Pakistan and Patriotism

I went to a class called Global Hotspot: Pakistan yesterday and it was AWESOME! :)

I'll tell you why! 

Brother Hammond, a teacher that was on the Mormon American Travel Studies Program that I attended this summer, and his daughter-one of my friends also, is in the class! :)

But, I also just felt something different.  We're studying Pakistan right?! You may ask why? 

Well, my brother asked too and it's okay.  

I'm studying Pakistan, honestly because I received a very strong recommendation from a good friend who I trusted.  He said to take this class with this teacher so I am!  It helps that I was on a tour with him this summer and liked him, so here I am!  :) 

Some things that caught my attention are:  

1. WOW!  I am SO lucky to be here, to be blessed with a family, and to be HERE: as in the where I am  right now in class at BYU-Idaho!  I felt hope and love.  (Ihe helped that we had just attended a great devotional given by the President of our school and his wife!) and then I felt overwhelming joy.

2.  We watched a video on You Tube of a collection of video footage from many different countries.  A boy named Matt went to each of them and did a very simple, funny dance at the different major cities in countries all over the world.  In some of them, people from that country -or other tourists, I suppose) came in the picture and danced with him.  Yeah, it was funny, but also chilling-literally.  I felt   the desire to travel more and the sense of global connection that you get when you see other people acting just like you all over the world-we all can and like to dance! 

3.  We learned that people like to dance everywhere! 

4.  I also learned that Heavenly Father wants us to study these things: (D&C 88:78-80) bolded added

78 Teach ye diligently and my ^agrace shall attend you, that you may be ^binstructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

 79 Of things both in ^aheaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must^bshortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the ^cnations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a ^dknowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—

 80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to ^amagnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the^bmission with which I have commissioned you.

He debriefed this with saying, yeah, we're suppose to study this stuff because it will help us connect with people better! and ultimately share the gospel with them! :)  I'm SO excited to take this class.  

5. We are all connected and should just embrace it!  I'll let you know how the class goes! :)

In memory of 9/11

  To end, I'll paraphrase a quote from a Brazilian in my class.  Just because you feel so patriotic about your own country doesn't mean you think you're better, but it helps you appreciate it and then want to go learn about others so you can appreciate them too! :)