All Things Finseth

Happy 1st Birthday Cade! October 13, 2008

Wow how time flies!  I can’t believe our Cade is a year old (on the 19th)!  We celebrated his birthday yesterday with the traditional 1st birthday luau with friends.  The weather was perfect and we all had a wonderful time.  In keeping with the luau theme I made him a cake shaped like a surfboard and Cades personal cake was a sea turtle.  They turned out really cute considering it was the first time I’ve done this.  All the kids wore their hawaiian outfits and accessorized with fresh orchid leis from Hawaii (thank you auntie Deb and uncle Ray)!  Cade was having a great time trying to pull his apart. 

We feasted on kalua pork with rice, fumi (chinese cabbage salad), and fresh fruit.  There were no leftovers this time everyone really ate well! :)  Cade especially loved the fruit -bananas are his favorite.  He really enjoyed the company during dinner he clapped and gave us his cute little squenched up grin several times. 

After supper Cade opened his gifts with the help of his big brother and sis!  They were more excited than he was over this as he is still unaware of what all the ruckus is about!  All he knew was everyone was really excited and happy and so he was too!  He received great gifts of which he is thankful to all of our friends for thinking of him so dearly.

Then came CAKE!  Mari’s favorite part of the whole party!  I had to hold her off the WHOLE DAY!  And trust me this in not an easy feat.  She did get a few pokes here and there but I did succeed for the most part.  I now think that Cade will equally love this part the most.  He LOVED his cake and would have eaten the whole thing had we of not taken it from him.  He was smiling from ear to ear with every bite, showing us his cake between chews.  He was by far the cleanest of all the kids eating his cake - no frosting in the hair or ears.  Almost disappointing.  Mari wears her dessert.  It is more fun that way!

The kids all played hard and had a wonderful time.  I can’t believe they are all so big now!  Our latest count of kids of our group of friends is now 21 (Reed being the oldest at 5 1/2) and 2 more on the way in December and January!  It is wild!  We are so blessed.

 Remeber if you haven’t contributed to the kids’ time capsules please do!  We want you to be a part of this wonderful tradition.

See Cades birthday pics here. http://flickr.com/photos/12363472@N00/sets/72157607980594319/

Facts about Cade during his first year:

1.  He is very laid back and easy going - ALWAYS happy.  2.  Loves to play “smack down” with daddy.  3.  First word “Mama” 4.  Favorite toys- cars, balls, and music.  5.  Loves to climb.  6.  Currently has 6 teeth.  7.  Loves Bananas, Cheese, Meatloaf and anything sweet - Hates most everything else.      8.  Still “cruising” the furniture - not walking; he can stand unsupported as long as he doesn’t realize that is what he is doing! :)  9.  Is most happy when we all play on the floor together especially with Reed and Mari.  10.  Likes to “dance” with mommy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADE!         

Christian Leadership March 16, 2006

Leadership is a critical element for success in business. The leader of the organization will make the necessary ethical and moral decisions to impact the rest of the company. The leader must lead by example and implement a Biblically based organizational structure. Servant leadership in a flat organization will pass the moral principles to the rest of the organization in an effective manner. Employees must be empowered and allowed to communicate their concerns to top management. Communication must be similar to the way Jesus taught His disciples.

The company as a whole must be involved in major decisions. The decisions must be made from a Christian point of view. Moral and ethical implications must be measured in all decision making process’. It is important to ask the question, “What would God do?”

A Christian organization will outperform secular competitors because of the trust within the organization. The customers will be loyal. Decisions will be made with the best interest of all the parties involved and the company will earn respect as a fair competitor.

Leading by example gave Christ the ability to control the outcome of any situation. Secular leaders often believe that dictatorship is the best way to get results. They think that their position gives them the authority to lead in the manner that they see fit. Christ disproved this method by becoming a servant leader and leader by example. He proved that the best way to lead is to humble one’s self and to live on the same level as the followers. Christ did not succumb to the inherent self-indulgence that man is accustomed.

Throughout his ministry Jesus sought to transfer knowledge to the people. He wanted all to accept God into their hearts and become saved. Christ kept the big picture at the forefront of His motivation. He knew that God had sent Him to earth with a mission. By communicating effectively, He accomplished more than any other mortal ever has.

I Timothy Chapter 4 verses 4-7:
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales.”

God has given us the ability to be creative with our minds. He created us, as we are told by Genesis, and He saw that we were good. We must use our talents and abilities to create things that glorify him. This is an important fact that must not be forgotten as we live our day-to-day lives. Even though our specific job may not seem to fit this ideal, our ultimate goal in life must be to minister the truths of the faith. People that have the ability to become great leaders have been given a special opportunity to have a lot of influence over other people. They can choose to serve their own purpose, by trying to get ahead, or by leading in a humanistic manner. They can also choose to manage the creativity of the people in their organization to achieve only company objectives. Or they can allow their peers to be actively creative in the organization, giving them guidance from the Christian perspective that will allow them to achieve greatness within and also outside the organization.

Christian leadership does not involve shoving religion down people’s throats, but can be used as an underlying force for decision-making. Because we’re made in God’s image, everything we create can be good. It is up to us, however, to actively pursue Christian standards within our circle of influence. By doing this we become good ministers and our creativity will teach the truths of the Christian faith.

Note: From time to time we will post some of our personal writing if it is deemed adeqate!
This short essay was written for Communications class MBA608 at Belhaven.

Jaime Finseth’s First Mississippi State Audit Document - SCHIP April 7, 2005

We are proud to announce Jaime’s first published audit for the Mississippi State Auditor - Phil Bryant. This is “A Limited Review of the Children’s Health Insurance Program”

You can download the document from this link. [PDF]-(warning this is a big document-right click and save to your computer).

Jaime Finseth wrote, developed all of the recommendations and formatted the full document.

Looking for a Fight - by Michele Finseth April 20, 2004

     A German couple stands at the crosswalk of one of Rome’s busiest thoroughfares, trying to gather the courage to step out.  Suddenly an Italian joins them and urges them off the curb saying, “Non si preoccupi” (don’t worry), to the man, “Andiamo insieme.” (we’ll go together).  Midway across, a car enters the crosswalk, looking as though it will continue on through, without regard for the pedestrians.  Stopping mid-stride the Italian on foot begins shouting (in Roman dialect) then bangs on the hood of the car to make his point.  “Che sta di?” (what gives). “Ao’?” (what, are you crazy). The driver gets out of the car and begins gesturing, shouting back nose-to-nose, and arguing, “Ma di che?” (but what).  “Ma che sta di?” (what are you saying - it’s not true).  Meanwhile, the German couple watches mesmerized for a moment, then realizes they are now at a standstill in a busy intersection and they begin to move away in obvious fear of the escalating confrontation.  Reaching the curb they stand for a moment, not sure what to make of the altercation that is now backing traffic up, car horns blaring.  With a final wave of annoyance laced with expletives, the driver jumps back into his car, the pedestrian finishes crossing the street, and with a broad smile says to the Germans, “Gli Italiani!” (these Italians)…

Italians accept confrontation in a busy city as a daily occurrence to be witnessed in every sector of life.  Yet their cultural method of dealing with it continues to be an enigma to many an observer, even those with a command of the language.  The vitality with which people argue (as well as the language used), is often a precursor to physical combat in other cultures, and the gesticulations, swearing and insults hurled about in Italian confrontations would leave witnesses to think the same was about to occur.  Seen through the lenses of other cultures, this brand of aggressive interaction is an invitation to do more than talk, yet resulting brawls rarely occur in Italian culture.  Why?<br><br>
     This paper seeks to look at confrontation through the eyes of Italian culture in a variety of arenas, and to discuss how language and behavior are interpreted between participants, then to draw conclusions as to why these confrontations seldom escalate beyond a shouting match.  Finally also, included will be a brief observation of those rare times when violence does erupt.<br><br>
     Despite the numerous dialects that continue to prevail since Italy’s unification in 1870, certain continuity can be observed in the social norms responsible for its methods of communication in confrontational circumstances.  Therefore, while choosing from a repertoire of codees, channels and expressions that shape the form of the message (relative to the speech event), their function is the same. <br><br>
     Regardless of the context of interaction, Italians are known the world-over for their gregarious and animated self-expression.  As a language of exaggerated gestures, Italian flourishes in cultural antiquity that is said to have originated in the arts.  Life is a stage to Italians, born into a culture saturated with performing.  Their opera is evidence, as it proceeds from the ancient religious chanting of monks that carried the melodious language.  The powers of self-expression, stage presence, and ability to debate are highly valued by parents in the enterprise of rearing children.  At the heart of these social behaviors lies the maintenance of a “bella figura”.  Originally used to describe Italians’ slavery to fashion, “bella figura” today refers to the importance of making a good impression—above all else!  <br><br>
     In the endeavor of  “looking for a fight”, I examined confrontation between children-children, parents-children, strangers, intimates, those of the academic sector (as panelists on a television discussion), and finally young adults. <br><br>
1. Confrontation between small children can give insight into what they are being taught.  On the playground I observed mothers on a bench talking and their children (about 4-5 year olds) playing in the sand, on swings, climbing equipment, and slides.  A disagreement erupted between two little girls over the issue of taking turns.  One in particular dominated in whatever area she played, and a second child allowed herself to be pushed out of the way at first, but eventually reasoned out loud, “You had your ‘first’ turn last time!”  While this continued in all the different parts of the play area, there wasn’t any hitting, and the mothers allowed the disagreement to continue, except in one instance when, the mother of the more aggressive girl held back the second girl (allowing her daughter to go first) stating, “Wait, your turn is next.”
This acceptance (by both sides) of aggressive behavior is said to build stronger character in children.  Apologies or admittance of wrongdoing shows weakness, but yet is not seen as a vehicle for producing bullies. <br><br>
2.  Reproach is not saved to be applied in private between parent and child, as I discovered when I walked into our neighborhood grocery to hear the mother giving her son (who had been stocking the shelves) a tongue-lashing.  She spared no words in telling him how stupid, careless and lazy she thought he was.  “You (swear word) idiot,” she bellowed, “where did you get your education?”  Waving her finger in his face she said, “Take every one of these labels off!” (apparently he’d mismarked merchandise).  “You’re so (more swearing) lazy…you can find your pasta somewhere else tonight!”
Her tirade continued through checking out customers, and he never responded, though she continued to berate him, saying “You’ll never be able to take over this business—you can’t even mark the goods correctly!”
The anomalous relationship between the mothers and sons of Italy is notorious and subject enough for another research project, but may it suffice to illustrate it with Italy’s favorite joke that Jesus surely must have been Italian, because he lived at home until his 30’s, thought his mother was a virgin, and she thought he was the Christ—all three are apt characterizations of a deeply abiding relationship suspended in emotional love-hate strife.<br><br>
3.   Italians’ erratic approach to driving often provides some very entertaining insights into their paradigm of life.  Even they admit that the frantic nature of their overcrowded streets still resembles a chariot race.  Since fender-benders are not uncommon, I have compared two incidents: one in which the participants were younger and spoke Roman dialect, and the second involved a businessman (speaking standard Italian), and by appearances, a motorist from a lower class.
In the first incident the female driving a scooter was knocked to the ground and lying under the scooter, and the other motorist (immediately out of his car) was arguing while standing over her.  For several moments she made no attempt to get out from beneath the bike, but carried on a shouting match simultaneously with the other driver.  She maintained he had cut her off, saying, “I had the right of way and you cut in front of me!”  He, in the meantime, argued that she ran into him.  Both spoke in the familiar (you) rather than formal (lei).  He shot back at her, “Why didn’t you watch where you were going?”
Language use in the second accident was more formal (lei) even though the businessman was livid about the damage to his car, gestured often and used swear words.  At the same time, his comments were more aimed at discrediting the other driver in general, rather than discussing the accident. “Do you ALWAYS drive like this?” he asked.  “Just what are you going to do about this (swear words) damage?”  Defensively, the other driver claimed that the first driver should have let him into the lane, asking, “Have you even heard of (using a hand signal that in Italian means ‘have some patience’)?”  In spite of insurance laws that place every driver in an accident at fault, it is highly unusual to see any motorist do less than argue vigorously that it’s the other driver’s fault.<br><br>
4.  Confrontation between intimates is not so much seen as heard in our building and neighbors consequently are captive to an argument.  Such was the case as I waited for the elevator, and a neighbor (voice elevated) accused her husband of preferring to spend time with his mother instead of her.  “If you don’t want to come, then don’t!  Go see your (swear word) mother!”  In a low and controlled, yet tense voice he responded, “Leave my (same word) mother out of this.  Haven’t I done what you wanted?  You have everything you need.  What do you want?”  Her reply was, “Lasciami stare.” (leave me alone).
Arguments between Italian intimates are especially firey, yet relatively seldom result in abuse.  Foreigners married to Italians often express with dismay, the frightful things said in the heat of a quarrel that are immediately forgotten by their Italian mate, but leave a lasting impression on the receiver.  Also grounds for divorces between Italians and foreigners often cite the inability for foreign mates to live with all the shouting.<br><br>
5.  In order to witness confrontation on an academic level in Italy, one only needs to turn on the television.  I happened upon a talk show in which a panel was discussing immigration laws.  Two immigrant interviewees were giving testimony regarding problems they had encountered with the system:  one because he was rejected from military service (on the basis of immigrant status, even though legalized), and the other dealing with refusal of legal immigration for a marriage of convenience.  The panel disintegrated over whether Italy’s laws were justified and quickly mayhem broke out.  Even though using formal Italian, one of the participants inserted dialectical words to make his point, “I disagree—what you’re saying is idiotic.” (”una stupidaggine”).  Another participant exclaimed, “There’s been a change between generations in the use of their intelligence” (referring to present lawmakers)…”e una vergogna.” (it is an embarrassment).  At that point he walked over and stood over the panelist to whom he was speaking, and they continued arguing.  All the other participants were talking, and what they were saying was not discernable, as the moderator was shouting above the other voices trying to take the floor.  Angered, the panelist that had been standing walked off the stage, with the moderator apologizing, calling for order and asking him to return!<br><br>
       While examples of confrontation without violence are innumerable, their documentation is not meant to imply that brawls never happen.  To the contrary—they are most often seen in groups of young adults (especially at soccer matches).  The contradiction of pre-fight language became clear to me in an incident with my husband and a work colleague, who were standing in a fast-food line, when a young man walked up and took his place in line directly in front of them.  Before they could protest, he turned, glared without blinking and said in a menacing voice, “Qualcosa non va?” (literally translated, it means is something wrong).  Never spoken loudly, no gesturing, but low and threatening, these are the words that warn the receiver that one word of response, and there will be a fight.  One need not fear when Italians are noisy; it is when they become quiet that there is reason for concern!<br><br>
       A cross-comparison of these situations reveals a common and overt impulse on the part of participants to articulate their feelings regarding what is happening.  There appears to be a felt obligation to respond, and do so vigorously (even in the case of children on the playground).  The only exception occurred when there was truly a threat of violence.  This knee-jerk reaction can be seen as Italians’ character conditioned by “campanilismo”, a term originating when “Italy” was but a number of small independent states, made up of numerous small towns and villages.  Each proudly erected their own “campanile” (bell tower), and “campanilsmo” came to mean the love of one’s native town. It is with great pride that even today, an Italian will tell you the exact region from which he/she comes, rather than their country. This history of independence is the driving force behind the felt rights and obligations to express one’s individualism without fear of reprisal.   <br><br>   
     A second piece to the right of free speech is that of catharsis.  The energy used to express participants’ feelings serves as a release, removing the desire for further action.  The socially accepted limit to self-expression can be found in one’s ability to blow off steam (through raised voices, exaggerated gestures, swearing and insulting the momentary adversary) without the necessity of carrying it any further.  Hostilities are vented so effectively that all is forgotten shortly and people seldom exhibit the volcanic eruptions seen in other cultures.  In the heat of an argument all the participants are yelling and gesturing at the same time, no effort is being made to hear the others, no one apologizes, and no energy is put forth to reach compromise or solution.  This leaves all participants in a perceived winning position as no one takes responsibility, all reserve the right to express themselves, and no one must make changes or amends as a result of the confrontation.<br><br>
     Finally, returning to the issue of the “bella figura”, despite outward appearances, every participant felt a distinct concern for how they would be seen in the public eye (except the case of the children who hadn’t learned this yet).  While this may seem a paradox in some of the cases, in a confrontational situation (even if bad language is used or behavior is perceived as rude), the ultimate motive is seen in the drive to hold all the power, showing oneself to be right, and never back down—this is a “bella figura”!<br><br>
     Things are seldom as they seem.  This can certainly be said of the chaotic appearance of life in Italian culture. Perhaps this is why Mussolini once stated that it wasn’t impossible to govern Italians… just merely useless!  Yet surprisingly the fact that Italians decidedly devote an immense measure of energy (catharsis) to express themselves so vigorously, fear no retribution (”campanilismo”), and exit a confrontation feeling they have maintained a “bella figura” in the process, tells the outside world that there really is a semblance of order that underlies it all, and language simply serves to spell it out.  Ah, that’s why they exclaim, ” E la dolce vita!”(it’s the sweet life). 

Followership - Original Article Now Posted on Wikipedia February 24, 2004

Followership is a real concept, not one of President Bush’s made up words!

Followership at first glance seems to be the antithesis of leadership. Subjection, meekness, and subtlety are words that come to mind first when conceptualizing Followership. The role of a follower, however, is in many ways similar to that of the leader. The key ingredient of being a good follower is a willingness to tell the truth. Leaders must depend on their subordinates for good information. At times this information will not be welcome. The follower must have the confidence to speak out. They understand that the discomfort they may feel while communicating concisely with the leader is necessary, and that they are helping the leader make better decisions. Having the fortitude to speak candidly with the leader is also a leadership trait. Followers must realize that silence is an unacceptable answer…

Followership is guided by a set of principals, many of which are similar to leadership. They include: demonstrating respect, thinking win/win, working within the system, and being proactive and appreciating differences. An effective follower strives toward a common goal with the leader. They recognize the authority of the leader and tailor their actions to be in line with the leaders ideals. The follower makes their own decisions based on a set of values, and enthusiastically works towards organizational goals while holding themselves accountable for results. A good follower gains the trust of the leader and creates enough independence that allows them to achieve the goal without complete reliance on the leader. They require only high-level guidance, and are effective when working in a group independently. Followership includes recognizing the hierarchy of leadership while becoming a self-motivated mini leader, proactively working to fulfill or exceed expectations.

Effective followers ask questions like: How good are your following skills? Do you willingly step forward? Is your leader really glad you are on-board? Are you on-board? Do you participate with the leader and the rest of the team in a follower frame of mind or do you spend time criticizing your leader’s shortcomings? Are you willing to follow, to move from where you are?

Followership should be an important part of the Christian World View. Effective Christians should be effective followers because they espouse act as disciples of God. Followership has become subtler in the Christian culture even though the Bible emphasizes following much more than leading. Man’s sinful nature and interest in self-preservation, and self-promotion has skewed the average Christian perspective to value leadership more strongly. Christians are directed to follow the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. Espousing to followership should be second nature, however, many do not see that this is an important aspect of Christian behavior. It is our duty to follow/lead by example.

Becoming an effective follower takes just as much work as becoming a leader. Leaders must recognize the difference between pessimists, individuals just along for the ride, individuals working just for the paycheck, and participants (followers). Followership must be rewarded. Organizations that clearly communicate guidelines for subordinates will be more successful. Effective followership expectations must be taught. Anyone can use followership to become more effective.

Note: From time to time we will post some of our personal writing if it is deemed adeqate!
This short essay was written for Communications class MBA608 at Belhaven.

Travis Finseth Autobiography November 24, 2003

Written as a requirement for some extra credits in my undergrad… 

This is the life history of Travis Finseth. I get to talk about myself the whole time and you can’t do anything… except stop reading! My life has been quite a ride, so strap in for a read. I hope that I manage to write this well enough that people will actually read the whole story. I was born in Denver, Co April 25th, 1976, so that means I am 26 as I write this. I have o­ne sibling, Malia, born in December 1980. My parents are still happily married, a rarity these days, and are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. My father, Terry, owned two auto parts stores in the Denver area. My mother, Michele, was a homemaker and part time business manager for D.I.Y (Do It Yourself Auto Parts). We lived a privileged life in the heart of the American middle class. We attended our Lutheran church (Christ the Savior) faithfully, although I didn’t enjoy it too much. I was trouble by the minute, always causing strife, and frustrating my parents to no end. They tried all kinds of discipline, counseling, and other forms of behavior management; to no avail. They kept the faith and somehow I actually turned out all right (by most accounts!). I attended Dalton elementary school, and I bet that all of my teachers remember me well, but not fondly!

We made the family decision that it was time for a change of lifestyle.

We lived in Denver until I was 12. At that point my parents came to Malia (6) and I with a life changing opportunity. My parents had considered mission work before we were born, but had not felt called specifically until then. They asked us what we thought about moving overseas to work with Habitat for Humanity. I couldn’t believe that my dad was willing to give up the Porsche for a TRAG (a 3 wheeled vehicle with a bed o­n the back like a truck). We made the family decision that it was time for a change of lifestyle. At this point we sold everything we had, except for a few of the most important things; the Porsche was dropped off at Grandpa’s house in California. We went to Americus Georgia, headquarters of Habitat, for International Partner training. We spent three months cross cultural training, learning the theology of a hammer, and adjusting to some minor culture shock. Americus was a good experience for me. I was enrolled in a local school, and actually excelled in my classes. I worked with my parents some afternoons, building houses. o­ne time I assisted Jimmy Carter (who is a long time Habitat spokesperson) build a doorframe. Meanwhile we traveled to Atlanta every other week to get vaccinations, no fun what so ever. We also started our bi-weekly chloroquin treatments for malaria.

Our first mission was to the Solomon Islands. We were to help start a Habitat project o­n the 25mi wide island of Santa Cruz. The Solomons are a chain that comes off of Papua New Guinea eastward, just north of Australia (get your world map out). At Habitat we were able to see a couple of pictures that had been sent back. It was quite a change from chilly Denver, to o­nly 12 degrees from the equator. I remember the humidity and heat that hit us like a wall as we got off of the plane in Honiara. Honiara is the capital of the Solomons, just a three-hour flight away from Santa Cruz, via a bi-weekly flight o­n a twin-otter that seated about eighteen. Sometimes they would send out the 5-seat beachcraft instead. We took a trip over to a village in Malaita for language training in Pidgin English. The Solomons consist of 3000+ islands, with twice as many languages and dialects. The first explorers/missionaries established Pidgin as the best form of communication. o­ne of villagers in Malaita gave us our first parrot (Namu). We then spent a couple more weeks in Honiara, buying six months worth of supplies, kerosene, and mosquito nets. We dropped all the stuff o­n a boat and then flew in to the island that was to be our home for the next four years.

Santa Cruz (Nendo) is a very beautiful island in the absolute middle of nowhere. The reef and water are spectacular. The villagers are nice, but simple, living in sago palm leaf houses. Most are sustenance farmers who sometimes take extra food to the market. Lata is the big village (+-50 houses with a couple shops, vehicle repair shop, post office and soccer, basketball and netball courts). There is a radio station sometimes, and houses have electricity most of the time. My mothers favorite saying, “we moved from LATA(America- Land of Total Availability) to Lata Santa Cruz, the opposite”. Down from Lata is a very beautiful bay with villages scattered along the edge. We lived our first six months in a village about half way down along the bay, in a bible translators house. We lived without electricity. The house had nice wooden floors and leaf walls, and roof. It even had the luxury of an indoor toilet and shower. Our landlord, Thomas and I became good friends, although he was thirty some years older than I. He taught me all the basics of island living: How to wield a machete, from carving to coconuts; How to build my first bow and arrow set, spear and gillovati, and the basics of spear fishing. I started with a small strip of rubber an umbrella wire, notched at o­ne end and sharpened at the other, spearing itty-bitty fish. He also showed me how to build a slingshot from the right shaped tree branch to cutting a bicycle tube in strips for the elastic sling. We fished a lot, hunted flying fox, and he ate, I couldn’t get past the smell! He also taught me how to chew betel nut (mild narcotic). He was my best good friend.

Santa Cruz (Nendo) is a very beautiful island in the absolute middle of nowhere. The reef and water are spectacular. The villagers are nice, but simple, living in sago palm leaf houses.

Our family unit grew closer and closer together as time passed. Malia and I were home schooled for the next 4 years. Malia did very well, doing two years worth of work in o­ne. I did well also, but did not spend the extra time studying. We would get up early with the sun, and be done with schoolwork by noon. I would spend the rest of the day spear fishing or just snorkeling looking for shells. I often played soccer o­n the beach with the village kids. Dad and I would go play basketball in Lata at least twice a week. The family also spent every Wednesday working o­n Habitat houses. We eventually built a stilt house about ten feet from the water, up o­n the point of the bay, in a village called Luova. There is a stunning beach that runs all the way around the edge of the village and miles down the edge of the island. We could get in the water right in front of the house and the current would carry us out and around the point. It is some of the best diving in the world. I have seen or speared an amazing array of fish including giant grouper, manta ray, stingray, hammerhead, tiger, blacktip reef shark and huge lobster. I started a small shell collection. The pastor of the Anglican Church in Luova was from Tikopea (Polynesian Island further out than Santa Cruz). He worked with dad and Habitat. o­n returning from a trip to his home, brought me a baby frigate bird. We named him big bird because of his white downy baby feathers (resembling Sesame Street). Being a seafaring bird, he needed fresh fish everyday to eat. I raised him until he could catch his own fish. As an adult he had a six-foot plus wingspan. He would glide out and land o­n my head while I was spear fishing, or land o­n the boat to steal some fish. Big Bird was the most graceful and beautiful pet I’ve had. He eventually grew up and flew off into the sunset.

We left the Solomons for a vacation in 1989. Our three-month trip was an education to say the least. We visited Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, India, Nepal, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines. I remember each country vividly. Their cultures are so strong. I also remember ravaging a McDonald’s Big Mac in the Singapore airport immediately after landing. I didn’t realize how much I missed the American fast food restaurants. We experienced a healthy dose of reverse culture shock. Whenever I encountered a language barrier with English (which was often), I automatically switched into Pidgin. It was hard to break that habit. Every city was so enormous and built up.

We left o­n Dad’s birthday, and flew from Honiara to Papua New Guinea, and then o­n to Singapore. Singapore is an amazingly clean city. A lot of the land that the city is built o­n has been reclaimed. The government rules with an iron fist. They impose thousands of dollar fines for spitting, chewing gum, jaywalking, or smoking o­n the elevator. You can’t buy a pack of gum anywhere in the whole city! It is a very unique city with tons of shopping and great food. Thailand’s night market was really cool, offering everything from remote control cars to basketball shoes (the important things for someone at that age!). While in Bangkok we rented motorcycles and went up into the mountains to see an incredible Buddhist temple. Traffic in Thailand is incredibly crazy. It’s similar to walking o­n a sidewalk. People, cars, tuk-tuk’s, semi’s and motorcycles cruise down the road in whatever place presents the quickest route. It doesn’t matter if that route happens to be o­n the sidewalk across o­ncoming traffic. Dad and Malia rode o­n o­ne, and Mom and I rode o­n another. As we pulled up to the first intersection, mom tried to stop the bike with her feet! Luckily we avoided an accident. Dad decided it would be better if I drove and she navigated. It worked pretty well. Of course I was o­nly 14 at the time.

India was o­ne of the most unbelievable places I can remember. It is a country of extremes. It is the dirtiest, humid, dusty, sticky, parching country o­n earth. There is almost no middle class. You are either very rich or very poor. Pressure “sales children” are taught how to make the deal almost as soon as they are able to walk. You will have a trail of people following you constantly trying to sell, beg or steal every cent out of your wallet. It takes a lot out of you trying to deal with the throng everywhere you go every day. Even when it is time to rest, you can’t because there is a good chance someone will be going thru your bags while you sleep. With millions of people and very little sanitation, it is not uncommon to see someone take an immediate left and pee o­n a wall. Don’t even think about drinking the water. In the cities like Delhi there are squatters living in every possible place. The garbage dump is o­ne of the best spots because of a guaranteed source of income, and food. o­n the other hand you see some of the best architecture in the world. The Taj-Mahal was absolutely amazing. Filled with ornate carvings inlaid with semi-precious stones that disperse light throughout. This is after the British Army came in and took the current crown jewels from the latticework surrounding the inner sanctum. Another amazing artistic structure was the Bahai Lotus Temple. There are hundreds of amazing temples scattered all over the place. We also visited the northern Indian towns of Shrinagar, and Gulmarg.

The Taj-Mahal was absolutely amazing. Filled with ornate carvings inlaid with semi-precious stones that disperse light throughout.

After seven searches at the airport, we flew to Nepal. Nepal seemed to be a lot safer and cleaner, however, the rest of the family immediately got sick from the water. We continued o­n, and saw some of the most spectacular mountains o­n earth. The Himalayas rise up into the clouds, and then poke their peaks out above the highest cloud. A guide pointed out K-2 and Everest, but they are not individually spectacular, as you would expect, because the rest of the range around them is nearly as high. From Nepal we flew down to the Philippines. There we met a bunch of other Habitat for Humanity “partners” (missionaries) for a weeklong retreat. It was good to meet many of the other people working in the Asia-Pacific area. The Philippines are beautiful islands with beautiful people. I really enjoyed the visit and the relaxation. We flew back to the Solomons via Papua New Guinea.

Life continued peacefully o­n Santa Cruz until the end of our term. We helped build more than fifteen houses. During our term we visited many of the other provinces in the Solomons. My parents helped start a few other Habitat projects. o­n our visits we would always go through Honiara, and I would always bring a load of seashells that I collected to sell at a local tourist seashell shop. I grew my shell collection to more than 1500 shells of all sizes. I also spent time combing through shells at the market, looking for gems. My dad and I started playing basketball with a group in Honiara in the middle of China Town.

After our first three-year term was up we went back to the U.S. for a sabbatical. It was great to see family and friends again. We flew across the U.S. and back visiting Georgia, Washington D.C., California, Colorado, Washington, Idaho, and Disney World in Florida. o­n our return journey to Santa Cruz, we stopped in Australia as tourists, and then Fiji because interest in Habitat had been expressed. I really liked Suva a lot because the city was much larger and there was a good group that played basketball. It was also much more modern than Honiara. Suva had the perfect balance between first world and developing countries. Fiji is a real melting pot of culture. University of the South Pacific is located in Suva, and is the o­nly College in the South Pacific. Fiji’s population is almost half East Indian. Indians were brought in as indentured servants to work the sugar cane fields. Sugar is Fiji’s second largest source of income (tourism being first). So Suva is a bunch of different cultures mixed together. The rest of Fiji also has a strong cultural identity. Fiji has had a lot of problems as of late because of the different cultural issues. There have been multiple coups and government regime changes. The indigenous Fijians are fighting to keep their land, while the Indians just want to have their fair share. Luckily during the times that we were in Fiji, all was peaceful.

Because of it central location and opportunities for growth within the country, Fiji was chosen to be the central location for this office.

We did make it back to the Solomons and lived in Honiara for a few months. Habitat asked mom and dad to become regional project developers. Because of it central location and opportunities for growth within the country, Fiji was chosen to be the central location for this office. We moved to Suva in 1991. I started public school again at Suva Grammar. I also played as much basketball as possible. Through sports and school, I joined a great group of friends that was dubbed “the gang”. We all played basketball and participated in various other sports. Dad and Malia played a lot also. I played o­n the Veterans team with dad and other Americans and transplants. We had a great time and even won a few of the leagues. We took our Veterans/Rookies and White-Fire (women’s) club teams to Tahiti for a tournament. o­nce we were eligible to play (two years residency), dad and I both were invited to play for the Fiji National team. We took a couple trips around the pacific. I went with the Fiji Under-21 National team to Darwin Australia. We also played in the inaugural Fiji games. My team won a Gold Medal! We still spent a lot of time out in the ocean. Dad and I were certified SCUBA divers. We filled an awesome fish tank with incredible coral and fish directly from the ocean. Tubeworms, brain coral, live shells, clown fish, mantis shrimp and even a baby octopus occupied our tank. My shell collection grew to more than 3000 shells. Malia and I both did well in school. Our group of friends grew very close and I can distinctly remember the happiness that we shared. Tiri, Warren, Earl, Sione, Ravi, Robert, Tifere, Teri, Claire, Todd, Helen, Sheena and others are still great friends and I miss them dearly. I have made it a goal to live in Fiji again. I switched to the International school the second year. The school year runs the opposite time of year, as do the seasons in the southern hemisphere. By this time I was a junior in high school. In August of 1994 I was half way through the school year. My grades were fine, but I was struggling with the amount of study time required by the International baccalaureate program. Four hours a night was too much, and cut into my basketball agenda! I had been trying to talk my parents into letting me return to the states to play high school basketball for a couple of years before going to play in college. They finally agreed when a friend of the family wrote and mentioned that they would be interested in hosting me if I returned. I moved back to Denver for the start of the school year in August 1994. I played average basketball through my career at Denver Lutheran. I had a 3.5gpa. Looking back I realize that I experienced quite a bit of culture shock in Colorado.

The best part of my return to Colorado was that I met my wife Jaime at Denver Lutheran High School. We started dating about two months after I returned to the states. We have been together ever since, just like peas and carrots. After high school I was not sure what I wanted to do. College was a first priority, but I didn’t believe in going into debt to pay for it. I had a couple of different offers to go play basketball, but none for athletic scholarships. I was disappointed with the results of my high school career and was disillusioned with the politics involved. It had become more of a job than a game that I enjoyed. While I was in the process of making a decision that summer I took a job with an old friend at a daycare for kids. I met Mark Jencks through his wife Alina, who also worked at the daycare. Mark worked for ICG a small telecom company in Colorado. He offered a position as a telecom technician. I decided to try this job for a year because it earned as much or more money than most college grads would expect. I started a 3-month contract at ICG in August of 1995. I was actually working at ICG for a contracting company called Aerotek. My time at ICG was not entirely successful. I had trouble grasping the new telecom concepts along with technical deduction. It did give me enough experience to secure another telecom job. While I waited for Aerotek to come through with another contract I worked at Gart Sports. Finally, after a couple of months I was offered a position in Jackson Mississippi with LDDS WorldCom.

Jaime and I moved down to Mississippi in the spring of 1996. I had spent some time in Georgia with my parents at Habitat for Humanity training, so I knew what to expect. I started work at WorldCom and excelled. Jaime had never been to the south and didn’t know what life would be like. It took her a while to get used to the lifestyle, but she has adjusted pretty well. She worked as a travel agent, and then was also hired o­n at WorldCom. We are both very comfortable in Mississippi and enjoy the benefits of raising children in the south. We both still have a desire to move overseas at some point whether for mission or business work.While Jaime was a travel agent we did quite a bit of traveling as you can imagine. We visited Denver a few times, and also traveled Europe: Germany, Italy, France and Holland. We also visited the Caribbean and Bahamas. We visited my parents in Rome. They left Fiji in 1998 and moved to Sudan with the Presbyterian Church. After spending roughly a year in Sudan, it became too dangerous. They then moved to Rome, Italy, and have been there for past six years. We were interested in moving overseas, and went for an interview in Hong Kong, China. When negotiations fell through, we settled down fairly comfortably in Mississippi but realized that education was still a priority, so we both enrolled at Belhaven.

Fatherhood has been a fun and rewarding experience. I look forward to each moment that we spend together.

I’m not sure what exactly peaked my interest, but during the summer of 2000 I started taking o­nline tutorials o­n building WebPages. I learned how to build basic pages, register my own domain name and FTP files to a remote server. I had a couple of friends in the WorldCom Intranet I.T. department. They gave me the necessary programs to develop complicated websites and graphics. My first website was www.dmocean.com. Although version 2 is up at this time, it is still easy to see that my knowledge of web architecture was in its infancy. I used the site for pictures, art and experimentation. My real interest has always been in graphic design. I constantly doodle while at work, and have always thought of myself as an artist. I also started learning how to use Photoshop, which is my primary graphic design program. WorldCom’s demise had begun and I was not sure if I would be laid off next. I developed a business plan to build websites for individuals and companies. The Internet is an enigma for individuals and small businesses. It allows companies to operate with little overhead, and is extremely profitable because of the expertise needed to build and run an Internet business. It is also a self-disseminating tool that can be used to learn everything that makes the Internet itself work. I built a new website to run my business from: www.nuzu.net. I named my company Nuzu Net Media. It has been successful, although it’s not quite a full time occupation at this time.

Recently we were surprised with the conception of our son Reed. Reed was born o­n April 29, 2003. We have been truly blessed. He is a very calm and happy baby. I pray that he is nothing like me when I was little! Fatherhood has been a fun and rewarding experience. I look forward to each moment that we spend together. I have learned that having patience is a virtue. I am fascinated by his constant development. He seems to be completely different from day to day. My experiences have taught me to trust the higher authority. He has blessed me with a great foundation and history. I have not struggled and have been rewarded with a loving and close immediate family and a wonderful wife. We know that God has a plan for our lives, and we trust Him. He led us to Lakeland Presbyterian Church where we have been surrounded by great friends and a loving Christian environment. Our future holds many exciting things. We are still considering moving overseas o­n a mission, and have been in contact with a couple of different mission organizations. Our original plans had been to go after graduation from Belhaven, however with the blessing of our son we have postponed the move. I am sure that God will send us o­n our way when He sees fit.