three cups of tea

Andy and I just finished reading this book called Three Cups of Tea, which is about ex-climber Greg Mortenson, who, after a failed attempt to climb K2 in the 90s, was inspired to do what he could to build schools for children (especially girls) in rural Pakistan. All I can say is that this book was both inspiring and humbling; you should read it. If your library doesn't have it, then buy it; it's absolutely worth $9. Or more.

Although the author explains that Mortenson grew up the son of missionaries, he implies that Mortenson's faith is kind of nebulous--at least, I came away from the book not knowing for sure whether or not he is a Christian. However, the book is so packed full of "coincidences" that it is obvious that God is at work in this man's mission. The first step on Mortenson's path was when he got lost on the descent from K2, lost his porter, and ended up Korphe, a Pakistani village so small and remote that it wasn't on any maps, and, although he had traveled to the area several times for climbing, he had never heard of it either. After a night's sleep, he asked to see the village's school, only to discover that the children met in an open field above the village. They shared a teacher with another village; on the days the teacher was not there, they practiced their facts by scratching with sticks in the dirt. Mortenson was shattered. His attempt to summit K2 had been taken on in order to honor the memory of his sister. Having failed that, having seen these children, he vowed to honor her memory instead by building them a school.

So began a process full of optimism, false starts, danger, sweat, and tears. At the time of publication of Three Cups, Mortenson's nonprofit, The Central Asia Institute, had built 53 schools in rural Pakistan and was beginning to look towards Afghanistan.

I don't want this to get really long, but I'd like to say that I believe that we as Christians could learn a lot from Mortenson's work. What came across over and over again is that the CAI is fighting the "war on terror" simply by providing education. Mortenson watched radical Islam build schools as well: schools which taught extremism over mathematics. Mortenson's schools offer knowledge over ignorance, and through his persistence, he, an American, has gained love and respect in a region where that is hard won.

Anyway, read this book. It is thrilling, humbling, and heartening all at once.

congratulations!

I just wanted to say a big congratulations to my beautiful sister-in-law Rabia, who (as of yesterday) is officially a US Citizen! I am just guessing it was a little anti-climax after years of paperwork and interviews, which were sometimes a little silly...her final interview included an English test consisting of writing a sentence along the lines of "The man wants a job." Have I ever mentioned that she is a writer? And alumnae of an Ivy League school? I think it's Ivy League, anyway, certainly a step or two up from Wheaton.

Anyway, welcome to the mix, Rabia, and congratulations on picking an interesting election for your first!

thoughts on customer service

Customer service is one of those issues that you don't think a lot about...maybe when you have great service somewhere and especially when you have bad service...but I've been noticing different calibers of customer service around me and sometimes I just really wonder what makes the difference.

True confession: I take our van to the local dealer for oil changes. I actually have two good reasons: the first is that if there are any issues with the van, recalls, warranty covered problems, they fix it right there and generally they catch it before I have to bring it to their attention; the second is that they have great customer service. I am sure they do charge more than the budget oil change across the street (although my last oil change was $28.95 at the dealer and Andy's was $45 across the street), but the service people are consistently friendly and really take time to talk with me about everything going on with the car. I know I'm not the only one who likes them--as I was pulling out the other day, I saw a Kia being driven into the service bay (it's a Nissan dealer). Would I buy a car from this dealer? Probably not. In fact, after a bad sales experience when we were shopping for the van, I bought our van at a Nissan dealer about an hour up the road, just to deal with friendlier people. Why are the service people fantastic and the sales people... pushy? Never mind, I think I just answered my own question.

When we were out in Pasadena last year, we could pick from two large, more or less run of the mill, grocery stores--Ralph's and Vons. One (Store A) was quite close to our apartment and the other (Store B) required a 5-10 minute drive. I won't tell you which one is which, but after the first visit to each one, I never went back to Store A unless it was an emergency trip. The employees were lackluster, hard to work with, and almost unfriendly. At Store B, if I stopped in an aisle for more than two minutes, an employee would inevitably stop and ask me if they could help me find anything. I had Larry, the friendly meat guy, who always took time to talk meat with me. (I miss Larry!) The cashiers were friendly and engaging, and if I ever needed help finding anything, any employee would cheerfully drop what they were doing and help me look.

It wasn't just me, either. A friend was at store A the day before her son's birthday and wanted to order a cake. She waited for ten minutes at the bakery counter for help and was ignored. She gave up and decided that she would go home and call Store B to order a cake. Well, she forgot. She got up on Saturday morning and panicked, wondering what she would do about a cake. Called the bakery at Store B as soon as they opened and begged for whatever they had for a cake. The employee cheerfully asked her what kind of cake she wanted, how she wanted it decorated, the works--all at the last minute.

I'm reasonably certain that different grocery stores probably pay their employees about the same amount. So I am a little boggled that one store could be so unpleasant, while a near neighbor is fantastic.

It comes up again and again. We just took the kids to Orlando for a mini vacation and although the hotel we stayed at was better than decent, it wasn't exciting enough to guarantee that I would want to come back on its own merits. However, the customer service was shining, and that would make me want to go back. It makes me feel welcome. That's why I kept going back to Store B, and that's why I keep going back to the local dealer. I value the service with a smile more than I value cheap labor.

I don't know, just something I was thinking about lately.

my new computer

I know, I have been a bad blogger lately, but I promise it's just that I've been busy with not really fascinating things. I recently bought a new computer and I thought that experience was moderately entertaining, so I'll inflict it on you.

I wasn't actually in the market for a new computer, but when mine overheated after processing MOPS pictures, I decided it was no longer reliable enough for business use and needed to be replaced. I have a NAPP membership, which offers discounts on hardware from certain vendors, one of which is Dell. So I started shopping at Dell (interesting fact: although I have bought a handful of Dell computers for other people, I have never bought one for myself) and settled on a nice higher end XPS machine. In order to even find out what kind of discounts you can get from Dell with your NAPP membership, you have to call Dell and get cozy with a salesman. So I called Dell and got this guy Mark.

Now, Mark is a really nice guy, and it would probably be a pleasure to buy a computer from him. Theoretically, his job should have been really easy since I had configured the exact system that I wanted and all he needed to do was take my credit card number. We quickly got into trouble, though, when I told him what line I wanted and he started... trying to talk me out of it. First, maybe I really wanted a laptop. No? Well, I sure don't want that computer, because it's the "Cadillac" of Dells and I would be spending too much money, plus it's a gamer's system (that means powerful because those guys are really demanding), and I don't need that much. What I really want is (I forget what the line is but according to Mark, they made Shrek with it), because I'll spend way less money--sure, I will get less computer, but I'll still be getting all the things I need, and Mark is all about saving me money.

Now, if you know me, you know that telling me that I don't know what I want to do is going to get my dander up, just a little bit. And so Mark is working uphill at this point. First, he tries to talk me into a workstation (after I have told him I'm a photographer and pushing my computer and am shopping because I just melted mine). When I point out that I need space for a second hard drive, lots of memory, and dedicated graphics, he switches over to the Shrek line. He starts configuring with a lower end (but still powerful) processor, dedicated graphics, and then we hit a snag with the 80GB hard drive. That used to be big, but we're talking lots of picture files here. We debate for a while and decide not to upgrade because I do have my second hard drive ready to install and it's large... although the first hard drive is where Andy's considerable music collection and our documents are all supposed to live, along with the operating system. Then he tells me that it comes with 1GB of memory. I try not to laugh, but we agree that it will be more cost effective to pull my extra memory out of my melted computer and put it in along with the hard drive. Then, it's a selling point that this machine comes with XP and I will be able to upgrade to Vista myself when I want to. Somehow, installing a new operating system is not high on my list of fun things to do, and I have actually been using Vista and all my programs run on it already. Well, he leaves me with XP. Next up, apparently this computer doesn't come with a sound card, and to get one, I have to actually buy it with Vista (oops!) and pay almost $200 to have a sound card installed. I have repeatedly pointed out that this is not just a work computer, it is also a home computer, and even when I'm working I might actually like a little music. Then, he's staggered that I don't want a 19 inch monitor, I should just get it anyway because you never know when you will need an extra extra monitor (yes I have an extra already), and it's probably actually more expensive to take the monitor off. I do succeed in getting him to remove it and the computer is, in fact, cheaper.

At this point Mark has successfully built a computer for me. With a less powerful processor, a teeny hard drive, a negligible amount of memory, and he has saved me...wait, he hasn't saved me any money at all. In fact, his computer costs slightly more than my Cadillac. And the kicker here is that can't get a NAPP discount on this system because it is already so cheap. I thank Mark for his time, promise to read his emails carefully, and hang up.

Then I go back to the website, reconfigure my Cadillac, double check that I am, in fact, spending less money this way (and hey, I can play music on it!), and buy it. It came within a few days and it hums. The only issue I had was installing my second hard drive and my second DVD burner (lightscribe, before you ask), because it was a new format and required working with the BIOS, something I've not done a lot, but it was an easy issue to fix. I am thrilled with my new machine. And Ben, before you ask, I never considered buying a Mac.

I wonder if they had a big pile of the Shrek machines, or a competition going on to see who could sell the most of them, or what.

Starbucks and the Church

Some of you know how much I enjoy Starbucks. I know it has its detractors – from taste gurus to locals to why-is-it-on-every-corner-fatigue. But I love it. And I’m sure you’ve heard the news lately over Howard’s "transformation agenda" to refocus the store on its original mission and first things: taste, experience, community, etc. So when I picked up a free cup of the Pike Place Roast two weeks ago Wednesday, I couldn’t help but notice the original brown logo and new cup. But what really caught my attention was the wording on the cup under the jacket:

This is what we know to be true: We opened our very first store in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, in 1971. We still roast our coffee ourselves. Less than 3% of the coffee in the world is good enough for Starbucks. We served the best cup of coffee 37 years ago, and we still do today. Introducing our new daily brew: Starbucks® Pike Place Roast.

It immediately made me think of Jesus and the church. Why? Because of these words:

Let me pass on to you what is of first importance. Christ died for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. Once we were no-family: now we are the family of God. And the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead nearly 2000 years ago is still calling women, men, and children to wake up to new life here. Now. Taste for yourself and see: the Lord is good!

Sure, it’s not all Scripture (I took a few liberties), but it rings true. And in an age where we pass so many churches with catchy slogans trying to reinvent themselves, wouldn’t it be refreshing and bracing to see, to experience, the essentials themselves?

calling my fellow Florida homeowners

Y'all, I just got the call from my insurance agent (who is officially on my "A" list just for this whole thing) to deliver some good news to me. I couldn't keep it to myself and decided to celebrate by telling y'all about it and putting up this, my 100th post on this blog. Hooray!

Last summer or fall, the state of Florida launched a program called My Safe Florida Home. I don't know much about it, except that it is supposed to help and reward homeowners who make their homes more hurricane proof and verify it by having a wind inspection done. At the time, our agent sent out letters to everyone recommending that we have it done and gave us the names of some inspection companies. We didn't do anything about it because the inspection cost $150 and "might" save us "some" money. I have better ways to spend $150 than on a "might", honestly.

A couple months ago, I realized that I needed to insure my camera and equipment, since I take it all over the place with me, run out into the ocean carrying it, and do other hazardous activities with it (it's pretty active). My agent asked if we had done the wind inspection. When I sheepishly said that we hadn't, he told me about a company called WB Sanders which will do the inspection for free (don't ask me how they get paid because I don't know). He also said that he thought we would save a bit of money because our roof is pretty new (same age as Elanor, in fact, as I recall having water pour into the house during a rainstorm while our roof was essentially naked and I had just come home from the hospital... certainly not in any emotional shape to yell at the roofers on that one). I filled out the form, set up an appointment with the company, and waited. I've told a few friends about the inspection because, hey, it's free, right?

Charlie (my agent, whom I adore right now) just called. Our premiums went down by just about 60%. Which, at our current rate, is a truly phenomenal amount of money. It's going to seriously affect our escrow payment. I am completely bowled over. Charlie is my hero.

It made me realize, you know, I think most companies insure homes more or less blind, right? So we are all probably paying more than we really need to, because they have to charge based on a house that might just fall over in a hurricane. Having the wind inspection just gives us a chance to show that our house is actually in pretty good shape. (Yes, our roof is new but our windows are original to the house--pretty bad, actually.)

What I'm saying is that if you live in Fort Myers, call this WB Sanders company (239.931.3880) and get your wind inspection done. Even if you only save a little bit, with your rates being as high as I'm sure they are, it's totally worth the 30 minutes it takes to have the inspection done.

If you've been wondering why I haven't posted in so long, it's because I've had two significant projects on my plate: 1) the church website, and 2) the MOPS spring fundraiser. The website is up and now all I need to do is fill in the content as I get it, and I am going to put the pictures up for the MOPS moms today!

easter report

I almost just don't even know where to begin with this post. Easter is a holiday which takes on a whole new meaning when you have a closely loved one who has died, I think, and the fact that the resurrection is the act which gives us cause to hope for a reunion really never ceases to awe and move me. So really, whatever else is going on during Easter (and let me tell you, the very thought of baskets and candy and eggs never even crossed my mind once this year), when it comes, I am always thrilled to think of the promise this day holds for me (for all of us, I know). If you don't know, I am thinking specifically of my mother, who died nearly ten years ago after a long and courageous fight with cancer.

Bill quoted someone today (I don't know who) who, on his deathbed, was dictating the following to his secretary: "I am about to leave the land of the living. No, wait, don't say that. Say instead that I am about to leave the land of the dying; I am about to enter the land of the living." Y'all, that right there is the promise of Easter. We are all dying--some more quickly that others, true, but we are all dying. And the empty tomb whispers to us that death is not the end, but only the beginning.

Sorry, that's not what you came here for, I know. I will say that I lay awake for several hours last night, my mind churning with thoughts, not necessarily of what might go wrong this morning, but of so many issues for which I feel responsibility right now. To top it off, it rained steadily for much of the night. Normally, I love falling asleep listening to the rain outside, but last night I kept thinking of the walk to church this morning (the road is still mud for much of its length and sidewalks are not yet poured) and of all those who would be parking in a field near the church and down the road (instead of paving parking lots which get only intermittent use down here, we leave them as grass, which is a great idea except for the mud). And then I started thinking about everything else I'm working on. And then the rain would start in again and I'd think about that. For hours.

I have to say that the logistical side went incredibly well this morning, from what I could see. Parking and shuttling seemed to go smoothly and everyone made it in and out of church in a timely fashion. We mingled on the lawn. Everyone looked just thrilled to be there. Seriously. Inside the service, it was no different. The choir had an energy I felt I hadn't seen in quite a while (plus I loved that they weren't wearing robes!), and the entire congregation just exuded joy. Pastor Jose, the pastor of our host congregation, and his translator Ilso (sp?) attended all three services and shared a blessing with us. They are so warmhearted and generous; it is really awesome. The services were all pretty full. The number that I heard for the total for the entire morning was 1,734. I just still have a hard time believing it!

All in all a delightful morning and a satisfying new beginning. There were several of us taking pictures all morning to document and since I did, I'm going to share a handful of favorites with you:

Bill with Pastor Jose and Ilso (sp?).

Our organist's hands at work. I like hands.

I love daddies who hold their little girls tight.

Our sign this morning: it's still the old Gulf Coast Church of Christ sign but someone spray painted over their name for us.

My piglet, hard at work in the nursery. I think she is making a craft.

I have a thumb sucker, too, so I love thumb suckers.

The girls insisted that I take their picture, too.

A blessed Easter to you all. Hold tight to the promise of a new life, a new beginning, and a new hope. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.)