When my body says no, and I refuse to listen... next time I promise to give in

Dear Family and Friends,

It seems as though Mother Nature, God, my stupidity, or whomever you would prefer to give credit to has decided that I need to learn a lesson in taking life one step at a time and not rushing things. It has been approximately two years since I have come down with anything as remote as a cough. Then this week I was hit with a temperature of 102oF which lasted four days. Try as I might I was not able to attend school for a full day, or make it to work as I would have liked; worst of all I had a mathematical proofs test that I was unable to take.

Although to my great satisfaction a friend of mine was kind enough to visit me every day and bring me dinner. If someone would have told me that being sick came with such perks I would have feigned sick a long time ago. In all seriousness I am indeed grateful to have been the subject of her charity.

As you most likely noticed by the new blog picture I am in the final weeks of preparation before takeoff. Southeast Asia will be my new home from May until August. I am scheduled to visit a friend’s father-in-law in New Delhi India before making my way over to Chiang Mai Thailand where I will spend three months working on some research with Ralph Brown, a sociologist and leading academic in international development at BY U, and two other students from BYU.

I was speaking with a friend of mine with whom I wondered the streets of Munich last August and I feel quite accomplished, and extremely blessed, in my world travels thus far. I have been to: Canada, Mexico, Brazil, England, Germany, Austria, and soon will visit India, Thailand, Cambodia, and hopefully a few other places along the way. All of the traveling has only inspired me to learn more about the peoples, cultures, and religions that are so abundant throughout the world and yet so foreign to most Americans. Not to mention I have discovered that most of the food that I like best is about as far from American as can be imagined.

In more local new the local bishopric was released today. They have served as the ecclesiastical leaders of the student ward for the past three years which is about the average time spent as a Bishopric at BYU; although Bishop Lighten had been serving in some capacity within the stake for approximately nine years. It is a bitter sweet day to say the least. I love the men that served the ward and am grateful for all that they have given to be with us, but at the same time I am beyond happy for them and their families because now their Sunday’s will be filled with family activities, dinner, and phone calls from the grandchildren instead of long church meeting s which never seem to end on Sundays. They deserve a good rest from their labors and I wish them well.

In parting I hope that the past week has been kinder to you then it has to me, yet I could not wish a better accompaniment to anyone passing through a hard time as the one I received. May the Lord out God look down upon you and smile because of your good deeds, examples, and loving intentions. God bless.

Love,
David