My Kids Are Strangers

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by Eliana:

“They’re such good travelers,” my husband and I tell people about our children.

“Owen just talks to his fingers in the car and looks out the window,” I say when asked about the 10 hour drive for a weekend trip.

“They read and color and then the last hour we let them use a device of some kind.”

All of these sentences are true. Most of the time in fact.

But on this trip, right now, they are lies. Bald-faced lies about children I have never met. The two kids living with me in this rental house in Chapala, Mexico, are terrible. They clearly have never left their homes before.

The Accident We Avoided

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by Pete Codella:

Last month as we were driving home from a wedding reception in Heber City, Utah, our front tires started making a strange noise. We have had tire air pressure issues (thanks to the stainless steel rims Lexus brilliantly selected for our car), so I stopped at a gas station in Kimball Junction to add some air to both front tires.

We got back on the freeway headed to Salt Lake City but the noise persisted and even got worse. I slowed down, sped up, changed lanes, and we kept hearing this thud-thud, thud-thud, in rhythm to the rotation of the tires.

Lessons from a Tibetan Buddhist

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by Reid:

Tibetan Monk - Sera Monastery

Lhasa, Tibet

We recently returned from a trip that took us to a number of cities in China. Without a doubt, our stay in Lhasa, Tibet was a highlight. The contrast between one city teeming with 32 million people and another nestled in a valley surrounded by the Himalayas could't be more dramatic. The blue skies, towering slopes and clean mountain air make you realize very quickly you're not in Shanghai anymore.

Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world at 11,800 feet above sea level. With only 68% of the oxygen found a sea level, you really feel the difference while hiking around. But I could also feel a difference in the spirituality of the Tibetan people compared to their Han countrymen. Tibetans are deeply religious, with 98% of them being Buddhist; they seem to wear it on their proverbial sleeves.

Our guide, Gyatso, was a devout Buddhist. He was determined to teach me everything there is to know about Tibetan Buddhism in three days, including the pedigrees of all 14 Dalai Lamas, 11 Panchen Lamas and each of the incarnations of the Buddha. It was all quite overwhelming. Most of it is now lost to me. But something Gyatso said was so spot-on that I wrote it down as soon as I heard it. It relates to what Buddhists call the three poisons.

These three poisons are the root of all human suffering and are toxic to both body and spirit. They include ignorance, greed and anger. Interestingly, ignorance is considered the root poison from which greed and anger arise. To Buddhists, one of life's principal struggles is to eliminate the three poisons. Gyatso said that as we succeed in eliminating the three poisons we will be "close to enlightenment."

Opulence ... We Has It

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by Reid:

During our recent trip to Lithuania I discovered that Vilnius has more churches than Thailand has Buddas (… not really). The beauty of these churches was truly impressive. Their sheer opulence, along with the unmistakable Russian accent that you hear everywhere, made me think of this classic commercial from a few years ago.



Let's face it, there is a noticeable contrast between the interior of the LDS chapel in Vilnius with the interior of even a second-rate Lithuanian church. To compare our little chapel with something like St Anne's Church wasn’t even close. But what our chapel lacked in opulence, we had in spirit. You can keep the gold-encrusted religious icons, the candles, the works of art and the elaborate altarpieces. I'll stick with the feeling I got while hearing a Lithuanian Branch President with a strong Russian accent testify of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. So when it comes to real opulence, I can confidently say: we has it.

St Anne’s Church - Vilnius, Lithuania
Easily my favorite (Catholic) church

The Vilnius, Lithuania LDS chapel on the left vs. St Anne’s Church on the right

Reid is an endocrinologist from Henderson, Nevada. He's blessed with wonderful wife and three great kids. His interests are charitably characterized as eclectic: cycling, fly-fishing, history, travel and the coinage of the Flavian dynasty of Imperial Rome. With a deep-seated belief that people habitually do dumb things, he's trying really hard to keep things positive. People are not making it any easier these days. The gospel has helped a lot. Blog: stunnedbanana.blogspot.com.
Image credits: Reid (used with permission).

Humanitarian Aid in the Fast Lane?

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by Dustin:

This past week we were in Salt Lake City on a family ski trip. On Sunday, we went to Music and the Spoken Word (where my four-year-old applauded every performance) and then walked over to Temple Square to take a picture with the Christus and look at the statues of the prophets on the bottom floor.

While we were in the Food Storage and Humanitarian Aid section of the Visitor's Center, I came across this wall of ideas for ways to help others in need and found the most unusual suggestion. The writing on the wall states the following:

"When we help those in need in the way the Savior taught, we give of our energy, skills, and possessions in a manner that leaves the receiver more self-reliant and leaves us happy because of our sacrifice. In this way all are truly blessed."

As I walked the length of the wall, I found ideas such as "be a friend" and "visit shut-ins." Others included "taking a meal to the sick" and "volunteering at the local school." Most ideas seemed intuitive. Then, tucked just to the right of the computer screen I found this:

What ...? Drive considerately? Since when is this a form of humanitarian aid?! I considered for 30 seconds why this would be included alongside "contribute to a charity" and "teach someone to read" on the wall of humanitarian service but dropped it when my son needed to use the potty. Maybe it was just put there to torment me, given my propensity to match the maniacal driving style of my fellow Houstonians. Regardless, it instantly became my go-to strategy for serving others in 2014. I will drive more humanely.

That said, I'd be interested to hear your opinions on why this fits with other, more obvious methods of giving aid. And yes, that is "kindness" spelled with one "s."


Dustin currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and four children. After serving a mission in Puerto Rico, he set the tone for a happy marriage by failing Dating and Marriage Prep at BYU-Idaho. He then showed why this happened, dragging his family around the nation with nine moves in seven years, all in the name of figuring out what to do with his life. He found his way into leadership development and now works at YES Prep Public Schools training teachers to be leaders and as a private consultant for businesses and non-profits. He especially enjoys helping people figure out their best-fit career and get into it and spits serious game on the topic at petersonleadership.com. He loves bacon, Dallas sports teams, and long walks on the beach. Email him at dustin (at) petersonleadership (dot) com. Twitter: @dustin_lead.
 Image credits: post author

Travel Plans

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by Bradly Baird:

 

While employed at the University of Utah, I worked directly with the academic faculty in a department that shall remain nameless (all but one of who were LDS and none were from Utah). This was an enjoyable group of people to work with. All them were highly intelligent, engaging, curious about the world, and all committed to the development of the student body. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and loved listening to and learning from each of them.

However, I discovered that many of them maintained a strange stereotype about members of the Church from Utah. They viewed us a provincial, backwards, and - most surprisingly - thought that members from Utah know or care very little about the world outside of the state; and will even discount the time members spend on full-time missions throughout the world, claiming that because missionaries are somewhat removed from the world, they do not gain real experience or knowledge of the world.

Update on Luciano: Asking for an Arm and a Leg

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by Sam Nelson (emeritus):

A little bit of background for those of you who aren't familiar with Luciano's story. Luciano is a convert to the church and was involved in a tragic train accident over a year ago that cost him both his right arm and right leg. Read my previous blog post for more details. Or watch a short video story about Luciano.

After the MMM blog post and a follow-up BYUtv broadcast, there was an incredible outpouring of support. Helpluciano.com raised close to $30,000 in one week! Support continued to grow and we raised not only enough money to get him prosthetics for the rest of his life, but a couple very large donors (who chose to remain anonymous) pledged to sponsor him along with his father to come HERE, to the United States, to be outfitted with top-of-the-line prosthetics and up to six months of rehabilitation at Loma Linda Children's Hospital in California.

After a surprisingly long and difficult legal battle, Mauricio and Luciano were finally granted visas to travel to the United States. We immediately booked him and his father flights and they are here! We are taking care of them in Seattle until January 6th. Today I took them to visit downtown Seattle, which is very different than Chiguayante.

Luciano is extremely upbeat and optimistic as usual. He was involved in the Paralympics in Chile and won two gold medals and a bronze. He still goes to church by himself every Sunday and reads his scriptures everyday.

I'll be tweeting (@realSamNelson) about Luciano's Christmas vacation if you want updates, then will hopefully get him set up with his own Twitter account soon so you can follow him for the months in California.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. It is truly a miracle after his horrifying experience of losing an arm, leg and eye. The scariest part has to be … what happens next? Wheelchairs/crutches are useless without an arm and prosthetics cost more than your house. An army of 400+ people/families came together and completely changed his life.

Guest Post: The Straight and Narrow on Being Nomadic and Global

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It doesn't matter if you're man or woman, gay or straight, dark- or light-skinned. All can equally submit guest posts to Modern Mormon Men. Write something now and submit via email.

Melissa Dalton-Bradford is a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, writer, independent scholar, professional soprano, avid reader, and a serious avoider of all things mathematical. She is also the author of GLOBAL MOM, an intimate and colorfully-narrated peek inside the life of a family of four traversing across eight countries, 16 addresses, and five languages. Buy Melissa's book here.

Recently, I stood in a circle of dear friends. We were maybe sixty active LDS, all gathered to hike in what many consider to be Zion's gravitational center, Utah's Rocky Mountains. While we went around the circle sharing who we were and where we were from, I counted six languages and even more countries of current residence. It was a big globally mobile round, a round that is emblematic of my family’s life for over twenty years, a life spent, some might think, on the farthest edges of the Church's geography. A life, however, planted squarely and deeply in the heart of the restored gospel.

My husband Randall and I have spent over two decades raising our four children in eight locations some might consider to be the nethermost edges of the Church's geographic sphere: Hong Kong, the New York City/New Jersey area, Oslo, Versailles, Paris, Munich, Singapore and Geneva.

However "remote" those locations perhaps seem to be with respect to our Church's solar system, we haven't felt flung into oblivion. On the contrary. We've always been drawn into a circle of awaiting members, locals who have taught us their languages and how taught us how to parallel park in an impossibly narrow one-way and how to bow to our elders and pick a decent truffle and eat raw shrimp and play the alphorn. How to run in stilettos on cobblestones. How to kayak, snowshoe, catch a gecko bare-handed or how to ice fish at night. And how to live our shared religion within the context of their culture’s peculiar norms and traditions.

We've done this global thing deliberately. It is all our children know. We don't foresee it changing. And though such a lifestyle comes with some high personal costs, I consider the demands and sacrifices worth the gifts of exposure, solidarity and spiritual solidity.

Exposure

Along with living in the countries I noted above, we've been able to crisscross continents, visiting and worshiping with LDS congregations in their chapels and temples. Warsaw, Poland. Arusha, Tanzania. St. Petersburg, Russia. Cebu, Philippines. Istanbul, Turkey. Bali, Indonesia. We've sung Silent Night in Swahili, He is Risen in Polish, and Come, Come Ye Saints in Italian, Swedish, Tagalong, and in (some mumbled desecration of) Cambodian.

I recall a particular visit to the temple in The Hague, Netherlands. Randall and I stood in a circle of what seemed like a small United Nations of fellow worshipers (The Hague is, in fact, one of the seats of the U.N.), and everyone in the circle wore headsets through which a dozen different languages were piped. Praying out loud with a circle of several brothers and sisters, each speaking a different tongue, was profoundly moving for me. "This," I thought, "is my family. This is a church I understand. And this is heaven."

Solidarity

Another U.N. city is Geneva, Switzerland, our current home. Within our stake, there are French, German, Filipino, Spanish, Italian, Mongolian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Russian, Chinese, British, American and Swiss members. Dalton and Luc, our two youngest boys still at home, realize that because they speak French, they will have the chance to serve as a bridge between local and expatriate youth.

Road Trips

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by Casey Peterson (bio)

photo via tapathelic

In the past month I have taken two trips. On one, my son flew with me to Washington DC. The four-hour flight seemed unbelievably long, uncomfortable, and stressful. My travel office had made great arrangements for travel and lodging, yet travel was still crazy as I navigated the hurry-up-and-wait airport mentality. DC is amazing though, and we literally ran to see all the sites and attractions.

The second trip was decided when we noticed that the 4th of July week gave us the best chance of avoiding conflicts with camps of all kinds (i.e. sports, scouts, student council, etc.) My brother-in-law lives in Oklahoma, certainly a place not known as a destination the caliber of Washington DC from a tourist perspective. However, we decided a 2000 mile round-trip drive would be feasible. So we loaded the family for an old-fashioned road trip, resulting in a fabulous and memorable experience.

The trip was old-fashioned in the way that most of us remember getting in the car and going to visit family down long stretches of lonely highway. Thankfully, vehicles have evolved significantly to provide a little more interior room, quite a bit less exterior room, and features like DVD players, better acoustics than 8-track players could have dreamed of, and air-conditioning that doesn't come from rolled down windows.

Mormon Exploring in Paris

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by jpaul (emeritus contributor)

Modern Mormon Men has been an early supporter of Mormon Explorer. We are grateful for their continued support and are proud to announce that a year since launching we have nearly 1600 users in 82 countries. Members have shared amazing stories with us of travels to Norway, Peru, Singapore and more. I've personally had a chance to use Mormon Explorer for local trips to Dallas and San Antonio as well as a couple amazing experiences in Paris and Mexico. I'd like to share some of the lessons learned during my Paris adventure, and invite you to share your stories with us. Message us on Facebook to be highlighted on our homepage.

Ever since we launched Mormon Explorer in mid-2012, my wife and I had wanted to try it out. We love to travel and meet new people, so we figured Mormon Explorer would be the perfect way to do both, while saving money (another passion of ours). We couldn't be more pleased with our experience traveling to Paris and staying with Georgette Lalaus and her amazing family.

We arrived at the Paris airport in a complete downpour late Sunday evening. I don't have an international cell phone, so meeting up became a bit trickier than I had expected. When we finally found each other, all of us soaked from running around in the rain, I clearly remember Georgette’s huge smile on her face. She repeated several times the phrase, “I am so Happy!”. Her joy for life was contagious and I knew right then that we were going to have an amazing few days with her in Paris.

Her husband, Phillipe, drove us back to their apartment on the south-west side of town. Their apartment was a beautiful little haven from the crazy day of travel we had just been through. We were surprised to hear that they had moved their two boys out of their bedroom so that we could sleep in their room. Both Georgette and Phillipe had to wake up early to get to work, but that didn't keep them from staying up late to help us plan our next day’s activities, nor did it keep them from waking up early to make sure there was delicious quiche for us when we woke up…Did I already mention they were an amazing family?

Rather than mention the tourist sites we saw, I want to focus instead on the unique experiences that were only possible through our use of Mormon Explorer. Here are some of the highlights. The second day in Paris, Georgette was able to leave work a little early to give us a personal tour of the city. She introduced us to a parisian cafe where I tasted the best french onion soup I have had to date. We relaxed in the cafe and got to know Georgette better. Her conversations were deeper than most you would have over lunch. She delved into our life story by asking questions like, “when did you get your testimony?”, “what does the church mean for you?” While she's been a member most her life, she could have easily been mistaken for a new member by her eagerness to talk about the gospel.

A Near-Death Drowning Experience

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by Pete Codella (bio)

I'm pictured here (on the left) with our Rabat, Morocco
host family's son, Otman, and fellow Young Ambassador, Brad.

It was May 4, 1994. Me and a group of college buddies traveling with the BYU Young Ambassadors left our seaside hotel in Asilah, Morocco, and headed to the ocean to take advantage of some of the largest breaking waves any of us had ever seen. We were so excited to get into the water and do some body surfing.

Here's what I wrote in my journal about my experience that evening:

Once we got there I headed out to the ocean with the usual group. The beach was beautiful as the sun was setting. I went out and was body surfing but I got out too far. The waves were very strong and the undercurrent even stronger, and I ended up in lots of trouble. For a couple minutes, it seemed like, I was being pushed or pulled under water.

I was so tired from lack of sleep that I was starting to lose strength. Luckily, Dave was out about two waves from me — neither of us could touch bottom — and he had a floaty board from the hotel. He had lost it in a wave and it came towards me.

I had been hollering at Chris to help me, but he was too far away. I turned around to find David just as a wave brought the board by me and I was able to grab it and hold on to it. I wrapped the string around my wrist and got on it. I was still knocked off the board and under water twice. But I made it back, totally exhausted and scared.

Looking back on that experience, I know it was no accident the boogie board was there and that it was directed to me so I could catch my breath and eventually make my way back to shore. I was swallowing so much water and having trouble staying on top of the waves that I thought I was going to drown.

I remember thinking, "Heavenly Father, I'm really in trouble. If you don't want me to drown, I could really use some help here." The very next wave brought me the blue boogie board, which basically hit me in the head.

Then the thought came to me, "You might lose hold of the board with the next wave. Better wrap that string around your wrist so you can stay connected."

Some may say this experience was happenstance or luck. I believe it was an answer to prayer, followed by revelation. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed help to make it back to shore alive. I prayed for help and it arrived in the form of a borrowed blue foam kickboard. Then, like a light bulb turned on in my mind, I had the wise thought to secure the board to my body by wrapping the rope attached to it several times around my wrist.

This small flotation device made it possible for me to stay on top of the water long enough to catch my breath and eventually rejoin my group.

My life is peppered with noteworthy experiences like this — experiences where my knowledge of a loving, caring, responsive Heavenly Father has been reinforced bit by bit until my awareness, belief and knowledge of Heavenly Father has become sure, firm and unshakable.

This doesn't mean life is easy, that there aren't challenges along the way. But it does mean I know from experience that I can always call upon support from an all-knowing, all-seeing Supreme Being who takes the time and makes the effort to be involved in my little life.

I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me perfectly. I love him too, albeit imperfectly, and look forward with faith and hope to a future reunion with Him and all my loved ones.

My Wedding Anniversary

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by Bradly Baird (bio)

After nearly twenty years of marriage, celebrating the anniversary of that event can become a challenge; mainly because so many expectations and emotions are tied up in whether the celebration truly honors the level of feeling that one has for a spouse after so much time. As our anniversary loomed large this year, my wife and I had no clue how we would celebrate. We only knew that the traditional romantic evening or weekend getaway wasn't going to cut it.

So, we rented a canyon.

Specifically, we rented Pah Tempe Hot Springs in the little town of Hurricane (right there by Zion National Park). For less than one hundred dollars, we had a private canyon, seven hot spring pools, two caves, a waterfall, and a great big chunk of the Virgin River all to ourselves for an entire morning. We swam, relaxed, talked, meditated, floated in bubbles, stared at the sky, took pictures, and "celebrated."

It was magical and I would rank this anniversary morning as one of the top one hundred moments of our marriage. Check it out!

Missionaries in the United Kingdom: A Cultural Guide

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by ldsbishop (bio)

During the October 2012 General Conference, we all cheered the announcement by President Monson that the age at which both male and female missionaries can serve was being lowered. Due to the anticipated increase in the number of missionaries serving, the amount of time they spend in the MTC will be reduced. This could mean that a greater number of young people will be set loose on the streets of the world with little knowledge of the cultural idiosyncrasies of the people they are supposed to teach.

After working with a number of full-time missionaries here in the UK during my years of Priesthood leadership, I have observed a number of pitfalls and mistakes they make due to their lack of knowledge of British culture. Below is my handy guide for potential missionaries that may end up serving over here in Blighty.

1. If you are called to serve in Britain, spend as much time as you can learning about the British way of life. The best way to do this is to buy the boxset of Downton Abbey. All British people are either landed gentry or serve them in some way. We also like getting it on with our cousins (this makes family history work easier to pursue, since we're all related very closely).
2. Following on from number 1, when tracting, you must never just walk up and knock on the front door. As the Lord's servants, you must enter the house via the servant's quarters. No matter how humble-looking their house might be, all British people have at least a butler and a maid, who you must pass first before you gain entrance to the house. The servant's quarters are normally found at the rear of the house. Upon knocking, ask the butler or maid if you "Might request an audience with his Lordship or her Ladyship."
3. Hollywood has depicted all British people to either be evil villains or cheerful Cockney chimney sweeps. Obviously, those are untrue stereotypes. Thankfully, since the release of Harry Potter, we are now shown in a more accurate light, inasmuch that we all have some kind of magic power. If the discussions are going well, why not ask the man of the house to "Whip out your wand so I can compare it the ones I've seen in the movies."
4. Brits and Americans are often said to be separated by a common language. Some words that might be perfectly innocent in the USA will cause offence in the UK. Among them are: fanny, sod, soccer, spunk, Mitt Romney, pants.
5. During World War II, American servicemen charmed lonely British women with presents such as pantyhose and gum. While the things they got up to might be against mission rules, commodities such as pantyhose are still in short supply. To gain the trust of British women always carry some pantyhose with you and offer them to the ladies at the earliest possible opportunity. This small gesture almost always guarantees you an invitation to teach them the discussions.
6. All cars drive on the left in the United Kingdom, but that's not the only thing you need to do on the left. It is a cultural requirement that you must also dress on the left (if male), vote on the left and only make left-turns when walking the streets.
7. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is our head of state. Since she is also head of the Church of England, all convert baptisms need to be authorised by her. Do this by writing her a letter requesting that one of her subjects be allowed to leave the Church of England to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Don't forget to be polite and address your letter to "Dear Sister The Queen." Requests are normally granted within 18-24 months. She's a busy lady, you know.
8. British people employ heavy use of sarcasm and irony in their humour. They will be telling you things and it might be difficult to know if they are joking with you or not. The best thing to do is laugh out loud at everything they say, no matter how serious they might be sounding at the time.

The points above are certainly not an exhaustive guide. Why not add some of your knowledge of British people and culture below, or give us some insight into your own country. The more information we have, the better we can train our prospective missionaries, allowing them to concentrate on what really matters - preaching the gospel and getting sick on obscure foreign foods.

5000 Days

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We asked Rick Stevenson, director of 5000 Days, if we could share part of his Christmas letter with our readers. He agreed. Please support this project by buying or downloading the LISTEN series or TWO BROTHERS movie.

As I interview kids turning 12-15 in my 5000 Days project, I find so many of them growing more disillusioned every year. They lose their joy and with it their high expectations. Part of this is just growing up, becoming a teenager and learning the realities of the world. But in an age of political polarization, economic implosion and institutionalized terrorism, what are we supposed to do with all of the bad news?

We found a pretty good answer during our trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in October. My family was with me helping set up the ninth country in the 5000 Days Project. While interviewing the kids there we came upon a fascinating fact. The ancient colonial town has no less than 238 celebrations a year where people fill the town square and affirm the joy of being alive. That’s more than four celebrations a week and, astonishingly, they treat each celebration like it’s the only one to happen all year. They dance, they play music ... and they do it all as families in a multigenerational sort of way. Grandma is right in the middle of it all. Life is messy in Mexico and things are somewhat dysfunctional by our standards. And the people are generally poor, very poor. Yet they are happier than we are. They are grateful for what they have rather than disappointed by what they don’t have.

It seems to me that we have a choice. We can check out or go numb when faced with the preponderance of bad news before us or we can choose to feel it, to feel empathy -- because maybe our humanity depends upon it. And maybe we can take in the bad as long as we’re also celebrating the good through our acts and outlook.

When I was a small boy, my favorite book was HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. It spoke to me because Harold was a boy who was not content to lie around and let the world determine things for him -- in his case, bedtime. He actually took his purple crayon and drew up his own adventure. He wanted to take a walk so he drew a road. He wanted to swim so he drew a lake. He started to drown so he drew a boat. He was getting hungry to so he drew some pies upon which to feast. You get the picture.

Harold realized that while he could not fully control the events of the world (bedtime), he could control his reaction to them. He realized that HE was the author of his own life, the illustrator of his own adventure, the ultimate arbiter of his own choices. He was empowered by the fact that he had in his own hands the tools to determine whether “I would become the hero of my own life or whether that station would be held by another.”(David Copperfield, Charles Dickens)

Just like the teens in my 5000 Days Project, there are lots of things reminding us out there of how powerless we are. There are few things reminding us of the power we possess by being the authors of our own lives ... by making the bold, self-dependent choices every day that define us and may in turn help redefine our world.

Here Come the (Cultural) Mercenaries

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by MAB (bio)

Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal

We just got back from a four-week vacation that included extensive travel in Europe. Some of the highlights, of course, were trips to castles and museums (enjoyed by the adults much more than the kids). Europe is unique in that you can travel relatively short distances to experience a variety of ancient and modern cultures.

All that culture got me thinking about my time as a missionary in Honduras. Since I was born and raised in the U.S., and had only been to one border town in Mexico for a day, I was eager to soak up the new culture despite the inevitable "culture shock." And it was shocking at first. But eventually I adjusted. But there is a deeper level of history and culture lying just beneath the surface. I think this is true of anywhere, even for a mission in ... Ohio for example.

I'm a fairly immature person to this day, but was much more so back then. If I had been more mature, had done more research and had a better understanding of history and culture, I think I could have enjoyed the people and my time in Honduras even more. But perhaps I am not fully to blame. My mission president would rarely let us do anything other than missionary work (and we had the standard four or five books we couldn't deviate from). I presume that's still the case in most missions. It would be nice if missionaries were given culture time so they could travel, with the objective of gaining a better understanding and appreciation of the people they serve.

Walking the Labyrinth at Grace

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by Bradly Baird (bio)

On a recent visit to San Francisco, I visited the Nob Hill neighborhood and participated in morning prayer at one of my favorite American churches, Grace Cathedral. Grace is widely known throughout the world as the home of a most progressive and innovative Episcopal congregation that is deeply committed to the community in San Francisco. The cathedral sanctuary also contains remarkable art, including an AIDS memorial altar - a distinctive piece of iconography - designed by the late artist, Keith Haring

I entered the sanctuary quietly, moved toward the central altar, turned right, and found my way to the Chapel of the Nativity. I sat just outside the chapel entrance with three members of the congregation and listened attentively as a Deacon of the cathedral performed readings from the Old and New Testament, including a most interesting reading from the Book of Joshua.

At the conclusion of this short spiritual service, I moved toward the center of the sanctuary, just behind the pews for the congregation and stood in front of a large labyrinth cut into the stone floor. This impressive work stands about fifty feet in diameter and its configuration models the classical seven circuit labyrinth (meaning that you walk seven complete circles before reaching its center).

As I walked towards its entrance, I noticed a small sign that contained instructions. In addition to explaining possible modes of prayer, the sign informed me that I might wish to remove my shoes at the entrance and walk barefoot, thereby enhancing the experience. I thought this a terrific idea and sat on a stone stair just in front of the labyrinth, placing my shoes at the path's origin.

I stood up, calmed myself for a moment, and carefully followed the pathway. The effect of walking the circuits centered my thoughts and while walking, I took the opportunity to converse with my Heavenly Father. I felt the Spirit flow through me as I repented of my mistakes, expressed gratitude, and discussed my life. The whole experience lasted about twenty minutes or so and when finished, I restored my shoes to their proper place and left the cathedral to enjoy the rest of my day in the city.

Spotting the Yank

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by Topher Clark (bio)

Cheerio from London, gents. I've been here for a month, which is why I can say things like "cheerio" and "gents." I'm here with my UVU students for a month long study abroad program; this is my seventh consecutive year doing it. So I know some London! I also spent a year living nearby when I was in graduate school, which qualifies me to discuss my topic today: how to spot an American in London.

The old adage about the noisy, ugly American is actually untrue. I don't run across that many. I look for fanny packs and ball caps and people rasping "OMG" and complaining about customer service and all the other tell-tale signs, but you just don't see these people. I've heard they exist, but I don't know where. Maybe they are all at Madame Toussauds or something? I see them in Paris. All the time. But London? Not really.

So who are the Americans I can spot? Here are five examples:

1. You are some kind of vague business guy here for a few days on business. You wear a suit. You talk on your cell phone. Considering cell coverage is expensive here, you are either billing it to your vague business back in the states or totally faking that call. You go everywhere in a taxi, because you are secretly afraid of public transport.

Guest Post: Hitting 30, A Retrospective of a British Dad-To-Be

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Have something to say? Anyone can submit a guest post to Modern Mormon Men. Just send us an email with your post, a post title and a paragraph of introduction (on yourself).

Halit Bozdogan works during the day as a writer (you can read some of his work at The Crom Report). During his downtime, he likes to read, do a spot of gardening and listen to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He has backpacked around Europe, lived in Japan and almost got punched by Sean Penn. True story.

England has had its fair share of problems over the years; Nazis, terrorism, Simon Cowell. But we’ve always gotten through it with a cup of tea and a stiff upper lip. But I get the feeling that lip will start quivering soon, when I hear the first cries of my new baby son. You see, I’m going to be a father for the first time in July and although it scares the heck out of me, I also feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I made a person. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.

Having a baby has caused me to look back over the past 30 years of my life. The pitfalls and the possibilities that have come my way. The highs and the lows. To be fair, I’ve led a pretty interesting life. I’m just a 30 year-old guy from England. But I’ve seen things. I’ve been to places. I’ve had some amazing experiences mixed in with a few not-so-amazing ones.

Let’s look at my time on Earth. I come from a working class family in the north of England. So let’s just say I’ve dealt with my fair share of rain and bad weather. I went to University. I did some travelling. New York was amazing, although I’m a little sad that they no longer sell Lucky Charms cereal in the UK any more. I’ve lived in the Far East. I’ve even eaten raw horse meat (a delicacy in Japan).

To be fair, I’m glad I’ve done all that. Because as much as I’m going to enjoy being a dad, I know that I’ll probably never get to do those kinds of things again. I mean sure, there’ll be holidays but they will be centred around the kid. Beaches and fun fairs and water parks. I don’t think they would find the New York Guggenheim or the waterways of Venice quite as stimulating in their early years.

But I certainly can’t complain. I almost wasn’t here. No, honestly. In 2007 I was hit by a bus and for about a minute or so, I died. Which can really put a crimp on your day. Obviously I got better, so I kind of feel that maybe someone was watching out for me.

I don’t regret the things that I’ve experienced. Because they’ve made me the man I am today. I only hope that when my child is born, they get to experience everything the world has to offer. I want them to travel to new far off countries, to eat strange and wonderful things, to meet interesting people and to learn things that make them a better person.

Obviously, it goes without saying that I don’t want them anywhere near a fast moving bus, but the rest is okay.

Live Deliberately

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by jpaul (bio)

Let me share what I have learned from a family I recently connected with through Mormon Explorer. Meet the Dennings, a homeless family I can’t help but envy when I visit their website and see the life of adventure they are living. After living for the last few years in Asia and Central America, they are now enjoying a nomadic lifestyle as they drive from Alaska to Argentina. That is an amazing feat for any couple, but what still blows me away is that they are doing this with 5 kids.

When I first contacted them last month, I didn’t even know where to begin with my questions. How can you afford that? What about insurance? What about school? Can I come? As a delved into their blogs and videos on their website, I found that they had answered many of these questions themselves.

To my first question on finances, and probably the top concern for anyone considering a similar expedition, Rachel Denning responded,

"We’ve found that there is a misconception about travel. Our monthly budget for all seven of us is about $1500 - $2000. (Our cheapest month was actually about $950) That's for food, rent, utilities (internet, cell phone), etc. That's less than we used to pay in the states just for a mortgage. REAL travel is cheap. Vacationing is expensive. We don't vacation. :) And we don't have any other bills back in the States. We gave them all up. Travel is one of the most important parts of our life, so everything else ('stuff', etc.) gets a back burner. We own everything free and clear. We buy everything with cash.”

The idea of Traveling vs. Vacation is an amazing point that I hadn't really thought about before, but the idea resonates with me and what I enjoy about traveling. I love to explore. I don’t really care much for vacation. Spending money on a fancy hotel and taking pictures of the same landmarks that millions of others have already captured doesn't do much for me. I want to meet real people and experience their culture. I look back on my most memorable experiences while traveling, and they have never occurred at fancy art galleries or museums … it's usually when my family and I wander off the beaten path that we find unique experiences that we carry with us long after the trip has concluded.

Las Vegas Grotesquerie

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by Bradly Baird (bio)

In terms of place and place making, the area surrounding the Las Vegas Strip is something like a train wreck. Offensive and grotesque, a wasteland of excesses and extremes that is built on the backs of people who just can't say no to temptation and gluttony of every sort. Every year I come here, and every year I see its hideous nature amplify and expand. Despite all of that, I just cannot look away. I love to come here and people watch, and I love to look at the grotesque public morphologies piled together in a great heap. Here, for your enjoyment, is a sampling from just a few of my favorite structures and places.

#1 The Real Downtown Las Vegas

On a non-descript tract of land between the Strip (unincorporated Clark County) and the Fremont Street Experience is downtown Las Vegas - the real downtown Las Vegas; with law firms, government centers, auto dealerships, and all of the other normal things you would expect to find in an ordinary city. And then there is the World Market Center situated right next to the Cleveland Clinic.