the morning and I am scheduled to be back in Ottaw before the Sabbath! (The company is flying me to Toronto, then providing transportation from Pearson Airport to Waterloo).

(I will probably be on the road between the Ottawa airport and home (about a 45 minute drive) when Sabbath falls, but praise God that the interview was not scheduled for tomorrow afternoon!)

FIRST REQUEST:

SO, Please pray for my travel and my interview tomorrow morning. I must be at the Ottawa airport by 5:00 AM (EST, not AST), one hour before my flight at 6:00 AM. The interview is scheduled to be from 9:00 to 11:00 (EST) in Waterloo and I'm flying back early tomorrow afternoon. (Note: add one hour to get the same time in AST: so 5:00 EST here is 6:00 AST in the Maritmes, and the interview starts at 9:00 here - 10:00 AST.)

Again, please pray with me that the God will give me the wisdom to answer the questions effectively and that it be His will that I work at RIM.

SECOND REQUEST

On Monday (don't know the time yet) I am having surgery (a "right hemi-thyrodectomy" - the right half of my thyroid is being removed). This is considered fairly minor surgery (it's "day surgery") but will be under a general anesthetic and I am told that I will take about a week to recover at home.

I have a "nodule" on my right thyroid that has been growing. However, it was biopsied (is that a word? :-) about 1.5 years ago and the result came back as non-cancerous at that time. The surgeon will be removing the whole half-thyroid. He has told me that the left half will compensate by producing more endocrines to make up for the loss from the missing right-half.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS.

BTW, Angie: The verse from Jer. 29:11-12 is a favourite of mine. I have "grabbed onto" that promise and it has kept me going during my joblessness.

God bless you all in your ministry.

In His love and grace,

Ed Pugh.

Ed,

We will be praying for you regarding both of your requests.

Not much time to write this.

I think the interview Friday went very well, but will need one more interview with them (the direcror mgr. was not available Friday, so will have to meet him later).

The surgery is schedule for 1:30 PM EST (2:30 AST) this afternoon.

Thanks for your prayers and God bless,

Ed Pugh.

Ed,

How are you doing now after your surgery, etc.???

The surgery went very well last Monday, Nov. 21. No complications

I still have "steri-strips running across my neck that will be removed next Tuesday (Dec. 6), but look pretty ugly right now.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS! God is good!

I have another RIM interview tomorrow morning here in Ottawa (Tuesday, Nov. 29) at 10:00 AM EST (my time), 11:00 AM AST (your time).

When I was in Waterloo a couple of Fridays ago, the interview went very well, but the director-level manager was unavailable that day. (I met with other managers and team members, though.)

So, the director will be here in Ottawa tomorrow morning to meet with me, and I will also get to meet with my potential team member who is here in Ottawa (only met him via teleconference, so far).

One concern is that my surgery incision on my neck is still a little sore (not really bad), and wonder if a closed-collar shirt and tie would chafe against the wound. If I do NOT wear a closed collar and tie, the steri-strips will be visible, dried blood and all, so it may look somewhat ugly and may give a bad "first impression" when I meet with my potential director tomorrow.

Of course, I also pray that this third (and hopefully final) interview would go well and that I would land the position.

AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME TOMORROW.
(10:00 AM my time, 11:00 AM Atlantic time).

God bless you all in your ministry.

Ed Pugh

Well, Ed, how are things now?

How did the latest interview go?