Serengeti and Trip Wrap Up!

This post is about a week late!  Took a bit more recovery time that I had anticipated.  What an incredible trip it was and thanks for following along on the journey!

We spent out last few days after the Massia village on a Safari together. 

Here are a few pictures:

Me and Steve Larmey (VP of YL Africa)

We really did love each other more after 3 weeks together!

I did not zoom this in, we were within arms length!

And...on the last night of our Safari I was able to surprise Emma with a Promise / Purity ring that I had purchased prior to our trip.  I read some promises, dropped on a knee, and officially set the bar really high for the to be suitor/future fiancee!!! (goal accomplished)

Here are some pic's from that:

If you are still reading...well thank you!  Emma and I were blessed and the biggest memory from this trip will be the time we were able to spend together!  We appreciate the prayers, and support! 

Thank you!

Jamie & Emma

Massia Village Part 2....Picture Collage!

Jamie and the Chief of the Massia Village.

Emma and local girl at the work project

Young Massia warrior teens (these guys are all Young Life leaders)

Emma giving water to a local boy (work project underway in the background)

Massia Village Part 1

We have been out of internet service for a full week.  Longest stretch for me since the internet started!  Yikes!  Wake up call!  So Emma and I are catching up on a few days on unreal experiences, ministry, and God movements. 

We travelled 6 hours on a caravan bus out into the 'bush' to spend 3 nights in a Massia village where we have Young Life.  The below picture is of Giddeon's family (he is our Young Life Area Director in this village).  When we get a better internet connection I will post a video of this (this was the first time they had their picture and video taken, so it was quite a ordeal and happening!). 

Much happened in these 3 days including a slaughtering of two live goats (of which I did one of them!).  We also saw a club, Emma played in a soccer game, and we visited neighboring Boma's (villages) where we have Young Life. 

I am still in shock and awe that we actually have Young Life so far out into nowhere.  But here in the middle of nowhere we have leaders who care about kids who are doing club, campaigners, and taking over 200 Massia kids to camp this summer! 

Incredible...more to come!

Jamie & Emma

Powerful visit to Bagamoyo...

As apart of our trip to Tanzania we had the opportunity to visit a place called Bagamoyo. This is the site where all the slave caravans converged from all across West Africa and millions of salves where sent to Zanzibar island to be sold around the Middle East and Asia. This was a place of bondage of pain and of tears and blood...and Evil.

However it was also the same place the first Christian missionaries landed and used the same caravan routes to bring the Gospel to Africa. At the very end of the trail, right on the beach where the boats would have been loaded sits a large cross (see picture of Simon our Ugandan country director and I).

Last night Steve Larmey, VP for YL Africa, shared a vision that he and other senior African staff have had recently. Next summer they want to do a Prayer Caravan all the way from Bagamoyo to Uganda (some 1500 miles), with teams of people walking this entire route praying and reclaiming what was used for Evil and pain into a route of joy and hope! WOW!

We leave today for an adventure "into the Bush". We will be in a remote Massia village for the next 4 days with no Internet (and no toilets or electricity :)

Blessings

Meeting our Developing Global Leader (DGL Student)!

Earlier this week Emma and I got the opportunity to meet the DGL (Developing Global Leader) that our family has been sponsoring for the last year. The DGL program launched 4 years ago by Young Life is an initiative to identify 100 of our best graduating seniors around the world who otherwise would not be able to afford a college education AND have the best potential for future leadership in Young Life. 

See the web site here:  http://ylgloballeaders.org/

The Hanson family starting sponsoring Behailu from Ethiopia a year ago.  Emma and I got to meet this ball of energy during our trip.  'Bee' as we called him is doing ministry in a high populated area of Muslims.  His personality is infectious and you can't help but smile (see him below with a wig on).  He was formerly a professional soccer player but badly broke his leg in a match and his carrer was finished.  He hopes to someday come on the Young Life staff!  You can see his story at this link:

http://ylgloballeaders.org/show/390

Another fun part of the story is that Gee (his name is longer) is down here in Tanzania participating in our Young Life Africa Committee time.  I found out yesterday that G is Behialu's leader, mentor, and discipler.  Such a great picture of generational discipleship.  Here is a picture of G, Emma, and I.  And below you can see a short video describing how the African's do ministry (they plant 'Mango Trees instead of Tomato Plants)

Leadership Tree Video:  

https://vimeo.com/59980049

 Blessings,
Emma and Jamie

Day 2 & 3 at Ethiopia Young Life Camp

What an incredible week we have had at the camp in Ethiopia.  We started out 'roughing it', even though we had the best accomodations on the property and ended up serving our tails off and loving every minute. (Isn't that the gospel?!).  Even when our flesh says take, Jesus says give.  Oh how my selfish nature fights this.  It was fun, so fun, to see Emma respond to this this and serve.   The end result being 178 kids giving thier lives to Jesus.  The below picture doesn't quite give the scene justice.  At this camp in Ethiopia they do club in a Greenhouse.  Yes, an actual greenhouse.  They roll up the sides but it is still extremely hot.  In fact when the kids are dancing you can see steam rising off them!  Pretty cool, actually.  There is much more to share about this camp but with a lack of internet we are running behind in our updates so we wanted to post this great report of salvation and rejoicing!  

Emma and Jamie

We go to Camp!!!!

Emma and I have returned from an incredible 3 days at Young Life camp in Ethiopia.  Here is a quick write up on Day 1.

No access to phone, internet, or any other electronic.  I realized as we drove back to Addis that I have not truly 'unplugged' for a VERY long time. Getting to camp is no easy process here in Ethiopia.  I have been many places in the world and experienced lots of transportation issues.  But sitting in a small car on a Ethiopian 'freeway' might be at the top of the list of 'not fun' experiences.  No AC, and thousands of old trucks, dump trucks, semi's, and buses billowing black smoke with potholes, accidents, and honking horns and 2 hours later I had a large headache from the fumes. 

When we got to camp and I heard that kids coming from a town called Jima had travelled 12 hours...well, suffice to say it was my first of many wake up calls.  (Emma did fine by the way and chatted endlessly with Moges (country director) - yet another humbling reminder of my only child issues :). 

We arrived and the first person to greet us was Ephram, a DGL student.  He is a quiet but very effective leader (one of 200+ here in Ethiopia). We met the DGL student the Hanson family sponsors the next day and he is AWESOME!  I will do a write up on him in one of my next posts.

Moges (knowing me) brought us to our 'room/closet'.  He offered to take us to a hotel each night of the camp. I was thinking:  No bathroom, OLD mattresses, crickets and bugs, no mosquito nets, had to lock us IN at night, no shower for 3 days.....HELL NO. As I was about ready to say, 'ya, we will just do the hotel deal, I turned to Emma and she said "Moges this is awesome and you have given us the best place at camp, we will stay here..THANK YOU".    So, we moved in.  (see picture below).

More to come....

Emma getting 'used' to her bunk for the next 3 days!  It was about the size of our pantry :)

Walking the streets, doing Contact work!

We had Incredible experience today as we walked the streets with Young Life leaders doing contact work in slum neighborhood called Kelfe. We are leaving for camp out in the bush today with no Internet. So we will check back on Saturday...HAPPY 4th!!

Here is a quick picture of me with a few leaders!

Addis Ababa, new friends, HEART BROKEN..and a large puddle...

It's Emma!  Today was our first FULL day here in Ethiopia.  First thing to know about Addis Ababa is that it is in the mountains and about 8000 ft above sea level.  Also, it is winter here and pretty cold.  (would have been nice if my Daddy told me this when packing - that is ok, he is light on the detials side...good thing my Mom is BIG on detials and thus I was prepared!).

Today we joined a YLX (Young Life Expeditions) team who has been here already for a week.  It is a group of young working adults from Atlanta and one other family with a girl my age named Meridith from Indiana.  She is nice and we are friends already.  After meeting this new group at the Young Life house we went to an orphanage that Young Life partners with.  This was a special orphanage specializing in kids with HIV/AIDS and cancer.  I cried a couple of times as I held little babies that had cancer it was very very over whelming for me, my Dad and our group!! I got attached to some of the kids i wanted to adopt some of them (maybe when i am older i will do that).  The people working there were amazing and I really can't type what I experienced.  I am putting a few pictures here of our time.

When we were driving back to the Young Life house we drove through this ENORMOUS puddle it was huge it looked like a mini lake and when we drove through my dad thought the water was going to leak through the car doors! It was hliariously funny! See the video here:

~Emma

Arrived in Ethiopia!

So, Jenny and I got Emma a iphone for her birthday this last weekend.  I had no idea how quickly a 13 yr old could get connected on Instagram, start texting, download apps like Pic Collage (which is cool...see pic above) and have over 100 pictures all ready taken.  Well it takes about 2 days :).  After 27hrs we have arrived in Ethiopia.  No hot water in our hotel and we had to go through security just get to the front desk to check in. (never done that before).

I had to give Emma the CRASH course on Cross Cultural Orientation as we waited at the airport tonight.  Being a tall, blond, blue eyed white girl drew more attention than both of us were prepared for.  Lots of starring and laughing.  Add to it the 'keep your mouth completly shut when you shower and never..never..never drink the water' and my little princess is sufficently freaked out.

We are excited to see one of my great friends Mogus Berassa (Regional Director for YL Ethiopia) tomorrow.  (Below is Mogus and I at the 2012 All Staff Conference).  He is an incredible person who is leading a ministry here in Ethiopia that is changing this country.  Over 5000 kids will attend camp in Ethiopia alone this summer! 

Day 1! 

The Journey Begins....AFRICA!

Good morning, its Emma!  (I am Jamie Hanson's daughter :)) I got up at 5:30 this morning and we just got passed security and now one of my first times ever sitting in Red Carpet Club. (One of the few perks for a 13yr old girl of a Dad that travels around the world!) 

We will be flying a total of 27 hrs in planes.... I wont be looking forward to flying but when we land i will be because we will be in Ethiopia and meeting Moges Berassa (he is the country director for Young Life), and we will be going to a Young Life camp to do work crew!!  yipppeee!  Pray for me, I get sick on airplanes and my Dad reeealllly doesn't like throw up type stuff (he is kind of a big baby about that :))

I am still raising money for my work crew experience if you want to help: 

http://www.razoo.com/story/Emma-S-Fundraise-For-Africa?referral_code=share

Bye for now!

Emma

PS - if you want to follow me on Instagram you can @ehanson19