The Sunni Horizon

So Summer school is underway and my one week break is but a distant memory and I am back to studying again for class, Oh how excited I am about this (sarcastically)! My focus is back in the books but once again I will be adjusting very soon. In my previous blog I told you about a South Africa Trip that is offered through S.H.O.W., Servanthood Opportunities Worldwide, and an organization here at the University of Toledo. June 2th is coming fast and in less than 10 days we will be leaving. We are wrapping up our fund raising effects and beginning to stuff our luggage with unnecessary things. We must prepare to be in weather that is fairly hot during the day and cold at night, all in one piece of luggage. (Looks like I will be bring scandals and sweaters, what a great combination) Also I would like to thank everywhere who supports the efforts of this trip and contributed in any way. Thanks so much. Fundraising was very unique this year because I personally was very busy with school and other commitments and didn’t have much time to do too many fundraisers but God someway, somehow provided all that was needed.

My goal is to keep an online journal with media to update you on my journey in South Africa so that you may see the awesome things that are and will take place in South Africa. I have never been to South Africa but I would assume that this experience would be the same as my trip in Thailand if not better! I enjoy being around kids and hanging out with them because I am just a big silly kid myself and so I would fit right in…lol. We will also be going on a Safari on our last day there I am convinced that it will be a blast. I can just picture it in my mind, the Lion King, up close in person!

What are some plans that you have for the summer?

I am taking a Business class in Managerial and Behavioral Process. I must honestly say that it is the best class that I am currently in. I feel that I am privilege to have to coolest teacher in the world. I was skeptical as to how this class would be and the amount of work that would be requested of me but I was wrong in the best way ever. She gives of assignments that challenge us in our thinking process and it is not meaningless but valuable in every way. I enjoy a class that challenges me to learn the task at hand but also teach me how the information learned can apply to my life in a practical way. I enjoy being in a setting when I know that the professor cares about the students and encourages the students to reach their full potential. I believe that unfortunately we often here of unethical decisions being made by teachers who make bad decisions with their students. Laura Williams also known as Laura Frisbee teaches this class and she is a great speaker and I am literally captivated. I learn life lessons in this class along with how to manage the life of a business.

I learned today in class about leadership. She said that “in order to be able to affectively lead people we must first be able to lead ourselves first.” This seems pretty simple but this had shown me that the things that I learn should be applied to me first and allow them to take affect in my life and this will naturally empower me to be a witness to the things I preach and others will take notice.

I have a good class that I feel also understands how valuable this information is. She tells us numerous stories of situations that she has encountered with having to make ethical decisions, being disciplined, and being able to cope with our decisions that we make whether they are good or bad decisions. Professor Williams sees her students as more then just students but as business people in training. In lecture I feel engaged in the conversation and actually take notes on different lessons that she has learned and the wisdom that she has gained from her experiences. I am sad that this class will be ending soon but this class and Professor will never be forgotten. I recommend everyone to take a class with this professor.

here is a picture of who she is and a brief summary. Enjoy!

http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/provost/outstandingteacher/2004.html

Is there any professors that you feel should be acknowledged for their commitment to the students. I am pretty sure there are more out their…..lets hear what your experience has been like….

Today I was walking to class, and I began to reminisce  on  my spring break  on how much I enjoyed the trip but noticed how fast it went by. I went to Miami for a couple days then to the Bahamas for 5 days and stopped in Naples Florida to take in the last bit of sun in before I returned to this great Toledo weather. It seems as if once spring break was over, and school had begun, the days seems to be going by so fast. I have has two exams a week and homework is what I breathe now. I have never felt so consumed in my work then now. Even though some may see my situation as stressful, I have discovered that as I keep my mind on finishing classes then my days don’t seem so hard.

Random Thought:

There seems to be many things happening on campus lately like:

-Diversity Week Coming up

-Rocket Launch Coming up

-International Dinner in SU Auditorium

-UT Running Club April 6th

- First Year Uncut Imovie UncuT in Doermann Theater

-Spaghetti Dinner on April 9th in Ihouse

- Songfest

-Dance Marathon

….with this in mind, if you are looking for something to do or eat, then consider this.

What plans do you have  coming up….I would like to know.

You probably have seen chalking and posters around our university asking you to vote for a Student Government Candidate. The annual University of Toledo Student Government elections are this week.  You can login with your UTAD account and vote right now on the myUT web portal. Voting ends on Thursday, March 26 at 4pm.

You can find more information on the candidates in the Independent Collegian, on facebook, and a few candidates have websites.

Here’s the direct link to the online voting:

https://my0.utoledo.edu/survey/login.asp?hidSurveyID=71

Spring break is coming fast and OH HOW PUMPED I AM ABOUT IT!!!! I will be going on a cruise to the Bahamas and I can’t wait. This will be my first time ever being on a cruise. My family goes frequently on different cruise lines but I am always busy when they’ve gone. Now is my turn to experience this fun that I always here about. I get a chance to lay in the warm sun and relax. This trip is much needed and I plan to have tons of fun. This is what I plan to do for spring break, what about you? Is Mexico still a hot spot to be at for spring break?….

Servant Hood Opportunities Worldwide (S.H.O.W.) is a campus organization where great serving opportunities across the world are offered to students on campus, and on June 6th, 2009 I will be going on a mission trip to South Africa. I am really excited about going on this trip! I was given the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Thailand in June of 2008. Before leaving on this trip to Thailand, I was expecting to have a nice time talking with locals and experiencing a new culture. The moment I got on the plane, my heart was racing with excitement and I couldn’t stop thinking about this hot place that I’ve never been before and witnessing to people that I have never seen before. The plane landed and it was official: I had arrived in Thailand to unknowingly experience the unfathomable.

I was under the impression that all the people in the world has at least heard of the name Jesus once in their life. While I was there, I saw over 17,000 Thai people come to Christ for the first time. I even saw 400-500 instant miracles. People who were blind received their sight; people who couldn’t walk began to walk. That was something that I read about in the bible but have never seen before. To see the love of Christ overcome the people of Thailand left me in awe of God’s greatness. I can never be the same again after leaving Thailand a changed person.

This trip to South Africa will be a different endeavor for me with a different group of people to witness to. I had many supporters help spiritually and financially on my last mission trip, and I ask this also on this trip. I know that God wants to give an opportunity for everyone to receive his love. Many people don’t have the opportunity to go to South Africa because of school and work, so this gives an opportunity for these people to minister to a place of the unreached gospel by joining together with me in support of a mission to spread the love of Christ all around the world. That being said, I ask that you keep me in your prayers that everything goes well, and if you would like to be help in any way on this mission trip, feel free to leave a comment or email me directly. I plan to post pictures and/or movies of this event so that you may get a glimpse of this experience.

Have you been on a mission trip before? If so, I would like to hear about the experience that you had.

I have a video attached of my trip as well as some of my friends’ experiences on their mission trip.

http://theepicmovement.org/home/epic-goes-global.html

“If you fail to plan, then plan to fail.”

This is a famous quote that not only applies to us individually but can also be applied to us as a University. Some may know, but the university has many projects in progress and has completed some such as Savage Arena, the Memorial Field House and Rocket Hall. I encourage everyone who is involved in the process of making informed decisions on new projects and renovations on campus to realize that economy has put the university in a great position to think of more innovations with cost effectiveness in mind. You have and are doing a great job in renovation throughout the campus. I had a chance to speak with some students who have their own views of the things that they like about the university as well as the things that they think that we can improve or make better. I feel that the best way to find what is working well for the students as well as what needs to be changed is to hear from the students themselves.

Interview with josh

Interview with keith

What’s your opinion of the campus improvements, and what do you think would be some great additions to the university? Have you ever been to another university and thought, “this would be great if we had that at the University of Toledo”? Let me know!

What a great day today w/ great weather. Even though I didn’t get a chance to be outside much because I was sick in my room, for the short period of time that I was outside it was great. I think I got a cold because of the frequent changes in the climate. I do feel a ton better now after resting and and taking a little medicine. So tell, do you have any plans to make these next few days of good weather memorable.

An Epic event is something that we have become apart of and we have been the ones who have been chosen to to witness and be a part of history. On January 20, 2009 is the date in which millions of people all around celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday and the dream that he had for mankind. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, had a dream of a body of people coming together based on the content of the character and not the color of their skin. He had a dream that their would be a day that the barriers of discrimination and different prejudices would be eliminated. Through history we have overcome small obstacles and have seen the progression of this dream. January 21st was a date that shall go down in history that the day after the celebration of someone that fought for desegregation is now a date that will inaugurate the first African American into office. Even though people may not agree with the policies and views that he has, this event has still shown us the progress of mankind. I invite you to express how ya feel this has impact your life.

Inaugration Video

I am extremely tired and sleep right now from a great night. I went to marion ohio with some friends to a church and I had a amazing time. I am now giving tours to freshman who will be moving in for the new year and they are so excited about it. It’s really cool to see the excitment on their faces about coming to this university. I enjoy telling them how great the international house it, and how i believe that this is the best residence hall to live in. Along with the weekend excitment, we have been graced with great weather. I am even going to epic tomorrow, sunday in maumee ohio.

What is Epic?