Travel should be a lovely, eye-opening and magnificent experience.  Whether you are driving a few hours or flying across the world, you want to be certain your trip will be a memorable one. 

Clinton is home to Custom Travel Professionals, LLC, an award-winning Travel Agency.  “I started Custom Travel Professionals in July of 2011,” reflects Jill Hiers, Owner and Vacation Designer of the company. “I had been booking travel part-time and was also working in real estate.  The real estate market had really taken a dive and it took a lot of praying to know which direction to go.  I took that moment of white space, had a one-on-one with God, and as quickly as I finished that prayer, my travel business exploded!”

Jill brings something truly special to the travel industry.  She is warm, generous and kind, and has a great passion for booking marvelous trips.  She smiles, “One size doesn’t fit all with travel!  I truly love booking custom travel.”  Many clients prefer all-inclusive trips, but Jill really loves finding that hidden gem or secret piece of property.  “Whether it is a jerk chicken spot on the side of the road or a magnificent waterfall down a hidden trail, I really like taking travel to a new level,” she says.

Jill hopes her clients will truly experience places during a trip.  “I want my clients to immerse themselves in different cultures, and I love to focus on the details!” she says.  “I travel often, but not to the point that it is a detriment to my clients.  It is very important for me to go and view the places I am recommending to people.”

Jill notes that the Internet has done both wonderful and terrible things for the travel industry.  She says, “You can look at a destination and be overwhelmed with the information you find.  Or you can read reviews that just aren’t genuine.  The pictures online might look wonderful, but in person it looks completely different.  So much of the information found online isn’t accurate. You might even find something that hasn’t been reviewed well, but is truly fantastic!”

When booking with Custom Travel Professionals, you know you are getting a genuinely wonderful property.  Jill’s clients are spread all over the country, and many found her by word of mouth.  She says, “It is so neat to have someone call and say, 'My aunt booked a trip three years ago with you and raved about the help you sent her!'  Many of our clients travel frequently, and some only vacation every few years.  When they continue using us, it is a testament to our company.”

Jill currently lives in Clinton with Chuck, her husband of fifteen years, and their children Caroline and Garrett.  Jill has thirty agents working for her and they are located across the nation, from New Hampshire to California.

Jill smiles, “When I am booking a trip for my clients, I often refer to Ernest Hemingway’s quotes, ‘What if I fall?  Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?’  This helps to remind people that sometimes you have to go outside of your comfort zone to experience everything the world has to offer.”  Hoping for an unforgettable trip?  Visit Custom Travel Professionals’ website here, or click here to visit their Facebook page.  You can also call 1.888.220.0915.

Thank you to Kelly Dillon Creative for taking Jill's beautiful family photos!  All other photos courtesy of Custom Travel Professionals, LLC.

Oxford’s beloved Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is hosting a Membership Party TONIGHT on the square!  “It’s a fun party with lots of music, a silent auction, and delicious food and drinks.  It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and a great way to support Thacker,” says Kathryn McGaw, Executive Producer and Director of Thacker Mountain Radio Hour.  “This party helps keep our programming free and open to the public both locally and abroad.  We are broadcast worldwide on the Internet!”

Tonight’s party promises music by Thacker Mountain Radio’s house band, The Yalobushwhackers, a signature cocktail by Snackbar, and beer from Yalobusha Brewery.  The Silent Auction features incredible items such as a ghost tour of Oxford, dinner for 8 prepared by John Currence, and a private reading of an unpublished work by Larry Brown, read by his son, Shane.

Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, an award-winning music and literature program, has been charming fans since 1997.  It was created by two Southern Studies graduate students at Ole Miss and has continued to grow rapidly.  The free show is hosted every Thursday at 6:00pm during the spring and fall, and is rebroadcast every Saturday night on Mississippi Public Radio.  The weekly show features live author readings and impressive musical performances on the square in Oxford. 

Tonight’s party is from 6:00 to 9:00pm at Southside Gallery.  Kathryn says, “The party is free for members, just come right on in!  Or, to become a member, it is $75 for a partner membership, $50 for an individual membership and $20 for a student membership.  You can join online, send us a check, or simply join at the door tonight!”

Members not only support this wonderful organization, but can also attend another party in the spring, and gain access to information about Thacker Mountain Radio and its seasonal schedule before it is publicly announced.  To become a member or donate to the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, please click here.  You can also learn more about Thacker on their website here. 

We hope to see all of you on the square in Oxford tonight!  Let's gather and celebrate this extraordinary radio show that brightens lives each and every week.

“I have always liked the process of creating something.  Creating anything, really.  When I was younger, I enjoyed making music.  After college, I fell into doing wedding videos,” reflects Brian Flint, owner of B. Flint Photography in the historic town of Oxford.  “The camera I used to capture videos was a DSLR.  I was in the right place at the right time, and a lot of my friends started getting engaged and married, and asked if I would take some photos of them.  I said sure, and one thing led to another.  I decided to launch B. Flint Photography – a different brand of photographs.”

One glance at Brian’s photographs and you are sure to gasp at the beauty he captures.  Brian is a self-taught photographer, and approaches weddings with a journalistic eye.  He laughs, “I stay out of the way, honestly.  Most people don’t even know I’m there!  I like capturing very romantic and intimate portraits.”

His photos are truly impeccable.  Some of Brian’s favorite moments to capture are during a couple’s wedding reception.  “I like getting into the crowd, really getting into it, and capturing people having a great time.  I love roaming free and catching people having fun and celebrating!”  He adds, “I like shooting real moments.  Not staged or fake.”

Brian’s style of photography is simply breathtaking, and he gathers much of his inspiration from local bookstores.  He says, “I gravitate toward the photography section.  I don’t really enjoy looking at other people’s wedding photos, but I get a lot of inspiration looking at other artists’ work.  Some of my favorite books are just filled with street photography – portraits of random people on the street.  I also love looking at old black and white film photos from the 1930’s.”

Brian enjoys shooting both color and black and white photographs at weddings.  But most importantly, he wants the bride and groom to fall in love with their photos.  He says, "When couples get their photos back, I want them to look at a photo and remember what a sweet, awesome moment it was.  I want to capture them naturally.  I do guide them, but I want couples to be themselves.  That will be expressed beautifully through a photograph.”

For more information on B. Flint Photography, please visit his website here.  You just might find yourself spending hours on his site, gazing at all of his incredible photos.

This Tuesday, December 1, is World AIDS Day.  A day to bring awareness to the disease and an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV.  One of the world's leading pediatric HIV specialists practices right here in Mississippi, and we are thrilled to share her extraordinary story today!

In March 2013, an international media explosion swirled around a tiny baby girl and an extremely destructive virus.  Born to an HIV-positive mother in a rural hospital, the infected infant was rushed to University of Mississippi Medical Center for immediate care.  Upon her arrival, at a mere 30 hours old, a doctor began treating her with three aggressive drugs.  Twenty-three months later, it appeared the child, dubbed the “Mississippi baby,” had been functionally cured of HIV.  The world took notice. 

At the heart of the storm was Dr. Hannah Gay, a brilliant pediatric HIV specialist at UMMC.  Hannah was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, and she gracefully waded through the spotlight.  Beneath the image of a world-renowned physician is a shy woman who can send a wave of calm over you in a simple conversation.  Hannah says softly, “My faith defines who I am.  It influences everything I do and every decision that I make.” Not originally trained in HIV or infectious diseases, Hannah’s devotion to God and her family have led her down a fascinating career path to success.

Faith pulled Hannah, her husband Paul and their two small children to the famine-stricken country of Ethiopia in 1987.  She helped orchestrate major feeding projects, provided clean water supplies, and happily offered healthcare for mission employees and their families.   But mostly, Hannah loved staying home and caring for her children. “When we arrived in Ethiopia, we had two children.  When we left in 1993, we had four,” Hannah laughs.  Her pastor, Steve Street of Trace Ridge Baptist Church in Ridgeland, says, “The Gays are an extremely close family.  I know Hannah and Paul had mixed emotions about leaving the mission calling, but they returned to Jackson for the sake of their children.”

Back home in Jackson, Hannah was longing to get back into American medicine, but only part-time.  She could not bear missing out on quality time with her children.  Hannah’s daughter, Ruth Gay Thomas, says, “Never was there a time when my mom didn’t make a piano recital or a school play. Her family has always been her first priority, and her kids at work are also a huge priority.   She has always had the perfect balance.”

Hannah approached the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at UMMC and he offered her a part-time position as a disease specialist in the HIV clinic.  “I told him that I had no training whatsoever in HIV or infectious diseases.  I was just a general pediatrician,” says Hannah.  “He looked at me and said, ‘that’s okay.  You will learn.’”

Two months later, she inherited the HIV program, at a time when the knowledge base of HIV was spreading as quickly as wildfire.  “We discovered we could prevent transmission from a mother to an infant, which was so exciting!  We also began developing new and better drugs for infected children.  It has been very rewarding to see the transformation of a disease thought to be a universally fatal illness into a chronic, treatable illness.”  Hannah also laughs,” I have been stuck in the HIV program for twenty years now!” 

Daphne Sigler, RN Case Manager with the Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UMMC, works closely with Hannah’s patients and their families.  “The babies are our priority.  Being infected with HIV is overwhelming, and our role is to make this process as comfortable and easy as possible.”  She adds, “Hannah is wonderful.  She is reassuring with our families and patients; we cry with them and we celebrate with them.  Hannah is kind and generous, and has such a calming effect to her.  She is an excellent doctor and a wonderful resource for the entire state of Mississippi.”

Across the country, the HIV transmission rate from mother to infant is now less than one percent.  However, some mothers are not properly treated during pregnancy, and their child can become exposed during labor and delivery.  The “Mississippi baby” was one such case.  While the media called Hannah’s treatment “bold, gutsy and revolutionary,” Hannah simply states, “I was among those around the world treating babies with high-risk exposures.  That was standard therapy for me.”

The child’s virus was controlled, and she continued seeing Hannah regularly until around 12 months, when she began missing appointments.  Hannah and her staff suspected that she was not receiving her medication.  Suddenly, she stopped coming. 

With help from the Department of Human Services, the child was found at 23-months-old and her mother admitted she had not given her any medicine since her 18-month visit.  Shockingly, when tests were run, the virus was undetectable in her body.  “I was totally confused.  Bumfuzzled,” admits Hannah.  State-of-the-art labs could not find any replication of the virus in her blood.  “Usually the HIV virus shows up in the blood within two weeks of not taking medication. For this child to have gone 6 months and have tests come back negative was so highly unusual, it was unique.  There had never been a baby reported like this before.” 

News outlets flooded Hannah with attention.  Her daughter, Ruth, reflects, “Never in a million years would you expect this quiet, shy woman who hates attention to be in the thick of the spotlight!”  Even with the glare of the world blindingly focused on her, Hannah directed the glory to God.  “I was not specifically thinking about my life and I didn’t pray over the decision to treat the child that day.  I was just practicing the best medicine I knew how to practice,” says Hannah.  “I did not dream in my wildest dreams that this particular baby would be anything special.  I was trying to prevent her from being infected.  I failed – it was God who did the miracles, and I just happened to be standing close by at the time.”

Steve Street adds with awe, “Even with the media storm around her, she quietly came into church, enjoyed singing in the choir, and lovingly cared for children in the nursery.  Those were her preferred places. We have a deep respect for her in our church as a servant.  A humble servant.”

The “Mississippi baby’s” virus remained undetected until her 27-month birthday, when disappointing news struck.  Her tests came back positive in July 2014.   Thankfully, she is on medication and responding well.  Hannah smiles and says, “In Science, it is common that we learn as much or more from our failures as from our successes.  It opened up a new line of research and we are still hoping this case will be a big contributor to a cure.”  With God lighting her path, Hannah is taking significant strides in fighting this complex disease.

Thanksgiving is a joyful time of year.  Cool weather, family reunions, full bellies and football games all make for great memories each holiday. 

Thanksgiving is also a wonderful time to serve.  Shockingly, Mississippi has the worst hunger problem in America.  The Mississippi Food Network says that almost 1 in 4 Mississippians do not have enough to eat; that is a staggering statistic. 

After your family eats this Thanksgiving, consider serving Thanksgiving dinner to others in your community!  Many organizations throughout the state are looking for volunteers not only on Thanksgiving, but also throughout the holiday season.  Here are a few we wanted to highlight today:

Salvation Army Homeless Shelters in Tupelo:
The Salvation Army in Tupelo is hosting a community meal on Thanksgiving day.  Volunteers are needed and do not have to sign up.  “You can simply show up!” they say.  Volunteers can arrive anytime after 7:00am, and can stay as late as 2:00pm.  The Salvation Army says, “Not only will be serve a Thanksgiving dinner, we will also pack Christmas food boxes, accept food donations and add canned food items to our pantry on Thanksgiving day.”  What a wonderful way to serve in Tupelo.  For more information, call the shelter at 662.680.2754.

We Will Go Ministries in Jackson:
Based in downtown Jackson, We Will Go Ministries will be serving a Thanksgiving meal in their pavilion at 799 N Congress Street this Thursday from 10:00am until 2:00pm.  Everyone is welcome!  We Will Go Ministries says, “Volunteering is about more than just community service.  It is about building relationships…Our goal is to provide a time where people can hear from the Lord and live out the Great Commission by loving others.”  You can learn more about We Will Go Ministries through their latest newsletter here!

Mississippi Food Network:
This incredible organization is holding a Holiday Fund Drive to END HUNGER NOW.  They say, “Your support of the Holiday Fund Drive will help end hunger now for local children and families who do not have enough food. Every $1 you share will provide 7 meals for neighbors in need. Imagine all the joy you can bring this holiday season!”  What an incredible gift.  For more information, please visit their website here. 

A special thank you to Caitlyn Sullivan for providing the beautiful photographs featured in the blog today.  Members of the Inspiration Mississippi staff joined HIS Heart Ministries on Monday to deliver turkeys to families throughout the Jackson area.  HIS Heart Ministries delivers over 100 turkeys in the communities around their church to the families of those involved in their ministry and long time friends (many of which are elderly) from the neighborhood. Volunteers delivered turkeys on Monday, November 23rd at 4:00 pm and many faithful volunteers helped deliver.  Paula Stodghill, Executive Director, says,  “As we enter the homes with joyful hearts, we are careful to ask for prayer needs and pray with each family. Blessing our families is something we do enjoy all year, but it's a very special time at Thanksgiving. The families are so grateful for our small gift of love. Come rain or shine, we will deliver 100 turkeys to the families we hold dear to our hearts and serve weekly.”

We hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!