An Unforgettable Birthday!

Many days have passed since I have written last, but this is great because I have so much to share with you all. Yesterday, I celebrated my 20th birthday. It was exciting for me because this birthday was the first one I have celebrated outside of the U.S. It was a great day filled with great and exciting activities, remarkable food, and amazing company of friends I will never forget. I ended up going to Ideal Beach Resort in Mamallapuram with Greg and Rachel, Tal and his wife Annita, who we unexpectedly met up with not originally planning to see them, but since their romantic weekend took a different turn we were glad to have them be a part of the celebration as well, Charity and her friends Sarah and Dani also came with us. When we first arrived to the resort we decided to have my birthday lunch since everyone was pretty hungry. It was nice to be together with everyone and have great company for my birthday as we all ate great food and had time to talk and discuss with one another getting to know each other better. Everyone around the table had a turn to say a few things they liked about me, which I was not expecting, but it was great to hear what people had to say. I found it pretty interesting to hear the things said about me. I never notice things I do, but sometimes we do not think about everything going on in our life because time just goes by so fast, but other people always notice things we do. It was a great moment for me to hear great things said about me from people who I admire and look up to. After eating lunch, we all headed down to the beach to relax and ease away all the great food we had just eaten. I had time to talk with Tal for a little bit as everyone else did their own thing. Tal is such a great guy, he's so fun to talk to and he listens attentively to everyone, really focusing on what the other person has to say. I have had a great opportunity to spend time with him as we have played basketball together or just talked getting to know each other a little better. I have also had the privilege to speak on several occassions with his wife Annita, who as well is just as great as Tal is. She has an interesting background coming from Switzerland. In her college years she came to the U.S to study abroad ending up in Utah of all places. She was introduced to the church and when she went back to Switzerland she joined shortly after. She is also a great person to talk to always full of wonderful and interesting insights making conversations very fun and intellectual. Both of them are great people and I have really come to admire and look up to them during the time they have been here. Tal is similar to me in a few ways, but the main similiarity is we both love basketball. We sat by the beach and ended up discussing basketball for about two hours. We both could have gone on, but as we talked we kept eyeing the water eventually giving in to its enticing nature. There was no better feeling for me in that moment than to feel the relaxing cool-warm water around me as waves made their way toward me dragging me further and further into the vast sea world that could been seen ahead mile after mile endlessly; out in the horizon fishermen in their boats patiently rocked waiting for their salty smelling supply of fish; the breeze was steady and calm feeling just perfect. I could not have been any more relaxed or happier in that moment. I love the beach and all its entirety wherever I go. On the beaches in India, I am surrounded not only by tourists, which is expected because "the beach" is one of those top-tier tourist picked destinations anywhere around the world, but I am also surrounded with a different way of life and culture I do not see simply walking around other parts of southern India. All of these feelings, smells, tastes, sights and sounds I have written about added to my experience of allowing me to have had a perfect and unforgettable birthday I could not have had anywhere else. I am always amazed as to how simply happiness comes by surrounding oneself around nature created by God, which allows happiness in infinite ways greater than any other substitute created by man. We all enjoyed our time together relaxing, sharing the experience of the beautiful surroundings and the quietude of serenity. Later that night we all had dinner, which was, yet again another big feast full of parothas, naans, puris and all sorts of mouth-watering gravy sauces. We may have ordered a little too much, but that is ok because we brought back what we could not finish. The ride back to R.S.O. felt so relaxing after eating all that food. During that ride back, I had the chance to speak with Annita, who as I mentioned before is a great person full of wonderful and intellectual thoughts making conversation all the more fun and interesting. We spoke about how Rising Star came to be and the growth it has made in the years since its establishment; we spoke about the tragedy of my sister's death and how even though it was a tragedy innumerable miracles and blessings have come forth since then. It is not often enough I find someone to speak with who can share ideas not only socially, but intellectually. When I do have the chance to speak with someone who I can have a great conversation with I feel like I got something out of it instead of just talking to talk. I had an AMAZING birthday, one I will never forget simply because not only were the memories I had great, but the people I shared them with were even greater. Everyone at Rising Star seems to be doing phenomenally well! The children love each day as they go about their consistent day-to-day schedule, the office workers are always cheerful coming to work in the mornings, playing from time-to-time with the children in the afternoon, and leaving at night to go home to their families hungry so they can eat, the cooks are still cooking awesome food, which I eat and love and everyone else seems to be in good spirits everyday! One of the new things I have started every morning at six instead of running is the P90X workout program, which I have now been doing everyday for two weeks. It is an extreme workout program consisting of 90 days, so just about three months. Everyday you end up doing an hour to an hour and a half of a certain body group eventually working out your whole body by the end of the week consisting of six different workout routines then resting on the seventh day. It is quite intense, but I have made it a goal to do it everyday and so far it is all well. I am a little sore at times, but my body is getting into awesome shape, which I cannot complain about. I have continued to keep reading some pretty awesome and interesting books! Right now I am reading C.S. Lewis' The Weight Of Glory, still trying to finish Anthony Robbins' Unlimited Power and Sterling W. Sill's Leadership Vol. 1. All of these books give me a great start and close to my day, allowing me to think of awesome thoughts and ideas to enlighten myself for further knowledge. Time spent here is continually day in and day out amazing in every aspect. Spending my time usefully and carefully to the best of my ability allows me to slowly seek the knowledge I desire. I love being here; I love spending time with all of these wonderful children who teach me something new everyday and whom I love; I love being able to spend time with wonderful people who are deep down to the core great and I love being able to be a part of an awesome unique culture, which adds spice to the world around me. All of this has added to the experiences I have had while being here so far and I am truly grateful and humble to be a part of it all. I love what I do each day! I could not have a better responsibilty! I want you all to know each one of you is capable of being happy and finding happiness as I am and have found in my life now. Many people read what I write and tell me I am inspiring to others, but I do not write to inspire others; I write to share thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences and ideas I have had while being here as I have grown and matured into the person I have always wanted myself to become. If I do inspire others I hope it is for the right reasons. I write mainly because I have been inspired by other people while I have spent my time here, I have changed what I represent to myself, I have gained a happiness I want to share with others and most importantly I have sought out role models of the type of people I wanted to become like. Henry David Thoreau said, "Things do not change; we change." I have seen myself slowly change and I know I still have a ways to go, we all do. It is interesting for me to look back and see the progress I have made to get to where I am today; I am much smarter, more knowlegeable, more aware, less selfish, more happy, less prideful, more appreciative, more caring, more courteous and many other things I was not before. There was no special trick I learned, no magic charm I took, but there was one simple concept I learned: How To Serve. There is a quote by Albert Schweitzer I believe to be completely true about service. He said, "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know; the only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve." I believe this quote to be the ultimate reason of why I am happy today. Other factors sure, allowed me to change and receive happiness as well, but not in the same way or aspect as learning how to serve did. I took one day at a time, "moment to moment as to the Lord" as C.S. Lewis writes in his book The Weight Of Glory, which I am currently reading. He states, "Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment "as to the Lord". It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received." When I read this quote I was a bit surprised to find it worded exactly as I had done. I did not right away start to change and instantaneously become this person I had envisioned; I had to take each day one step at a time slowly changing and correcting all the wrong I previously carried with me. I tell you all these things not because I claim to be right, but because I have found all of these things I did not know before to be true with happiness if taken to heart like I did. Do not block out happiness like I once did! Life down that road is only endlessly torturous! If I inspire anyone of you with the words I write, I hope you take from what I write and not a minute to delay initiate what you read and I promise you will find happiness such as I have found! At times it is easier to read and feel good about what we read, then to read and initiate actually following what we read. I hope each one of us can strive daily to finish what we started by setting goals taking each day at a time, and if we have not started, then to start now and not a minute later before it is too late. I miss and love each one of you! I want you all to know I am truly happy being here! I wish the best for you all in everything you do! God bless you all!