The Hanson Family
Chad and Brandy, Bree (20), Gage (12), Aria (2)
Life Since Bree Left for Africa
To give you my perspective of Bree being halfway around the world from us, I would have to go back to the beginning, when Bree first mentioned the trip. There was this undeniable PEACE that came over me that I still feel VERY strongly to this day. The original trip that she signed up for was 9 months long, that’s over half a year! I’ve never been away from her more than a week (and I can remember being a nervous wreck the entire week) and I was sort of a helicopter parent with anxiety (overly anxious about issues of safety) who definitely wasn’t ready for her little bird to leave the nest. So her mentioning a nine month trip around the world, to countries known to Americans as third world and somewhat dangerous should have scared me to death. When I think about it, it literally blows my mind that I (me who always has to be in control of all situations) am so calm and just in complete Awe at the experience that HE (undeniably) has called upon her. She’s been gone about a month now and it strangely feels like days. The first few days of her travels I felt a little uneasy (the normal me, over paranoid Mom) and found myself tracking her phone, but after she was settled and we were able to communicate with her and hear all about where she is staying I was able to relax again. There has been a couple of situations where she has had to travel alone on the mini bus because there wasn’t enough room in the taxi for her, that have had me not sleep well, and found myself anxious to hear from her again. Which brings me to the time difference, she’s seven hours ahead of us and it’s been quite the challenge to communicate. When we are waking up she’s over halfway through her day and by 3:00pm my time she’s already went to bed (10:00 pm her time). Her and her roommates have to travel to get WiFi and although I do get to hear from her via text throughout the week we mostly talk and FaceTime every Saturday. I look forward to these Saturday calls and absolutely can not wait to hear all about her week and see the pictures she posts. These pictures mean the world and to me. I see my baby growing (in the best way, toward HIM), I also see a strong, independent woman emerging from this journey. I strongly believe this trip was laid on Bree’s heart to learn the hard lessons that the Lord could not teach her from the comfort of her home, home can be too easy sometimes and we keep resorting back to our own way and not His way. I knew HE would be working on her, she’s halfway around the world, with roommates she’s only just met, and there’s a little language barrier, but what I didn’t realize is that HE would also be working on me. Through her experiences in one short month I have found myself trying to be more patient, trying to focus more on the good in people, really being where I am at the moment and enjoy it, not being too busy and filling my days with unnecessary stress, worrying less about what time it is (this is a hard one for me), and probably one of the most important ones is that EVERY meal I prepare and EVERY single bite I take, I now think of my daughter and the people all over the world who are less fortunate than we are. I am more THANKFUL and my eyes are more aware than they have ever been and all through her experience. I am so GRATEFUL that she has this opportunity to grow in FAITH and learn the hard lessons of life firsthand at such a young age.
We miss you dearly Bree and will see you very soon!
Love
Mom, Dad, Gage and Aria
