Cam's Blog: April 2009

Sunday, April 26, 2009

2009 BYU Young Ambassador Tour of Scandinavia

The Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors leave on Monday, April 27th for a nearly month long tour of Scandinavia. Zachary is excited. See their itinerary and follow their experiences via the Young Ambassadors' blog.

http://byuyas.blogspot.com/

I'll be posting additional info about the trip in this blog posting, so stay tuned.

UPDATE #1:
Here is a link to some cell phone photos Zach's paternal grandfather took of him at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
http://picasaweb.google.com/CameronHess/2009BYUYANordicTour?authkey=Gv1sRgCP6gtJ-7_IahNg#

UPDATE #2:
We received this email from Zach on April 30th. Its obvious that he's not majoring in English composition and that his writing has devolved to cellphone text-speak, but we still enjoyed hearing from him. Kim warned him to get as much sleep as he could on the plane going over. So much for heeding the voice of experience.

hey guys. so the first couple days have been really tiring. like realllllllly tiring. like i cant stay awake for anything. cause we are touring the cities were in with a lot of detail...too much detail. anyways denmark is one of the most beautiful countries ever. i have never seen such beauty ever. everything is green and awsome. im taking lots of pics dont worry but too many .....dad. shoot . um the people here are amazing my first host family was hilarious and they fed us so many danishes. the food here is kinda not my thing cause therer like liver and stuff in it but the desserts......are INCREDIBLE. so amazing. im gonna and im getting al lot headaches cause im not eating very well so im gonna start eating better if im gonna survive. im writing in my journal more details but my roomate is waiting to use the comp too so um this place is aamzing and im just now realzing jow lucky we are to be here. andf to be doing the things that we are. oh also some of the main dancers in the group got to watch a the danish royal ballet take class. it was amzing. incrfedible incredible i forgot how much i love ballet. that was awsome and the architechture here and the cities in general and yea so much is happeing i cant really take it in yet but i will. i love you gus so much and will talk to you later.

love zach

Update #3:
On May 1st, Kim received the following note from Zach.

"hey yea so tour is still great and its awsome and beautiful an im eating better and im still tired. haha we did two shows today. suck but it was fun we performed in a bar. hahaha so good. anyway its so beautful hhere. lovew you guys so much and miss you and cant wait for the summer."

Update#4:
Read the YA blog for updates and go to THIS website to view photos:
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php

Here are links to photos of Zach from the many photos taken April 26,-May 4th.
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1047
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1335
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1347
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1599
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1893
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=2124
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=2340
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3307

More BYU Y.A. Nordic Tour 2009 photos of Zach taken May 4th-10th.
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=2700
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3493
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3556
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3892
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3895
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3898
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4372
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4426
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4600
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4692
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4813
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=4908
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5128
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5215
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5644
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5662
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5803
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5806
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5809
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5866

Be sure to read the latest trip updates on the BYU Young Ambassador blog listed at the top of this posting.

Update#5:
Be sure to read the latest trip updates on the BYU Young Ambassador blog listed at the top of this posting. There are links to several media coverage webpages.

More BYU Y.A. Nordic Tour 2009 photos of Zach taken May 11th-13th.
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=6691
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=6697
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=6796
http://ya2009.fowie.com/main.php?g2_itemId=7164

Update#6:
We received another email from Zach on Saturday, May 16th. Here is an excerpt:

"hey mom. happy late mothers day. sorry i didnt email ,.....dad. its hard to get a computer here. i hope you got my postcard and i love you guys so much. very much ready to come home. tour is fun and all but there is a line and i crossed it like a week ago. hahaha so tired i cant even see straight. but its fun the people here are so nice and amazing. i love scandinavia. but there is no place like home. ok talk to you later. we go to finnland tomorow our last stop. so excited. ok love you guys so much see ya later get it"

I found some additional photos of Zach on some Young Ambassador's Facebook pages. Some of you may remember that several months ago I posted links to some Young Ambassador publicity photos. (http://camswebpage.blogspot.com/2009/01/zach-and-byu-young-ambassadors.html) The photo available at this link (http://pam.byu.edu/PublicityPhotos/YA/full/full/downloads/Footloose.jpg) was used to create advertising posters for their Nordic Tour. Here are some photos of the poster.

Speaking of good publicity...

Saturday was apparently the first county-wide service day for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Orange County. Our stake and wards have been doing annual service days for years, but apparently not as a coordinated, simultaneous effort with other stakes. Last year we helped place sand bags and staked down bails of straw in canyon areas susceptible to mud slides following brush fires. Jayson should remember this. He was manhandling huge bails of straw like they were made of styrofoam.
http://camswebpage.blogspot.com/2008/01/mormon-helping-hands.html

This year we went door-to-door in Tustin as community volunteers working with the Orange County Fire Authority(OCFA) to educate residents about the importance of properly maintained smoke alarms, offering to test existing smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed, and offering to install a smoke alarm at no cost in any home without one. Each ward was asked to provide 25 volunteers. Some did. Our ward's resources were depleted by another service assignment. This photo was taken from the back of the room in which we met for a briefing. You are only able to see half the volunteers because of the divider in the middle of the room seen at the left of the photo. Additional people continued to arrive after this photo was taken. It was standing room only by the time the briefing was over. The OCFA people were impressed by the turn out.

This article on the front local section of the Orange County Register gives some positive press to the volunteer efforts of church members throughout the county.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/service-center-volunteers-2375671-church-aliso

Here is a link to the Church's Orange County Public Affairs website.
http://www.lds-oc.org/

Apparently the April 25th Service Day was Church wide.
http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/massive-service-day-benefits-thousands

Thursday, April 23, 2009

More publicity for "Receive These Things"

Several times over the past few months I've blogged about an LDS play entitled "Receive These Things".

http://camswebpage.blogspot.com/2009/01/receive-these-things.html
http://camswebpage.blogspot.com/2009/02/get-em-while-they-last.html

This play is receiving some good press and publicity. I hope that wards and stakes will consider putting on this play which relates Book of Mormon scenarios to present day situations and challenges.

Read this article about "Receive These Things" in Meridian Internet magazine.
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/090423receive.html

Listen to Greg Hansen interview "Receive These Things" producer/promoter Sally Johnson on his "The New Music Show" on "yourLDSmusic" Internet radio station. Select the April 7, 2009 archive file.
http://yldsr.com/segments/new-music-show-archive.html

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Spring 2009 O3 Youth Activities

In March, our Joint YM/YW Activity was to build and play a do-it-yourself miniature golf course. Here is a link to some photos of that event.
http://picasaweb.google.com/CameronHess/MiniatureGolfing?authkey=Gv1sRgCJPc1b2h0OjZFg#

Some of the older youth in our ward went on a sailboat trip to Catalina Island a few weeks ago. Here are some links to some photos of the trip.
http://orangebooth.blogspot.com/2009/04/catalina-was-blast.html
http://tinyurl.com/cqr5mr

Jarrett and Ryan, Book of Mormon musical story tellers.

Some of you might know that our Young Men's President, BJ Cook, works at a restaurant. By the looks of this first picture, it appears that BJ might now be the restaurant owner.

The Bishop might want to have a little talk with BJ about this OTHER part of the business. ;)

On the lighter side

Kim reports that our granddaughter Kaylee approached her with a scrap of paper onto which she had written an 800 telephone number copied from a television advertisement. Wanting to pass along what she thought might be helpful information, she said, "Grandma, here is a phone number that you can call if you ever need help with your credit." :)

Dang, that girl is smart. How many 6 year olds even know what credit is? And how many could memorize and copy down a phone number in the short space of a TV commercial? Advertisers struggle to get adults to be able to do that.

However, somebody is going to have to have a talk with Kaylee before she starts calling some of the phone numbers that appear in some TV commercials! :O

For the record, Kim and I have excellent credit. :)

Ashley Madison Adultery Services Inc.

Signs of the times are so prevalent that they rarely shock us anymore. Some attacks on families and morality are subtle. Some are not. Here is an article about a company with millions of customers who boldly proclaims that their mission statement is to facilitate adultery. The founder of this business claims to be performing a valuable public service and preserving marriages by enabling married men and women to cheat on their spouses without the services of prostitutes and supposedly without the actual break-up of their marriage, either because the other spouse doesn't know or doesn't care.
http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-oe-daum10-2009jan10,0,2788182.column

A few media companies have rejected running advertisements from such a blatantly immoral business. But many others find it just another way to join the advertising company itself in profiteering from temptation and sin, hitching their business revenue stream to the ever present moral weaknesses of humanity.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705298011/Station-yanks-infidelity-radio-ad.html

Although the greater Los Angeles area is reported to be the company's biggest market, apparently their research shows a potentially lucrative revenue source in the state of Utah, based upon money spent on pornography. Somehow I don't think that anyone in a community, government, or moral leadership role would agree with, and especially not boast about, the claim that "Utah boasts the highest viewership of online pornography in the nation."

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20

"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."
The Proclamation on the Family

Friday, April 10, 2009

An Easter message from a living apostle of Jesus Christ

At this Easter season, I invite you to go to the following URL to read and view an Easter message and testimony from living apostles of Jesus Christ.

http://tinyurl.com/dg75c4

Near the bottom of this short article is an underlined hyperlink to a 4-1/2 minute video excerpt from recent remarks of an ordained apostle (a special witness of Christ) describing how the Savior's atoning sacrifice qualified him to aid each of us in our times of need. Look for and click on the words "can be viewed here" near the bottom of the page.

Please accept my wishes for you and yours to enjoy and appreciate the wonderful message of Easter this weekend.

As if we needed yet another reason to NOT drink and drive!

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/weird/Ferrari--Tracks--Oncoming-Train--Crazy-911-Call.html

Be sure to click on the hyperlink to listen to the 911 call.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

My Fair Lady

Judd and Michele invited Kim and I to go to the Curtain Call Dinner Theater in Tustin to watch their very good production of "My Fair Lady". We had a good time. Thank you to our hosts.
http://www.curtaincalltheater.com/

Monday, April 06, 2009

slightly used motorcoach

Some of you may have heard some "rumor" very early this month that Kim and I were considering ditching the whole responsibility thing, selling the house, buying a motorhome (er, I mean, motorcoach), and pressing permanent replay on the Willie Nelson "Back on the Road Again" CD track while traveling cross country to see the contiguous 48 states in the good ol' USA. We'll I found this slightly used motorcoach which might meet our needs...and may have room for
a temporary guest or two. (click any photo to view an enlargement)

Oh wait. You thought that those photos just above here were of the motorcoach we are considering buying. I'm sorry. Those are just advertisements to help defray the cost of this blog. The three, slightly used homes on wheels within our price range are shown below:

Saturday, April 04, 2009

holiday cake pops

Some of the people who read my blog (and whose blogs I read) are very creative. Me? Not so much. But I saw this blog that shows how to make appealing and yummy holiday cake pops and am hoping that somebody I know who lives close by might make these sometime and let me try one. :)

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

I Wish You Enough

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye.

Bob Perks
http://www.iwishyouenough.com/

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