Wanted: Somebody to go...

I saw this sign when I walked into my mechanics shop:

Wanted: Somebody to go back and time with me. This isn't a joke P.O. Box 322, Oakview, CA 93022. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety is not guaranteed. I have only done this once.

It made my day :)

Will you miss me DC?

Leaving someone or something you've come to love is never easy. But the difficult parting is a good sign of deep investment, hard work, and sacrifice--all of which I felt I gave to my experience in Washington, DC. Because I can't stop thinking about my experiences, friendships, and lessons learned in DC, I figured that I would flesh them out a little bit so that I can preserve the wonderment and the love that I feel for that place and people. DC I will miss you, will you miss me?

I will miss:

Running to Eastern Market--blue-buck pancakes, grits, and season special french toast--Eating autumn apples, and fresh dip from vendors--Meeting Abby, Jordan, Patrick and others at our favorite breakfast eat in town.

My internship. Partly because of my supervisors and partly because I loved the work and industries that we were involved with.

Networking opportunities. DC is made of people that are passionate and hard-working. Everyone is always trying to position themselves for greater success and there is countless opportunities for careers, for political involvement, to learn, and to grow.

The architecture.

Playing late-night team-risk.

Eating in Georgetown with people from my program.

Spending time with Talai, Aaron, and Owen (who are all amazing examples to me).

Eating Talai's cooking--I always tell her, but she doesn't believe me, so, for the record: She has got some mean dishes... I really don't know how she developed as a great chef. I'm guessing it was a little nurturing from the world famous eats of Jana Manscill.

Running along the Potomac or National Mall, either by myself in quiet contemplation, or with friends talking about whatever was on our mind.

Learning from Senators, Chief Justices, CEOs, Chairman of large companies...

All the people from my program (although I will see the majority of them next semester, at least I hope so).

Abundant greenery.

Reviewing Edma's papers.

The constant discussion of politically charged subjects.

Giving Barlow haircuts.

Every minute of my time in Washington, DC, even the sleepless, work-filled nights.

DC, I hope you'll miss me. If possible, please save a place for me because I will be back, hopefully sooner than later.

Darden

On Sunday night I traveled to my sister's home slept the night then awoke early to journey to Charlottesville, Virginia; my purpose: to check out UVA's MBA program.

When I got there I noticed that most of the potential MBA students were all dressed in business casual--I immediately felt uncomfortable in my old jeans and moc shoes, but felt much better when the director of admissions shrugged it off and gave me my name tag. I had an enjoyable time meeting with first and second year students, visiting a macro-economics class, dinner with a second-year, and then a Q and A session with a panel of Darden students. I was particularly impressed with how it the program was heavy on being led by the students. Which was interesting, considering that UVA's program is often ranked #1 in regards to their professors. I loved that kind of learning, the students really dug into the economic and business issues. As listened to them I realized that that is exactly the way I learn.

After my Darden experience I ended the day hanging out with one of my old companions from the mission and friend at BYU, Tyler Cuff. We walked the grounds and talked about old times, which was fun and refreshing. We then grabbed some pizza at an old college joint and Tyler and I continued to talk about old times which was fun, but probably extremely boring for the friends that were with us. As I drove away from Darden back to Washington DC I began to miss it... even though I had spent only a few hours there...

Peeps, Places, and Passions

As I was running back to my apartment near Georgetown from an early morning food market, I was feeling a little selfish... I always do when I feel like I have had some amazing experiences or discovered a place or person that helps me to grow in my knowledge and understanding. So, to help shake my selfishness here is a list of experiences, people, and places that have really shaped my experience here in Washington, DC.

--Going to the Court of Appeals, or the second most powerful court of the land, and meeting with Chief Judge Griffith

--Running along the lit up memorials in the national mall

--Eating pancakes at Eastern Market with friends from the Barlow and DC 2nd

--Learning from my supervisors, Steve Richards and Jozsef Szmaolvi (I’m not sure if I spelt that right—in fact I’m sure I misspelled his name) and people that my supervisors have introduced me to

--Learning about clean energy technology and clean energy programs

--Sitting down with people who are passionate about politics and foreign policy

--Taking running tours of Washington DC

--Interviewing professional lawyers, executives, chairman of different organizations, company executives, and graduate students

--Traveling the Eastern seaboard

--Eating at and enjoying Georgetown

--Having time to plan for post graduation

--Reduced load of homework and assigned reading so that I can work on projects and read books that I choose to read

--The opportunity to meet and talk to new people almost every second of the day

--Starting brand new… new city, new people, new ward, new work place… it’s a beautiful thing to start over again, it has pushed me to lengthen my stride

--Solidifying some of my political views

--Choosing the path of my passions

--Room to breathe and dream again

forgive the short details, but if you're interested in learning more about some of these experiences then please give me a call!

NYC

Our bus left from Chinatown in Washington DC at 3:30am. The drive to New York City was suppose to take only 4 hours, but it took us about 6 hours because our bus broke down on the highway... it was quite funny. All I remember was that I woke up from my early morning nap to to our bus stopped and the driver simply saying in a Chinese accent, "Ladies and gentlemen, the bus is broke down." I chuckled to myself and put my head back against the window of the bus and kept sleeping, I woke up about two hours later to switch to a new bus.

While we were in New York we enjoyed our time at Central Park, 5th Avenue, Times Square, the Pier, Chinatown, and Little Italy. The highlights of the trip included riding a horse merry-go-round in central park, a hot dog on the pier, the smell of trash on the night streets (that smell reminded me of walking back from Yankee stadium with my dad as young child), and the hustle and bustle of New York.

There are two main highlights though that I want to briefly touch on- the friends that I went there with and an Italian man I saw in Little Italy.

One great blessing in coming to Washington DC has been the friends that I have made. I have had a blast getting to know everybody that is interning within the same program as me, a few of them have really become very good friends of mine. On Saturday I went to Washington DC with Kyle Carmichael, Sara "Palin" Sonntag, Ashley Mitchel, Paige Morton, and Kristen Staib. It was fun hanging with them and seeing how they reacted to certain situations... that in itself deserves its own blog post.

The second highlight was when we were walking around Little Italy after dinner. I had splintered off from out group in hopes to find a place to watch the BYU game (I didn't watch it, I guess Italians don't like BYU football that much). As I was walking down the crowded street a little Italian man came out of his restaurant and yelled to everybody shuffling by, "Best Italian food ever" and then he walked back into his restaurant. I had to laugh because New York is kind of the only place that you can do that... I mean, you couldn't do it Provo because there's barely anyone that would be there to hear it. Anyways, it's fun to experience new environments/cultures/conditions, whatever you want to call it. I walked away from that man thinking two things: 1) I love living in a place where people, including myself, can just do what that Italian man just did; 2) If it is the best Italian joint then I better make sure that I come back and eat there, I mean it's the best, right?

At the end of the night we walked down near the Brooklyn bridge and enjoyed the view and Ashley and Sara Sonntag dancing, which was almost as serene as the cityscape. We jumped on the bus at 9:30 and drove back to Washington DC and got home at about 2:30 without breaking down.

Pleasant Surprises

I've come to like the term "pleasant surprises". Many surprises come to us, some welcome and others we wish had never reared their ugly head. I think we can probably name a few surprises we've all had in the last few weeks or months... as of late I have felt very fortunate, and have been pleasantly surprised numerous times since I have made my stay in Washington DC.

The Johansen's--The Johansen family encompasses my sister Talai, her husband Aaron, and their child Owen. I came out here a couple of weeks before I began my internship and was able to spend some time with the Johansens. While I was growing-up my sister and I were always pretty close, and would trade secrets from time to time, but with her marriage and move to the East Coast it has been harder to maintain the relationship we enjoyed (and maybe at times despised (since then I've grown-up a little bit)) while growing-up. Those two weeks, and the dinner outings with Talai, Aaron, and Owen has endeared a level of love and friendship I may have not have experienced otherwise. The time that I've been able to spend with them has given me a stronger love for Talai, a deeper respect for Aaron, and a heart that melts when Owen smiles at me (I'm still trying to get him to laugh for me).

My Roommate, Jim Bird--I didn't really think much about who I was going to room with, mostly because I feel like I'm so laid back and can get along with anyone, but when I learned that Jim is a journal writer, scripture reader, fashionable dresser, hip-hop lover, country lover, and ladies man I knew that I was in for a great semester.

The City--I've visited a lot of cities, but I have never lived in one, and in the past I always said that I couldn't live in a city--living in DC has proved me wrong. I love the city. I love the arts here. I love taking the public transportation, mostly because I get to meet new people almost every day or I can dig into a book or newspaper without worrying about driving off the road, for me it's one way to unwind. I have come to love the city life so much that I am now looking for jobs in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

Honorable Mentions: Apple dumplings, Steak and cheese, Aunt Shauna and Uncle Dave, Uncle Chad and Aunt Tracy, running along the Potomac, finance, the humidity, watching couples walk hand in hand on the river trail, updates on the BYU game from Tanille, and sharing what means the most to me with others.

Is This Love or Infatuation?

I have been in Washington DC now for almost three weeks, and working in Washington DC for a week and I think I'm in love... at least I think this is what love feels like; but I think the greatest test of love or infatuation comes with time--so maybe I'll stamp this email as RESOLVED in a couple of months.

One example: Because Washington DC is a large city, there are a lot of opportunities to meet new people. The other day while busing to the metro station I began talking to a gentleman and I learned of his Arabic background. To save you the details of our conversation, in short we talked about everything from our religious beliefs to what we wanted to accomplish in our lives... awesome conversation. Luckily we work near each other so I'll have the opportunity to keep in contact with him. There are so many amazing people out here, and I look forward to meeting and becoming friends with as many as possible!

Repentance------->Meekness

Lincoln Haycock made some great comments to my post "Meekness...". If you have some time you should read them. I'm hoping that he'll begin his own blog. As I read his thoughts and re-read my post I began to think about Moroni 8:26 a little more.

Meekness is certainly a key to charity, but they key to becoming meek, at least from what I've begun to understand is being repentant or maybe preface to repentant the desire to be better--to change. I've found that when I am striving to become better my prayers and thoughts are focused in such a way, as my prayers become focused a certain wave of meekness envelops my life. Anyways, for me, this points to the importance of prayer... prayer helps open the windows of heaven.

Meekness is the key that unlocks the door to charity...

For the past couple of years I have studied faith, hope, and charity. As I've dug into them a little bit I've learned some important princples, I hope you don't mind that I share them with you.

Since I learned about charity a while ago I've always had the question, how do I gain charity. I understand the scripture, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love" {the love being charity), but what urges one to pray and what should they pray for exactly as?

As I pondered these questions I began to study Moroni 7 and 8 a little bit more. Moroni 7 teaches us that faith is the first steps we need to take to develop charity. As we exercise true faith, meaning the only true person we can exercise faith in, because He is perfect--Jesus Christ--, we can begin to develop hope. Our hope grows as we adhere to gospel principles and commandments--thus exercising faith, and as we do so we begin to see the fruits of the spirit and other blessings in our lives. As we witness those blessings our hope will naturally grow, mainly our hope pertaining to the atonement, whether we realize it or not. As our faith and hope grows in the atonement we become cleansed and more perfect because of the Savior, this cleansing and perfecting helps us to be more like the Savior, as we become more like the Savior we begin to inherit some of His characteristics, such as love--or better said charity.

As I learned these truths, I began thinking about what moves us to exercise faith, there must be something more. I began to look for a key, a catalyst that can help us to exercise faith. Moroni 7:46 and Moroni 8:26 teaches that meekness is one of the keys that can open the door to faith-->hope--> and charity.

Moroni 7:44:

None is acceptable before God, save the meek and lownly in heart; and if a man be meek and lownly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity

Moroni 8:26:

And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lownliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God

I don't have the time right now to complete reference my thoughts, but I will later. I'm interested in anybody's thoughts in regards to this, I hope to hear from a few of you.

Top Ten Summer Events

This summer has been a wonderful summer, and for me it's basically over. I begin school (actually an internship) on Tuesday, so I feel like this is a good time for me to publish my top ten events/experiencs of my summer.


10. "Hitching a ride" to Santa Barbara, CA--and spending a week in Portland with Lincoln Haycock's family

9. Working at Gruvie with Ian and Levi

8. Riding a camel around the pyramids

7. Hiking Santa Ana, a volcano in El Salvador

6. Becoming friends with Dr. Sayed Saif, Ahmed Hathoot, and Dr. Yasser Saif in Egypt as well as becoming friends with Daniel Hernandez in El Salvador

5. Seeing Les Miserables in St. George at Tuacahn

4. Running a race with my dad and my brothers Colby and Dallan

3. Spending a week and a half with Talai, Aaron and Owen in Washington DC
My last two days with my family before moving away for four months

2. The last two days I spent with my family before moving

1. Partaking of the sacrament in El Salvador

Ogden

When I think of Ogden, Utah, I will always think of family. Last Monday I drove up there with a friend to visit my grandma and grandpa as well as the Christensen's. Visiting with my grandparents has become one of my favorite things, they always seem to be in a good mood. As of late I have found it fun to learn something new about them every time I visit with them. Since, I have learned details of their courship. I've learned that Nauvoo, Illinois is my grandma's favorite place to visit. I've learned of some missionary experiences that my grandpa had in the war. I've learned about some of his old friends on the ship that he spent a lot of time on during the war. I learned about my grandma's "boyfriend" before she met grandpa. I've learned about Portage, Utah, where my grandma grew up and I learned about Cache Valley where my grandpa grew up.

Probably my favorite memory came while I was talking to my grandma on the phone one day and I began telling her about a number of April Fools Day jokes that I had pulled--as I told them grandma began laughing and couldn't stop, she laughed so hard that she laughed all of the way from the airport until the point of the mountain, probably a 20 minute drive! Because she was laughing so hard I began laughing... we both probably laughed for about ten minutes straight. To this day I don't think I've ever laughed harder. Building a stronger relationship with my grandma and grandpa has brought me so much joy, I can't say enough good about them--my heart is full of gratitude every time I think of them.

I also visited the Christensen's, my grandma's daughter--Shauna's family. My uncle Dave, Shauna's husband, was just sustained and ordained to be the new Stake President. It was fun to visit with Shauna and Dave about their experience in receiving the calling. Dave will do a wonderful job, it would be so fun to be a fly on the wall and watch him lead. I also was able to visit with my cuz Amy (Amy, this is your shoutout), I am very impressed with her strength and sense of humor. I feel lucky to call her a friend.

The Mystery of Capital

The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando de Soto

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I just read The Mystery of Capital and loved it. I think you would too. Hernando De Soto talks about why capitalism has worked for the Western world but not for the third-world. After closing the last page I agreed with him: The big difference is the legal system, specifically that the third-world lacks the systems of showing that a persons has property. De Soto argues that it's actual real estate that begins to push and grow an economy. Without property one cannot borrow wealth to grow wealth (property is used as collateral).



The developing world has many assets, but they are dead assets, because there is no legal system to back it up. De Soto also mentions that third-world countries are currently in much of the same situation the US was in 200 hundred years ago... the US was full of land squatters, with hundreds of regulations and laws, with Elites doing their best to keep the poor (which was the majority of the nation) from gaining wealth as well as power... it's quite interesting. I agree with De Soto at this point, but I would really like to read another professionals point of view... any suggestions?




View all my reviews.

DC Internship: Capital Project Partners

For the next few months I will be interning for an organization called Capital Project Partners (CAPPA). I have already been able to sit-in on a meeting with one of CAPPA's clients as well as dig into some reading that helps explain what CAPPA does. I am very excited for this opportunity and for the people that I will be working with. My internship will begin September 2nd. To help my friends and family learn more about my internship I have included some brief information about CAPPA:

CAPPA is a project development firm based in Washington, DC that provides expertise in developing, supporting, and expanding business ventures. The CAPPA team of professionals brings a global perspective with superior expertise in business, finance, equity management, and government advocacy. CAPPA has direct commercial experience in China and Russia as well as other markets in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

CAPPA has four special purpose divisions covering areas of significant expertise. CAPPA professionals in each division have extensive experience in working with multinational companies and U.S. and foreign government policy agencies and policymakers.

CAPPA Funds focuses on private equity and fund management.

CAPPA Asia focuses on market opportunities in Asia.

CAPPA Energy provides business development and management services to companies in the energy sector. Past and current projects have included nuclear fuel, plutonium disposition, specialty services, fuel cell development, energy storage, and various green technology projects.

CAPPA Aviation focuses on civil aviation policy and business development for emerging systems and technologies, with current emphasis on microjets.

To learn more about this organization you can visit www.cappa.us

Summary of my trip to El Salvador and Egypt

Deseret International

Deseret International provides the opportunity for others to live a normal and productive life.

Since 1989, the Deseret International Foundation, a volunteer based non-profit 501(c)3, has cultivated partnerships with local doctors in an effort to establish permanent and sustainable healthcare in developing countries.

Deseret International empowers and elevates local medical communities to reach out to people in need. Deseret International’s role is to establish a permanent Deseret program and to assist them with the items they need: supplies, equipment, facilities, and screening and campaign infrastructure; this may also include technical training. As a result, Deseret International’s partners continue in ongoing outreach programs of their own.

EL SALVADOR

Objectives

My Internship with Deseret International straddled two different countries, El Salvador and Egypt, as well as a plethora of objectives.

The objectives in El Salvador included learning the business processes of an organization called Fudem.

Objective #1: I specifically learned Fudem’s business processof building and selling eye glasses.

Objective #2: Writing a business plan based upon the things that I had learned from Fudem for doctors in Egypt.

Activities

I spent one week in El Salvador learning the business operations of Fudem. Each day I was given a new area to study and pick apart. I spent my first day with different managers and doctors in the first phase of Fudem, the examining process.

I spent the second day learning the roles of the doctors at Fudem, those that examine eyes and those that perform cataract, strabismus, and cornea transplant surgeries. I spent a number of hours watching doctors examine individuals but probably the greater portion of the day watching strabismus surgeries. Strabismus is a condition where the muscles of the eyes are so tight that it makes the person go cross-eyed.

The most amazing surgery to me was the cataract surgery. I’ve always heard the term and I thought I understood what it was until I actually saw a cataract removed from a person’s eye.

On the third day I went to out on an outreach program. An outreach program’s purpose is to bring eye care to those who may not be able to travel to Fudem. In the outreach program there is a doctor that examines eyes. After the doctor examines the eyes he or she will write up a prescription for the person. The person in need of glasses takes the prescription to a person who helps them pick out their frames. The prescription will go back to Fudem headquarters where their glasses will be built. After they are built the glasses will be delivered back to the village.

On the Fourth and Fifth day I visited the location at Fudem that builds the glasses. This was the most important step for me, because the doctors in Egypt have yet to move into building eye glasses. In preparation for this I visited a professional who builds glasses in Salt Lake City, Utah. The machinery that is used is hi-tech, but doesn’t require a lot of training, probably after a few days a person being trained can be proficient at building glasses.

I spent the last day with the Executive Directory asking him questions and breaking down Fudem’s business. Is was very productive and the information that I came away with has been helpful in building the business plan for Deseret International to help train some of the doctors in Egypt.

Contacts

Ricardo Granada: Fudem Executive Director

Maria Betancourt: Fudem Optometrist

Santa: Fudem Executive over Public Relations

Achievements:

• Traveling to El Salvador
• Learning how Fudem works
• Building a business plan based off of Fudem’s business model

EGYPT

Objectives

Objective #1: Set-up a communications system

Objective #2: Hire an employee to be a liaison between the doctors and Deseret International.

Objective #3: Begin implementing the building of glasses.

Objective #4: Officially register Deseret International in Egypt.

Objective #5: Finding a location for a surgical center.

Activities

I spent a lot of time bouncing between different doctors, campaigns, and other organizations. The following are some details on where I stand with some of my objectives.

Objective #1: The chosen form of communication is Skype. Skype is an internet phone that does not cost anything. I purchased the needed equipment (headphones) and downloaded the programs on the computers that the doctors and potential Deseret International employee will be using. The downloading process was quite lengthy because there were a few different programs that I had to download and the internet had a very slow connection it took about 5 to 6 hours to officially download everything. We made a test call while I was in Egypt and it looks like we are officially good to go. I will continue to research other sources of communication.

Objective #2: I spent a fairly good portion of my time searching out an employee. The requirements for hire included speaking English fluently, the ability to type in English and Arabic, good communication skills, self-starter ability, and highly motivated. Towards the end of my three week stay I found a man that I and the doctors thought would be good for the job, but on the second to last day of my stay he contacted me and told me that he won’t be able to take the position because he would have to work on his day of worship. So, I now have the challenge of continuing my search. There was great benefit in being in Egypt because I was able to grow my network and I now have a great network to work from to find the needed employee.

Objective #3: The glasses will also be a process. I spent a good amount of my time traveling with the doctors on charitable campaigns. In those charitable campaigns the doctors examine hundred of people. The primary reason for the exam is to search out diseases or conditions where the patient will need surgery. The prescription of glasses is further down on the priority list. When they issue glasses they have some frames that the patients can pick from, but then they ship all of their orders to a factory where the glasses are built. By having a factory do all of their work they lose a substantial portion of the profit they could make. My goal is to begin working with a doctor to set-up a system where the glasses can be built. The system will be rolled out in three phases. The first phase cuts out one piece of the glasses being built. The second phase cuts out another, and the third phase cuts out the factory enabling the doctors to completely build their patients glasses. Over the next year I will continue to work with Dr. Kaled on this project. Dr. Kaled originally was over the glasses and he’s done a great job in marketing them, but he and I will begin working through the phases and helping their charitable campaigns become sustainable and potentially profitable.

Objective #4: Registering Egypt was a challenge, one that I didn’t expect. I came to Egypt with some official papers from Deseret International, I thought that I had everything that I needed but after visiting with the Egyptian government we learned that some of the documents were not notarized nor set with an official seal so they would not accept them. I spent a lot of time dancing between The US embassy, the doctors, and the Egyptian government. Since I wasn’t able to accomplish this objective in Egypt I will be following through by visiting the Egyptian Embassy in Washington DC to officially notarize and seal the papers. I will then pass the papers onto a doctor in Egypt who will begin the registration process. To my surprise I was grandfathered into Deseret’s organization when the doctors asked for me to be included on the board of directors for Deseret’s organization in Egypt. I felt pretty honored considering the wonderful men that will be serving on the board with me. I realize for the Egyptian branch of Deseret International it’s important for them to have some American members for political reasons, but nonetheless I feel honored.

Objective #5: Finding a surgical center was a project that took continual follow-up. The doctors certainly were very busy while I was there, but through consistent follow-up I was able to help move along the progress in finding a building to continue Deseret International’s business of providing low-cost/zero-cost surgeries to the impoverished. The location that is in the top running is in Fayoum about a hundred kilometers outside of the Cairo. Fayoum is one of the poorest cities in Egypt and it has a high population of people (around 2 million). Because of theses two reasons and other reason, Fayoum has been selected as the best place to further Deseret International’s work. Currently the plan is to rent the building and as the months progress further analysis will be made to see if it is worthwhile to purchase the building outright.

Contacts

Dr. Saed Saif: Executive Director for Egypt Deseret and Head over the Opthamology program at University of Cairo.

Dr. Yasser Saif: Egypt Deseret Board Member

Dr. Ahmed Hathoot: Egypt Deseret Board Member

Dr. Kaled Director

Achievements

See Objectives above and Challenges below.

Challenges

There were a number of challenges for me. The first was how little time I had to accomplish some major objectives. It’s challenging to walk into a new culture and new language and to be able to jump from the gun in accomplish the objectives in only three weeks my trip should have been closer to three months instead of three weeks. Another challenge was the doctor’s busy schedules. The two main doctors that I was working with worked until 3am in the morning 3 days out of the week. They were so busy it was difficult to find time to work with them, but they certainly sacrificed their time so that I could accomplish the work (at least the work that I did accomplish while I was there) I needed to accomplish. I will continue to follow-up on the objectives that I have originally set out to do until I am finished with them.

Overall Internship Experience: I found this to be a very important experience for me personally. This internship has helped facilitate learning that I cannot get out of classes, homework, and tests. I have learned about cultures, different religions, political structures, poverty, important business principles, traveling-smarts, and other life-altering lessons. This internship will be an experience that I will continue to learn from for a long, long time.

Egypt, I leave you tomorrow- will you miss me?

I am leaving Egypt tomorrow, I have many mixed feelings...

I will miss the busy streets of Cairo that never seem to never sleep, I'll especially miss the elvated bridge of October 6th, it has given me the view of Cairo that I hope all who visit learn to appreciate. I will not miss the walls that seem to crush the impoverished.

I will miss staying up until 3am with doctors Ahmed and Yasser working, those were enjoyable nights and mornings.

I will miss how quiet my life has become it has given me more time that I've ever had in my life to think, ponder, read, and make decisions. I will not miss how much I struggled through Arabic, I hope to learn it someday and truly communicate my feelings and thoughts more clearly to my Egyptian friends.

I will miss the food here. I have grown a new love for fruit and vegetables, as well as slow-roasted meat. I will not miss the sleepless nights with stomache cramps.

I will miss the way everyone treats visitors and guests. I have never been so unfamiliar with my surroundings and at the same time felt so at home.

I will miss the way people laugh at me when I try to say hi to them in Arabic, it made me laugh as well. I will not miss the moment when a taxi driver stole 200 Egyptian pounds from me, but I'm sure I will laugh about it later.

I will miss the resiliency, work-ethic, and love of the Egyptian people. I hope they will not forget me. I hope they know how much I want to serve them and make their lives better.

I will miss the endless sands here. I will not miss drinking bottled water.

I will miss cold showers in the morning, they were surprisingly refreshing especially after sleeping for only a few hours.

I will not miss all of the red tape here, to which I hope that we can overcome and become Deseret Egypt.

I will miss my driver Esmile, especially the way he would show off to me by singing the ABCs or every once in a while turning to me and saying "Love you Caleb, love Esmile". I hope that he is able to continue to grow and progress, especially after being relieved of his duties after our car was stolen...

I will miss the excitement of a new day in Egypt. I will miss the sugar cane drink, mango jouice, and the Bolti fish. I will miss my work here and I hope that I have made some kind of a difference.

I will not miss the smoking, everybody seems to be hooked on cigars. They always seemed happy when I declined their invitation to smoke. Often they would tell me that they wanted to quit and that tomorrow they would try to.

I came to this country to work and to learn and I am now leaving this country more devoted and a bigger heart and hopefully a better person.

Who was happier, the li'l boy eating chocolate or the bride?

Last night I attended my first Muslim marriage. I was really excited to witness such an occassion within this culture. I have gotten to know the couple to be married via my excursions to outlying villages. They are a very enthousiastic couple and will be wonderful parents as well as citizens together. The first thing that I noticed about Summer, the bride, was her beautiful scarf and wrap, it was sparking pink. The second thing I noticed was how happy she looked, she was so excited! The groom, Ahmed, was equally as happy. I love seeing couples that are as excited as they are (unforunately I have been to a few weddings that didn't seem as happy). All of the family and friends gathered into one large room outside the mosque and we watched as papers were signed (this is the legal marriage and not the actual wedding ceremony). The father, legalsman, husband, wife, and Dr. Saif a noteworthy man all signed the papers stating the union was now official. In celebration they began passing around chocolate and little overweight boy began bouncing up and down on his chair. It was so funny, he pudgingly poked at the chocolates and finally picked a brightly wrapped pink one. I got a kick out of watching him enjoy the chocolate. As I looked from him across the room to the bride I tried to figure out who was happier. Oh and I don't know what the big deal about european chocolate is, it doesn't hold a candle to Egyptian chocolate!

Dr. Saif & Dr. Saif & Dr. Hathoot

Dr. Saif is a man that I deeply, deeply respect. He is the head of the school of Opthamology at Cairo University. He is devout Muslim who is constatnly seeking to do what is right as well as to serve others, especially those who cannot afford eye care. He spends at least 40% (my own guesstimate) of his time checking the eyes for those who cannot afford it. He often will see a patient and learn that they cannot afford the medicine, eye glasses, or surgery that he prescribes. Instead of telling them good-luck with a pat on the shoulder, he absorbs the cost himself so that all that come to him can have proper eye care.

For over 40 years he has traveled to the poor areas of Egypt and with other doctors he exams hundred of people per visit, pays for their surgeries, and at times glasses. All of these visits are on his or his son's dime (not to mention time, which is the most valuable commodity).

Currently there is a rampant endemic of trachoma in Egypt. Years ago Dr. Saif engineered a solution that helps eliminate this disease from the person who uses the eye drops. Trachoma in many places has now been erradicated. Dr. Saif is well known in Egypt. He is respected and revered amonst many, many people, including myself. His son is now a wit behind him.

Yassir Saif graduated from Cairo University in Opthamology and is now an Associate Professor there. He spends a great deal of his time replicating what his father has done and expanding it into other parts of Egypt. I've watched hime examine hundreds of people at a time and he has a very calm, even ability to deal with the tempers, bad attitudes, and chaos that sometimes ensues in these charitable outreaches. I will never forget watching patients hug him and kiss him and the doctors that perform these charitable outreaches.

Dr. Ahmed Hathoot is another doctor that I have spent considerable time with. He has a wonderful love for life. He is constantly smiling and laughing with his employees, partners, and patients. Last week he invited me to dinner and it was a delight to be with his family. Dr. Hathoot knows when to joke around, but he also knows when to roll up his sleeves and go to work. This morning when I opened up my email I had a long email from him, I looked at the time and it was sent at 3 am! He had stayed up until 3 am to finish surgeries of patients who needed them! Dr. Hathoot often will sacrifice many sleepless nights to care for those who need surgery or certain eye care.

I have come to love these three doctors and will be very sad when I have to say goodbye to them, but I am grateful that I know them and that I can call them my friends. I look forward to the time when I can come back to Egypt to visit and serve alongside them again. I also look forward to the time when they come and see me in Utah.

Thank you President Monson for giving me peace of mind

When one truly seeks answers from sources of truth they seem to always come, in my case I recently posted about the walls that encapsulate the impoverished. After my posting I continued to ponder about the reasons why an entity would hide poverty. As I did my mind was called back to my morning study from the day before. I read President Thomas S. Monson's talk during Priesthood of the last conference and then went back and re-read it. I finally have found peace of mind trhough the words of a latter-day prophet.

President Monson: "As bearers of the priesthood, we hav ebeen placed on earth in troubled times. We live in a complex world with currents of conflict everywhere to be found. Political machinations ruin the stability of nations, despots grasp for power, and segments of society seem forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity and left with a feeling of failure. We who have been ordained to the priesthood of God can make a difference: When we qualify for the help of the Lord we can build boys, we can mend men, we can accomplish miracles in His holy service. Our opportunities are without limit."

As I read that statement a peace settled upon my mind. Initially I was grateful that one, such as the prophet of the Lord, understood the world as I have been seeing it; and as I dwelt on his thoughts a flood of great thankfulness came when I realized that he is a seer and revelator and that he understands the Lords hand in preparing this Earth for the second coming much more than I do. I am grateful to hold the priesthood, I feel blessed to be known amongst the ranks of honorable men and boys who work their hardest to honor their priesthood. I know that the work I am doing now will bless the lives of thousands if not millions of people, specifically to recieve their sight again, but there is no duty more important than honoring the priesthood that has been bestowed upon me.

Why? I just don't understand the walls.

I believe that walls can destroy progression. Progression in personal lifes, relationships, and even with ones spirituality. For the past few days I have an image that I cannot get out of my mind, the walls that surround many of the impoverished communities in Cairo.

Egypts main export is tourism, which makes sense since one of the seven wonders of the world does reside in Cairo. To protect that income source the government has established some systems to make the experience to the pyramids a fulfilling one. I've noticed that they take very good care of the streets, sidewalks, and partitions that are traveled by those seeking the pyramids. One can often see the streets littered with government workers that are cleaning the streets or watering the grass and plants that surround the streets to the pyramids, but there's one thing that has been bothering me and that's the walls that surround the communities that are impoverished. I'm not sure if it's the government or some other entity or group, but I find it irritating... why? Why should these communities/people be hid from the peoples of the world?

This is something that I do not understand and want learn the purpose of these walls (if there is anyone out there that knows the answer to this I would be extremely grateful for an answer). At this point I despise them. I came to Egypt not as a tourist but as one who wants to break down the walls (figuratively speaking, but now, physically as well) that hold back the poor. At certain points in my drives to different destinations there are breaks in the walls where I am able to see what I often see in the outlying villages everyday- rubble, garbage, flys, and disease to name only a few. Do the builders of these walls understand that their construction is that of a graveyard? A place to live is one without walls, without barriers, and without someone else telling you how to live. The walls that surround these communities are not a place to live, but a place to die. At this point I see tombstones and not homes (this is not to be taken out of context, but only from a govenment standpoint--the homes of the poor are wonderful symbols (for the most part) of places where they are trying to do their best). My wish is that whoever is responsible for these walls would build steps in place of the walls as a symbol of life and opportunity. Poverty is a terrible condition, but masking that poverty is worse. I wish that they would not build those walls, but then again maybe I don't understand, maybe there's good reason for them, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Accounting #1

Well, I have now been here for over a week, and I feel like I need to account for my time:

Since I've been here (including the plane ride here).

• I have burned through three books (two of them break into my top 50 books) and the third was an important read, but def. not a favorite. I plan on reading my final book slowly (it's the only book I brought that is more pleasure than business
• I have been asked if I wanted to smoke about 15 times, to drink tea 25 times, and to be married twice... they mostly wanted to marry just so that they could come to America :)
• I have been extremely sick once
• I have been mildly sick twice
• I have been on two visual campaign both based in towns outside of the metropolis of Cairo, the third will be late next week where we will be going out to the dessert to an oasis town, should be interesting.
• I have been hit by a car probably about 10 times.
• I have ridden a camel around the pyramids
• Swam in the Suez Canal
• Wandered the Cairo museum
• Collected about 12 business cards from local and government authoritites, doctors, and business men.
• Made countless friends (and some pending Facebook friends :)

Anyways, it's a short list of some of the many experiences that I have had. I haven't really hi-lighted some of the people that I work closely with, I plan on doing that over the next few days. I hope all is well with my family and friends.

This is dedicated...

...to Veda. She specifically asked me to ride a camel and wear a turban (I am still looking for a turban, apparently they are not as popular as she anticipated).

*My computer is too slow/outdated to be able to attach a picture, so you will have to imagine it... I am wearing a green shirt with khaki slacks and sandals from Jerusalem, I'm also smiling and on a camel*

Tomorrow I will be going to the North Shore (the Mediterranean Sea) with a group of people to examine eyes and schedule eye surgeries, I am really looking forward to this experience and then on Friday I will be going to Alexandria for exams and scheduling surgeries, I'll keep you updated. At some point next week I will be taking a midnight train to Luxor to probably spend the day there, I've heard wonderful things about Luxor.

Amartya Sen was right the world is obsessed by money and not with elementary freedoms...

I'm still getting over it... I'll never forget the look on the little boys face as I tried to explain to him that the owner of the camel took all of my money and that I expected the owner to pay this little boy who spent an hour of his time taking me through the pyramids... I gave him everything that I had which wasn't much, but seeing the disappointment hurt, I wish I would have specifically stashed more money in my pocket when I left my house this morning. This situtation hurt much more then it did when I saw a man learn yesterday that he would never have vision again (at least he now knows and can plan accordingly).

It was hard for me mostly because of the manipulation that I saw take place. Grown men took all the money I had on me at the time, and knowing they took all of my money told the boy (this I learned much later) that if he took me through the pyramids (which was really the grown men's job) that I would pay him for his work. I would have much rather they robbed me of all my money at least there would have been some degree of honesty in that case. My heart aches that I cannot give that boy what he truly earned. Maybe I'll see him again, at least I hope so. I'm not sure if this makes sense, I'm not sure if I really communicated it very well. This situation may be harder for me to bear considering the book that I am currently reading called Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen. He speaks often that people in the developing world often choose money first and freedoms second. They choose to have the money so that they are taken care of in the short-run (maybe a few hours to a few weeks), what they don't realize is that they give-up certain freedoms in the short-run they may also be giving-up longevity, sustainability, and even profitability in the long-run. I realize that many of these people have to eat and drink and that it can be a matter of survival, but this doesn't necessarily rest with them, it rests with those who often choose their destiny. Amartya Sen explains:

In the freedom-oriented perspective the liberty of all to participate in deciding what traditions to observe cannot be ruled out by the national or local "guardians"--neither by the ayatollahs, political rulers, nor by cultural "experts". The pointer to any real confilct between the preservation of tradition and the advantages of modernity calls for a particpatory reslution, not for a unilateral rejection of modernity in favor of tradition by political rulers, or religious authorities, or anthropological admirers of the legacy of the past. The question is not only not closed, it must be wide open for people in the society to address and join in deciding. An attempt to choke off particapatory freedom on grounds of traditonal values simply misses the issue of legitimacy and the need for the people affected to particpate in deciding what they want and what they have reason to accept.

In short Amartya is talking about democracy and the power that democracy brings. When certain officials choose in behalf of people, cultures, and countries progression can be halted. Just like the free market can pave the way for the strongest and sturdiest economy, democracy can also do the same for progression and social mobility. The people know what they want and what will truly set them free so that they to can experience the blessings of progression. Another key component is education, but I will have to save that for another day--Insha Allah.

Raymon,

My good friend. The culture is so new for me and I am still trying to work things out, but with time I will completely understand it. I don't have culture shock, oddly enough (although it has only been two days)... but maybe that's because I love these people more than I expected. The Muslim faith is very misunderstood, even by me, so just being here and seeing it practiced is worth the flight.

There is one family in particular that I spend a lot of time with, their surname is the Saif. The Saif family is from the upperclass. They live with about 5 or 6 other families (all family (sons, daughters, uncles, cousins), most of the family members marry within the family (usually a cousin). The father is Dr. Saif (I don't know his first name and may never know it considering it is impolite to use their first name in public when they are as elite as Dr. Saif is) and he is one of the most kind men I think I have ever met. He pulled me aside the first time I met him (his English is very good (another sign that he is more upper class)) and he told me that he is honored and blessed that I am in his home and that I am now his son and if there was anything that I needed to call him and it will be mine. He told me that his home was my home and to enjoy it as such. He then "gave" me one of his servants to wait on me for whatever I needed, something that I was very uncomfortable with, but understanding their culture all I could do was smile and thank him. Last night I dined with Dr. Saif, his brother, and two other fathers form the household. We had a wonderful conversation about being Muslim and being Mormon. At one point Dr. Saif told me that he loves the Mormon people and he told me that they were wonderful people. He then leaned in close and said that I try to be the best person I can, but I realize that there are much better people then me. Later I had the opportunity to speak to them about Thomas S. Monson (after a lengthy conversation about Mohammed) and as I explained his role and his character I longed for them to meet him, a living prophet. I hope they come to visit me in Utah, for it they do I will do everything in my power and others power :) for them to meet President Monson.

Anyways, Life is good, thanks for asking, Ray. I would love to hear about DC when you get a chance, especially the desert night that you had while you were there. I better go, I have quite a bit to do. Tomorrow I am meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs with one of the doctors I have been working with and then I will be going to Alexandria (and the North Shore) for a campaign to treat the impoverished. Please, Ray and everyone keep me updated.


Much love,

Caleb Manscill

Friends and family,

Did you know that airports are some of my places? When you go to an airport you can feel the emotional charge in the air. People come to the airport to see loved ones off, to see loved ones, active military duty, business trips, vacations, funerals, or just to get a away. Airports are a place where big things happen or are about to happen. I met a girl in the Cincy airport as I was waiting for my flight to Rome, Italy. I noticed she was reading the Bible and after a few minutes I asked her if I could share one of my favorite scrptures with her... 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. After sharing it we spoke for about a hour and a half about the importance of making time and room for God in our lives. She began telling me how she was flying to Rome for a consortium of classes on Opera. She began telling me that during her three week stay she had set a goal to read the Bible and pray more. As she said this I saw myself about 7 years ago as I was searching for truth and a stronger relationship with God... I asked her if she had time to read a book I wanted to give her. I pulled out my personal copy of the Book of Mormon and taught her about it and challenged her to read then pray and ask God if the book was true. She was excited and she took the book, but she tried to give it back after she realized that my name was embossed on it. So, I'm out a Book of Mormon for three weeks, but I know the blessings that it can bring to her and it's certainly worth the sacrifice, I hope she'll take full advantage of it while she's in Rome. I'm sure I can find another one on my path anyway, right?

When I got to Egypt I learned that my luggage was still in Rome. It took me two hours to work-out the situation with the baggage folk at the airport. I was sure that my ride had given up on me, but after I made it past customs I saw Yassir Saif smiling and excited to see me. We drove to my new home for three weeks, it's located off of a very busy street. The house is gated and I have keys to the outer gate and house. Two young men live inside the gating as well, they live in the garage--they are paid to watch the house and to help Yassir's family with whatever needs they have. Since I have now been adopted by Yassir's family (a story that deserves it's own posting) that goes for me as well. They are very kind and are constantly making sure that I am comfortable. Late Yassir and I walked the streets where everybody was out in full force partying (another great story that deserves it's own post).

Later that night, 10:30 to be exact, Yassir's cousin and I played soccer on the cement with dozens of other Egyptians, we played until about 12am, it was a blast. The people here stay up super late, so that they can avoid the hot midday weather. Playing reminded me of the late nights where Mike Hall, Mark Stevens, Dave Larsen and I use to stay up late kicking the ball around.

I'm leaving out a lot of details, but I hope to come back and elaborate a little bit more.


Your friend and brother,

Caleb J. Manscill