As a child growing in Jordan, we lived in extreme poverty, nine people living in one small room. The role models in my life were my own biological mother and later my American foster Dad and Mom, the late Dr. Robert and his wife Mary Darnell who were missionaries in the Middle East. They demonstrated to me that true significance in life is not by your educational achievements, career success, or how big is your stock portfolio, but your life is measured by the influence you make in lives of others, especially the poor and needy regardless of their race, color, ethnic or religious background. But seven years ago I had cancer and knew God was calling me to a new direction of my life, to fulfill a dream to serve disadvantaged children. So I quit my job and started Reaching Hearts for Kids (http://www.reachinghearts4kids.org), a ministry for poor and orphaned children, HIV/AIDS in Africa. We have grown to support children by providing shelter, food, clothing, medical care, and basic education in 10 countries worldwide. I do the work mostly alone in a small den in my small apartment. Our biggest project is in Ethiopia where we started building the first home for orphans in Ambo, Ethiopia, in 2007. We plan to build a model village of 10 homes, a school, a guesthouse for volunteers and a health clinic on a new land in Legedafu, 13 km north of Addis. The impact of one Good Samaritan investing in my life as a child now has ongoing ripple effects for generations. When we help kids, we are actually investing in lives of future world leaders, thus making this world a better and safe place to live for us and our children and grandchildren. Because I work alone the need for volunteers is great in the areas of development, writing, fundraising and technology and hope someone with these qualifications can volunteer and help us. Thank you.
-Norma N., 55-64, Beltsville, MD
I always felt that I had the need to change things around me, make the world better, bring people together and motivate them. I chose to start my lifetime dream by studying marine biology, so I can go in the right direction to help the creation of marine protected areas. I find oceans so important because we eat what's in the sea, but if it continues like this we will have no more fish in 50 years. Life in the sea is so important and amazing, we need to protect it! There are tons of potentialities in the sea regarding medicine, food and beauty. I'm now doing a master degree in marine ecology, working on deep-sea ecosystems (1km) and trawling impact on them offshore Vancouver Island in Canada. I do hope that government will take into account my project and that it will help regarding marine conservation issues. My lifetime dream is to bring together my passion for sailing and oceans, my passion for people and my goal to do my best for marine conservation. I found that a good way is to make documentaries about different topics to inform people and sensibilize them. I made one last year about Ecotourism in Cuba and I loved the experience. The Coastal Ecosystems Research Center will show our documentary in Cuba to inform people. People say I'm a dreamer... but I take actions to make it happen! I know who to have around me, how to take actions and make dreams possible. I do think that when a dream is so strong in your heart, it's all about destiny. Don't you think?
-Maeva G., 25-34, Victoria, BC
I was born and raised on Galveston Island, Texas. A very diverse yet complicated island. My family lived through the single most devastating natural event in the history of this country. The 1900 Storm. Still referred to this day as the "storm" We born here are BOI's. BORN ON THE ISLAND. Ever since grade school and studying pyramids I have longed and yearned to go to Egypt. To see for myself the great pyramids, the desert, the Nile River, the art, mummies, the people, make papyrus, pick from the fig trees, camp in the desert. Dream as the ancient Egyptians did and learn all I can about their culture first hand. What did so many writings mean? How did such an advanced culture just fade away? I have seen some pyramids in Mexico but nothing compares to Egypt. King Tut was always my favorite. A boy King. WOW. What a responsibility. I was still playing dolls at 8 years old. I would dream of seeing his burial chambers and touching just one piece of his personal effects. Photographing the Giza! Oh Egypt! I feel connected to this place. It is part of me and my dreams and my personality. So magical. So historic. So positively beautiful in every way. If ever I could have a wish come true and a lifetime of dreams unfold before me, it would be to go to Egypt and finally be in a part of what has been a part of me most of my life!
-Norma Jean N. 55-64, Galveston Island, TX
As the child of "older parents" I watched my parents siblings age, become ill and go through feelings of uselessness. I remember going to my grandmother Goldie's house as a child. She was fortunate enough to attend my wedding. Then she had a stroke and when I began my family she was afraid to hold my baby. I know she felt left out of family life. When she died, my grandfather was alone and he felt left out of life. He didn't need to feel this way and we tried to include him and make him feel useful. But, he just felt old. I believed these feelings of uselessness in the aging population to be culturally unique to America. I am now active in a parish nurse program. This program has expanded to Jerusalem and I have learned that I am wrong. There are lonely, aging people everywhere in the world. This program has introduced a spark of life and purpose into the hearts and minds of many people, including the important segment of our society, the elderly! I hear about the people in Jerusalem, like my grandparents, who are afraid and feel left out of life. I would love to be a part of this outreach for the "forgotten population" in Jerusalem, even if for a week! I would like to be a part of this outreach that shows how important the elderly are to the world, even if they do live alone. Oh, they have so much to share if only they dare!
-Joan N., 45-54, Melford, NY
My lifedream is to help the world but I don't want fly around the world to accomplish this. With raised awareness to our effects on the earth, now is the time for people to take responsibility. Our communities must get back to attempts at self sustaining "old fashioned" ways of growing our own vegetables, commuting by foot or bicycle and negating the need of petroleum based wraps and containers. This will not only produce a much more kindred community but also slow down it's often unforgiving and unrelenting fast pace. Right now I shall continue to live by example and put all my energy into an attempt to not be a hypocrite. Soon I will have found the best ways to do this and live the way I truly want. Then through networks I will, and have created, I will in turn increase my scopes until my community has changed and hopefully along the way inspire other members of other communities to do the same.
-Noel H., 18-24, Langley, BC
