Uganda

So, this may sound super random and crazy, but I'm going to Uganda this summer for 18 weeks!

I'm going with HELP-International, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which gets volunteers every summer and go to certain countries to fight poverty and empower people.  I chose to go to Uganda and for 3 1/2 months I will be doing hard core service projects and teaching the people about public health, education and entrepreneurship/business!

 I am SOOO excited!! :)

Here's my story of what made me decide to go in the end and why I chose Uganda:

For the past couple of months or so I had been praying if I should go do some service trip or study abroad. I  contacted my brother's friend, Melissa, who works with HELP.  She told me more about it but I still wasn't sure.  A couple weeks later my mom sent me a link about HELP having a wassail party that night..so I went to it and talked with Melissa ALL night about what HELP is, what they do, and also what she did while she was in Uganda two summers ago and India this past summer.

While talking to her, I just had the best feeling in the world!!  The feeling of "this is what I need to do."  I was sooo happy and soo excited while talking to her, I just felt that I needed to go.

Same thing happened with Uganda.  For the past couple months I've just felt that I need to go to Africa.  Like before all I wished for was to travel to Europe and stuff but now it is just...Africa!  And it's not just a "I want to go because that'd be awesome" type feeling.  It is a "I NEED to go because I will make a difference in the peoples lives if I go".  And I chose Uganda because it gave me more of an urgent feeling than did Tanzania.  And again, I felt like Uganda is where I should go.

So that night, I decided I was going to Uganda and I was going to go the full 18 weeks. :)

The more I think about it the better I feel about this is the right choice!

I applied the next day and then had an interview later that week.  I was officially accepted into the program about a week and a half ago!  And now I'm just trying to figure out all that I have to do before I leave in May!

go to help-international.org for more info about HELP! :) It's an amazing program! :)

Quote of the Day! :)

"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.  Love them anyway.

If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.  Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.  Succeed anyway.

The good you do may be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.

Honesty and openness make you vulnerable.  Be honest and open anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.  Build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them.  Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.  Give the world your best anyway."

- Mother Teresa

Fall Semester..COMPLETE! :)

I completed my first semester at BYU!!  It was rough.  It was tough.  But still, it was a blast and I loved every moment of the experience!  I lost my 4.0 GPA..(and yes I cried over it.)  But then a good friend of mine told me it wasn't the end of the world.  I still did great, and I did my best.  That's all that matters! :)

I'm excited but also nervous for next semester.  I will have 15 credits instead of 13.5 and I will have no "easy" classes.  I have a lot of science classes.  The classes I am taking: Molecular Biology 240, Chemistry 106&107, Book of Mormon 2, Survey of World Religions, American Heritage Hnrs, and possibly Self Defense (only because my mom wants me to take it before I go to Uganda this summer.)

Hopefully I will survive between school, homework, work, and dancing. :)

I'm looking forward to it though!  Except I'm not looking forward to no breaks.  We get two 3-day weekends, but other than that we have NO breaks until April.  I seriously hope I don't die!!

 This is so true... haha

Wish me luck!! ;)

Quote of the Day! :)

"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." - Oprah Winfrey

A Surprising Gift!

For my best friend's birthday, I drove down to St. George to surprise her!  I was planning on surprising her on Sunday up in Cedar, but it so happens that she ended up being down in St. George on Saturday, so I just decided to surprise her then and there and took her to Kneaders!! :)
Her surprised face was priceless.  I loved it!
It was a short trip, but quite fun!  And I made it back up through Fillmore before the snow storm hit which was good!!  I hope I don't have to ever really drive in snow.  It scares me.

Happy Birthday Shayna! :)

Thanksgiving

Sorry I have been slacking on blogging.

I think we were watching Seven Pounds...if you haven't seen that movie, I HIGHLY suggest it!  It's good!

Let's go back to Thanksgiving break... :) It was a rough and fun time for me, but overall a grand time. :)  I love Thanksgiving.  It's the time when EVERYONE is Thankful for things!  Even though we should be thankful year round, everyone recognizes that at least this day we should all be thankful.

Hiking with Shayna, Ryan, and Mitch!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

... And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

I'm thankful for the gospel, temples, my Savior, my wonderful family, amazing friends, my kitty Sassy, the chance to further my education at a wonderful university, the joy that comes from smiling and laughing, the sun, the piano, and cookies! All the things that make me happy in life. :)

I hiked ALL the way to the TOP!  Beautiful, eh? :)

I love Thanksgiving!  It was a good break from school and a fun week! :)