Sweet Video...

http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU

Open Houses!

I will be hosting an Open House on both Tuesday July 12^th and Wednesday July 13^th from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at my house. There will be a continuous slide show of pictures and videos. I will share some stories and answer any questions about my time on STINT as well as my next assignment in Orlando – working on the PR team and Conference and Event Planning team. I would love for you to come to whichever evening is more convenient. Drinks and deserts will be served.

If you are unable to attend, but would like more information or have questions, please email me.

Thank you again for all your support. You guys have been a great team!

Email me with questions :)

Home... and not a day too soon!

Wow! I am so thankful for God's timing.

Early Wednesday morning, I lugged all my suitcases (5 of them!) - (with the help of Sarah and Beth) into the car and headed to the airport with Beth and Chelsea. Our Paris to Chicago flight went well and we even arrived early. Chelsea and I watched the Justin Beiber movie a couple times :)

Once I landed in Detroit, my parents, sisters and grandma were waiting for me. They even brought my dog, Rocky! It was great to see them all. They had American flags, flowers and a sign saying "Welcome home Hannah!" And, as some of you might know, my sister Olivia was pregnant - so other passengers commented, asking them if they were waiting for a solider to come home for the birth of his child. Haha! Nope, just me.

Instead of going straight home, I went and visited with some family friends I grew up with - the Hatfields. Kelli had just got engaged and Katie had a baby while I was in France! It was my first time to meet little Laedin! He is so cute! I ended up staying up until 1am Michigan time = 7 am France time! It was totally worth it.

THE NEXT DAY, - after we had taken some family pictures since we all knew Addison would be born soon - Olivia, my sister, got a call from the doctors office wanting to see her to check her fluid levels. I went with Olivia to the check up, and they told her she needed to have the baby! We came home, packed some bags, and Olivia went with Mom and Dad to the hospital.

Gracie, Joel, Luke and I were waiting at home for the call to come, when the time was nearer for the delivery. We didn't want to crowd the room too much! Dad called and said he would call again early in the morning. I was so tired and jet legged...

8 a.m. Dad called us - I was already awake since my body was telling me it was 2 p.m. AND I was super excited!!! - time to come in! We picked up Noah, Addison's brother and got to the hospital at 9:30 a.m.

They broke Olivia's water and 10:20 a.m. and the contractions started to increase immediately. Olivia went from 5 cm to 10 cm in under and hour (which is abnormal for first time mothers! Usually it's more like 1 cm per hour!) At 11:45 a.m. Addison Olivia was born! This was the first delivery I have ever seen. The miracle of birth is breath taking. The burst of life, emotion, joy!

Yesterday was a whirlwind of pictures, doctors, laughs, smiles and THE SMELL OF A NEW BABY! Addison is so cute! She looks just like Olivia and is very healthy. I am excited to be able to still be a part of her life as she grows and grows.

I want to take some time to thank God for allowing me to be here for this. It was my prayer since I found out seven months ago. Not only was I able to be here for the birth, but Addison is healthy, beautiful and sweet as can be. I can't wait to show her off to the world! He not only answered my prayer, but allowed me to be apart of this beautiful start of life! Thank you Lord!

Ending

So STINT is officially done. We had our last night of 'debrief' today. It was a good start to processing all I have learned, experienced, and the ways I have grown. I know there is still much more to process. We ended the night by watchingI made a 45 minute slideshow of pictures, video and inside jokes. It was happy and sad. (This is a picture of my team minus Katie, with our STINT coaches, Chrissy and Mike.)

Since France is a developed country, I am not sure what "culture shocks" I will experience. Yes, they do have flushing toilets. Yes, they do take Saturday and Sunday as their weekend. Yes, they have farmer's markets. Yes, I could wear short sleeve shirts. Yes, I could buy Honey Nut Cheerios.

Time will tell... less than 8 days till I fly home! "What will you be doing?" you might ask. Lots of packing, good byes, wrap up meetings at the office with my supervisors, helping my teammates -who are returning- move into their new house, seeing the Eiffel Tower one last time...

This journey is not over! This summer, I am excited to share with everyone stories, pictures, and videos from this past year. And share a vision for where God is leading me next!

I would love your prayers for:

- Processing

- Ending well

- Safety traveling

Love,

Hannah

Media Conference Day 1

“It is beautiful that we serve God. He gave us so much and we can give back to Him.” – Aaron, a national staff.

Today was the first official day of our media focused conference. This being the third time in one of our countries, I recognized and knew many familiar faces. It was nice to be acknowledged too. Even though I am specifically one of the administrators of this conference, there are also times I can participate in the lectures and discussions.

This evening, I was talking with one of our staff about "online missionaries". What a cool idea! I've heard of the concept, but discussing this with him, really fueled my fire for some reason. Here is the general idea: First, one is trained in the process of responding. Then, you start receiving emails - which are sent to them based on their "missionary profile" - demographics, location, language, etc. You can choose how many emails you want each day or week. He said, when they talk with people about becoming an "online missionary", he challenges them to just 15 minutes a day in correspondence. Finally, you check your inbox each day and respond! It is really simple, easy and spiritually fulfilling!

"It helps you grow in your faith also. You must look deeper for passages to answer their questions. When you seek for them, you seek for yourself too" he said.

Be encouraged and challenged!

Home Stretch

Well friends, as of yesterday, I have one month left overseas. Of those two weeks, I only have 2 more weeks in the office! Last week especially, I kept having bursts of emotion: Excited - to be home with family and friends! Sad - knowing I may never see my French friends again. Curious - what "culture shock" will I experience. Stoked - for new experience in Orlando!

I am amazed at how fast this year has flown by. Seriously. I was just telling a co-worker, when I was a little girl, the drive from Michigan to Ontario, Canada felt like the same distance to Sarasota, Florida. Just a reminder of how short our time here on earth is. MAKE IT COUNT!

It's weird, it doesn't get dark here until around 10pm. Crazy right? I guess, this is as far north, as I have ever lived. During the winter, I'd walk to work at dusk, and walk home in the dark (with my roommates. Don't worry mom, I was safe!) Now it's quite the opposite! That's just a recent observation ... :)

As I start to prepare for this summer, there is lots to do! I'll be working at a conference in Colorado during late July, attending a couple weddings, meeting with supporters to share about my time here in France and what God has in store for Orlando, and just spending time with family and friends. I hope to see you soon!