"I will not leave you as orphans..." John 14:18

Wondering how you can help the kiddos at The Covering?  There are so many ways you can make a difference in their lives! How about sponsoring a child for education, clothing, medicine, or all of them together?

Picking Violets is an up and coming country duo.  Not only do they have beautiful voices but they also have beautiful hearts...  Join PV as they fight to save the orphans.

Check out the video at this link below to see how $7 a month can help these, and many other, smiling faces!!

Learn about The TRIBE!
(use code IA3)

If you have any questions feel free to email me at wilsonh1@central.edu

Thanks for your support!

Across the ocean...

Well... it's been a while since I have had a chance to finish the stories of my trip! I've been a bit busy since we got back! So here is how the rest of my week went:

We arrived in Accra, Ghana early in the morning. When we got off the plane the African heat and humidity was like a wall.  I immediately had the feeling that I was not actually there walking into an African airport and hearing other languages and knowing that "no Toto... we are not anywhere near Kansas anymore."

While we were in Ghana we had the amazing opportunity to meet the mother and sister of a student that my professor, Jen, is hosting through a basketball program!

The next few hours are really quite comical as I look back on the experience.  We ended up being forced to purchase transit visas because we were in the country 5 hours and like 40 minutes and you have to buy one if you are there longer than 5 hours and 30 minutes so that was an interesting 20 minutes in a big Ghanaian security officer's office with an oscillating fan in the corner... THEN... after finally getting to our plane I found my seat and it was between two of the biggest, smelliest German men I have ever met in my life.  Little did I know that the body odor I was smelling was simply something I needed to get used to ... and fast!  The German men were very nice and teased me about going to Sierra Leone for 'holiday' but I finally figured out how to explain a mission trip to them so that they would understand what it was.  

In the end we made it to Sierra Leone and got off the plane... and that's when it hit me.  I thought to myself "Holy cow Hanna, what in the world have you gotten yourself into this time!" 

As soon as we set foot inside the airport it was mass chaos... people moving everywhere, talking, and yelling.  I grabbed Sara's backpack and just held on and followed her and the rest of our team through what I presume was customs but it was nothing like the US.  Then we went to our luggage and got carts and started pulling all of our suitcases. We wheeled outside and some Sierra Leonean men took our bags, tagged them, and put them in the back of the van.  Jen and I got in the van and proceeded to ride over to the Pelican Boat dock (it's a water taxi that takes you over to Freetown). 

I quickly learned that if I was at all nervous at any point in the trip, I didn't have time to think about it I just had to keep moving.  When I realized this was when we were getting ready to get onto the boat... the dock was moving and the boat was moving, but not together... the water was going onto the dock and I began to think "I'm not even going to make it to Freetown!" But my feet kept moving and before I knew it I was sitting in the boat with a life jacket on heading towards Freetown.  

After a long journey we finally made it to the city where we met Osseh and Cari! Then we got in cars and drove through the city to the guest house! Below are some quick snaps I got of Freetown.

Selling candies.

This is a typical house in Freetown.

This is essentially where you buy things.

After arriving in Freetown we went to the guest house and got settled in.  Sara met Musa for the first time! (This is the little boy her family sponsors, you can see a picture below) We had our first fabulous supper cooked by Auntie Marie.  Sierra Leone style spaghetti! After that we went over to the orphanage, it's called The Covering, for evening prayers and worship. This was the first time we saw the kids and let me tell you were they happy to see you! I have never had so many kids hug me at once.  These kids brought a whole new meaning to the words hug, pray, and love! I have never sweat so much in my entire life! All the kids are hugging you and the little ones want to be held and it was pitch black in one of the rooms so you had no idea who was around you.  This was also the first time we all met sweet Lucy Loo! Below are some pictures from the evening!

Sara with Musa.

Jen with Lucy.

Evening worship...

Jen and Lucy again. 

This was my first day in Africa... more to come soon! 

Butterflies...

My trip began by heading to Des Moines on Sunday May 15.  My mom and I had gotten a hotel room to stay in so that we wouldn't have to wake up ridiculously early.

I have to say that I have the most amazing support system out there! Some of my friends from Central met my mom and I Sunday night and we went out to eat. It was one of those things that calmed my nerves and allowed me to focus on what was important. It was nice to be reminded that I was going to help people and more importantly to spread the word of God.

After an amazing dinner Mom and I went back to the hotel and chillaxed. I knew that my quality of sleep that night would be important so that is where my Sunday ended.

We woke up and headed over to the airport bright and early Sunday.  When we walked into the front door I met the people who I would experience a life changing week with for the first time.  I had known Jen for almost a year and Zach for less than a week.  This was the first time I had seen Joel and Sara. There really wasn't much time to think about anything... we checked in (all bags were under the weight limit!!) and said our good-byes. We walked through security and that was it. The next thing I knew we were in the air and I would not see Iowa for another week. I had never truly had 'butterflies' in my stomach until that Monday.

As our trip went on we flew to Washington D.C. and then to NYC.  During our lay over in NYC we played cards and talked and met Tina, who is one of the co-founders of The Raining Season.  This is where we ran into some bumps in the road :) Tina told us that some of the kids at the center had mumps so we all frantically called home to see if we had our vaccines for it! Little did we know that trivial things  like that would not matter when we were in the center with amazing children around us.

I boarded my first international flight and headed for Africa...

"I once was blind but now... I see."

Well Ladies and Gents... the trip I have been waiting for is now over.  I am sorry I have not been updating but we decided to keep a hush hush on when we were leaving for safety purposes with recent world events.

The trip was utterly amazing. More than I EVER imagined it would be.  I'm sure many of you, if not all of you, have heard "Amazing Grace" before.  This trip truly exemplifies one of the lines in the song.  I once was blind to the pain, suffering, and hope that happens in Sierra Leone, but now I see.  I now know a small group of Sierra Leoneans and I have a family in Africa.

Words cannot describe how life changing it was... but I'll do my best. :)

Lucy came home with us on a medical visa... what a blessing that is! She is in Pella with the Diers family and big things are coming her way!

In the days to come I will summarize our trip for you all! We did so much and were touched in so many ways by the people of Sierra Leone.  Below are my favorite pictures from the trip after I have edited them.  I will be framing all of these and hanging them in a collage in my dorm room this coming school year.  It will be hard to have a bad day with all the wonderful memories looking back at me!

The first time I saw the ocean on our first day while we were waiting for the boat to take us to Freetown.

Dock to the Pelican Boat that took us to Freetown.

Some of the boys singing to us in the Welcome Ceremony. 

Some of the girls singing at the Welcome Ceremony. 

This is a group of brothers.  Sufian, Abduraman, and Foday. I got very close with Foday and it was terribly hard to say good-bye to him. 

Little Moses. I also got very close to this little bundle of love. :) He is such a cuddle bug!

Little Zainab and her BIG smile!

Foday again. :)

Sara (team member) holding Esther's (one of the girls at the Center) hand.

Huts at the most beautiful beach in the world.  So thankful I was able to go!

Abduraman and I.

Jen with some of the kiddos at the guest house.

Happy Easter!

Today is that day when we all eat too much candy, hunt for eggs, and praise Jesus :).  Today after eating brunch with my family we dyed Easter eggs and then I got into a picture taking mood. Below are quite a few of the results :)

I hope you all are having a wonderful Easter! 

P.S. We leave in 22 days!!!!

ONE MONTH!!! :)

In exactly one month from today we will be on a plane to Sierra Leone! How exciting is that!?  As you can all imagine I am feeling very excited/nervous/anxious/ecstatic/etc.... So I have been going through some pictures on friends' facebooks, blogs, and the Raining Season website this morning.  Here are a couple of my favorites I thought you all would enjoy!

Formula, Flip Flops, and Diapers ... Oh My!

Ok folks...  In approximately 38 days I will be on a plane to a third world country half-way across the globe. WOAH.

We are finally beginning to get an agenda of the things we will be doing during the six short days we are in Sierra Leone while we are there and below you can see for yourself :)

• Visit children's hospital to pray over mothers and children and provide gift/food items.
• Love on children at orphanage daily and participate in their worship on Sunday at the Center
• Visit the beach.
• Visit another area of Freetown, either Kroo Bay, the slums or another orphanage and again provide some sort of gift or feeding in that area
• Assessing and training of staff and kids at the orphanage for academic statuses
• Hand out the t-shirts purchased through our fundraiser (you can still get one if you would like to!)  
• Take the teen moms out to eat or do something else with them.
• Daily small group activities with the kids at the orphanage.
• Etc. 

Also to all who have been following my journey, if you would like to send anything to the children of the orphanage please let me know (wilsonh1@central.edu)! They are in need of these three main things:

1. Soy formula
2. Diapers
3. Children's flip flops

Thank you to everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful April day!

PS- Here is Lucy in her first Central shirt!!!! There is a 50/50 possibility we may be bringing her back with us! Dr. Diers got a visa appointment for while we are there! Be hoping and praying that they say yes!!! 

Baggage

Have you ever sat and 'people watched'?

Watched the expressions they have on their faces? Watched what they do with themselves as they wait in a line?

It makes you wonder, what are they thinking? Why do they look sad? What did they see that made them smile? Where has life taken them so far? What baggage do they carry or do they even have any?

Some people seem to always be happy no matter where their life takes them.  Others get knocked on their feet too many times to count. For me life isn't about how or why you get knocked down... it's about how you get back up.  There is nothing in life that you can't handle.  There is no baggage that is too heavy... even though at the time it may seem unbearable.  Maybe you failed an exam, lost a family member, made some big mistakes and you're trying to fix it.  The point is it all happens for a reason and you may never know that reason... but picking yourself up and moving on is the only place you can start.

Whatever your beliefs may be... this is where the key to life and happiness lies. 

In the bible it says:

God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Oprah said, "Turn your wounds into wisdom."

John F. Kennedy said, "When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents dancer and the other represent opportunity."

And my little book about believing said, "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." - Martin Luther King Jr. 

So are you dragging your baggage behind you?

Are you letting it defeat you?

Or are you pushing it with you?  

Are you getting back up?

Flying forward. Living in the moment.

I will leave you with this quote by Phyllis Diller.

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."

believe

Today is the day that I move back to my dorm room for the remainder of the semester.  Spring Break is over and classes are about to resume. I got a book that is called 'believe' from a company called Peter Pauper Press.  It is a little pocket book with daily inspirational quotes.  As I have been reading the beginning pages I have been contemplating the word believe. People always tell you to believe, but believe in what? Is it in the things that I can do? In my faith? In those around me?

The introduction to the books says:

"Magic is believing in yourself," said 

Goethe. "If you can do that, you can 

make anything happen."  Let this little 

book of wisdom help you work that 

magic.  Take its words to heart as 

you pursue your dreams.  Believe, and 

live by your beliefs.  Persist, and make 

stepping stones of stumbling blocks.  

The key to your life is within you 

right now.  Take it, and unlock the 

door to life's possibilities.

I don't know that the word believe really has to be focused on simply one thing.  To believe is to have faith in everything.  It is hard to believe that we leave for Sierra Leone in 56 days. As the time gets closer and closer I am beginning to get more and more excited! I am ready to take advantage of this possibility. Actually it is no longer simply a possibility that I will be able to meet the children and people I have heard so much about this year in a country so far away.  It has become a reality and an opportunity and I BELIEVE in the change I will be able to help make.

Now... 

Are you living by your beliefs?  

Are your blocks still stumbling? 

Where is your key?  

Are you ready to believe?

Lucky's Clovers!

I have been spending my Spring Break helping out in my mom's first grade classroom! AND she let me come up with my own math lesson plan! So what I decided to do was create 30 fourth leaf clovers with math problems on them and hide them around the room.  When the students came back from lunch they found clovers and completed the math problems! It was a ton of fun and a nice way to incorporate St. Patrick's Day.

A funny quote from the afternoon:
Student: "This is fun!"
Mrs. Wilson: "Yup, you just need to add or subtract it."
Student: "Oh! It's a math problem!"

I guess he was learning and didn't even know it! :) Here are some pictures from the afternoon as well as a quote of what the worksheet that I created said:

"Lucky the Leprechaun has lost all of his four leaf clovers! Can you help him?  There are clovers hidden around the classroom.  Find a clover and bring it back to your seat.  Complete the math problem on the clover and put your answer in one of the gold coins below.   When you are done with the clover hide it back where you found it so that another friend can help Lucky! You need to find at least six clovers and do the math problems."

In the midst of midterms...

Attention all readers... ATTENTION ALL READERS! We have plane tickets!!!

We have our plane tickets for Sierra Leone! I cannot express the pure feelings of joy, excitement, and bliss I have been feeling this whole week even though it is the week of midterm exams.  I will be heading home this evening for Spring Break and I cannot wait to see my friends and family along with the added blessing of being able to purchase plane tickets at a much cheaper price than we ever expected!

In only 66 short days we will be flying out of the Des Moines airport and into a life changing experience!
Thank you again to everyone who has been able to contribute to this amazing opportunity!  

"We Must Because We...CAN!"

WARNING: this post is long one! hang in there with me :)

As you all know from my last post, we have started a fundraiser selling tshirts.  I posted a link to my blog as my facebook status and the feedback was utterly AMAZING!  I spent last summer traveling the country and going to leadership conferences and the responses from people who I met while attending them brought tears to my eyes!  I was able to go to Seattle, Washington with the Alexander Hamilton Friends Association and Washington D.C. with the FFA organization.  At both of these conferences I met some of the most amazing people.

Here is a rundown of the two weeks I spent devoted to learning how to better myself as well as my community, country, and world.

In  Seattle I worked with 26 other graduated high school students from around the country.  We worked on personal development plans, learned about Alexander Hamilton, spent time getting to know each other, and saw a lot of the sites in Seattle.  During this week we talked about where we want to go in life and how we are going to get there.  We also learned a lot about goal setting and why it is so important.  However, I think that the most important thing I got out of the week was the friendships I made with the 26 other students as well as the awesome adults who run and work at the organization. 

In Washington D.C. I spent the week seeing some of America's most famous monuments, learning what it means to be a true citizen, and meeting some of the most dedicated FFA members I will ever know.  I also walked away from this week with some absolutely amazing friendships that will last me forever. You may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with what I am actually writing.  Well, before we started any session at WLC (Washington Leadership Conference) our group leaders would take turns starting our chant... they would say "We must because we..." and we would respond with a thunderous "CAN!" Nothing gets you more fired up about helping people like being in a room full of 500 FFA members who are learning how they CAN make a difference!

After posting information about my trip to Sierra Leone on facebook I received emails and facebook messages from some of my friends in both of the organizations.  My heart was genuinely touched by their generosity and spirit for helping others.  I think that it is absolutely outstanding that there are other young people out there with a passion and desire to help those whom they have never even met or heard of before.

While the leadership conferences that I attended may have only lasted a week... the friendships I made while I was there will last me a lifetime.  I would like to say thank you to the following people from the Summer of 2010 for the way that they impacted my life by instilling in me the passion to continue helping those in need simply because it is the right thing to do.

From Alexander Hamilton Friends:
George and Puddin
Joslin and Evan
Melanie and Teyloure
Arthur
Erika
Meredith
Connie
Chris
Jenelle
Bea
Brad
Kelly
Mackenzie
Steve
Carter
Brittne
Zack
Mitch
Georgia
Hannah
Caitlin
Eileen
Elena
Abhiraj
Avni
Cindy
Brady


From WLC:
Kirby
Dillon
Addie
Charlie
Nicholas
Hallie
Megan
Margaret
Ashley


Thank you to you all for your love and support! Because of you my Personal Development Plan from Seattle is coming true and my Live To Serve plan from D.C. has definitely begun its process!

I will end with another poem/song from my week at WLC:

Authentic Leaders
Know your purpose... it starts with me.
Value people... it moves to we. 
Take action... means to do.
Serve others... take me, we, you!


Now how are you going to be an authentic leader?

Yay!

Well everyone, yesterday we went out to a place to see  about ordering t-shirts for a fundraiser for Sierra Leone and what a blessing did we receive!! The place we are ordering the shirts from offered to sell them to us for nearly half the price! I cannot express the emotions I was feeling while we were in that office! What a heart that woman had to eliminate the extra fees it would cost for us to order children's shirts in color!

Here is a run down of what the fundraiser is all about;

      We will be selling children's shirts that people can buy for a child at the Covering orphanage in Sierra Leone.  The shirts will cost us $3.75 a shirt and we will sell them for $10.  The extra money will go to our trip in May.  There will be Pella Dutch t-shirts, Pella Christian t-shirts, and Central College t-shirts available to purchase for the children.  Then when we get to Sierra Leone we will put the t-shirts on all of the children and take pictures for those who helped support the cause! There will also be an opportunity for people to attach a note card on the shirt for the child.  If anyone is interested let me know! My email address is wilsonh1@central.edu

Have a wonderful day! It is rather rainy here but it is still a very very WONDERFUL day! :) 

100 Views!

Wow!  My blog is only nine days old and I have ONE HUNDRED VIEWS! I cannot express how truly excited and thankful I am that there are people who are taking the time to view my blog! Thank you all so much!

I have been accepted into the America Reads program through work study at school.  I work in a first grade classroom on Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 11:00.  I work with students on spelling, vocabulary, reading skills, and other tasks. It is so exciting to be able to work with students weekly! I am also in education classes this semester so it is very exciting to be making lesson plans and classroom setups for homework! Right now I am working on a Multicultural Art lesson for my Elementary Art Education Class.  I have many ideas of what projects to do I just need to narrow down from my choices.

I also discovered the Voki website and I created my first Voki today! You can see it on the right hand side of my blog.

One again thank you all so much for taking the time to view my blog!

Moving Day...

Well today is the day that I move from one dorm room to another.  As I have been moving all of my things I have realized just how much stuff I have.  In the process of moving I have been overwhelmed with feelings of fatigue, stress, and most importantly thankfulness.

I saw a picture I have taped to my lap top of children in Sierra Leone as I was bringing in a basket and I said to myself, "Wow Hanna, look at all of your material things... and just remember how grateful you are to have them."  I am still in awe of all the gifts I have received at graduation, my birthday, Christmas.... all of these things I cherish so much because of who gave them to me and what they mean.... and yet they are just things.

I am so thankful for the life my parents have been able to provide for me and the environment I have been able to grow up in.  I am grateful for my friends and my education, my professors as well as many other opportunities and people I have in my life.