27 March 2008

18 MONTHS

Exactly 18 months ago, I began the ever-coveted mission experience. I am home now, and it all seems like a dream. But I know that my mind, my thoughts, my habits, my actions, my body, my spirit, my EVERYTHING has benefitted for the better because of this mission. I thank my Father every morning for being so blessed to have served, and for being even more blessed while there, and now super-blessed here at home. I don't feel I deserve it, but I'm happy. Wow, I really just can't express how grateful I am that I got to serve. It was wonderful to me. Thank you to those who made it possible and who made it so wonderful to come home as well.

24 March 2008

DELICIOUS AMERICAN MEAT FOR FREE




Let's start with today:

I had a free hamburger on BYU campus. It was an attention-getter sponsored by the Choose To Give campaign, a division of the BYU Annual fund. I have been far removed from campus life for some time now, and was not too keen on being an advertisee (is that a word?), but it was free food! Even though I wasn't really hungry, there was no line and it almost seemed a waste to not get this burger. The only topping available was a slice of American cheese (an item I've been taught to avoid since I was small) and then mayo, ketchup and mustard. Although disappointed that there were no onions, tomato or lettuce, I must shout about how wonderful was my hamburger. So yummy! I think it just boils down to the fact that even cheap ground beef patties are better in America than they were in the DR. I am so grateful for good, cheap meat.

But about the important stuff: Choose to Give. This also tugged a heart string because I remembered volunteering for this promo-week when I was a freshman. I spent much time at a booth in the Canon Center (is that what it's called--that housed the cafeteria for DT?) encouraging others to Choose to Give. I haven't really thought about it again since. But I had a moment to sit and read the handouts from the free barbeque, and I'd like to put a plug right here right now: the idea really is great: a bunch of students give a few bucks and after a while, the bucks add up to a scholarship for a fellow student who can't pay for school otherwise. I felt like 'the vision' really caught me! IMAGINE: if every student just donated one dollar, it could pay for full tuition for several people really in-need. But I read that NOT every student donates. In fact, last year the donations came from a total of about 9,000 students. Even if it is just about a third of the student body, it's great. But I hope more of us zoobies can all donate a few bucks to help our neighbor.

It's odd, because I feel that it's really unlike me to promote something like this, but I am. And thus, I hope you go through the painless process I just experienced by donating online: http://www.c2g.byu.edu/ .

That's all for now.

back to the blog

Well it's been a long while. I was so gung-ho to keep up the blogging when returning from London in 2005. But that was quite a busy school year, and I didn't touch it. By the time school got out, I'd forgotten all about blog-ness. At the end of the summer, I was shipped off to mission-world in the DR, and now I'm home, remembering about blogs, and determined to aprovechar a bit more.

WEDDING DAY PHOTOS BY MY COUSIN JORDAN JUAREZ