Graduation!

We had our closing day, it was amazing! We toured Welfare Square and also visited the Humanitarian center, or something. I was a little distracted because I was on the phone with the BYU travel agent trying to get our tickets transferred from Mexico to Guatemala. It was a little hairy there for a while, but it worked out perfectly!

We had our graduation ceremony and Katherine’s grandfather, Elder Carmack, came to speak. He’s the director of the Perpetual Education Fund and has been involved with the program from the beginning. It was an honor to listen to him, he knows so much about the program and the people involved in it. It is an amazing program and it’s exciting to be involved in a small part of it. Many perpetual education fund applicants are required or recommended to take the career workshop so we’ll probably see a few.

Tuvimos nuestro último día, fue increíble! Visitamos la Plaza de Bienestar y también visitamos el Centro Humanitario, o algo así. Estaba un poco distraída porque estaba en contacto telefónico con la agencia de viajes de BYU tratando de transferir nuestros boletos de Mexico a Guatemala. Era un poco caótico por un tiempo, pero todo salió perfectamente!

Tuvimos nuestra ceremonia de graduación y el abuelo de Katherine, Elder Carmack, vino a hablar. Él es el director del Fondo Perpetuo de Educación y ha participado con el programa desde el principio. Fue un honor escucharle, él sabe mucho sobre el programa y las personas involucradas en ella. Es un programa increíble y es emocionante estar involucrado en una pequeña parte de ella. Se recomienda que los solicitantes del fondo perpetuo tomen el taller que enseñamos, así que probablemente va a ver algunos.

Elder RUDD!!

They finally told us that we’re going to Guatemala City! We’re “super stoked” in Katherine’s words. We have to wait another week so they have time to get an apartment for us. They said that Costa Rica would have loved to take us but that Guatemala has a real need for us. YES!

Today we had the immense honor of listening to Elder Rudd. He is an emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and managed Welfare Square for many years. He has been involved in the Church’s welfare program for decades and was commissioned by the Church to write the history of the Church’s welfare program, a book called Pure Religion. If you’re wondering what to get me for Christmas, that’s on my list. I started reading it in the mission and loved it but had to leave it behind in one of my areas because I just didn’t have room for it.

Elder Rudd spoke to us about service in the Lord’s kingdom. He told of his life and worldwide travel. He said a while ago he heard a speaker in New Zealand say that time of great men had passed and there are no more great men in the world today. Elder Rudd disputed that statement and said that he has traveled the world with great men and met many very wonderful and accomplished people. The world is full of great people. We are not all born rich or brilliant, but every day we choose to develop our mind and become a great person. Elder Rudd has a true understanding of the potential of every person and faith in their ability to become an accomplished child of God. He understands that we are all beloved children of God and He wants us to have success. Like President Hinckley said, “The Lord would want you to be successful. He would. You are His sons and His daughters. He has the same kind of love and ambition for you that your earthly parents have. They want you to do well and you can do it.” Elder Rudd went on to say, “When you live the life of a true Latter-day Saint you live a life of adventure.”


Por fin nos han dicho que vamos a la Ciudad de Guatemala! Estamos bien emocionadas. Tenemos que esperar una semana más para que puedan conseguirnos un apartamento. Nos dijeron que Costa Rica nos habrían aceptado con brazos abiertos pero Guatemala realmente nos necesita. ESO!

Hoy tuvimos el honor de escuchar al Élder Rudd. Él es un miembro emérito del Primer Quórum de los Setenta y dirigía la plaza de Bienestar por muchos años. Ha participado en el programa de bienestar de la Iglesia durante décadas y fue encargado por la Iglesia a escribir la historia del programa de bienestar de la Iglesia, un libro llamado La Religión Pura.

Élder Rudd nos habló sobre el servicio en el reino del Señor. Le dijo de su vida y de viaje en todo el mundo. Dijo hace un momento oyó un orador en Nueva Zelanda momento de decir que han pasado grandes hombres y no hay más grandes hombres en el mundo de hoy. Rudd discute que los ancianos declaración y dice que ha viajado el mundo con los grandes hombres y se reunió con muchas personas maravillosas y realizada. El mundo está lleno de grandes personas. No todos somos ricos o brillante nacido, pero cada día elegimos para desarrollar nuestra mente y convertirse en una gran persona. Élder Rudd tiene una verdadera comprensión del potencial de cada persona y la fe en su capacidad para convertirse en un cumplido hijo de Dios. Se entiende que todos somos hijos amados de Dios y Él quiere que tengamos éxito. Al igual que el Presidente Hinckley dijo: "El Señor desea que usted sea exitoso. El orador. Usted se encuentra sus hijos y sus hijas. Él tiene el mismo tipo de amor y ambición para que los padres tienen su tierra. Quieren que les va bien y puede hacerlo ". Élder Rudd continuó diciendo," Cuando uno vive la vida de un verdadero Santo de los Últimos Días se vive una vida de aventura ".

No more Mexico!!

Tuesday News!

We finally heard that we are NOT going to Puebla because of the swine flu epidemic. Our directors pulled Katherine and I aside and explained that BYU has closed all internships and study abroad programs in Mexico. Then they asked us if we could pick anywhere to go, what country would we pick? We pretty much said wherever they need us, and Katherine added that she just wanted a warm place. That’s my southern California girl. They threw out some places, like Costa Rica, Guatemala, Lima, or even Quito. At the end of the day it sounded like Costa Rica was preferable.


Por fin nos han dicho que NO vamos a Puebla por la epidemia de la influenza. Nuestros directores hablaron con la Katherine y yo para explicarnos que BYU ha cancelado todos los programas en México. Nos preguntaron que país queríamos escoger y les dijimos que queremos ir donde nos necesite, y Katherine añadió que quiere estar en un lugar caliente, no le gusta el frío. Ellos sugirieron algunos lugares como Costa Rica, Guatemala, Lima o aún Quito. Al fin pareció que Costa Rica era preferible.

Monday Monday. Bwa da, bwa da da da

So we started training today and it is exciting stuff! We had a very interesting morning; Jeff Foy spoke to us and recounted the story of a Stake President who asked him to come speak to his stake priesthood leaders. He asked Jeff to not talk about what the Employment Resource Services does but about something else. Jeff shared a quote with him from President Hinckley that says, “The Church cannot hope to save a man on Sunday if during the week it is a complacent witness to the crucifixion of his soul.” The Stake President asked him to center his remarks on that, which he did.

A week or so after speaking the Stake President returned and disclosed to Jeff that he had been without a job for the last 6 months and felt that the ERS wouldn’t help but came back humbly to ask for help. Jeff listened to all his efforts and realized that this man was doing everything right. So they discussed other employment options and the man left.

Several weeks later Jeff saw him again and he had the strangest look on his face. He asked him how he was doing and the Stake President explained that he had found employment as a professor at a Church university, an old dream of his. When Jeff asked about the strange look on his face the man explained that he had been thinking about his impending move and leaving the ward and stake. When he thought of his counselors and the men he had served with the only thing that came to his mind was Jeff’s talk. He said, “These men who I served with side by side never, in all those months of unemployment and struggle asked how I was, if I needed help or even if I had enough food. They watched my crucifixion complacently.”

This makes me think of Elder Holland’s talk this last General Conference; we cannot allow our Savior to stand alone again in His Gethsemane. I believe that we can stand by Him by serving our brothers and sisters as they pass through their own Gethsemanes and crucifixion. It is the way that I want to stand by my Savior. I will never complacently stand by; I hope to always offer my love and whatever else my brother or sister may need.



Así que empezamos la capacitación hoy y es muy emocionante! Tuvimos una mañana muy interesante y Jeff Foy nos habló y relató la historia de un presidente que le pidió que viniera a discursar en una reunión con el liderazgo del sacerdocio. Pidió que Jeff no hablara de lo que hace los Servicios de Recursos de Empleo. Jeff compartió con él una cita del Presidente Hinckley que dice: "La Iglesia no puede esperar para salvar a un hombre el domingo si durante la semana se trata de un testigo complaciente a la crucifixión de su alma." El presidente le pidió que centrara sus observaciones en eso.

Una semana después de hablar el presidente regresó y divulgada a Jeff que había sido sin trabajo durante los últimos 6 meses y consideró que el ERS no ayudaría, pero regresó humildemente a pedir ayuda. Jeff escuchó a todos sus esfuerzos y se dio cuenta de que este hombre estaba haciendo todo lo posible. Por lo que discutieron otras opciones de empleo y el hombre se fue.

Varias semanas más tarde, Jeff lo vio de nuevo y vio que él tuvo la más extraña mirada en su rostro. Él le preguntó cómo se estaba haciendo y el presidente explicó que había encontrado empleo como profesor en una universidad de la Iglesia, un viejo sueño suyo. Jeff preguntó por la extraña mirada en su rostro y el hombre explicó que había estado pensando acerca de su inminente traslado y salida del barrio y de la estaca. Cuando pensaba de sus consejeros y los hombres con quien había servido, la única cosa que vino a su mente fue el discurso de Jeff. Él dijo, "Estos hombres quienes servía, nunca, en todos esos meses de desempleo y de lucha, me preguntaron cómo estaba, si necesitaba ayuda o incluso si tenía suficiente para comer. Ellos vieron mi crucifixión con complacencia. "

Esto me hace pensar en el discurso del Élder Holland de esta última Conferencia General; no podemos permitir que nuestro Salvador pase solo por su Getsemaní de nuevo. Creo que podemos estar con él al servir a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que pasan a través de sus propios Getsemanís y crucifixiones. Es la forma en que quiero estar al lado de mi Salvador. Nunca veré con complacencia el sufrimiento de mis hermanos, espero siempre ofrecer mi amor y todo lo que mi hermano necesite.

The Beginning

I had to fill out a student intern profile for the church and this is the picture I submitted. The beginning of my internship!

I am more than a little excited about the chance I have to go to Puebla Mexico and work as an intern in the LDS Employment Center. I will also be taking 12 credits, 4 of which will be a research project on the Mexican culture reaction to death. This is a very special opportunity for me to meet and interview the people Sean taught on his mission.

I fly out with my companion, Katherine Kinnison, from Southern California, on May 2nd. We will be teaching workshops to members and non-members of the Church alike and also training leaders to give the workshops as well. The workshops are about 16 hours in total and we will be giving them over the course of 3 or 4 days. We might be required travel to different stakes and wards and give condensed versions of the workshops to members of the Church there.

In my group there are 16 interns, about half are going to Brazil. To give us a taste of what we will be doing the director arranged to have us attend a condensed version of the employment workshop. I had to work and missed more than half of the workshop, but what I was able to see was amazing! Basically this is a chance to teach people confidence and skills in their search for a job. We, as teachers, will only spend 20% of the time teaching/talking, the students will spend 80% of the time practicing the skills. For instance, we teach them how to present themselves in 30 seconds. They practice 4 or 5 times alone then a few times with other classmates. It's really a confidence booster to realize that you CAN do something.

I'm excited to learn more about this and get to work. I'll report to the Church Sunday evening, April 26th for a week of training. Yay!