FYI

Yay Prop 8 passed!! I am so glad that I went home the weekend before the election to help out. Our ward alone had 3,300 door hangers to distribute and many other things to help out with. On Sunday bishops and stake presidents were asked to say the closing prayer in sacrament meeting and "call down the powers of heaven" so that voters might vote to preserve the divine institution of marriage. It was amazing. I feel like I learned so much about faith, tolerance and enduring to the end. With all the turbulence that has occurred since the election and the passing of Prop 8 I am reminded of the principle of enduring to the end and how much there still is to do and how prepared we need to be to wholeheartedly help with whatever we may be asked to do.

I have thought this quote by Elder Maxwell over thirty years ago is so very applicable now.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat." (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU devotional address, Oct 10, 1978)

Okay, so here is the update of my vida:
I am enjoying the University of Arizona and the MPA program here. It is definitely stretching me but I am glad. I am also interning at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the employment office. The IRC resettles refugees and the employment office specifically helps them with employment opportunities. I have met so many extraordinary people from Iraq, Cuba, Nepal, Ethiopia, etc. It has been a great experience thus far. I am hoping to intern in DC again this summer with another organization focused on international needs.
I am dating Jay right now and he will be visiting AZ in about 2 weeks. Then just one more week and I will be back in San Diego for Thanksgiving with my family. Hope to continue to hear from all you soon!

Cuidanse muchachas!