Summer Internship

In my first blog I mentioned that I decided to start this blog as a way for people to keep up with my experience in Brazil. I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain what I'll be doing in Brazil for three months this summer.

A Little Bit of History
Let me begin by explaining that I spent two years in São Paulo, Brazil (January 2002-January 2004) as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was one of the best experiences of my life up to now. Because of that I am very excited to return to Brazil to continue volunteering my service, but in a different context (and without so many rules).

The internship I will be participating in is part of Brigham Young University's International Study Programs. I first heard about it at the end of last semester. Because I had served a mission in Brazil I received an e-mail asking for volunteers to participate in the program during Winter Semester 2006. I really wanted to go but I didn't feel like I had enough time to prepare for it. At the beginning of this semester I happened to see a booth about the International Study Programs and asked about Brazil. I was happy to hear that they were looking for volunteers to go during the summer. I signed up quickly and things have been rolling ever since.

What Will I be Doing?
The LDS Church is very concerned with the welfare of its members as well as everyone else in the world (see the Church's Welfare Site). It has implemented various plans to help people become more self-reliant. You can find a lot of helpful information at Provident Living.
As part of these programs the Church has developed the LDS Employment Resource Services, an internal organization dedicated to helping people find employment. ERS facilitates workshops that help individuals develop their communication, self-presentation, and networking skills, as well as provide a resource for finding job opportunities. I will be in charge of the former. For twenty hours a week I will present workshops focusing on four areas: My Goals, My Resources, My Interaction, My Success. Using group activities, self-introspection exercises, and learning materials I will help people focus on their talents, skills, and strengths to apply them to their search for employment.

I'm very excited for this opportunity to return to Brazil. I will have a week at the end of my service to spend in São Paulo to visit the people I met as a missionary. I hope you enjoy hearing about my experiences over the next few months.

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