Jonathan

Able to sand any wood silky-smooth in a matter of seconds...able to solve any wood-related problem...swims like a fish, crochets like a grandmother, eats like a health nut, remains positive in all situations...he is AMAZING MAN!
There's a reason Jonathan got that knickname. If you see him staring at something, he's either zoned out of the conversation or trying to figure out how that something works. One of my first impressions at how handy he really is (aside from building all our boxes) was in Winnepeg in February. He fixed his billets' stove. And not like just plugged it in; he pulled it out, looked behind and found out that some of the wires had fused together or something. Then he repaired it. And it worked. And I had been proud of myself that day for cleaning my room.
Jonathan is the type of person who leaves everything and everyone better than when he first came on the scene. He's extremely positive, and sees very few things as an obstacle, be they mountains, rivers, lakes, broken flour containers or broken stoves. He's not outdoorsy; he's a bushwhacker. His idea of camping is a sleeping bag, matches, and a machete. By contrast, my idea of camping is an RV. I have to say, his love of hiking has actually rubbed off on me. Maybe it's because of the way he hikes; he's not one for sticking to trails or taking the easy routes. However, by his definition, we haven't been on a real hike on this entire trip. He could hike eight hours a day and be deliriously happy.
I can't describe Jonathan without telling you about his passion for God. Whenever you ask him about the future, he never fails to talk about God's will. He's a very dedicated, hardworking guy, and it doesn't fail to transfer into his spiritual life. It's not uncommon to find him reading his Bible in the mornings, and he'll often tell us about what God has been teaching him of late. In his bio on our program, he wrote that "nothing thrills him more than stepping out in faith and trusting God," and he lives it.
Jonathan's a pretty quiet guy. He seems to prefer situations with smaller groups of people. Once you get to know him, he starts to pull out these joking little comments that you'll miss if you blink at the wrong time. He'll just kinda smirk to himself until you turn around and ask; "Are you making fun of me?" Then he grins mischeiviously.
In Ontario, we had the opportunity to stay at a camp. We had the whole place to ourselves and bought groceries for the days we were there. Jonathan couldn't sleep one morning, so he decided to get up and bake bread. From scratch. By memory. No big deal for him; apparently he makes seven loaves a week for his family. No wonder they miss him so much. Last I heard, they had two hair dryers and a rocking chair for him to fix. I'm pretty sure there's nothing that he can't fix, given enough time. Most of his billets have wanted to keep him, marry him to their granddaughters, or both. Most of you back home thought I'd come back engaged to him, but sorry guys, that's not gonna happen. I'm crazy enough NOT to like him.
Though if he's ever in town I might get him to fix my hair dryer.
I love you, Jonathan.