Day Two:Ghana

09.19.07

**there are some more pictures from "day two" to be posted, but the server for whatever reason won't allow me so I will have to do it later--hopefully then it will work. Hope you enjoy these! Don't forget to add your comment. We would love to hear.

(click on each picture to make them much larger)

We rise early in the morning after a good night’s rest and full bellies from Bonnie’s cooking we loaded the van and began the drive to our village. The day we had anticipated and replayed our minds start to finish and now it was time to try to see if the process worked and if so how well.



Here are just a few of the sites we saw on our way to our first tribe.

A mother bathes her little boy in front of her roadside store before a long day's work ahead of her.



And I think it's hard to be a mom, but here mom's don't only carry their children, but almost always with some heavy load of something on her head. Here a mother elegantly carries her little one on her back while balancing all that wood on her head mostly with several miles still ahead of her to go.



In a land of little, one must continually be resourceful even when it comes to building a fence.




We passed these two boys who were balancing virtually enough wood for a bonfire on the back of their bikes.




When we arrive at the villiage the children were in school, but soon they were dismissed as it isn't every day that they see vistors let alone white and from the United States. Look at the shear joy on these children faces as Zenda, my mom, simply twirls a wand making bubbles—it’s magic to these little ones.



...notice the little boy in dark orange in front as he feels his face after a bubble just landed and popped there



Below: See the little girl in front? Now notice her belly button. It is severely herniated—a sight soon to be common among the children in this village. This issue is probably something that could have been easily prevented in most cases, but without much help from outside the village, the midwives of this tribe are left to do the best they know how.



For us in America, a family portrait is something we take for granted, but in third-world societies a family portrait is a true rarity. I don’t even think that most of the people who sat down in front of my lens even realized what that big black thing on legs (my tripod) was doing anyway or at least until they received their print documenting their moment of confusion. I had not expected the stone expressions I would continually receive and that I would have to encourage, encourage and encourage some more each individual, including the children, to give me a smile when they would come to have their picture taken. Typically a smile is one thing I can help generate pretty quickly and easily, but here in Ghana a smile is something I had to work for each time I put a camera in front of my face. Fortunately, I was quickly able to find almost a flawless way to see those pearly whites. What to know my secret? Trying to speak their own language and not being able to do it very well. Love ya, lima, lima, love ya—over and over again could be heard coming from me. I heard Mary, my translator saying it fast and repetitiously after she understood what I was trying to accomplish so I followed suit even though I did not know what I was even saying! I think my attempts alone were so funny that they were gracious to me and gave me a “deep down in the soul” kind of smile. Here I was successful—even “knee slapping” successful from the Patriarch!



Same family, but here watch the woman on the back row disappear—too funny. She was blushing so hard that she went down to her knee trying to cover up her smile/laughing behind her family.



After everyone from the tribe had had their picture taken we decided to do something else that would fun. Children of all ages and languages enjoy a little Crayola. I know I do. Don't you? Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me in my travels how a little stick of colored wax can bring such timeless joy and imagination to every age let alone every culture.





This beautiful young lady bare's her tribal markings...slits cut into her cheeks when she was not even a few months old.



1000 Words of Hope is a project of Creative Differences, the non-profit we are forming. At Creative Differences we try to find creative ways to generate hope in the midst of difficult situations and we cannot do that without you! Embracing our creative differences to make a creative difference--we want to encourage everyone to look at their unique gifts and talents and find a creative way to give back in a way that is uniquely them. One of my mom's talent is a "knock 'em dead" manicure and polish (ask anyone who has recieved one from her)--I am not kidding. Here is one of the women who got to enjoy just a little part of that experience. Can red nail polish brighten someone's day? Of course it can! After all, part of a woman's nature is to feel and look beautiful--isn't it?. And if you didn't already know that just look at the expressions on the faces in this picture. Enough said.




On our way back to the compund after a long, but very successful day, we passed the Stadium for the African Cup: a $120 million dollar project. The juxtaposition of obvious poverty and money is overwhelmingly sad as Ghana tries to prepare for the upcoming African Cup in January amidst her people trying their best to make a way for their families



Back to our "base camp," Seed Ministry Compound. Today has been great. The vision for 1000 Words of Hope in our imagination had actually work in reality! And not only that, but four people came to Christ today too! The simple idea to give remote tribal people their first and only family portrait opened up yet another villiage to hear the name of Jesus!




Bob and Bonnie, the missionaries at Seed Ministry has asked if we could give each of their helpers (our translators) a family portrait too. We were so glad they asked. After dinner we started our first on-campus photoshoot. Here mom waves and makes noise trying to get the little baby Joanna’s attention. Thomas, her dad and one of our translators, holds her in his lap. Little did we know that within a few days, Joanna would become severely sick and running a frighteningly high fever and dehydrated. She most likely had contracted Malaria—a huge health crisis for the children of Africa. However, through much prayer the doctors were able to find the right medicines to treat her condition and her condition has continues to improve. Please keep Joanna and her family in your prayers.

Interesting Bit on Fundraising

This is Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Tonight I heard him speaking about fundraising for the Lincoln Center on Marketplace, a public radio program.



Here is the link to listen for yourself: http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/marketplace/2007/10/25_mpp?start=00:20:00.5&end=00:26:20.0


Among other insights into fundraising, Levy highlighted the privilege he has of giving his donors the opportunity of contributing to the greatness of the Lincoln Center. He said that he sees himself as doing givers an enormous favor because their gift actually gives meaning to their lives that they would not otherwise have.

I found this to be very encouraging in the midst of gearing up our funraising efforts. It was inspiring to hear his confident excitement about raising money for the Lincoln Center and I empathized with his perspective on donors as participants in the organization to which they are giving.

Giving to Creative Differences offers similar meaning as giving to the arts. You are making it possible for hope to be generated in the midst of difficult circumstances in ways that have not been considered before. There is great potential for new approaches to helping others when creativity is encouraged and people are given the opportunity to share their giftedness with the world. There are similarities between Creative Differences and the Lincoln Center. However, we are going a step further and asking others to participate in the work of generating hope through creativity. Try asking the Lincoln Center to let you play in the New York Philharmonic!

Our First Wedding Since Ghana Leads to Our First Sponsorship!

We met together with the couple whose wedding we will be shooting this weekend to discuss final details and they surprised us by sharing that they have decided to sponsor the 1000 Words of Hope Project on a monthly basis. This will be our first official monthly sponsorship and our letters have not even been mailed yet! Again we see clearly that God is moving ahead of us, constantly affirming his desire that we devote ourselves to this work.

It is comforting to hear others' support and excitement for this project. We are always excited about it and our thoughts about the growth of the organization or our next trips are always rattling around in our heads, but there is nothing like hearing someone else who understands what we are trying to accomplish affirm the importance of the work we are doing. This couple is so excited about the project that they have offered us the opportunity to display some of the pictures we took on our trip to Ghana during their reception. What a great opportunity to share the vision that God has given us both for future shoots in the US and trips abroad to give family photos to those who would otherwise not have them.

It is so exciting to see God working around every corner. I am convinced that my life before lacked the faith necessary to see God's hand in this way. But by jumping into this project head-on, Elizabeth and I have left ourselves with nothing but faith to rely and literally live on. I believe it is the greatest decision we have ever made together, and being apart of this work has truly changed our lives and perspectives forever.

Ariving in Ghana 9/18/07

*the building to the left is where we stayed

Finally, after much preparation, but most importantly—prayer, our team including our equipment had finally made it into the country. There were certain problems that Matt and I had anticipated arising, potentially putting the project itself at risk just because of the nature of the equipment we were carrying into a 3rd world country, but really all I can say is that it was obvious that God had gone before us making the path clear. God continued to show His faithfulness in this way throughout our time in Ghana in really monumental ways that I am excited to share with you.

We have only been home for week and finally making our way out of the jetlag fog, yet I am already eager to get back. (We will talk more about that later too). There is no place like Africa—the people, the land, and the culture. Bob and Bonnie’s presence along with home cooked meals (Bonnie’s biscuits and gravy—I am telling you what, that is some good stuff, people) added with Zoe’s pictures placed throughout our room made the compound feel like home. Even through the natural angst of leaving Zoe behind in DC, I don’t think two weeks has ever passed so quickly before in my life. The first day we got settled in at the compound then after a nice casual dinner with Bob and Bonnie (it was like we had known these people for years) we made sure that all of our equipment was running smoothly along with batteries freshly charged and compact flashes clean. Then we debriefed as a team and went over plans for the next day and called it an early night. With lights out and the air on high (it’s Africa), thankfully all of us enjoyed a good night’s rest.

Giving Thanks...

I finally got some sound shut-eye last night for the first time since I have been in the States and even though it was divided by two hours of bright-eye in the middle—I do feel like I was at least able to get some rest. So, it’s looking hopeful that I am finally pulling out of the jetlag.

Every time I am fortunate enough to travel to other cultures beyond my own, I always come home with a deeper appreciation for those many things I’ve come to enjoy while taking them for granted on a pretty regular basis. I take them for granted not because I am bad, but just because for the most part they are so familiar to me. After all, it’s easy to be aware and conscious of another’s need when you travel to places where life is simply about surviving another day.

So here are some things that I have been thankful for since getting home…

First, I have nine reasons to give thanks—

For the nine little red mosquito bumps that dot Zoe’s body from a little romping around in the grass.

Why? Well, because since I live in America, I don’t really have to worry if one of those bites on my daughter carried Malaria to her. After all, Malaria kills more children than any other health crisis including HIV/AIDS.

Tenth reason to give thanks…clean water.

The other night as soon as we had gotten all of the luggage out of the car, I decided to give Zoe a bath after a full day of travel. As soon as I turned on the faucet brown water began flooding into the tub. Zoe standing there naked and ready to get in…
It was such a surreal moment—immediately I decided that my child was not getting in that water while at the same time my mind was taken back to the rural clay roads and muddy stagnant watering holes that just days earlier I had seen people fetching their drinking water and filling larger containers to take home.
I called out to Matt—“This water in here is brown!” “It’s okay Elizabeth, it’s just sediment from the pipes sitting. It’ll clear up in just a second.” And it did.

Soon Zoe did not just have clean clear water running, but it was warm as well.

The eleventh reason to give thanks…warm water.

As I bathed my child in warm clean water, I still could not shake the feelings that came along with seeing that brown water filling into my bathtub. As Zoe played and splashed and we smiled back and forth at one another, I couldn’t help, but notice the stark difference between what my child has and what other children around the world have. This bath water was not only clean, but warm as well and it will be that way day after day after day. Then one more thing hit me…this clean water that my child plays in right now—she nor myself is even going to drink it, but instead when she’s finished with it we will open the drain and when we need or want clean water again we always know where to find it.


Just some thoughts as I process being home. I know these issues are hard issues and by all means they are not intended to make you or me feel guilty for having clean water or even being an American. But, these are issues that we must continue to address nonetheless and honestly these are just the fragmented thoughts that have been swirling around my jetlagged head since I’ve gotten home.

As promised…beginning Monday, we will start sharing more of our day-by-day journey in Ghana. We appreciate all of your patience as you so eagerly wait to know the details and those we so eagerly desire to share, but first as we try to make our base here at home once again.

Washington VS. Psalm 33

Same story this morning as I continue to find myself wide-awake at 4:00. I finally got the guts to get up and make it to the shower quietly stepping and hoping that I wouldn’t wake Zoe.

We fly out of DC around noon today and we should be arriving at 4:10 pm after we have a layover in Alanta and back up to Louisville.

It’s a funny thing, but if I am not going to be in Africa than I am always eager to get back to what I know is home. I guess it is because my heart feels the same peace there—that “feeling of home” kind of thing in Africa, as it does back at my house and the familiarity that surrounds it.

Important!

Monday we will begin posting our day-by-day journey through Ghana. So keep checking and please bear with us as we acclimate to US culture/time zones and trying to remain silent enough before God to hear His next step.

**Please feel free to comment or just say hello if you like. It’s always good to see who has been keeping up with our story.


YESTERDAY IN WASHINGTON




Yesterday Matt and I decided to load up Zoe and hit the Metro (DC’s subway system) to the Jefferson Memorial. We had a lot of fun as well as a pretty nice workout since the subway system didn’t take us as close as we had thought it would. The subway dropped us off right between the White House and the Washington Monument. We hit The Mall and began our long journey to the Jefferson Memorial. We first were able to see the Jefferson over the beautiful lake and while Matt and I stood there Marine One passed right before us, which was really exciting.



Once we made it to the Jefferson Memorial we strategize about how to get the stroller to the top while allowing her to walk them herself. I am sure that Zoe has been to more of the monuments than most have before two years of age.










She was a good sport especially since this all took place during what should have been her nap.




It was cute…Matt’s arm was getting tired from carrying her so far that he decided to try and get her to ride like the African women hold their little ones (without the cloth). She loved it! It’s a good thing because I bought some cloth in Tamale just for this reason.



It’s pretty bizarre to come from a country like Ghana were they talk in hours and days, instead of minutes immediately into such a fast pass society as DC. In DC, everything is in seconds—crossing the road, getting to the next meeting, catching the subway and to see people run like they are catching a plane is just strange, when The Metro has the same route available every ten minutes.

It was neat though as it was clear that God was teaching and reminding us a little about Himself in those moments yesterday. To slow down, enjoy the process (the ride as much as our destination) and that our security is not in the world of meetings or busyness or even business, but only in the One who Created the Heavens and the Earth and everything within it. (Everything here in DC is centered on the issue of Homeland Security)

**Check out Psalm 33. Read the whole thing, but focus on vs. 13-22, and may you have true and deep Peace from the One who created it as you go about your day.

Email from our friends in Ghana

This is a copy of an email sent from Bob and Bonnie this morning.

Matt, Elizabeth, Don and Zenda,

We just wanted to say thank you once more for all of your hard work while you were in Ghana. Each of you brought such an array of ministry to us that it would be difficult to say what was the 'best' part. Keep up the good work and know that there are many today that are enjoying your pictures. Even more importantly, know that you will spend eternity with some of those folks all because you cared enough to share a picture.
Keep in touch with us and don't forget to write something for the newsletter. Love ya!
Bob & Bonnie

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy

www.seedministry.com

(Elizabeth talking now)

Check out their ministry, what they are doing is really cool and has Matt and myself thinking. Bob and Bonnie did not go to Tamale to start a church, but instead they empower the Ghanaian Pastors in Tamale to empower their individual churches. Doesn't it make sense that an indigenous pastor would understand the needs of the people rather than someone else who grew up in a completely different atmosphere?

One more thing:

Seed Ministry is working on a container project, which you can check out on their website. If you can participate any way possible, I can tell you that it will be put to good use and further the Kingdom, but you only have a month before it is shipped.

Throughout our time in Ghana we continued to ask Bob and Bonnie what their wish list would look like. The kept shying away from our request because they are so humble at heart. However, through our continued urging and growing relationship they finally did write it out. This is what was on it.

Bob and Bonnie's wish list:

Container Project:

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Dental floss
Band aids
Triple antibiotic ointment or crème

New or used:
Medium to large bibles (no King James--the English is too hard, as they are just learning)
Bible commentaries
Bible concordances
Bible dictionaries

Weed eaters
Small generators
Bicycles and motorbikes for pastors
Any kind of instruments (new or used): guitars, pianos, keyboards--anything

They are asking for a $7.00 donation for every cubic square box you fill. Every little bit helps. Check it out on their website for more details.

seedministry.com

Jet Lagged

I literally have been rolling around in the bed wide awake since four this morning wondering how I could get up and get something done without waking up Zoe. Matt has been doing the same thing since a little before six. We are sharing a room with her in DC as we spend a little bit of time with Matt's parent's, which we don't often get to do. It has been neat to watch what Zoe's days must have looked like while we were away. We fly out tomorrow around noon and then we will all be adjusting to being at home. Hopefully, we will sleep better once we are all in our own beds.

Well, I hear Zoe in the other room repeating a cheerful, "Daddy, daddy, daddy?" Today is going to get started early with her early as well--it looks like.

Thanks for keeping up with us.

We Are Back in the US!!

We have returned after a long journey of 5,129 miles to DC where we have reunited with Zoe and are spending a couple of days with my parents. Our trip was a tremendous success in working through the logistics of photo shots in remote villages and experiencing the response of the people in seeing the first photographs of their families.

In addition to this, we developed a great relationship with Bob and Bonnie Parker of Seed Ministry in Tamale Ghana. Their ministry works to support the work of local pastors in Ghana in all sorts of ways including construction, medical, transportation, and education assistance. In addition to this, Seed Ministry sets up Bible clubs for children in villages where there are no churches. Bob and Bonnie and rest of the Seed Ministry staff worked so hard to accommodate our little team with transportation and crowd control for the shoots. We had a great time photographing some of the tourist spots as we made our way south to Accra. Our trip could not have been successful without their help! Check out their website at seedministry.com.

We are adjusting to the culture shock that comes with returning to all the niceties of the US. You never know how fortunate you are until you get to experience how the majority of the world lives. Hot showers, air conditioning, and Starbuck's do a number on the senses upon returning home.

Thank you all for keeping up with the blog while we were gone. We had limited access to internet cafes (I was amazed to find any internet access at all) so we were only able to post twice while we were gone. Over the course of the next several posts I will share some of our photos to catch everyone up on the details of the trip. Also, I will spend some time laying out the vision for the future of our organization. We are excited about the work that God has done thus far through our photographs and we are excited for our creative horizons to be expanded as 1000 Words of Hope grows and new projects develop.

Thanks again for all the prayer and support. Please continue to pray for safe travels for Elizabeth's parents as their plane was delayed which means that they will have to "travel" from 12 noon today until 10 pm to get from New York to Louisville. And by "travel," I mean sitting in an airport terminal in Boston or Cincinnati. Amazing! So pray for patience for them.

More from Ghana

We have been so busy that it has been difficult to get to the internet café to post. The last time we went we were able to see some pictures of Zoe that my parents posted. She is so cute and is having a great time in DC.

On Sunday I got to preach at a Baptist Student Union at the university here and then again at Faith Baptist Church near where we are staying. Later that day we surprised the congregation by taking family portraits for them. It has been great to see everyone come out in their Sunday best and then be so happy to see themselves in the pictures when they receive them. They all gather around as they are being printed and compare them with each other, laughing and talking excitedly. I am sure this is the first time some of them have ever seen themselves. They are so proud of their families and all say that they will hang their picture up in a special place in their homes.

Yesterday we went to the market where residents of Tamale do their grocery shopping. It was amazing. You can get anything from dried fish for soup to flour for baking. You can even buy a cow’s head if that is the type of soup you prefer. I’ll stick with chicken noodle, sans the head please. I was not able to get any photos in the market because people here do not care for being photographed in public if they do not know what the use of picture is. I think there have been some embarrassing pictures of the less desirable, third world aspects of culture here that have been printed in magazines in other parts of the world.

There has been another couple here from Georgia with the God’s Story Project. It is so strange; these people originally are from Louisville and are here introducing a movie that summarizes the bible in the people’s language in 78 minutes. We got some great long exposure pictures of the people at a church watching this movie last night. It is cool to look at these pictures and see people who are probably coming to their first understanding of the story of redemption. A projector and screen was put up with a loud speaker so that it was like going to a drive-in. It was large enough to draw the attention of people from the surrounding village, including many Muslims. When we were setting up the equipment, the prayers were coming over the loud speaker in a near by Mosque. The video started and drowned out the prayers. I thought this would cause danger for us, but there were many Muslim men who watched the movie and seemed very interested in the story portrayed.

The movie is put together so well that if these people are able to understand what they have seen they will have more of a concise understanding of the Bible than many Americans! It is a great project that is seeking to put the movie into every language in Ghana—that is more than 60 languages. It takes 3 months and $3500 to complete a translation. Compared to a Bible translation this is a fraction of the time and money involved in a product that even the illiterate can understand.

The people from the project have been very appreciative of the pictures we took of the viewing because they have not been able to capture the events since they happen at night. Because the shutter on the camera was open for 15 seconds to get the shot, the pictures look like it is dusk when in reality it was pitch black outside (notice the stars). Once again God has been able to use our ability and equipment to support the work he is doing here in ways that we could not have orchestrated on our own.

Bob and Bonnie and the rest of the staff from Seed Ministry have been amazing. Elizabeth and I prepared Don and Zenda for our accommodations, giving them ideas of the primitive arrangements that they might expect to find in Africa. This information was all based on previous mission trips that we have experienced and stories we have heard because we honestly did not know what to expect when we got here.

We arrived to find air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms and laundry service that includes ironing (I have never had my boxers ironed!). Bonnie and her ladies cook the best food in Ghana (and much of the US for that matter). You would not believe it, but we have been eating biscuits and gravy, eggs, and, pancakes for breakfast. Lunch and dinner is chicken or an open-faced roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy and vegetables. It is great food!

Aside from being a little tired at weird times, we experience hunger at the normal times that we would be eating at home since there is a four-hour difference in time here. This happens particularly at night just before we go to bed. Elizabeth and I have stocked up on cookies and Fanta, so every night we enjoy what we call Fourth Meal before bed.

Hopefully it is clear that we have had a great time and great success with the photographs. From here we start the sight-seeing portion of our trip. We leave tomorrow to see the natural sights from here back to Accra in the south. Tomorrow we see a famous waterfall and then we head south to the rainforest and nature preserve. Our hope is to get good prints that we will be able to sell to support future projects.

Elizabeth and Zenda both are not feeling well. They both have flu-like symptoms. Please pray for them to feel better before our long journey south. Also be praying for our safety on the roads as we travel. Thank you for all your support and prayers thus far. We are looking forward to sharing all our stories with you when we return.

First from Ghana

This has been our first opportunity to post anything on the blog We made it here safely and finished our third day of family photo shoots. We have been received warmly by all the villagers and each one, from the youngest to the eldest, seem to be so gracious and constantly amazed to see themselves printed in such clarity for the first time in their life and not even all that, but also within mere minutes after having the photographer snap their picture. We photograph each of the families and then the organization we are partnering with takes the opportunity to counsel with every family, sharing the gospel with them.

Our equipment has worked great with little incident. We have encountered a little interference when using the two wireless transmitters together, but we think it may be fueled by the cell signals that are broadcast into the villages. It is amazing to be in the middle of the most remote African village you have ever seen and hear a cell phone ring!

The people here are beautiful and the children are amazing. Elizabeth has had a ball teaching them games and entertaining them with her terrible language skills. At first they are afraid of her pale skin and yellow hair, but after a while they warm up as you can see.


The chiefs of the villages each give gifts on behalf of the village in appreciation for the photographs. It is humbling to receive eggs, peanuts, and yams knowing what it takes for them to produce these goods. It is hot and dry in the north where we are for most of the year, so the villagers farm during very short growing seasons. However, this year the unusually heavy rains have already cost these farmers one crop. Here is the Chief from today’s village.


I have the opportunity to preach twice on Sunday, once in a Christian club in the university and then again at one of the churches. This will be a great time for me to share some of what God has been teaching me this year about the nature of discipleship. I have watched many Americans fall asleep to the tune of my speaking, so we’ll see if this enchanting effect works with Ghanaians!

Don and Zenda have had a great time with the people and the animals! Zenda gave a day’s worth of hand massages to the women today.


And this morning Don checked Bob and Bonnie’s dog Rebel for fleas. He didn’t find any. I guess you can take the Vet out of the Clinic, but you can’t take the Clinic out of the Vet!


Thank you everyone for checking up on us. We will upload bigger pictures when we return. The internet connection here is slow. Please continue to pray for our safety and the success of our work here. Mom and Dad love on Zoe for us. We will talk to you soon.

Only a few days...

There are only a few days left before we leave for Africa for our first trip in the 100 Words of Hope Project. There has been a lot of work go into this trip and we are excited to finally be at the point of actually doing what it is that we have3 prepared for so long for. As a rule, I try to refrain from having expectations for things like this apart from expecting things to go as I have planned. However, we do expect to come away from this trip with renewed insights into the role of photography in generating hope for families affected by AIDS as well as other opportunities for creative people to connect their work with global need.

Since shooting at Adventure, we have been approach by other people with ideas for using their own giftedness to shed light into places darkened by poverty and sickness. It is great to see the effect this project has on those around us, helping others rethink about ways they can give back through their own gifts and talents. It will be exciting to chase down some of these ideas with the perspective that comes with having taken pictures of 2500 people in Africa!

I got a call today from my friend Troy who is a student at Milligan College. He called to ask if it was ok for him to distribute some flyers he had made that promoted 1000 Words of Hope on campus this week for a missions emphasis going on there. I am amazed and overwhelmingly grateful for this support. I talked with Elizabeth in the car after I hung up the phone about the impact of displays of support like Troy's. It means so much to have someone step out and support this work with the resources at hand. Thinkgs like this help to confirm and reassure us that our work and preparation is more than a crazy idea we dreamt up on our own.

Another friend of mine, Andy, has a band in St. Louis. He was on an internet radio station tonight promoting upcoming gigs and a recording that is in the works. He has been on me to listen to a song that he wrote about our project, and they played it live tonight. It was cool again to feel the support of good friends getting behind this project.

We are so thankful to all who are keeping up with us by checking out our blog. We intend to update the blog while in Africa. So there will be more to read while we are away. Please be praying for our safety and that all our equipment makes it there and works for the shoots. Pray for us personally as we endure a long two weeks far away from our daughter Zoe. We miss her already and we are not even separated! Finally pray that God will prepare the hearts of potential donors that we will contact once we return so that this project can continue beyond this trip.

We have tossed out the goal of photographing 10,000 peopel over 4 trips in 2008. For this to happen we will rely all the more to the spiritual, moral, and financial support of others. We are so thankful so the support we have received thus far and we are excited to see how God will work through pictures we will be taking on this trip and those to come in 2008.

How in the world can two weeks pass by so quickly? Well, next Saturday we will be headed for DC to get Zoe settled into a routine with her grandparents, Matt's mom and dad or perhaps better known as Nona and Pappy to the little one. Sorry to repeat myself as I am sure that anyone that has talked to me in the last month probably has heard something like, "Please pray for me. I am quite anxious about leaving Zoe for two weeks." And seriously, please be praying for me regarding this. While, I am extremely confident about leaving her with Matt's parents and grandparents, who are coming all the way from Florida to spend time with our little girl and I know that they will have a ton of fun. However, it's not her that I am concerned about, but rather me missing her terribly. Plus, I just don't want her to grow too much while we were gone. It's hard too because I don't know how much I will be able to contact her while I am gone. However, I do find comfort in the fact that I know this is what I am suppose to be doing and that we will both be the better for it. I am encouraged by the fact too that with Zoe staying back here in the States means that I will be able to give my complete and undivided attention to the little ones there who so desperately need to just be played with or to receive a hug. I am looking forward to really getting to know the stories of the ones we photograph. It is my hope that they might connect the idea of being known and sought after by a person all the way from America to their little corner of the world and that maybe just maybe the God of the universe is well-aquainted with their ways as well. The idea that He knows my name, what color my eyes are, what make me bashful and what makes me smile even in the midst of my suffering and hardship. It is ideas like these that continually re-energize me.

On a less deep note there are a few things that I want to touch base on real quickly...

Tomorrow I am meeting a woman and her children at the playground for a play-date with Zoe. She got in contact with me after she heard about what we are doing and was interested because she too has a heart for Africa and ended up adopting a little Ethiopian boy named Grayson. I am really looking forward to our time together. Afterall, this passion was really lit on fire in Ethiopia in 2005 when I witnessed first hand the ugliness of this disease called HIV/AIDS and looked into the eyes of child after child with no home, no mom or dad. It will be neat to meet on common ground. I mean who else do I know that has been to Addis Abba or let alone has heard of it and doesn't just think I am talking jibber-ish?

Also, today while I was out I met a woman who kept coming up to talk to Zoe remarking how beautiful she is even though most of that time she was throwing a fit. Even under the circumstances is music to a parent's ears. I ended up telling her about what we are doing and she got so excited. After she walked away she turned and came right back mentioning that she has a bunch of baby clothes, toys and books and didn't know if there was somehow I could get them over to Africa. I don't know how yet, but nothing a little investigating won't help. Anyway, the reason I bring this interaction up is because this is a natural reaction we have found when we tell others about what we are doing. You can almost see the wheels begin to turn in their head about what they can do to make a difference too! It's been so neat to see this happen time and time again. I am sure that they think, well hey if these kids can do that then why can't I do something too? I think it's a great question. So, to make a long story shorter, we exchanged numbers and we plan to hook up when I get back and we will figure out what to do with her goods.


Well, I better turn in for the night. I think my contacts are going to dry right out of my head. I apologize for the irregular blog entries--it's one of my quirks. Sorry.

Trial Shoot an Overall Success

First of all let me say that we are so thankful to everyone at Adventure Christian Church who waited in line to have their picture taken and then waited again to purchase a print. It was amazing to have so many people participate in our practice shoot in preparation for our trip to Africa.

Things went smoothly considering that we were operating off a last-minute back up system that barely resembled the setup we intended to use because every piece of equipment that could have had issues did. Let me recap the adventures of last week's prep for the shoot. A word of caution: I apologize for the length and technical specificity of this post, but you have to appreciate the details of the madness that ensued last week.

We are using two Nikon D200 cameras with WT3a wireless transmitters. For all the non-gearheads out there, our plan was to use a camera with an a attachment that would transmit the images we shot wirelessly to a nearby computer attached to a printer. At the beginning of the week I made a call to Nikon to for assistance in setting up the network between camera and computer and we were able to get it working. But when it came to connecting the second camera there was a simple miscommunication with Nikon and the system no longer worked. By "simple" I mean profoundly simple--one strand of numbers associated with the camera was entered into the wrong place and we could not send images.

I spent hours (literally 12 hours total) on the phone with Nikon trying to sort this out. Twice in conversations with service reps their shifts ended and I had to call back. It was not that I call at just the right time; I was spending the length of the shifts at their call center trying to make this thing work. It was really hilarious, let me tell you. I shot about 100 test pictures over the course of my conversations with them. Each shot represents an attempt to completely reconfigure the system which involves setting up a separate wireless network on the Mac and then configuring the camera to recognize and communicate across this network.

(Side Note: The test shots are really terrible photography, but each is an ironic expression of just how surreal the process was. I am trying to figure out how to make a flip book out of all of them because most are pictures of the computer screen in front of me or my water bottle with the backgrounds of the multiple places I was working over those three days. The angles of the shots are so similar that when you scroll through them it looks like animation. I 'll post this little art project once I complete it!)

So, when it became undeniably apparent that we were not going to be able to transfer images wirelessly at our trial shoot (I really tried to deny it for a long time--just ask Elizabeth), we shifted gears and focused on the printer. I went through the installation process only to find that the printer was not immediately Mac compatible. This is not normally and issue because of how Macs operate, but it was last week! I went through another two days of installing and reinstalling anything and everything that I (and everyone else I sought for advice) thought would work. By this time it was Saturday and Shinko does not have 24/7 support like Nikon. At 10:30 on Saturday night I drove to my sister's to borrow her Windows-based laptop, but still could not get the printer to work.

When the Shinko printer did not work I thought we were toast. As a last-ditch, contingency plan we were able to hook up Elizabeth's Canon printer as a back up and we planned to shoot half the group and then trade out memory cards for the printing. This was the next-to worst-case-scenario (worst-case being having to postpone the whole thing). If you remember back to the entry about the printer, the reason we purchased the Shinko was that it is a lab-quality printer that prints archival 8X10's (water/dust resistant, lasting up to 100 years) in 30 seconds. The Canon printer on the other hand, prints a nice, but lesser quality 8X10 in an amazingly less than lightning-fast 4 1/2 minutes. Think of it this way: I was able to refill my coffee while timing the test print--not what you are looking for when trying to move a couple hundred people through a photo shoot and provide them with prints while they wait.

Here is where the patience and support of the people at Adventure shines brightest. Most all who could waited for their prints with no complaints (at least not within my earshot)! The atmosphere was like elementary school yearbook portraits mixed into a huge photo booth. People were laughing and making snide remarks at those having their portrait made. Some with hungry kids asked if they could pick up their prints next week, which worked out great because otherwise we would still be there printing today, but most of the families stuck around and talked and the kids played. We got to talk with a lot of people about what we are trying to accomplish in Africa (4 1/2 minutes at a time) while waiting for the prints. The atmosphere was fun and laid back and we were very encouraged by the kind words and interest people had for our work.

This week I called Shinko and made the necessary upgrades to get it printing and, WOW, you should see these prints. I have never seen digital images printed so beautifully and fast! First of all they look like they came from a film camera having been processed in a darkroom. Secondly, they literally shoot out in 30 seconds! This thing is a workhorse. I am proud to be able to take this ability to Africa and give these families not just their first family portrait, but the best print they could get even in America.

After this I came home and was able to go back through the set up instructions given to me by the original service rep with Nikon. Following these steps, I was able to connect BOTH cameras and wirelessly transmit images from over 50 ft!!! With the extended antenna we should be able to get 500 ft of range, but I have not tested this yet. I am happy with what I have at this point.

The long and short of it--we are up in running with our primary setup for shooting, transferring, and printing images on the field. Our makeup session for Adventure will be this weekend after the church service again, so anyone who wishes to have their picture retaken or reprinted is welcome participate this weekend. We need the practice shooting and printing with our primary system, so we would literally be willing to shoot the whole church again.

Needless to say, we have renewed excitement in the wake of an almost disasterous week. I don't want to theologize too much about what was going on with our equipment. It does seem strange that everything failed at once and right before our practice shoot. On the front end of this we were really dumbfounded and we questioned if the whole idea of shooting family portraits in Africa was really going to work. In hindsight, I belief we were being tested. Those of you who know me well, will attest that I am not one to be hard and fast about who exactly was testing us. I will say the whole experience caused us to focus on of our willingness to be faithful in providing these people with family photos no matter what it took to do it. At one point during all this equipment failure I said to Elizabeth only half joking, "You know, maybe we should just pack Polaroid cameras and a lot of film to Africa." We laughed about this at the time, but only because we knew without saying it that we would do that if it came to it.

Family photos are important and have great potential for generating hope and memories where these things are otherwise scarce. Whether it is through a cheap Polaroid or the clearest 8X10 ever printed the memory is there and especially now we are excited to use this technology to bring a little light to such difficult situations.

A Busy Week After a Couple Days Off

We spent the weekend in Brimingham with family for a wedding, so we had a couple days away during which it was impossible to do any work. This was ultimately a good thing because we were able to spend more time (8 hours in the car each way) talking and dreaming about our ideas and the work that God is doing through us.

It is interesting to think about building an organization from the ground up. Much of our conversation surrounded ideas in Jim Collins' book "Built to Last." Here his research team analyzes what he considers "visionary companies"--organizations that, among other things, balance cult-like faithfulness to core values and relentless drive for progress. Reading the core values of Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and the other vissionary companies in Collins' study spurred long conversations about the values we wish to anchor our organization through the different projects we will take on.

While we have not established the explicit values themselves, we have made several decisions already in the "pre-dawn" of our organization that have expressed some of what will become our core values. First, our decision to start an organization of our own rather than working with another organization did not come lightly. We met with a friend who runs a missionary organization and he questioned the need to "reinvent the wheel" by starting something on our own. Logistically this makes sense; if there was an existent organization under which we could accopmlish the goals we have set, it would in the short term be easier to work with that organization. However, with much prayer and deliberation, we made th decision that going on our own was part of the plan for our work. The risks associated with being on our own requires much more faith than the relative comfort of working for someone else. Furthermore, to work with another organization at some point requires the our goals come under the direction of another organization's leadership and vision. We see this willingness to take risks in the name of faithfulness and clarity of vision ultimately crystalizing into our core values.

Earlier this summer, we made the decision to leave a full-time job with benefits to take on the work of laying the foundation for the 1000 Words of Hope Project. We did this without any fundriasing. We have lived the summer on savings and faith that after our first trip we will have an even clearer vision of the work God is preparing us for. At that point, the contacts we make for support will be out what we have experienced rather than what we hope to accomplish. We will be able to confidently share about the work that has begun with our project. Hopefully, taking htis trip on our own demonstrates our willingness to step out without the security of a base of support, believing that showing others what is possible based on what we have begun is more effective in demonstrating our personal commitment to this work. Similarly, we see this relemtless trust in the success of the work we are a part of as a seed of the faithfulness that will contribute to the core of our organization.

We are inside of a week until we test all our equipment at Adventure Christian Church on Sunday. Tomorrow we will purchase the camera and lens and spend the afternoon hooking everything up for an in-home trial. We are inside of a month before we leave for Ghana. Aside from getting ready for our practice shoot, we are getting ready for the travel and the trip itself. We are so excited, but have to keep focused in order to ensure that all our arrangements have been made. Once we are there, we are there with whatever we have packed and no way replacing anything that has been forgotten. Soon I will begin my obsessive ritual of packing and repacking. It will begin small and remain in my thoughts until about a week before we leave. Then I will begin to lay everything out, pack it, check it, unpack it, pare it down, repack it, check it again, and then it will be time to leave for Ghana.

We'll update on the camera and post some test pics tomorrow. Until then...

Trial Run Taking Shape

We met with Buddy (the pastor at Adventure Church) today and put together a plan for a trial shoot after an upcoming church service that will allow us to try out our equipment and see exactly how to photograph large numbers people in rapid succession, printing the 8X10's simultaneously.

A couple months ago I asked Richard (another minister on staff at Adventure) about trying out our process at the church an offering the 8X10's to the families for a suggested donation to raise money for the trip. He was really excited about the idea because the church was trying to decide how to do a directory and this would easily provided the motivation for families to stick around after service for the portraits. The idea was a win-win and confirmed again that God was moving behind us, creating momentum for our work.

So today we hammered through what the shoot would look like and how it would run. We will set up two stations to shoot two families at a time. There are between 300 and 325 people at the church on a given Sunday, so the crowd will be perfect practice for the crowds we will experience in Ghana.

Buddy was very impressed with the work we had done in the weeks since our last meeting. This was really encouraging because it is sometimes hard to chart the daily progress we make given that so many of our tasks are on-going and only get checked off our list after several steps, meetings, and phone calls. So it was nice to update him and remind ourselves of everything we have accomplished thus far, and then, to receive his compliment only made it that much nicer.

Next week most of our equipment will arrive. It will be like Christmas! The camera we were ordering is back-ordered so we are trying hard to line up another option that will not cost us $1500. We are not discouraged by this, but feel that God is at work here and is about to do something that will again confirm his provision over our work. We'll let you know how it turns out...

Some of you have asked how to help...

Currently we need a few things:

1. Continued prayer support

2. $$$$$$ (We need both small and large gifts alike as well as committed monthly givers)

3. Any adventurous people out there who would like to to take a trip(s) with us in 2008



If you would like to make a donation, you make and send your tax-deductible donation to:

Adventure Christian Church
3321 Ruckriegel Pkwy
Louisville, KY 40299
(**Memo line: 1000 Words of Hope)

***Important note: You must write 1000 Words of Hope in the MEMO line in order for them to know to dog-ear it for this project.

Thank you so much for helping to make this a sustained reality. The children of Africa thank you as well. We couldn't and can't do this without you. Thank you again.

The last few days...

Operations here have continued to move along at a good pace. Several people have remarked at how much we have been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. I take that as a compliment.

Today, we met with a friend who runs a very successful marketing firm with quite a few large long-term accounts to show for it. Matt and I had a few questions we wanted to make sure to get his advice on. He spent three hours with us in the middle of a busy day at his place! By the time we said our goodbyes the whole place had left for the day! Matt and I have known all along that it would be best suited for him to act as more of an advisor to us than managing our marketing campaign, even though is has obviously been gifted in the latter as well. However, without yet expressing those thoughts to him, that this is exactly what happened today. Matt and I drove home laughing because we never even managed to get one of our questions answered even though we had taken such care in planning the agenda for our appointment with him. Nonetheless, neither of us would change the conversation we had between 2:30 and 5:30 this afternoon. It's pretty neat to see how God works things out.

Tomorrow, we have another important meeting. We will see how it goes considering today's experience. We will let you know.

Well, that's about it. We continue to work on the details regarding equipment orders and planning out the days while we are in the country--stuff like that.

We continue to be thrilled to be a part of this project. There is such a peace we have even though we are technically unemployed and living off our saving to make this happen. It's not much, but we know that this is what we are supposed to be doing at this point in our lives. Thank you for keeping up with our adventure. We are excited that you are coming along for the ride.

Details, Details

My role in this organization has been interpreting Elizabeth's vision and goals into logistical plans and steps. Anyone who knows me well would atest that in this pond I am a duck on water. I love the component level of this project--from researching equipment, to figuring out itineraries. Booking our flights has been difficult for a number of reasons, but there is nothing like the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing the email itinerary and knowing that one way or another we are locked into this trip.

Our most recent logistical adventures have revolved around getting a 60 lb printer to Ghana. This is the Shinko 1245 Dye Sub printer. We have chosen to take this printer with us because it can print an 8X10 in 30 seconds that will hold up for 100 years. This is will be invaluable given that there there is no good way of distributing the pictures we will be taking after the fact. We will be able to hand the family we just photgraphed thier picture with virtually no delay.

The machine is roughly the size of a small TV/VCR combo and is so dense that it comes with its own 40 lb Pelican case. That weighs in at a stunning 100 lbs with no other equipment in the case. The recent debate has been whether or not we can "pack" this printer and somehow carry it on the plane. However, none of the packs that it would fit in either under the seat or in the overhead compartments. Though carrying the printer on does eliminate the possiblity of the nightmarish "loss of baggage" scenario in which our sole purpose for going to Africa ends up somewhere far, far away from the people we are photographing, our flight to Ghana is non-stop so I think our chances for checking the Pelican case are as good as they could be (famous last words).

Today has been a great day for thinking about this up-coming trip on a very practical level because it was been 100 degrees and very humid in Louisville. I spent the morning and early afternoon doing yard work and was amazed at the physical tole it took on me. We checked weather.com and found the conditions to be almost identical in Ghana. There is something to be said for acclimatization! We went to the Barnes & Noble tonight to look at books on Africa as a starting point for research into the culture, etc. The first sentence in the book I was reading about Ghana referenced the comunity culture that is created by the need to get out of the house to escape the heat! I had to laugh.

From everything we have read the country sounds amazing. We are excited to struggle through all the necessary details to experience it and its people first hand. Until then, we contine "brick-laying" the plans and arrangemtns into place.

The Last Dose of Typhoid...

August 2, 2007

I just swallowed my last of the four doses for Typhoid Fever. I could have just taken the shot and been done with it along with the others from last week's vaccinations, but for some reason if you take the oral dose it last four years instead of two. We figured this made the most sense. After all, unfortunately the threat HIV/AIDS doesn't look like it will be leaving us soon, which makes The 1000 Words of Hope Project a long-term endeavor. So now we just need to decide as to whether we should take the Malaria pills, but as for Polio, Yellow Fever and Typhoid, we are good to go.

Matt and I spent most of the day revising our outstanding equipment needs and then heading down to the camera store to look at some of the lens that we feel like will do the best job considering the look of the photographs we are trying to achieve while balancing the harsh environment we will be in. We also received correspondence back from our partners who we will be hooking up with once in the country and we were able to finalized some arrangements of how some things will look when we get there (i.e. going through customs, connecting with the domestic flight, etc.). When this idea was merely in conception, I could not have fathom all the details that would need to be covered, and while it is a lot to sort through, it has been so much fun and so exhilarating to watch everything come together. I guess that is just how it is when you finally get in the groove of doing what you were meant to do all along.

Anyway, one of the things I must tell you from today is regarding a conversation I had with my sister who shared with me that my brother-in-law, her husband, went ahead and bought all the domain sites related to 1000 Words of Hope after he read our blog! He said that he just wanted to make sure that it was reserved for us! How cool is that? That is what I am talking about when I say that people have already been so giving to this organization and seem to just be looking for ways to help and participate. I want to say thanks Bryce--I feel loved and that you made my day. Thanks.

Well, it's six minutes before a new day begins. I better get to sleep before I feel the side effects from the Typhoid (that's why they strongly encourage you to take it at night right before sleep).

Take Care.
e

Everyone needs a family photo...

Everyone needs a family photo...



but he didn't get one.



Eight million children in Africa have already lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. Most, like this boy, don't even have as much as a simple family photo to remember them by. Help us change that for the future orphans of Africa.

1000 Words of Hope Project

Visas and paperwork...

July 31, 2007

We just returned from dinner at a local asian bistro with my parents, Don and Zenda, where we discussed the details of our upcoming trip. It's neat to watch them get excited about the vision and mission of this expedition and I can see that they resonate with the importance of what they are and will be a part of. During our conversation we went over flight itineries, visa applications, shots, what the schedule will look like day to day, who will do what, as well as our strategy regarding packing since we are allowed very little weight (imagine all the equipment: cameras, wireless transmitters, batteries, computers, printers, rolls of paper, extra ink etc. and that doesn't even include our clothes) on the small plane taking to the interior of the country. It will definately be an adventure. The reality is beginning to set in that I will be away from our beautiful little girl, Zoe, for two weeks! Just the thought of it makes me anxious, saddened and a pit in my stomach; however, I know in my spirit that this is what I am suppose to be doing and I try my best to remind myself that she is going to have a blast with her grandparents and great grandparents and that they are going to have a ton of fun too.

Well things keep coming together in really cool ways...Matt recieved a voicemail earlier today from a buddy of his, Steve, who wants to put together a documentary video of all of our pictures and video footage when we get back. It's been amazing to just watch people come out of the wood work offering to use their specific giftedness to help make this thing happen. Here's another cool thing--Matt's bestfriend, Andy, since the second grade plays in a hot band in St. Louis and offered Matt to do a benefit concert for us in the fall! It's craziness, but it's so refreshing to see so many people catching the spirit of this idea and using whatever their resources are just to be a part of it. To that we say thank you for your service because it can and will only work when we all get our feet wet.

Starting a Non-profit

Tuesday, July 24, 2007


One month ago I quit my job to begin a non-profit organization with my wife Elizabeth that exists to help people use their gifts and talents to make a difference and generate hope. Our organization is called Creative Differences and our first project (1000 Words of Hope) will involve providing family photos for African families affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. In many African countries, the AIDS epidemic has created a humanitarian crisis wherein children are orphaned and left to literally fend for themselves on the street alone. Two- and three-year-old children are left to take care of their baby siblings because all of the adults in their family have died. Elizabeth saw many scenarios like this first-hand when she visited Ethiopia a couple of years ago.

It was after this experience that we began to think about ways that we might be able to help, even if it was in a small way. Neither of us is a doctor or engineer, which would be required in many cases for providing necessities for survival (health care, clean water, etc.) However, Elizabeth is a photographer so we started to brainstorm ideas of how this gift of creativity could be used to infuse a little hope into the African situation.

So, we teased out a plan to go into remote villages with digital cameras, wireless transfer devises, and fast printers in order to set up an on-location photo shoot for hundreds of people at a time, leaving each family with a sheet of photos to divide among themselves, so that each person has a picture to remember his/her family as it once was.

The more we thought through the idea the more it occurred to us how we take for granted the sense of identity that comes from seeing old pictures of our families. We remember where we came from, or how life was back then. We see the resemblances of our parents in our faces as we grow. Our hope is that the memories generated by the pictures we take will help the children who will be orphaned in Africa hold on to a hope for a better life and a family of their own.

We are currently in the process of simultaneously setting up the nuts and bolts of the organization and planning our first trip. In September we will be setting out for Ghana to try out our idea full scale. It is a daunting task to hammer out all the details of shooting and printing so far from home. All the equipment as well as those operating it have to be able to function in some pretty intense circumstances (heat, dust, etc.). Our contact assured us that it will not be as hot in September--only 100 degrees! Even in the midst of all these details, Elizabeth and I are extremely excited about the possibilities of a trip like this. We are going to learn a ton and come back with lots of ideas to refine the process for the next trip and future projects.

Travel Plans and Shots!

Thursday, July 26, 2007


Today we all but finalized our travel itinerary to Ghana, which includes a stop in Arlington to drop off Zoe with my parents. They are very excited about getting to spend an extended amount of time with her and I know she will be glad to see them as well. My head wurred for most of the day with details of flight departure and arrival times and whether or not our connections would be too close to make. After the dust has settled, however, I think we have put together a plan that will get us there and back with reasonable simplicity. Some of the flight arrangement options would have taken over 30 for us to reach Ghana. I think we could take a steam ship and get there in less time. I was happy to have found a non-stop flight that will only take 10 hours instead. We will confirm and actually book the reservations tomorrow and a huge weight will lift from our shoulders as we can shift our energies to equipment and preparation for our actual time in Africa rather than just getting there.

In other news, Elizabeth and I got our shots for the trip today. A lot of money and soar arms later, we are protected from all sorts of nasty viruses and water-borne illnesses. The shots have made us both feel sluggish as there is no telling what kind of weird stuff our bodies are fighting off right now. We were going to post pictures of our band-aided arms, but Elizabeth's band-aids fell off. She elected to have the sparkle-glitter ones and sacrificed long-term adhesiveness for the look. I guess I could still post mine, but they are just the normal ones, which will probably still be on my arms after we return from Africa at the end of September.

Greta goes home...

As Zoe and I returned home this afternoon from a trip to the grocery, the first thing I noticed was a fruit basket sitting on the porch with a great big pink bow stuck on top and a card tucked under it. It was a thank you note and gift note from a woman Matt and I had just briefly met last week when she came to pick up Greta, her lost German shepherd. Greta had been under our care for the week before, when we had notice her coming around for a couple of days trying to eat the cat and dog’s food (Phoenix and Mobii) food and for good reason. After all, she was quite emaciated making it quite clear that she was far from home and had been for a while. However, even though we continued to feed and talk to her she always remained at a safe distance from us staying quite skittish, but didn’t seem to think twice about joining Mobii for afternoon naps on the back deck. Finally, after about a week of trying to encouraging her to come closer all in an attempt to get the info off her collar so that hopefully we could find her owner. We quickly found ourselves becoming quite fond of her and were saddened by the thought of her going home, but as soon as Matt called her owner, we couldn’t help but be excited for their reunion as Greta’s owner was so relieved and her joy spilled through the phone. She didn’t hesitate for a moment—she would leave work immediately, drive home to get the leash and be at our place within the next 15 minutes! And sure enough, there she was and filled us in on what had happened as well as her name, as we only knew to call her, “Come here girl.” It ends up that Greta had jumped the fence a month earlier and her owner had been looking for her everywhere—she even camped out one night in a stranger’s backyard where Greta had been spotted. She was diligent in trying to find her, but sadly to no avail. Speaking of sad, she had just cancelled all of Greta’s up and coming vet appointments (shots etc.) earlier this morning because she didn't think she was coming back. It was nice and reassuring to see that Greta was returning to a good home where she would receive only the best care and love that she deserved. Even though, after a week of gentle, but persistent persuading from both Matt and myself, Greta had only let us pet her this morning for the first time, yet by the time it was for her to go home, not even 4 hours later, she willingly welcomed all the loving she could get. It was amazing to watch her move from being so nervous and watching her back 24/7, to being so relaxed with us—even if it did take a lot of encouragement.

So what does this have to do with the1000 Words of Hope Project? A couple of things…

Change doesn’t start on the other side of the world in Africa. It starts in our own backyard.

I was also reminded that we must take every opportunity to error on the side of Love—you can never go wrong with that. Perhaps that means we extend love to our neighbor, a scared animal, our enemy, a stranger, the earth, our parents, our children, the clerk at the gas station, our spouse, sisters and brothers, and even ourselves. It was amazing to watch how a simple cup or two of dog food and a bowl of clean water, not only saved a life, but two hearts as well this weak. What we did was not heroic and it wasn’t a difficult decision; after all, how can you turn away a starving life even if it is four legged? It was really a pretty simple decision.

And one more thing, we thought that we were giving and nurturing Greta (even though at the time we did not know her name) and that is true. However, if anyone received anything this week it had to have been us because Greta's owner not only gave us a warm thank you with the basket and card, but also left a check for $200 towards our trip to Africa this fall! It blew Matt and I away that she was moved to such a gesture for pretty much complete strangers that she didn't even know our names and had to leave the payable part blank for us to fill in! This was so much more than a check, but an unexpected encouragement to Matt and I as we continue to put all of our eggs into the crazy idea of starting a non-profit basket. When I become anxious about all the details (remember I am the big picture—Vision person), I am reminded in my spirit that God is never late—not in some mushy, gushy way, but in a very real way. God seems to continually send moments along like these as if to remind our little family that we are exactly where we need to be and as long as we continue to make ourselves available to Him and use the gifts that He has given us, He will continue to provide.

It is so refreshing to meet such a wonderful and unassuming woman like Greta’s mom, who is so grateful that she without thought continues to pass along the same joy and kindness we all felt in our driveway that day. To that I say, thank you—your gesture was far more than mere money, but a genuine encouragement! And can you believe it, for all intensive purposes you were a mere stranger, but who is the first person to financially support this dream! How can I not look at that and see how God has orchestrated this idea, not Matt or myself, I am creative, but not this creative—we are simply a part of this idea and firmly believe that it will only be successful when others come to the table with whatever God has given them—w e are only a fraction of the whole. It seems clear to me that God has blessed this adventure, I mean don’t non-profit organizations usually have to beg for money? There’s something innately different about this project though. I have found that The 1000 Words of Hope Project seems to resonate with people from all walks of life who hear even a second of our mission. I think it is because the mission deals with such fundamental needs of the human spirit—to understand, to be remembered, to remember etc. that we feel it in our gut the rawness of these children’s realities and what they will not have if we don’t step up that we cannot help but to be provoked and compelled by it.

On a litter note and one more thing before I close, I want to say thanks for the fruit too—we always have fresh fruit around here and Zoe is very excited about the pears, they are her favorite. Also, please give Greta some love for us and let her know that Mobii misses her greatly.