Quotable Quotes

"Leadership is a blessing, no matter how difficult, it is a gift."

~ Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister

Neglected Tropical Diseases

did you know that approximately 1 billion people each year are affected by diseases that are preventable or treatable?

here's the part that is most upsetting...these diseases disproportionately affect the poorest in our world. these diseases have been "cured" in our own country while we left others to suffer. these diseases are often known as neglected tropical diseases or NTD's.

prior to globalization it was probably an acceptable philosophy to take care of our own and leave other countries to fend for themselves. but, globalization is the reality we live in. what does that mean? it means the lines are blurred, borders are just arbitrary establishments. if there is anything that the H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak taught us, it's that disease can cross borders quickly and have a devastating effect.

I am about to live in a part of the world where NTD's are rampant. there are some diseases I am deeply concerned about as they are VERY likely - dengue fever for instance. I will do what I can to protect myself and my family and pray for God to protect us where I cannot.

I am glad that NTD's are finally making the international political agenda. it is also good for my friends with leporsy in India, as that is on the list of NTD's. if you'd like to learn more, visit the World Health Organizations website by clicking here.

Why do you think these preventable and treatable diseases have been neglected? should we continue to neglect them, or is there something we should do to respond?

A call to action

Turns out, trusting God isn't so bad. I believe he told me nearly six years ago that I would be working with women, children and HIV. I thought my job working with International HIV programs was the culmination of that dream. I was sad to leave the job, thinking I was leaving behind the dream. I'm learning that isn't true, it will just take on a new form when we reach Cambodia. The court of women trials in Indonesia that I posted on previously has concluded and this is what they have to say:

A jury of experts on Thursday called for urgent action to break the cycle of poverty, violence, trafficking and HIV that is ruining the lives of countless women, girls and communities in Southeast Asia.

My dream is alive and well...I will still be able to make a difference in the lives of women, children and those affected by HIV. I will still be able to help individuals escape the clutches of poverty. These are the things I have dedicated most of my adult life to and will continue to dedicate my life to. Thank you, God, for giving me opportunities to live out my dream!

Human Trafficking, part 2

Following my recent post on human trafficking in Cambodia, I received an article from the Phnom Penh Post. It is about a court for women located in Bali, Indonesia that is looking at the link between human trafficking and the spread of HIV. This work combines at least two of my passions in life and provides an excellent opportunity to speak on behalf of the vulnerable in our world. I am getting really excited to start work Cambodia...

Genocide, part 2

This week we arrive in Cambodia. I'm not sure what our schedule will be so I wrote a couple of posts in advance anticipating a gap in internet access during our transition.

After my recent post on Cambodia's genocide, I received a link to this article from the BBC. Basically, the story is about a musical genre known as Khmer Rock. The leading artists from this genre of music were wiped out by the Pol Pot regime. So, it wasn't just doctors, lawyers and teachers they lost - they also lost their leading artists. There is an audio interview available at the link that is also very interesting, I recommend you check it out.

Quotable Quotes

"Believe in the possibility of one another."

Jessica Jackley, co-founder KIVA - loans that change lives

rite of passage: the barber shop

Kenyon and I are spending our last couple of days in the USA in the State of Virginia visiting the Williams family. Yesterday, Kenyon and Ramone shared a Black male rite of passage - a visit to the local barber shop. I secretly snapped a photo from my cell phone. Enjoy being witness to this male rite of passage.

Is there a rite of passage in your family or culture - what is it? In my culture it is usually a quinceanera, though my immediate family doesn't really practice that tradition. What does your family have as a rite of passage to show when a child is growing up?

trade vs. aid

At the recent leadership summit a thought provoking speaker was invited. his words inspired controversy. I, personally, wanted to stand up and applaud. Andrew Regarsira is Ugandan and a business owner, running an international business in Africa. here is what he had to say:

The perspective we hold influences our response to make a difference.

No country in the world developed through handouts. Trade is the only sustainable way to develop countries.

Africa today contributes 2% of global trade merchandise. The world doesn't seem to believe we can produce a quality product on time. We want to do business, not get pity.

• Aid undermines accountability - creates chronic dependency
• Aid does not develop the local economy

Question: what is the impact of our compassion?

Answer: People have lost faith in themselves and developed a belief that the best solutions come from the outside.

The best kindness you can demonstrate is helping people help themselves, not through a hand-out.

Amen to that! Preach it, brother!

I challenge you to ask yourself, what is the impact of our compassion? it is a question I know I will be asking myself now and in to the future.

Our Town

KC is the place where Kenyon and I met. KC is where we share many fond memories. Many of our friends are here. His family is here. We love this town. It has changed quite a bit since we moved, but it just means there is more to love. Here are a few pictures of our town from our recent visit.

the addition of the Power and Light District to KC is VERY nice. I wish it had been around when we lived here. have you visited? what is your opinion?

My thoughts on health care...

Yesterday, I had the time to watch one of the President's town hall meetings selling health care reform. My thoughts are simple and succinct:

• for years I have believed that health insurance needs to be divorced from employment. Why? because for decades we (or our employer on our behalf) pays in to a system when we are mostly healthy and able bodied. As we age and retire, and most in need of the care we've been paying for, we are suddenly uninsured. That just doesn't make sense to me. This would also apply to those who were paying in to the system and then came down with a chronic illness, etc. We should get credit for the years of coverage when we didn't really use the benefit we were paying for. It is my belief that over the course of a lifetime there will be times the insurance company is making money (when we are young and healthy) and times when they are paying out (when we are older or ill)
• also, I don't know anyone who lives under a socialized system that is satisfied with their health care (Canada or Europe primarily, Australians seem to like their coverage). I like the options that our privatized system offers us. I get to choose my doctor, procedures, pharmaceutical options. I like the freedom afforded me in a privatized system. I don't want to be lumped in to a big socialized system that looses the personal touch I've become accustomed to.

Can we successfully divorce insurance from employment and still have viable private options? I believe so. I am realistic that government will have a role in this, but I don't think government is the final answer. It is my hope that we will find a reasonable solution that retains the freedoms I enjoy.

What's your opinion on health care reform?

Quotable Quotes

"Don't mistake the edge or your rut for the horizon"
~Gary Hamel

Rogue waves

each year there is one conference I look forward. there is one conference, and one conference only, that I put on my calendar and schedule around. it is the annual Leadership Summit put on by Willow Creek Association. why am I such an avid follower of the Summit? because it challenges me to be better than I am today, it inspires me to dream bigger, it encourages my heart that the impossible is possible. each year they have a variety of faculty speakers from all walks of life, I like the diversity of perspective and expertise that they offer. this year I attended the annual conference from Kansas City and it did not disappoint.

Bill Hybels session on Leading in a New Reality was particularly challenging given events in my life over the past year. He said:

A rogue wave comes in unannounced and spells doom. We may never get back to the old normal. Seasoned leaders know rough patches force creativity and courage. A God appointed leader hears whispers from God in ferocious conditions.

Here's the part that really challenged me:

Whenever your leading in rogue wave situations, the best thing you bring to the table each day is a fresh spirit, grace filled demeanor, optimism and solid ground in God. Colleagues feed on it and believe they can get through.

this isn't just true in work environments, I believe this is true at home too. when the going gets rough, do I truly believe God is in control and do I come to the table with fresh spirit daily, optimism and grace? If so, I believe people in any context will respond to that. what do you think?

Confession: I'm a groupie!

When I first moved to Kansas City I was fascinated by the interest in St.Patty's day. This town gets VERY excited every March. There are celebrations held all month. One of the largest holiday parades is the nation is held right here. My first year in KC I was curious what a St. Patty's parade is all about, I'd never been to one before. I was talking with a co-worker who later became a good friend, Elaine. She told me to keep my eye out for a marching band known as The Marching Cobras. I didn't understand, who gets excited about a marching band? Seriously!

What I saw amazed me and I instantly became a groupie. I called my mom immediately following the parade and told her to mark her calendar for St.Patty's day the following year, she had to see this! She came, she saw and she became a groupie too.

Last week, Kenyon and I attended a birthday party where the Marching Cobras were scheduled to perform. In fact, they were the reason I decided to attend the birthday party. I now introduce readers of this blog to the best marching band I've ever seen - The Marching Cobras.



This is only a small sample of this talented group. They are a band like no other! Are you a band groupie? Which band? Do share.

M.I.S.O.

Once upon a time, I had a wonderful job working for KU. Basically, I was paid to talk to people all day, interesting people. I worked in recruiting, admissions and advising for liberal arts graduate programs at the satellite campus in KC. I loved getting to know the students. I loved when they would stop in my office to chat. It really was a great job...it just wasn't the kind of thing I felt called to do over the long term, the lure of an international context was calling to me. So, I left the job to begin my PhD.

I have, however, kept in touch with many of the students over the years thanks to Facebook. There was one group, the Masters of International Studies Student Organization (MISO), that I really bonded with. Most of these students have graduated and are now making their way in the world, but we still keep in touch. During our visit to KC they hosted a reunion/going-away party for us. It was so much fun to see them again. To meet all of their kids...which was kind of shocking...and to just catch up on what has been happening in our lives the last couple of years. This group is from all over - Europe, Brazil, Lebanon, India, Ghana and more. Here are some photos from the evening.

There is a group of friends like this from the days when I was a graduate student - we all still stay in touch, in fact, today they are some of my closest friends.

Do you still hang out with friends from school? Are there friends from school you've lost touch with? Do you wonder where they are and what they are doing?

City of Fountains...

We are currently visiting family and friends in Kansas City for the next couple of weeks before we officially move to Cambodia. I lived here nine years and always thought KC was a beautiful city. One of the things that makes it beautiful is all of the water fountains. They are everywhere! Here is just a small sampling of the fountains available in one small area of the city. The visitors center has a brochure outlining the locations of all the fountains and a tourist could spend a whole day seeking them out. I always thought that would be a fun way to spend a day exploring this city.

These pictures were taken in the heat of the day so they are a bit overexposed, trust me, the fountains are beautiful! What is your favorite thing about the city you live in?

Bittersweet...

As I've gotten older I've realized something...life is complicated and comes with complex emotions. It's rare that an experience is all good or all bad, it is usally a mix of both with the good or bad outweighing the other. Confused? Let me explain.

A few weeks ago I posted about my divided loyalties. Frankly, there wasn't an obvious right choice. I could have easily justified either choice as being right. Also, both choices came with a long list of pro's and con's. I was emotionally attached to both options. In the end, I made the choice that I believe most honored my family. Leaving my job was "bittersweet." I was sorry to go. I shed tears over the departure. People could see that I was obviously torn. One wise man told me he had to let go of a dream in his own life once, but that God resurrects the dream when we honor him. I hope so. But, leaving wasn't all bad either, there was something to look forward to in the future - a great adventure that could be shared with my husband rather than leaving him behind all the time. There is exciting work awaiting us on the other end.

I'm really fascinated by this concept of "bittersweet." How can something be exciting and regretful at the same time? When I was younger I thought human experience was different. I thought something good came and it was all good. I thought something bad came and it was all bad. I certainly did not think both good and bad could happen simultaneously. But, it does.

So, as we end one chapter of life and begin the next...it is, in fact, bittersweet.

Have you had any bittersweet experiences lately?

Ewwwww!

Kenyon and I recently rented a U-haul truck and drove the remainder of our furniture to Virginia. We picked up a passenger along the way. In the rural communities of Virginia among the peaceful farmland when we were nearly at our destination I heard a very loud THUMP. I was looking around to figure out what could have made that sound, and to my dismay I saw a large insect with it's head lodged in the windshield wiper. It was looking right at me. At first I thought it must be dead based on the force of the impact and the position it was currently placed, then it's little bug legs started to move and I knew it was alive. I asked Kenyon to stop and free the passenger we had picked up since it was still alive. Instead, Kenyon decided to turn on the windshield wipers to see if he could set him free that way. That strategy didn't work and I imagine the only thing it succeeded in doing is to make our passenger dizzy. Kenyon wouldn't stop driving until we reached our destination and I had those little bug eyes staring at me the whole way - very unnerving! When we arrived we were quickly distracted by unloading the vehicle before nightfall. In the morning we needed to return the truck to the rental place so we loaded up and that is when I saw the bug eyes again and was reminded of our passenger. By this time the life had been drained out of him and little bees were swarming him, though I don't know enough about nature to understand why bees would be attracted to our passenger. When we reached the rental place I took a photo. What a way to go!

This post is in memory of the passenger we picked up on the road during our move. That isn't a super close-up shot, it really was that large. What is it? If you know, do share, because inquiring minds want to know...

Cambodia: Progress?

In recent years, South East Asia has become a hot tourist destination. I personally love this part of the world. I find the people charming, the culture fascinating, the food tasty, the colors, sounds and sights enchanting. South East Asia cast it's spell on me years ago and has been luring me back ever since. Kenyon and I were married in this part of the world because it is simply my favorite destination. I've been to a lot of places, and in my opinion there is just something special about South East Asia.

In Cambodia, poverty is rampant, but progress is being made. Cambodia has some amazing sites, the most amazing being Angkor Wat.

The country is trying very hard to attract tourists and develop industry. I applaud those efforts, but am not a fan of all of the tactics being used. Sex tourism is being promoted and the exploited are not protected. Poor people are being displaced in high numbers. If you remember my post about looking for a house on the internet, I briefly mentioned this problem. My mom recently emailed me an article highlighting some of these actions. The development that is happening is creating major disparities among those living in the country, it is very clear who are the haves and who are the have nots.

In January, we started a program to help families being relocated to the slums. I helped write the proposal last year and oversight of the implementation will be one of my responsibilities in the new job. I love doing work in rural under served populations, but I also welcome the opportunity to do some work in an urban area with burgeoning need.

Cambodia: Genocide

In the early 1970's, Cambodia was involved in civil war. The end to that war came when the Pol Pot regime came in to power in April 1975. The people hoped for peace, instead what they got was genocide now known as the Khmer Rouge.

Pol Pot established a communist nation and the citizens became their slaves. Creating a society where the citizenry worked as peasants in the coutryside was the ideal. "Peasants were seen as simple, uneducated, hard-working and not prone to exploiting others. Their way of life had not changed for centuries, yet they always managed to survive...The Khmer Rouge felt that new people had made an active choice to live in the cities and thus declared their allegiance to capitalism. All city dwellers became enemies of the new communist state, a status that would cost hundreds of thousands of them their lives." (The Khmer Rouge Years)

As I understand it, this viewpoint is what made the Khmer Rouge so destructive. Though the regime may have lasted a short time (I believe they were in power four years), infrastructure was lost for decades. Education was not valued, thus it was not encouraged and often not available. A generation was raised with a lack of access to education. Those with education were targeted for elimination because they were enemies of the state. Imagine a country that lost it's entire professional class. All doctors, lawyers, teachers - gone. That is what happened to Cambodia. The "intellectuals" were either killed, or they fled to other parts of the world and most have not returned.

This lack of educational opportunities makes our work difficult. We need a highly skilled labor force to accomplish our tasks. Every employer needs skilled workers. The skill set is limited in Cambodia because the educational infrastructure still has not returned at a prominent level. This demonstrates a lack of capacity, but not a lack of ability.

It is my belief that every person on earth wants meaningful work. It is my belief that if given the opportunity to learn, most rise to the occassion. I have seen this happen in other areas lacking infrastructure. It takes more work on our part because we are starting from a low level of base knowledge, but I am convinced that if we are willing to make the investment in individuals, train them up to do a professional job, they will respond positively and do what it takes to accomplish the task. Did I mention this isn't easy? Because, it's not. Frankly, I wouldn't be so interested if the task was easily accomplished. Personally, I love a challenge. What better challenge than to invest in individuals to help them make a better life for themselves, their families and ultimately their nation? I can't think of anything more noble to dedicate my life to.

Cambodia: Human Trafficking

I thought I would spend the next few days highlighting some of the issues in Cambodia, a place I will soon be calling home. One of the things that has drawn me to this place is the issue of human trafficking. Poverty contributes to this evil, because despite the warnings individuals are willing to risk everything to believe empty promises of traffickers due to their desperation. The lies quickly become bondage and by the time they learn the truth it is too late to get out. In the book Not for Sale there is an entire chapter devoted to Cambodia because this is such a serious issue.

The impoverished masses of Cambodia represent the economic challenge [to abolition]. At least one in three of Cambodia's 15 million people live below the poverty line today. Cambodian women above all, do not get the chance to study formally or learn vocational skills; 41 percent of the country's adult women are illiterate. While finding a job in Cambodia can be difficult under any circumstances, an uneducated and impoverished woman does not fit the profile that most legal employers seek to hire. Desperate to secure the well-being of their parents or perhaps their own children, a poor woman can become easy prey for a trafficker.

That is an understatement! My employer is looking at ways to increase our impact on this issue. We have submitted a grant to do work in a northern region of the country to provide alternatives for income for desperate women before they are snatched up by traffickers. We are submitting two more grants in October (one in Cambodia and one in Myanmar) to do similar work. For years we have supported partners that help women leave this life and reintegrate in to society. Specifically, the programs help women who want to make a better life for themselves or their children. It gives them business opportunities and so much more. If you want to learn more about the work of these agencies, click here and here.

Quoteable Quotes

"This is the true joy in life, being used up for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
being a force of nature instead of a feverish,
selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining
that the world will not devote iteself to make you happy.
And also the only real tragedy in life is
the being used by personallly minded men
for purposes which you recognize to be base."
~ George Bernard Shaw