A Journey Written Together
WRITTEN BY CHERYL WELLS
Once a month I sit down and start to write for this magazine and usually for the previous 20 days, or so, I have been waiting and praying for a theme to emerge. I love to start writing and the words come. It’s been such a fun journey with Hanna and Jill, and I love the relationships that have come out of this. Women have a way of knowing what others need and desire and there have been so many times that they will pop in or just send me a text about getting together. They have been such an encouragement to me and to so many women in the Siouxland region, and beyond!
In the fall of 2018, I was featured on the cover of Siouxland Woman, and that experience marked a new beginning for me. It wasn’t that I hadn’t already been active, or that writing to encourage women was a new calling. Still, I am deeply grateful for the relationships and connections that have grown from that moment. Hanna is clearly in the right business, and she has the heart for it. Working with her has never felt transactional—quite the opposite. Her team is excellent, and not long after I began writing about leadership, I met Jill Foley. These two women are truly beautiful people who care deeply about women and also about Siouxland and the businesses that serve this region.
The times that we have met personally for coffee or for a meal have meant so much through the years of our relationship. It was always a little checkup to see how I was doing and usually came with a little gift to say how much you appreciated me! That’s what women do for each other, and it wasn’t unnoticed. Encouragement and love are so transformative for people in general and women thrive in that environment. I’m so thankful for their leadership in my life and John Maxwell says it changes the atmosphere. You both provided a place for me to spread my wings and I began to write about Destination Le Mars also in 2023 where I would talk about all the growth happening here.
Writing two articles each month has helped me grow as a writer and in this area of my life. I have known for quite some time that I am meant to write a book. I am not sure when that will happen, but I believe the season will come. Many dear friends continue to ask when I will begin, and I trust God with the things I believe He has called me to do, including giving me the ability to do them.
It has been fun to be one of the cover girls and also to meet others, whether it was through reading their stories, or going to one of the events that was for deeper connections. I also have met so many men and women through the years that have reached out about one of the articles that I have written. At times, people have either called the ministry or the store, as well as they have emailed and requested some time to talk. I have loved doing that and those relationships wouldn’t have been if not for connecting through the magazine.
Thank you, Siouxland Woman Magazine, and thank you to all the readers—both men and women. I have received many comments from both, and I am grateful for every one of them. Hanna and Jill, blessings to you both and thanks for all the women that you have touched through the years. You both are very inspiring women of great influence.