Congratulations to 20 wonderful students and their three directors! We have just completed our "marathon" week and and will soon embark on our adventure. We were blessed to hear from several individuals who have lived and served and transacted business in Asia throughout their careers including Phil Colton (former Mission President in Cambodia, U.S. Diplomat and Nobel Laureate), Dr. Eric Hyer (expert in Chinese politics and foreign policy), Ken Jennings (attorney, former Mission President in Korea, practiced law for 20 years in Asia, father of "the" Ken Jennings :)), Kevin Fuller (Vice President of Global Product Marketing at NuSkin) and Rory Gagon (President and CEO of Romaric Corportion, a company who provides software and services to the semiconductor and photo voltaic industries).
On Tuesday we got a mini-sample of what the actual trip is going to be like - business visits, a little culture, eating on the road and some disorientation and communication break downs. We hope to mitigate the latter two :). We visited the Humanitarian Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Governor's Office of Economic Development and IM Flash. We were hosted by a Sr. Missionary Couple at the Humanitarian Center who gave us a tour of the facility and share with us the mission of the Church in providing humanitarian aid throughout the world. At the GOED, we heard from Brett Heimburger who is director over Asian affairs. He provided some wonderful insights on the Asian culture and way of doing business. Hamilton Shattuck hosted us at IM Flash. They provide a wonderful tour and introduction to the world of semiconductors.
We are anxious and ready to go. Our preparations have been intense and our group has really bonded together. I personally am grateful for each one of these students and pray for the Lord's blessings to now continue upon us during our travels. May He open our eyes, hearts and our minds that we may see and feel those things that would bless and focus our lives and inspire us. And may we then be inspired in how we may bless our fellow man and firmly resolve to do so.
I leave you with these wise words we heard yesterday in class and which is also printed on the wall at the BYU Kennedy Center.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain, in The Innocents Abroad.
