is driving a new car an inalienable right?

The US political system is often a source of amusement to me. I have to laugh at the dysfunctions, because the only other option would be to cry.

Recently, as part of a military spending bill Congress attached a $1 billion dollar expediture to encourage people to buy a new car by having the government buy their old ones. This bill has been passed by the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by Obama (by the time of this post it probably has been signed). This bill is known as the "Consumer Assistance Recycle and Save Act of 2009" or in the vernacular as "cash for clunkers."

In my opinion, there are so many things wrong with this scenario. First, what does buying used cars have to do with military spending anyway? Nothing! It was just the only way to pass this asinine bill, by hiding it in something that was likely to pass. Second, should the government be in the business of buying used cars? I think not! Third, is this the best use of our tax dollars given our ever expanding deficits and ongoing recession? To me, there are more essential ventures than the car industry. These days the car industry is only involved in the US economy on a cursory level since it is mostly owned by foreign companies and much of the manufactoring occurs overseas.

The only logical reason I can come up with to pass this kind of legislation is that must we believe it is every Americans inalienable right to drive a new car. We must believe that it would violate our human rights to be forced to drive an older model vehicle that requires repairs, but could be fixed if we were interested in doing so. We must believe the government needs to subsidize this expenditure because of it's connection to our basic survival. We must believe these things to be true and hold them as highly esteemed values. Why else would government be spending $1 billion on such a project at such a critical time in our history?

whose scared of...pirates?

I've seen those stories on the news about pirates trolling the oceans, attacking ships and stealing cargo. I would see the news articles on list serves and skim over them. My interest level in pirates was pretty limited...that was until we decided to move overseas. All of a sudden these stories became VERY real to me.

In preparation for this move, Kenyon and I have looked at all sorts of options of what to do with our stuff - we could liquidate everything we own and go with only the clothes on our backs, we could liquidate most things and take only the bare essentials, we could store our stuff while we are away, or we could move everything to our new locale. Even though we lead a relatively simple life, we still have acquired stuff (okay, really I have acquired stuff. Kenyon came in to this marriage with a dresser and some clothes and that is still all he owns).

We chose to liquidate much of what we own. We've already sold our bed, dining table, couches, some electronic items and other non-essentials. We will be having a yard sale in July and whatever doesn't sell will be donated to Goodwill. We are taking some things with us that we believe will make our new location feel more like home. This means shipping a crate of things over the ocean. That is where pirates come in. Pirates? I really never thought pirates would have any impact on my life. To me, they were almost mythical creatures. Today, they are a real concern.

I pray the stuff we have chosen to keep will make it to Cambodia with no incidents. I would hate to have our cargo hijacked by pirates.

On a side note, I was recently in Mombasa, Kenya. This is an island located on the eastern coast of Africa. There is a lot of money flowing recently in this coastal town. Lots of fancy villa's being built and land being bought up. They attribute the new wealth to piracy. So, if you ever wonder what the pirates are doing with their booty...Mombasa is a good place to start looking.

Whose scared of pirates? Recently, I am.

looking for a home by internet

While sitting in the Detroit airport and checking email. I received an email from my new boss about homes in Phnom Phen. He's an Australian who moved to Cambodia nearly two years ago, in fact, he and I were in orientation together when I started this job. At the time he was the incoming Deputy Country Director (DCD). Now I am the incoming DCD and he is the Country Director (CD) I would never have predicted we'd be working together nearly two years later!

It's a good thing I spent so much time with Fiona. I now understand Australianisms and know how to poke those Aussies when they say degrading things about Americans. Fiona, you know what I'm talking about!

He provided a link to look at housing options. Of course, I want Kenyon's input on this decision and since I will be gone for a couple of weeks in Africa we don't have time to wait for me to return home. Kenyon and I spent some time looking at our options, while I was in the airport in Detroit and he was in Boone, we were each on a computer and using G-talk to communicate...ahh, the reality of our lives, it will be so nice to be together more after the move!

Our options are:

1. a stand alone villa home - Kenyon and I quickly determined that most of those options were much bigger and more expensive than we wanted


2. apartments in a tower complex. these are designed with foreigners like us in mind. they have ammenities like laundry facilities, security guards, western design, air conditioning and cable. I just couldn't consider this option. though many of these are new and we would be more than comfortable there, it was a matter of principle. The land many of these complexes are built on was taken from poor people, displacing them to slums outside the city. How could I move to Cambodia, live in a posh apartment with vast ammenities when the land was stolen from those I am moving overseas to help? The irony is heartbreaking. So, that was an immediate "no."


3. our third and final option is what is called a Ptaya Vang or flat, often known to Americans as a duplex. these are a 2-4 story apartment with other homes on either side. it is the most common form of housing in our new city. for us, it was just right and it is the model of home we selected.

The staff in Cambodia will hunt some specific options down for us, send us pictures, and we will make a selection without ever stepping foot in the home until we arrive in country. I am grateful for the help of the country office. How do people do this without help on the destination end?

Moving East

I started life's journey in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When I finished my undergraduate degree I moved to Eastern Kansas. Nearly nine years later Kenyon and I moved to North Carolina in the eastern part of the United States. Well, we are moving further east. How's that possible, we are nearly at the coast? This time we are going over the Atlantic Ocean, the continent of Africa and the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. Kenyon and I are moving to Cambodia in August!

I told a friend "we just keep moving east, this time we had to cross an ocean."

She replied, "if you keep that up you will eventually come back to where you started." Possible, very possible. (Mom, don't get your hopes up. It will be a while.)

I received a two year contract to become the Deputy Country Director in Cambodia. We will be moving to Phnom Phen (which I have visited three times prior). Kenyon has some opportunities too...more on that when some of the dust starts to settle. I've moved many times and it is always a chore, I can tell you that moving overseas is a whole new level of stress.

Please be praying for us in our newest adventure

Impact "my" world

A few weeks ago I was at an annual staff meeting and one of the invited speakers was Mark DeMoss. Mark comes from a prominent family, he is the president of his own Public Relations firm. To many who do PR work he is like a rock star. One of my team were so excited to hear him speak because she had heard so much about his success when she was a marketing student. Mark is one of the most humble men I've ever met.

His first talk rocked my world and I cannot get what he said out of my mind. He said that he's given up the dream to change "the" world and instead has been challenged to impact "my" world.

What makes up "my" world according to Mark:

1. My family: ultimate legacy
2. My staff
3. My clients (for me this would be those our programs serve)
4. those select people God has put in my path

That's it, nothing more.

Greatness is then defined by a sustained impact on those in my world. He then challenged us to do our best to tackle the world God has entrusted to each of us.

How would you define your world? Can you write their names? How many people would mention your name as having an impact on their lives?