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!

The One with Thoughts from a Pearl...choices...

Scripture: Moses 4:3

Probably the longest lasting war is over the right for people to choose. The first recorded battle occurred a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away…) when a parent gave his children the freedom to choose and a third of them turned their back on the advice of their parents, choosing what they wanted, probably despite knowing the permanence of that choice. Ever since then children have been disappointing their parents, making choices they know their parents won’t approve of all in the name of “figuring out who they are”.

Mormonad from lds.org

Accordingly, parents have attempted to restrict their children’s choices until the only choice is the one their parent sees as the best, or “right” one. In all of our battling however, between kids doing what they want and parents trying to coerce them into becoming a certain kind of person, we sometimes forget the most important message of that first battle, “we each have the God given right to choose”. In that first battle God decided to let a full third of his children walk away to eternal damnation because to force them to stay, or to give into the plan they wanted so that they would willingly stay, would involve taking away agency, or the right to choose, from part or all of his children.
So that’s how important all of your choices are. God let a full third of his children walk away from the chance of ever living with him, so that you could have the right and ability to choose between that blue or red shirt, this major or that, eternal salvation or eternal damnation. Ok, so maybe all of your choices don’t carry quite the same amount of weight, but many of them should probably carry more than we give them. These are the choices that we make every day to follow the straight and narrow path to the utmost of our ability, to do everything we can to become the person we want to be, or to not. I’m not saying be perfect I am saying be conscious of trying.

Study Abroad Peru 2013: May 10: Day 14 (Puno to Lima)

Our last full day in Peru found everyone hurriedly packing for the long trip home and all of our stops in between.

The LDS Lima, Peru temple. Photo from lds.org. 

The first stop was Arequipa. About an hour by bus outside of Puno, this is the nearest city to Puno featuring an airport that could get us back to Lima. An hour or so through the air and we arrived. After gathering all of our things together we loaded into a bus and headed for the Lima, Peru temple.

As I have mentioned once or twice previously one of the things that I love about being LDS is the ability to find members of the church in all corners of the world. In many countries this includes the ability to visit the temple. To learn more about LDS temples look here.

One final group pic in front of the temple. 

We all had a great time and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Study Abroad Peru 2013: The Miracle of the Video Camera (Puno)

Of all of the amazing an miraculous adventures that happened on this trip, I personally think this is the most miraculous. I don't know if it is the eleventh hour nature of the story, or the number of times it would have been easier to give up, or the number of "coincidence". But here it is for you to decide...

Most of the time when you are travelling and lose something you give it up as lost. Particularly when you are in a foreign country. Particularly when you are in a third world country. Particularly when the thing you lost was a $70 video camera. Almost everyone would tell you to just give it up for lost. But for some reason Porter, Rydge,and Nelson are not most people, and don't give up easily. This is their story...

Study Abroad Peru 2013: May 9: Day 13 (Puno)

OUR LAST WHOLE DAY IN PUNO!!!

It was a crazy and amazing day when so many things came together, we really couldn't believe it. 

The day started off with Whitney, Porter and I back at the plumbing shops try to find a few remaining parts, or coming up with a way to make them/make do without them. We headed out to the Uros for the last time not too excited about our prospects, but ready for anything.