We just got our first “real” snow of the year, but it was only four inches or so where we live. Typically, this would have inspired Hannah to drag a brother or two outside to build a snowman. It’s weird how things that we once looked forward to can quickly become just painful reminders. ‘Tis the season for that, I guess. We are looking forward to the new year.
If you are new to this page, and didn’t know Hannah, I will take a moment and fill you in. In brief, she was hardworking, diligent, industrious, goal focused, and she looked for opportunities to take on responsibility. Some of this was covered in her eulogy, and that is still posted on this page. I would encourage you to read both her “testimony” and her eulogy, or you can watch them on our YouTube channel by going into the “Videos” tab on this site. To read about all that has happened from the first day, you can go to the “Posts” tab and just scroll back to the beginning. Anyway, her main goal was to serve God wherever He wanted her to go, and in whatever way He saw fit. This was her prayer with a friend that Monday that things began, and in her chapel notes that day, she wrote, “I don’t know where I am going, but Jesus is the/my way.” That was her heart and focus, and she obviously had no idea that she would be used in such a unique way, beginning just a few hours later.
A big part of her preparation for the future began with her education. We have chosen to homeschool our children, and while it’s not for everyone, it was an amazing opportunity for Hannah to learn at her own speed. She loved education, being in school, and learning. It was almost as exciting as food! Since homeschooling provided a flexible schedule, she was able to get a job at 16, and to start saving for her college education. She would get up at 6am, do school for a couple hours, then go to work, then come home and complete her studies for the day. She was always working ahead as well. Dual enrollment also became a big part of her education. This allowed her to take college level courses and get credit for the class both in high school and in college. With the addition of summer classes, and some during Christmas “break”. She was able to start this year, her first year on campus, as a second semester Sophomore. With the money that she saved while working, combined with the grants and financial aid that she found for herself, she began her college career with enough money to pay her way through her 4-year degree. That did not stop her from working though. She took on a job with the night cleaning crew on campus to be able to make some more money for whatever lay ahead in her life.
Secondary English Education was her chosen major, with English as a Second Language as her minor. She loved English and wanted to be able to teach it wherever and to whomever the Lord had in mind. As a “senior trip” in high school, she went on a medical mission’s trip to Albania. She worked in the registration department and got her first real taste of working with a translator. This was a good experience for her, and she enjoyed it. Working with the bus kids at church also gave her a love for English as a second language, as many of the kids also speak Spanish. Hannah took several years of Spanish in high school. She was looking forward to using these abilities wherever the Lord would take her. She was also considering starting a class to teach English, as a ministry of our church, to anyone that would like to come and learn. It would have given her an immediate, Christ honoring, use of her education, and been a help and witness to those in our community that don’t know the English language. Clearly the Lord had other plans in mind…
With her focus on education, and her dedication to work to pay for it, she was also always analyzing where she was in her journey of life. We talked about many things, and she was always thinking of, and preparing for her future. She was willing to work harder, but she was also willing to work less and serve more. Money and her education were always just a means to an end. They were never the “end” themselves. Serving others for the Lord was always her goal, wherever and however He saw fit. At the funeral, we were proud to hear that she had been arriving early for her classes. When she was asked why she wanted to be the first to class, she told her classmates that she wanted to be able to pray for each of them before they arrived. We were not aware of this, but in some ways, it wasn’t too much of a surprise either. When she came home on the weekends, we would hear about all the things that happened that week, and about all the needs that others had and their prayer requests. Hannah worked extremely hard preparing for her future, she was always analyzing her current position in relation to her goals, she was willing to make changes, and all of this was secondary to the needs of others. In fact, serving others was always the intention of all the preparation. In our daily lives and focus, let’s consider if our lives are about serving others or maybe a little too much about just serving ourselves. Jesus first, Others second, You last. That spells “JOY”.
We are blessed
Hannah Helps 