CPA Trek to D.C.

Call me naive but after taking my trip to D.C. I am optimistic about our country. My MAcc program took us to Washington D.C. for the week to visit several regulatory bodies. Wow, what a week! We stayed at the Harrington Hotel, just a block from the IRS, Justice Department, FBI, and the Mall in general. Fantastic location…less than stellar hotel--we weren’t even able to bring our computers for fear or getting them stolen. I would totally stay there as a guy but I would never take a family there.

We first visited the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). In the very room where the five Commissioners meet, we met and spoke with several members of the organization. My favorite speaker was Jason Flemmons who is in the Enforcement Function (Forensics) with the SEC; basically, he catches the fraudsters and brings them to justice. I was very encouraged by the sophistication of the forensic accountants at the Capital.

Then we had a (literally) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit in the boardroom for the Board of Governors in the Federal Reserve. This is the room that Ben Bernanke and the rest of the Board meet and dictate the monetary policy for our country, directly or indirectly affecting the entire world. This room is arguably the most powerful room (in a secular sense) on earth. We had a former professor at William & Mary, who works at the Fed, present to us in the room. Right before the presentation, I actually saw Bernanke walk by in the hallway. Many people don’t like him right now. That must be why there is so much security getting into the building—it took us over an hour to get through the doors and we were the only people visiting. Being in that room was an experience I’ll never forget as a business geek. Wow! Since we couldn't take any pictures inside, below is a photo of it with no other than the Bernanke himself.

One of the takeaways from my visit to the Fed was the realization that we are in the most capable hands when it comes to monetary policy. The lowly employee, Seth Carpenter, who presented to us is one of over 200 PHD economists who work there. Carpenter is a Princeton-bred genius who knows what he is talking about. Hearing him speak and enjoying his grasp on the economy was enriching and faith-building. Again, he is just “one of the guys” at the Fed. My point is, I feel that the Board of Governors are doing the best they know how to fix our economy. I truly feel that way. I didn’t before this trip. I may not agree with this “monetary easing”, but neither I nor 99 percent of the people who bicker about the economy really can offer any better solution to the problem.

On the other hand, many informed individuals acknowledge that no one person or group of people are to blame for the Great Recession we are trying to climb out of. The root of the economic uppercut was lack of self regulation on all levels. It wasn’t just the Congress' pressure on banks to ease up on loan applicants, it wasn’t just the greedy financial markets or those who selfishly insured them. It was everyone combined. I could go on about this in a whole separate post, but I’ll spare you the bore this time.

The next day we got to meet with leaders from the Government Accountancy Office (GAO). I know that sounds like something you’d read about to cure insomnia but hearing them was so fascinating! These are the auditors for the Federal government. They make sure D.C. is running an honest ship. Jeanette Franzel, Managing Director of Financial Management and Assurance, was very impressive. She boosted my confidence in the future economics of our country by her competence and vision. With bailouts in many industries (auto, banking) and overhauls in others (healthcare and education), many especially including me are worried the direction our country is going. Is there any check on our government? Are this major transactions honest? Well, for four years, the GAO didn’t give the IRS or the SEC an unqualified opinion, and the Department of Defense isn’t even auditable. But, she explained that each audited agency in the government has now received an unqualified opinion. She regularly meets with agencies to hold them accountable for budgets. Her insights, determination, and clear independence bring me great confidence in our future. And she brought to light the fact that the government is not only taking its stake out of the banking and auto industry (and soon AIG), it has made a multi-billion dollar return on our tax dollars. Well, they did something right J

We aren't a perfect country but there is great hope in the future of our nation. We need to pray for and actively seek out good, honest leaders. We need to be self regulated and encourage others to do the same. Can we forget God's sweet assurance in his repeated words: "inasmuch as ye keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land." Has He ever broken His promises?

A Taste of Williamsburg!

One Saturday, I decided to take a drive down the Colonial Parkway. This road has quickly become my designated "ponder road". It is one of those roads that help you really relax, clear your mind, and reconnect with the beauties of reality. The road up Provo Canyon is my equivalent in Utah and Foothill Road in Ventura is my favorite in California. Look at how beautiful our country is:

God truly is the Great Artist. How can you see this world and not have your faith strengthened?

Back In The Field

My time as a missionary in New England was paramount in my life. Serving my Savior every moment, representing Him, was the most special, invigorating, and humbling experience of my life. I literally gave my mission all of my heart. Oh, what a special time in my life! Now I also absolutely loved my time at Brigham Young University. I wouldn’t change my time there for the world.

Even so, I am amazed to find that I’m growing in ways never thought possible by being back in the mission field. A year ago I would have laughed at anyone who told me I would be in Williamsburg, Virginia right now. But around Thanksgiving 2009, I felt like I should apply to the College of William & Mary, not even knowing which state the school resides in. To my continual amazement, I find a reason almost daily of why I am supposed to be here.

One major blessing of being here is the opportunities for missionary work. We’ve had a baptism in our little branch of 30 or 40 every few weeks. It’s amazing! I want to share the story of just one of them.

Walter Finley is one of the sweetest young men I know. He has a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a chronic illness that continuously reduces his muscle power, lending him helpless without his electronic wheelchair. As illustrated in the picture below, he never ceases to smile. He comes from a rough home background, he has limitations in his future options, and he will never live a normal life on this earth. Yet, he smiles. He smiles every time I see him. What a powerful lesson.

The first night I met Walter, I was at a branch dance. A member of our congregation had brought Walter. I was so intrigued by his beaming smile juxtaposed to his virtually-immobile body. I gave him a quick tour of our building, something I used to absolutely love to do as a full-time missionary. The Spirit was so strong as we looked at and talked about various pictures on the walls. He gave me some great insights as we viewed the paintings.

While inside the dance, I watched as sweet young women would in turn walk up to Walter during the beginning of each slow song, rest their hand on his shoulder, grab his left hand to hold it up and dance with him. Watching that does something to you. It almost brings me to tears just thinking about it.

In the following weeks, Walter quickly felt like he was a part of something. He felt loved. He felt his true self worth. Most importantly, he felt the Spirit as he read from the Book of Mormon, attended church, and prayed. To our delight, he chose to be baptized!

It took three of us to baptize Walter. I'll never forget the experience of watching him come up out of the water! I am so blessed to know Walter.

Last Sunday he was able to pass the sacrament. Barely able to lift up his hand to grasp the tray, Walter reverently guided his chair through his assignment and performed his duty with great dignity. I was deeply touched by this special moment. I believe Walter has a special knowledge of what the sacrament means. He has great faith! We can all learn much from our brother Walter Finley.

Back In The "Swing" of Things

When I was about 13, my older brother Jaron taught me about the basics of swing dancing. I would watch in amazement as he lifted, twirled, spun, and whirled a young woman while miraculously earning a smile on her face. I decided that I wanted to become good at dancing someday. I don’t pretend that ballroom dancing has been my greatest passion in life but it has been one of my favorite hobbies when time permits.

This year at school I joined the ballroom dance club and have absolutely loved getting back into the “swing” of things. It’s a great break from the studies for me. I’ve been able to meet some of the kindest, driven, down-to-earth folks through the club.

This last month we had our first competition. It was held at the University of Maryland, just above D.C. I had a partner for Standard and for Rhythm. I was very humbled at the competition : ) Waltz, Cha Cha, and Swing (all of which I’ve known and performed for years) didn’t yield callbacks. Haha. But, somehow we got fourth place in both Rumba and Mambo and got callbacks in Quickstep, all of which I had just learned this year. Lesson: performance is often best when you have an I-have-nothing-to-lose attitude and just do your best.

What a fun time!

Fall Road Trip

I was standing among the very walls where the voices of the Founders rang over 200 years ago. This is the very place the signers of the Declaration of Independence and those of the Constitution tapped heaven to create the best union of history. You really can learn a lot about what happened in a historical event by feeling the spirit that accompanies the location of the event. I'm so grateful to have felt that spirit from it's home, strengthening my resolve to do all I can to ensure that spirit never dies in our country. It's the spirit of liberty and agency, which is the Spirit of Christ.

Independence Hall was the first stop on our Fall Break road trip up the east coast. Jeff Taylor, my friend, and I were both looking at grad schools and enjoying the historical sights along the way. It was so awesome! We started in D.C. early Monday morning and then headed to Philadelphia. Of course we did Independence Hall (as discussed above), and saw the Liberty Bell and Franklin's grave. We then checked out University of Pennsylvania and were very impressed with the collegiate feeling there. The buildings are beautiful! Jeff looked into the PhD program at the famous Wharton School of Business there while I took a look at the law school. And of course we couldn't leave the city without eating Philly cheese stakes. Man, that was a good sandwich! We enjoyed the city.

Next, we were on our way to New Haven, CT. We got there late afternoon, with a little daylight left. Yale is so incredible. It has an enchanting ambiance on the campus. They have a bell tower like at BYU (rather, BYU has one like at Yale, haha), and I caught them playing the timeless "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty And The Beast. It was very nostalgic.

I got to go visit the law school there which must be the most extravagant law building in the country. It has a Gothic architecture with a heaven-reaching tower, vaulted ceilings, and very ornate wooden crown molding in the halls. The small-town feeling of Yale was a nice refreshment from the high-strung Philly scene.

After Yale, we headed yet further up the coast to Boston, where we stayed with a friend. The next morning we went to Cambridge and visited Harvard. It really is a beautiful campus, complete with an Ivy-League makeover. I only stopped by the famous business school to drop off Jeff, but I got to have some time at the law school. Quite the place! It'a fun to just dream and ponder at all of these schools.

Next we went to MIT, took a peak at the Boston Harbor (see below), and then headed to the Freedom Trail. I think Boston is one of my favorite big cities. I love the parks, the cleanliness, the history, the education, and even the weather (well compared to Maine, it's not too bad). It's probably mostly because it reminds me of my mission.

The Freedom Trail starts in Boston Commons (where the city's first settlers began) and then moves through Park Street Church (first place "My Country 'tis of Thee" was sung), then continues on to the resting place of several Founders: Samuel Adams (the instigator of the Boston Tea Party and leader of the Sons of Liberty), James Otis (who coined "taxation without representation is tyranny", and who died from lightening bolt), Paul Revere, and the famous signer and first Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, John Hancock. It is such a treat to learn about their lives from the tour guides. Following the graveyard, we went to the grammar school of Benjamin Franklin, saw the spot of the Boston Massacre, and then finish up with Faneuil Hall. Everyone in this country needs to do the Freedom Trail. It is awesome!

Well, after Boston, we headed back to Virginia, eating our year's-worth of fast-food along the way including several Wendy's Frosties and Wawa subs. Good times! In all, it was just a fantastic trip. I am so happy and grateful to be able to have these opportunities!

Shenandoah National Park

The trees blanket the soft sloping hills all around; it's as if hundreds of Paul Bunyan's children are hiding under fluffy blankets in every direction. The snap of cool air kisses the foliage bringing sweet blushes of reds, oranges, and yellows. Sunbeams pierce the few openings in the forest while illuminating the remaining green leaves in the trees. It's Fall in Virginia! No wonder Virginia is for lovers ;)

I had the chance to go up to Shenandoah National Park a week ago. My friends camped out but I couldn't because school was a little too intense that weekend. But I got to go on a great hike that led to a lovely waterfall (see below). The green moss looks electric against the shimmering black slate in the water's trail. It is beautiful! It reminds me a lot of a place in Utah called Provo Falls.

On our way up to the park, we passed Charlottesville (home of UVA) and Monticello (which is still on the to-do list!). Man, I really like this place. I'm so grateful to experience the beauty of another part of the world, even though it's only for a few months.

8/28 Restoring Honor Rally

The words, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America" meant more to me that day than just about ever. Standing, hand over heart, I got to pledge my allegiance to this country with half a million others. Where else can you do that with that many people? It was a powerful punch of pathos for all present. To sum up my impressions on the entire event, one word comes to mind: Hope.

I stayed the night the night before the Restoring Honor Rally near D.C. with a couple of my best friends. We woke up early Saturday morning and took the metro into D.C. One of the most impressionable elements of the whole experience was the travel time inside the train. I was surrounded by hundreds, thousands of good people. Everywhere I looked was the epitome of kindness, courtesy, respectability. If I could earn a dollar for each smile I saw, I'd be rich. Men were gentlemen, women were ladylike. I heard "pardon me", "after you", "would you like my seat", and "thank you" so many times. Clean language, clean dress, clean people! I felt like I could trust anyone around me, even with a child. It was very impressive and reassuring. Seeing this mix of people was a testimony to me that this event was a good thing. Look at the fruits. And, seeing this mix of people reminded me that there are many good people in this country and in the world.

Well, the metro dropped us off right outside George Washington University. Even though the bottlenecking of the station exit produced horrific heat and congestion, I never heard an angry expletive escape anyone. Good people.

My friends and I walked to the Mall where we joined around 500,000 supporters of restoring honor to our country. The massive crowds, though, didn't produce a feeling like an overgrown concert or anything rowdy at all. Plus, there were no demonstrations against the rally, only a couple of low-budget signs mocking Glenn Beck and venerating MLK. Ironically, the majority of those who spoke were African American, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s own neice, Dr. Alveda King.

Glenn Beck's simple call for our nation to return to Faith, Hope, and Charity was so powerful. But in order to appeal to so many, the rally included several interest groups that diluted that beautifully simple message. Nonetheless, I really think the rally was a great thing for our country. I think it gave courage to those seeking good in our country. I think it gave clout to the movement for a moral, small-yet-dignified American government. I'm so glad I was able to be a small part of the rally.

America has great hope!