Inspiration

Like many of my team members have mentioned, in just about a month we will be on our way to Haiti! It’s extremely hard to believe how fast everything has happened. It seems like the idea of going on a service trip just popped into my head a week ago; and to think I’ve gone through the application process, an interview, been accepted, and have gone to meeting for the past 2 months!

I think my interest to do a service trip was sparked partly because of my brother. As somebody who has always been of the generous type, he really went above and beyond the past few years; sponsoring children from Rwanda and Kenya, going on service trips over college breaks, and most significantly and recently, taking a year off from college to do an 11 month mission/service trip to 11 countries in need of help. His selflessness, generosity and dedication to making a change has inspired me to also become more actively involved in making a difference. It’s made me realize how much I take for granted, how privileged I am, and how much I want to give back to the world.

I’ve been abroad many times before, but it’s always been for personal pleasure. I’ve always stayed in nice hotels, haven’t had to think twice about not having basic amenities such as a warm shower, clean drinking water and a comfortable bed to sleep in. I am excited/nervous/scared/happy to say this won’t quite be the case for Haiti. As surprising as it may sound (especially coming from me, for those of you who may know me) I’m itching with excitement to put my personal comfort on hold, to constantly be sweaty, to go beyond my comfort zone, to push myself to new limits, to not know what is coming up around the corner but just going with the flow anyway, to work hard (both mentally and physically), to meet new people, to expand my relationship with my team, and so much more.

Before I sign out, if you haven’t gotten the message yet, I just wanted to reiterate how excited and honored I am to be traveling with my team with the mission we have. I’m confident we will work well together, and put all our effort into being productive and helpful. So, here’s to all the inspiration from my brother, the preparation we’ve done thus far, and my amazing team.

Until next time,

Hannah