Peru Study Abroad 2014: April 28th, Day 1 (Provo-Lima)

The three hours to our first layover in Atlanta weren't that bad. With all of my kids (ok, so they are all adults and all older than me...somehow I still feel responsible...don't ask) safely aboard and everything that I was going to bring with me, I managed to calm down enough to sleep/read most of the way. Stay tuned for a book review of "To All the Boys I Ever Loved". (Yes, teenage romance is a guilty pleasure of mine...it just gets so much more complicated after you grow up.)

Atlanta is a great city! Or at least it looks that way from the inside of their airport...

For lunch I opted to have some Chipotle, because this girl loves Mexican-American food the most and for some reason I thought it might be a little hard to come by in Peru...

Around FIVE we all piled into the enormous airplane that would carry us down south. Unfortunately we weren't paying to fly first class so our flight was accompanied by a pungent smell coming from just behind us in the back of the plane/latrine area. (I think the stewardess apologized at least three times in the first hour as she ran around trying to do just about anything to fix/mask the problem.) In all of my international flying experience I think that I enjoyed this one the most. Erika has the amazing ability to curl up into a tiny ball in the seat next to you...meaning you can spread out a little more. Thanks girl! However, I think that the pilot may have been bored because he decided to frequently interrupt any movie/music listening with announcements about how we may, or may not, encounter some amount of turbulence. Despite that I watched "The Book Thief" (I may eventually write a post about that...but after I read the book, so don't hold your breath.) which was most excellent, and then thought about sleeping but instead that Thor (round 2) was a much better way to spend my time. ( At this point I had just turned 21 and was, therefore, full of excellent decision making skills.)

We got into Lima about ELEVEN and we were all checked into our next flight around MIDNIGHT. Yes, you did just read that right. Less than an hour after landing we were already preparing for our next flight.

Tune in Thursday for how our airport adventures and third flight in 24 hours went....

Peru Study Abroad: May 5, Day 8 (Cusco)

The One with Thoughts from a Pearl...Listen

Scripture: Moses 8:23

As general conference time rolls around once again I think it is interesting to hear how everyone reacts to the “holiday” weekend. The most vocal people, at least around BYU campus, are those who generally say things like “OH-MY-GOSH-IT’S-CONFERENCE-WEEKEND-AGAIN!!!!! I-CAN’T-WAIT-TO-HEAR-WHAT-ELDER-(FILL-IN-THE-BLANK)-HAS-TO-SAY!!!!” Sometimes however, if you are paying attention, you can detect a slight undercurrent of those who really just wish that the brethren would come up with some new material.

The One with Thoughts from a Pearl...Journals

Scripture: Moses 6:5

Usually when we hear about writing in journals teachers in the Church refer to the words of modern prophets to encourage class members. However, I think it is instructive to look at the number of times in ancient scriptures that peoples have been commanded to either keep a record or refer to a record kept by someone else that they now have. Adam’s book of remembrance as referred to in Moses 6 is the earliest example of a record that we have.

The One with Thoughts from a Pearl...Who is God?

Scripture: Moses 5:16

Who is God? That is the question that Cain asked, immediately before deciding that serving Satan/himself was the better option. If we ignore the fact that Cain had parents who had literally walked and talked with God, then there are lots of people in the world today who ask this same question. Fundamentally they are all seeking a direct connection with God. Which I actually believe is a really good thing, because so much of my own belief comes from my direct connection with God.

The One with 28 sources and 3000 words... (not a joke)

By virtue of the more than ninety per cent of shared deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) every human being has something in common with every other human being on Earth. An in-depth look at humans, however, proves similarities and differences beyond the genetic code. People everywhere have, or desire, strong familial bonds, recognize differences in the genders, and journey through life searching for a fulfilling life. These similarities manifest cross-culturally because they all relate to how we define ourselves. Despite the similarities all people have one major difference, culture. Everyone has a culture, but each culture leads to differences between people of one culture and another. These types of differences include what motivates a person, how they see others, and how they view themselves. Through different cultures similarities become differences. Therefore, while all people may see the importance of strong family/marital bonds, they may have different motivations for choosing a mate, while all people may see others as having some value, what makes a person beautiful or respectable can differ drastically and each depends on culture. With all of these differences there are those who want to divide, divide, and divide again until each person is in their own box all alone. But, for me, we are not people when alone. It is only when we come together and seek to understand, and embrace, each other for similarities and differences alike, that we find our humanity.

Study Abroad Peru 2013: May 11: Day 15 (Lima to Home)

A few hours and one plane ride later meant that we all had finally arrived at the place this grand adventure started in...Salt Lake City.

So while we all gathered our luggage and each others, we had become serious experts at spotting everyone's bags quickly, and said our good byes we talked about the rest of the adventures that awaited us. 

For some jobs and internships...

for others more school...

and for me: four flights, two weddings, and an awesome summer were just around the corner. 

We will all be connected through the wonderful two weeks we spent changing the lives of those in Peru, and letting them change ours. 

Thankfully I had the opportunity to return again one year later. 

Stay tuned for those adventures!