it is hard to believe that my trip has come and gone, and i find myself once again sitting at my desk at work....wondering where the time went.

although i was quite busy for the entirety of my trip, and even upon return i feel like time has slipped through my fingers, i probably could have had time to update at least one more blog. yet, in all honesty i found it difficult to express my true thoughts and feelings out loud about the trip - i knew that i would feel emotionally exhausted if i tried to find the the words.

before leaving for Cambodia, i think that all three of us involved felt like it would be an incredible journey and experience...not only for Who Cares? as an organization, but also for each of us individually. having never met michelle before the trip, knowing her now and watching her experience the people of Cambodia, i am encouraged and thrilled at her passion for sharing what she knows and becoming and ambassador for those without a voice. i think that Who Cares? will continue doing "exposure" trips for people much like michelle - i think that it is a wonderful idea, to promote awareness and global responsibility by allowing people to experience developing nations and sustainable development first hand. it also encouraged me alittle - at times i feel like the western evangelical church is a lost cause. i know that is a very inclusive statement - i don't mean that all christians are selfish and don't care about others, but at times i feel like the church as a whole, and sometimes myself included has really missed the boat. when i examine the lifes of Cambodian christians, i'm ashamed of who we are here in America. there was a man in Poipet the same time as us, his name was John and he worked for Tear Australia, a Christian NGO working to change and prevent global poverty. i was glad to spend time with him, he was a great person to get to know, and we talked alot about the development work that Tear is involved with. however it was interesting because, everyday CHO's staff gathers at their headquarters to have devotionals and worship together. on the day that John shared, he explained that part of his job with Tear was to "travel and speak at churches, convincing them that we should help people in poverty." i thought it was quite ironic, and couldn't help but look around at the faces of the CHO workers who all live by much less than we do. i thought it was ironic because i couldn't help but think back to the previous day when i had been engaged in conversation with several of the CHO workers, and they had been relaying to me that they realized a long time ago that their Christianity and faith was irrelevant unless they actually helped change peoples daily lives. this is why CHO has been so successful and such an incredible ministry throughout the Poipet region - Cambodian families lives have been transformed, they can now provide for themselves and their families and are no longer living in hopelessness.

it was exciting to see the projects and initiatives the CHO has started in Poipet...one is called Carpets for Communities. Carpets for Communities is a practical approach to reducing child labor and vulnerability to child trafficking in Poi Pet, Cambodia which empowers mothers to send their children to school through the production and sale of one-of-a-kind, hand-hooked carpets. PLEASE please check out their website...i love the work they do and what it is doing for the community. Aiyana and I have discussed starting a similar outlet for the CHO Sewing initiative, where we would start a similar business venture outlet here in the states to allow the CHO graduates to sell their clothes for a fair wage here in CO and NY. i'm really excited about these ideas and hope that they can really take root....

Siem Reap was much different than Poipet - most obviously, you can see the economical influence of tourism. being at the temples was an incredible experience. not only are they majestic and just incredibly detailed, there is a definite spiritual sense there, and i found it it very peaceful and a great place to spend in contemplation. i think alot of the direction that i felt from the trip came from those days in Siem Reap.

to finish this post, i'll include a few pictures of my time in Cambodia - for more pictures visit here and here.

talk. politics.

Lately, with all of the primaries going on, and the political talk that has been increasingly heated over the last six months - I've found out a lot about the people vying for the nominations, and the people who are voting them into office. I consider myself to be a fairly aware citizen of the United States. I do my best to educate myself on issues concerning the nation and people around the world. I admit that I don't know everything there is to know about politics, I still have a lot to learn, however - one of my biggest annoyances is when people run their mouths off about politics and political candidates when they have no idea what they are talking about. Regardless of whether they are acting in support of, or against a certain political party - it's simple people, don't open your mouth and give your opinion unless it is an educated one and you have taken the time to learn about policies and issues. don't be liberal because it's cool and don't be conservative to grow against the grain. I have also become acutely aware that for the general public, most people are single or two issue voters. Most people find one or two issues that they have an opinion for, and that is why they vote for certain candidates. I have also found that the majority of the time, these issues are "simple answer" issues....take gay marriage, for a conservative voter, the answer is easy "NO". take healthcare...for a liberal citizen, the answer is "universal healthcare". easy enough right? take abortion...either side it is easy to answer, pro life or pro choice. Unfortunately, most people pick one or two of the most popular issues on each side and that is what they base their votes off of. I'm not saying I completely blame people for this, or that I am guilt free in this area - generally speaking, most people need an emotional or immediate connection with something in order to actually take action. However, I still consider it unfortunate for all of us because I think we could have a lot stronger and better government if we were more than "single" issue voters. take the issue of abortion for example..... one of the biggest issues within conservative circles is that of abortion. the sanctity of life. a lot of people vote based solely on this issue.....don't misunderstand me, I am not trying to say that people should not vote with this in mind, however I find it unfortunate when people look at a candidate, discover that they are pro life (versus the other politician being pro choice) and they immediately decide who's side they are taking when that particular person could have terrible policies in every other area regarding the sanctity and rights of life. "pro-life" all too often just means protecting the right of a child to be born...and neglects that life after it is brought into this world. healthcare for children and mothers, education and opportunity, safety here and abroad, war...these are all issues that deal with the sanctity of life, yet why are they considered less important? why is it not considered worth our "christian" time to deal with the issues of genocide and starvation and the AIDS epidemic of millions of people globally, yet it IS somehow worth our time and efforts to stop abortion here? i consider myself pro life, but not just when it comes to abortion....pro life means caring for all life, those who are abused, left unprotected, and cast aside by the many. I cannot consciously vote for candidates who have terrible policies in issues such as health care and education solely based on the fact that they are pro life. i understand that everyone, including me, has their "issues" that are most important....however, i'm just honestly so tired of people hating or loving a candidate based on one issue that they heard about. how can this country truly improve if the citizens aren't willing to step up and really take part in the government? sick of war? tired of the healthcare problems? annoyed with the economy? hate big business? do something about it.

Purple Martini

here are just a few pictures of everyone out at Jill's birthday party at the Purple Martini in Boulder. The first is of Jill and I (the birthday girl) and the whole group of us that went out. Thanks to half price happy hour - I was able to try an array of tasty martini's, such as Raspberry Lemondade and a Peach Martini. I usually am not willing to spend $10 on a drink i'm not positive that I will like. all in all, it was a lovely evening - i enjoyed being out with the ladies! it was the first time in a long time that liz was able to go out with us since little harper made his appearance, so i enjoyed having my friend "back". I have to say that i have been tremendously blessed by moving here and being able to meet all of these amazing women. when i left connecticut, i was convinced that i would never find friends like i was leaving behind....dovon, courtney, ricci...these women were my family, like my sisters. 7 months into living here - and i have found so many amazing friends, not all of whom i am in the exact same place in life with, or who i share everything in common with, but that regardless i am connecting with them, growing in friendship, and learning from them. not that i have replaced my "old" friends, i'm not really ever looking to....i'm just pleasantly blessed and surprised that i've found so many amazing friends here in colorado.

so here's to ladies nights, laughter, and dancing at 'round midnight in boulder with my "new" friends.

...

two weeks from friday and i'll be headed out of the united states....

luckily i was able to book my flights to bangkok with Aiyana and Michelle - the two other women going on the trip. I originally thought that I would have to make the trip alone, and then meet up with them once I arrived in Thailand. Thank goodness that I don't have to! I was looking at a multiple stop ticket and a ten hour layover in Korea by myself....not ideal really. Well it worked out financially and time wise to travel with them, yay! So the tickets are booked....now all I need is to get my name change done on my passport and my typhoid shot. Thankfully, Denver is one of very few locations in the US that you can walk into a building and get your passport back in the same day...the only problem is that it is in south east denver. the exact opposite side from where we live....and since I can't really take another day off of work, I have to go down and fill out the paper work one day, and then drive back and pick it up another day. ugh. just what i want to do...drive an hour each way twice in one week.....not to mention i'll have to maneuver the giant sinkhole that's formed in I25. wish me luck i suppose.

tomorrow night for valentines day we are spending the evening with three of our close friends/couples. instead of each going out, we are getting together and cooking dinner together and drinking wine, while the guys do "man things" and drink beer in the living room. :) then we will just all hang out for the evening....steef and i also decided that instead of buying eachother something we didn't need, we are going to pick two different organizations and donate money to them instead.....i think we have settled on Love146 and then purchasing an item for a family through Heifer. Maybe some chickens or something. :)

i hope everyone has a wonderful valentines day together.

...and we're off.

finally, after 7 months of living in colorado - i am going to take a trip over to the western slope and visit my grandma. since october, at least once a month i have planned a trip, but for some reason or another - it's been canceled.

well this time, it is actually happening. halen and i are going to get in the new elantra and jet over the mountain for a quick weekend visit. i always get excited about trips, even if they are only 5 hours each direction...there's something about driving with a friend into the open. i suppose that technically we won't be driving into an open road, rather a string of mountain passes.

hopefully the snow will decide not to engulf the mountains and we will have a safe and easy drive. i knew i shouldn't invested in chains.....i'm still trying to decide if we should bring jaxon or not. i guess if we got stuck he could sniff out help. ;)

disgust.

i am continually baffled by ignorance. i am continually shocked at how isolated people make themselves.

it is estimated that 45,000 people die every month in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - since 1998 over 5,000,000 people have been killed, many from preventable conditions that have been brought on because of the war. that staggering number is the largest amount of people to be killed since the second world war. yet, where is everyone? why does no one know...and worse yet, why does no one care?

we cried for justice when 9/11 occured. we were horrified by the effects of katrina.

thousands of women, children, families, and innocent men die everyday because of greed, selfishness, and hatred....yet the world stands by and does nothing.

isn't it about time we all raised a collective voice of change? it makes me sick.

http://mediastorm.org/0022.htm

a. to z.

just because there's nothing better to do at this very moment.


A] - available?
for tea?

B] - birthday?
november 23

C] - crushing?
only on my hubby

D] - drink?
a microbrew

E] - easiest person to talk on the phone with?
dovon

F] - favorite color[s]?
olive green

G] - gummy bears or gummy worms?
sour patch kids

H] homework?
oh the days without a life

I] ice cream?
french silk (they don't sell it in colorado....that's strike 1)

J] A word/phrase u say very often
freak of nature!!!

K] Killed some one?
that would be...a negative.

L] - Lime or lemonade?
lime and logger.

M] - Love or Money?
loverly.

N] - number?
7

O] - One wish?
that i would be able to raise all of the money needed for cambodia.

P]- person you last texted?
dovon and liz

Q] - Quiet?
sometimes very. i'm usually way to quiet or way to talkative - i very rarely land somewhere in the middle.

R] - Reason you smile?
stefan.

S] - song you last heard?
Wish I by Jem

T] Time you woke up today?
6:56

U] - up or down
both

V] - favorite Veggy?
asparagus or artichokes...can't decide.

W] - worst habbit?
speaking my mind before thinking about it

X] - ever had X-RAYS?
yes

Y] - your number of friends on myspace?
somewhere around...alot.

Z]- zodiac sign?
sagitarius (is that how it's spelled)

Home.

it's amazing how fast time goes by. lately i have often found myself wondering where the hours, days, and weeks go. at times it seems they are over as quickly as they begin. yesterday was our six month anniversary from our wedding....and one year ago today, we were leaving Middleburg for Paris to get engaged. sometimes i think that it has to be more than that due to the amount of events that have happened over the last 12 months....but other times i wonder how it has already been another year.

a friend asked me on saturday what my hopes or goals were for 2008....i didn't know how to respond simply because, at this moment, i have given up "planning" life. if anyone would have told me 2 years ago where i would be now - i probably would have laughed in their face, yet here i am....so this year, i won't even try to imagine all the things to come.

sunday was stefan and i's 2nd oikos meeting. as i sat and looked at the faces around the room, i realized how familiar they each were. not only did i recognize the faces, but i knew stories behind them. i knew who people were and why they were in that room.....we were home. when did that happen? when did strangers become acquaintances and acquaintances become friends?

we're finally home.