Walter has been with CIAM for over 10 years, and is responsible for CIAM’s technical development and support. This includes monitoring and maintaining stations to keep them on air.
What do a doctor, a repairman, and a writer of computer code have in common? The answer is Walter.
Each morning before breakfast Walter makes his “rounds” by going downstairs to his office to check on the many CIAM transmitters and computers. Even the transmitter in the room next to him is checked remotely from his desk. This summer’s extreme heat coupled with the move to high power at various locations has made it vital to check each transmitter’s temperature throughout the day. The adjacent picture is of Walter’s system to monitor the various transmitters and computers. Green means all is well. Yellow and orange means something needs attention and red means off air. Walter also has this system on his phone and is alerted by a text whenever something is wrong.
The health of each transmitter and computer determines whether Walter switches to being a repairman or a code writer after breakfast. While Walter does hands on transmitter and other equipment repairs from time to time, most of his repair work is done through the hands of others. This summer he has made calls to local CIAM volunteers who already know how to go out and clean filters, check on fans, power cycle routers, etc. Other times he has talked people through the job that needed to be done. The CIAM volunteers are crucial to the ongoing ministry of CIAM.
Writing computer code requires concentration. Updating systems requires research and understanding of what is being read. Both of these tasks are necessary for the ongoing work of CIAM. Please pray for Walter as he seeks to do these in the midst of the crises that arise.
Sometimes crises arise that have nothing to do with CIAM, but become an opportunity for CIAM to minister to a community beyond what is usual. The fire threat to Fort Liard in May is an example of this. Each day for about a week Walter recorded a NWT Fire Information officer’s and a local elder’s fire update for the radio. Those updates aired at the top of each hour.
Prayer Support
Also during that week, Walter began to experience pain. By May 28 increased pain accompanied by vomiting resulted in him being Medivaced to Yellowknife. What was thought to be a bowel obstruction turned out to be a large kidney stone which will have to be dealt with in Edmonton. We praise the Lord for how He has been keeping Walter as he waits for an appointment.
Walter is not just a “doctor”, repairman, and code writer. He is also a husband, father, song leader and Bible teacher at church. Most of all he is a man who seeks to faithfully serve the Lord in every area of his life. Please pray for him.
