Prayer for Tomorrow

Dear Friends,

Please be praying for Brad. Tomorrow is his viva, aka "oral defense" for his thesis/ dissertation at 1 PM GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), or 8AM EST (Eastern Standard Time)!  He has been working toward this day for FIVE years now and it is nearly here!  Here's hoping he will soon be Dr. J.B. Holmes! ;-) 

Specific Requests:

Our whole family has been sick fighting the stomach bug and a cold this week. When Brad arrived in England he was feeling really poorly and went to the local "surgery" to see the doctor. He was given a prescription to help with the nausea but it has also made him very drowsy and a little dopey, which is not the best for a 3 hour grilling session with his examiners. 

Brad has two examiners, an internal examiner from Cambridge, and an external examiner who is flying down from Scotland. Scotland right now has 16 inches of snow and there is a concern that flights will need to be cancelled.  We are praying that doesn't happen because his student visa for the UK expires on November 30th, which is also the date of his departure from England.  He needs both of his examiners to be there for the viva.

We feel fairly confident that Brad will "pass" his viva but it is also likely he will need to make some revisions before the final printing.  We are hoping that they will be "minor revisions" and NOT "major revisions" (go back to the lab and do experiments).  Brad begins his new job at the NCBI on January 3rd, so his time is very limited.  

With Love and Appreciation,

Lauren for the Holmes Family

P.S. All the words used for academia in the US are the opposite of what are used for the UK! So that is why it may sound like I am a little confused, but the truth is, I think I have FINALLY figured it out.

UK Terminology: PhD thesis; viva

USA Terminology: PhD dissertation; oral examination

I wanted to post some sort of picture from Cambridge today and I thought it would be fun to have one of Brad in a gown for formal dinner (also used for graduation). ***This photo was taken of us at dinner at St. John's College in Cambridge on May 7th, 2008 (a couple weeks before our move back to the U.S.). 

We were the guests of our friends Ed and Beth McNeilly that night. Brad and Ed walking in their gowns on the grounds of St. John's. It is one of the most beautiful, and oldest colleges at Cambridge University.  

Please be praying!!! It's an exciting day tomorrow but also a little nerve-wracking too.