‘Define yourself radically as Beloved by God.This is the true self, every other identity is an illusion.’
–Brennan Manning
Hi, I’m Hannah and I’m going on the World Race!! That is a statement I have hoped to say out loud for years – since I found out this crazy race existed. Besides taking toooo long to finally answer God’s call and let this dream flourish, here are a few things about me!
I’m from Portland, Oregon which until recently, was the best kept secret on the West Coast! With quick drives to outdoor recreation at beaches, mountains, rivers and sand dunes, it’s no wonder I now meet someone from a new state every. single. day. Add in dozens of independent book stores, coffee roasters, breweries, distilleries, and dairies, plus incredible encouragement for individual weirdness, creativity and rejection of status quo life expectations, and you can see that there’s no place like home.
Perhaps non-coincidentally, I love strong coffee, smokey whiskey, colorful flowers, unique Nike products and scented soy candles. I spend hours at used book stores and libraries and finish a book approx. every two weeks. I’m slightly obsessed with quotes and keep lists of them in journals, throughout planners, on body parts and within technology. I play music loud enough to blow out the speakers in every car and every pair of headphones I’ve ever owned. It’s a problem… but not enough to stop…
Growing up I have always had a heightened sense of injustice about the World and seriously considered running away from our broken/self-centered/oppressive/capitalistic systems to go stick my head in the sand on a hippie commune somewhere. But I came to see that wouldn’t do anyone any good and that God loves this messed up place more than I can comprehend – and He called me to love it too! So I got my degree in Social Work, to express my love for and from Jesus by becoming His hands with those who need His care the most. Instead of abandoning the system, I hope to acquire enough knowledge to jump into the middle of it and effectively advocate for the rights of vulnerable populations and to change the systems for the Kingdom. I feel passionate about the fact that if Jesus walked through Portland today, I would see him at my workplace before I would see Him in my church – what a beautiful King! I am also finishing up a post-bacc certificate in Trauma-Informed Services. This perspective prioritizes a nonjudgmental presence to establish real connection and relationship with clients. The more I learn about this “new” field of counseling and healing, the more I recognize its key facets as traits of Jesus – and see how perfectly God created us to be in relationship with Him! Literally, our brains wither and die without the connections God hopes to have with us! I have a lot of thoughts about this potentially beautiful partnership between psychology, social work and Jesus and I’m excited to use this blog to flush out ideas from around the World!
Besides my parents, my family includes an older sister and her awesome husband, a twin sister who does not look like me, one big black dog who thinks he’s a human and a cat I spontaneously brought home from the humane society one year ago. I’ll probably miss him the most.
Cooking is my creative stress-relieving outlet and I hope to keep it going, maybe cooking for my team every once in a while! One of the things I’m most excited about in traveling is trying new foods and flavor combinations, from spicy Indian curries, real Chinese food, African carbs, Central American flavors and more.
To expand from the ‘Who’ –
- follow this link to more on the ‘What, Where, and When’
- this Link for my ‘Why’ explanation of my World Race adventure
- and this link for more on the ‘How’. (hint: Only with YOUR help)
Thanks so much for taking the time to read!! Subscribe at the top to stay updated on the trip, meet my squad mates, hear what God is doing around the world and more!
