The Perez Family

I had another opportunity to photograph one of the missionary families. If you've spent time on our blog before, you would have seen there faces many times!

It's been fun to know them through their engagement, wedding and then with children. And what a unique opportunity I've had to photograph all those special milestones here and here and here. (I also photographed their wedding but can't seem to find that post!) Enjoy their most recent pictures and their awesomely, energetic toddlers! Woo...have they got their hands full!

my favorite from the day

sweet Stella, we became fast friends this day! i loved finally having some time with these girls!

the adorably rambunctious, Amelia!

can you tell which one's which? they are much easier to keep straight in person (amelia-left; stella-right)

The Leach Family + Colton turns One

i never knew being a missionary was in my cards. i always wanted to have my own studio. take pictures of families and kids and engagements. i thought when god called me to the mission field i'd have to give up all that. little did i know god would bless me with opportunities beyond what i could ever dream up myself.

i work (and i use that term loosely because we actually do life together) with a group of amazing people. couples, families, singles...we are a tightly knit group of friends, a family really. so when sunshine and eric asked if i could take some pictures for them, i was so excited.

i have done some other missionaries' pictures before. i love doing it. i love being able to balance my job and my love of photographing people, right where they are in life. sunshine and eric's son, colton, turned one in september. so we did a little combined one-year shoot and a family shoot. it was so much fun and sunshine and eric are incredible parents. i loved watching their little family through my lens. enjoy!

can you say, baby model?

this was a total accident, and i totally love it!

Photo of the Week-10/15-10/22

we drive through busy streets and bushels of plantains. we pass by a public hospital and a run-down baseball field. we enter the barrio on a dirt road that was made more for a four-wheeler than a fifteen passenger van. the terrain is completely different. what once was a vacant lot now has tin and wood shacks everywhere. naked children chasing homemade kites. goats grazing on small mounds of trash.

Santa Lucia.

i've never liked its unofficial name. la mosca, the fly. i mean, i get it. the name makes sense. its just that the name is almost a stamp of doom for the people living there. it doesn't boast of education and prosperity and hopefulness. it screams of desperation and poverty and despair.

the trash was burning again. the dump must have a new owner. it was so nice when there wasn't a mountain-size pile of trash burning and blowing smoke and stench into the streets. the smoke meant one thing. flies. flies everywhere. i was afraid to breathe with my mouth open and walk too briskly for fear that one might enter in.

the kids weren't healthy because of it. they were being fed by the nutrition center so they were a healthy weight but their skin had sores and infections. those pesky flies. can't they just leave the kids alone?

it caught me. right in the middle of feeling like i was in my groove. like i was right where God wanted me. like i was making a difference. right when i felt like hope was being restored in The Hole and i was doing something tangible. it caught me. there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of places just like The Hole. and a lot of them are worse. places like Santa Lucia.

i wasn't prepared for this flood of emotion. and just when i thought it couldn't get any worse, a little boy about landon's age walked by with a limp. nothing more than a limp. for all i knew, he could have stubbed his toe and didn't want to put his weight on it. but in my mind his twelve year old mother contracted a virus from the flies during her pregnancy and it caused a malformation in his hip joint causing it to develop unnaturally. this four year old boy doomed to life with a limp and ridicule and laughing and unemployment and loneliness. i cried.

when my own despair sank in the Soft Whisper, whispered, "one day at a time. we win in the end." that's all it took. i wiped the now streaming tears from my eyes and remembered He gets the victory. even in places like La Mosca. especially in places like La Mosca.

Photo of the Week-10/11-10/18

i used to think he was too strict with the kids. he needed to love them more and hug them more. he needed to greet them with a smile and a "Jesus loves you," as they entered the nutrition center.

i was naive.

felix loves these kids more than any of us could ever imagine. he loves them better than any of us ever could. yes, these kids need love and hugs and "Jesus loves you's" but more than any of that they need to learn respect and responsibility and discipline from someone who spends day-in and day-out with them. he shows them love, not just by offering them a passing hug or twenty minutes of holding their hand; but being in the trenches with them. going to hospital visits with them and sympathetically patting them on their head when their father was, yet again, dragged out of their home and arrested for drug possession.

the more time that i spend in The Hole the more i realize what kind of "job" Felix has. he told a group this week that out of the 600 or so families that live in The Hole about 90% of them are, in some way, involved in the drug business. whether it be selling or using or storing or guarding money or being the "debt collector." he is not just trying to win souls for christ. strangely, that could be the easy part. but what happens if they do want to accept christ and change their lives? the next step is saying to these already starving families that they need to leave their only source of income as well. do you want to tell them that?

eleven years of working in the trenches. eleven years of offering hope to people who's only hope lies in white powder and their next fix. eleven years of loving children born unjustly into households enslaved by darkness.

i think twice before i say to myself, "come on, felix, it's ok if he doesn't wear his sandals into the nutrition center." because if felix doesn't expect more from these kids, who will?

The Rogers Family

still catching up on posts from our crazy, awesome summer. and one of the families i got to photograph was the rogers family. i've taken their photos several times before and it has been so fun watching their kids grow up. jeff and vicki are missionaries that mike and i work with. they are currently stateside and come down several times a year to encourage their supporting church's on their mission trips and do ministry in the country they love.

i had a quick opportunity while they were here in the dominican to photograph them and their kids. and let me tell you, this family is one of the easiest families to photograph. the kids are always chill, they smile, the smirk, they grin...they make my job easy! enjoy!

hey there, sweet ella!

sophi and raena

Photo of the Week-8/2-8/9

My love for The Hole has grown deeper this summer than I ever thought possible. I see it in such a different light. I see it as a place that has hope and redemption. I see it as a place of growth and possibility. But I also know, deep under the surface, that it is Satan's playground. He does not want to lose the battle there.

Because my love for The Hole has deepened, so has my love deepened for those who partner with the ministry in The Hole. To know that these people are backing Felix, bringing him support and encouragement, and edifying his work there...man, its priceless.

Felix's job is not an easy one. I've seen him discouraged and feeling alone. I've seen his eyes look distant. I've seen him worried. But there is something that happens to him, as it happens with all of us, when people are there to love and encourage him and his people. Hope comes. Life comes back. Passion returns.

As we were watching The Ridge's video on their last night here, Felix said something that will stick with me, I hope, forever. He said, "Seeing these photos, the kids in this light, the people loving them, stirs something in me. It reminds me that I am still, after all this time, sensitive toward them."

It reminded me, too, that even though sometimes I look at my job as just taking photos, that it is not just that. That it is my opportunity to stir hearts. To remind people of their passion. To edify those who are working hard for God's kingdom. An opportunity I should never take lightly.

Photo of the Week-7/26-8/2

um, hello beautifuls.

while up through the mountains this past weekend visiting the church and community of pastor gregorio tomas, i had the unique opportunity to do something i have never done before...evangelize.

i went with a group once before but it didn't really count. it was the first summer mike and i lived here, i didn't know a lick of spanish and i was more uncomfortable than any other time in my life. this time, i was more prepared.

as we made our way through the back alleys of this little community there seemed to be treasures around every corner. robin-egg blue houses set between mango trees. old wooden fences with yellow flowers peeking around it. an old woman hand-washing white clothes in an orange basin. then i found these two treasures.

these little girls were sitting on wooden chairs outside of their home. shy, and curious, they reached out for our papers. they didn't speak spanish. i said one of the three phrases i know in creole, "bondje beni ou," "god bless you." they giggled, seemingly surprised that this american girl attempted their language.

i snapped the shot.

treasure, i tell you, pure treasure.

Photo of the Week-7/19-7/26

in G.O.'s vision statement we speak on transformational partnerships. in my mind, partnership means a lot of things. financial partnership with a national, a missionary or a child in our school or nutrition centers. prayerful partnership and encouraging one another through communication with our Father. christian partnership and being the body of Christ, being like-minded in our cause and mission while here on earth. there are so many facets to the word partnership.

and maybe, partnership doesn't mean the same thing to everyone but transformation is something we can all grasp.

when i look at the picture above, i am initially drawn to the little girls' amazing smile. there is no doubt about the fact that she is having a blast. and maybe that's what we may all see initially when looking at the photo. but shortly there after, i am drawn to the transformed face behind hers. his smile is genuine. his happiness is real. he is being transformed by her just as much as she is being transformed by him. so often when we do missions, whether short-term or long-term, we come to the conclusion that we are going to help. we are going to make a difference. we are going to change the world. and as real and and true as that may be, how many of us know where the actual transformation occurs? it happens within ourselves. when we serve others, when we give our whole selves to other people, we are transformed in ways that we can only feel, and not explain.

we were never meant to be alone. we were designed to live in partnership, serving others, whether it be next door or half-way across the world.

Photo of the Week-7/12-7/19

Imagine for a moment being a Mama the day your baby is going to be born. All the excitement and anticipation of nine months of waiting. Wondering what your little one will be like. Who's personality she will take on. What she will look like. Now, imagine your child being born and seeing a concerned look on the doctor's face. And when you hold your baby you see that she was born with a cleft lip and palette. In the States, its not a problem. Your child has many opportunities available to have the deformity fixed. In most other places in the world, that is not the case.

The first picture was of Daadli in March of 2009. Just a little baby then. Today, Daadli can smile, eat and drink normally...thanks to Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. Their partnership with Moise and the church and nutrition center in Brisas de Ocampo, resulted in meeting Daadli. Feeling compassion for her and the circumstances she was living in, Cross Point wanted to act. They found a way to change a little girl's life.

Many of the people that were on that trip where they first met Daadli, were here this week. What an awesome testimony to partnership. Who knows? If Daadli hadn't been born in Brisas and if Pastor Moise didn't have a church there and if Cross Point didn't partner with that community, maybe none of this would have ever happened.

God has set bigger plans in motion before.

Photo of the Week-7/5-7/12

Girl in the Red Dress

I saw you and you saw me
Quiet and reserved you didn't say a thing
Even though the other kids were playing
To none of the gringos' arms did you cling

Do you know who you are in the kingdom of God
Do you know there is a crown waiting for you
Do you know that a grand house is ready
That a king is there to carry you through

Your tattered clothes will melt away
Replaced by a gown made of white
Your mismatched shoes will fall from your feet
And you will be lifted to a place beaming with light

You may be unknown in this foreign land
It's inhabitants less than friendly
But in your Father's kingdom there awaits
Love that is never-ending

And maybe you're hungry most of the time
And your plate is almost bare
At your Father's table you will see
A magnificent banquet for you, he's prepared

Although there is strife now and times when you're scared
Your reward isn't here on Earth
For when you invite the King in your heart
In your spirit there is rebirth

Though your little eyes have seen more than they should
And your life has been hard-pressed
Remember your royalty in the Kingdom of Heaven
My little girl in the red dress

EXTRA Photo of the Week-6/28-7/5

do you remember my little godson, marvin? if you don't, you can see his story here. well, this adorable little thing is ten months old now. i can't believe how time has flown.

in the past few weeks i've had a lot of time down in the hole. and i've cherished every second. i've been spending a lot of time with marvin's mom and a new mom that I have met this summer. it's been more than rewarding walking into joanna's house and seeing little marvin smile at me. i even got to give him his bottle the other day and within minutes of his bottle he fell asleep in my arms.

as his mom was hustling around the house cleaning dishes and preparing some food for his sisters, i was just reveling in holding his naked little body close to me. many nights i've been up praying for this family. god never ceases to amaze me at his timing. as i've gotten to spend more time with his mama, around this time his daddy left the family. joanna has been with him since she was 12 and he decided it was enough, apparently. now, this 20 year old mom is left to figure out how to pay rent, feed her children and survive with no income.

the day she told me that he left her, i could see the defeat in her eyes. i wanted to sit there and cry with her, but she wasn't crying, so i decided to do my best and be tough. but god did give me the opportunity to do something i've never done. talk to her about jesus. tell her that he is all we need. tell her that he is the only man that will never let us down. tell her that, if she trusts him, he will provide in ways beyond her comprehension. tell her that he will carry her through this, and that she is not alone.

i can't help but look at little marvin and feel hopeful. hopeful that there will be a man in his life to teach him about being a good husband and father. that will tell him to be committed to his wife and children and to never abandon them. a man; someone; anyone; that will teach him about jesus so he can be different than the other men he is surrounded by.

Photo of the Week-6/28-7/5

i love this picture. this boy, during basketball week, was so amazing. it was like he belonged in the dominican republic. he belonged with all the other boys he was there to play alongside and serve. he cheered and high-fived when their team won and consoled and back-patted when someone missed a shot. at one point, his team won a game of knock-out and he led them on an all-court victory lap, hootin' and hollerin' with arms in the air.

he rarely sat in a group with other americans. i always found him huddled with his dominican teammates. he used what little spanish he knew and hand gestures to have in depth conversations with them. and they were always laughing.

what an awesome testament to this camp that has been running for over ten years. older generations that were part of it more than ten years ago have come and gone, some have remained. but a new generation is being introduced to this legendary basketball trip. and man, they've come to play.

Photo of the Week-6/21-6/28

believe me, i had more adorable kid photos to use as the photo of the week this week but i don't want you to think that is all our ministry is about. absolutely, a good portion of my ministry is to children. they are my heart and soul. they are where most of my passion lies. but G.O. is about so much and children are just a portion of it.

in the picture above is one of G.O.'s medical staff, Dr. Vladimir Canela. he is an incredible guy. if you have more than five minutes to sit down with him you will quickly find his serious exterior melting away and a comedian will emerge. besides being intelligent, dedicated, and disciplined, he has an incredible heart for the hurting people of his culture.

similar to in the states, being a doctor is a prestigious profession. an elite few become doctors and the road is long to get there. many doctors in this country seek to work in private hospitals and practices where the money is good and the stature is even better. not Vladi. he's completed his schooling and become a doctor to serve in our free daily clinic in hoya del caimito. not only that, but he travels to remote areas of the island to serve people of other communities who do not have access to good medical care or even something as simple as cough syrup.

his passion to serve inside his own culture and love others is a testament to his love for jesus. he is an incredible example of a godly husband and father and continues to be an encouragement to those in need. he's as good as it gets. and we are blessed to have him be part of this ministry.

Photo of the Week-6/14-6/21

she's not like the other kids. she doesn't run up to us and jump on our backs and beg us to swing her around. she's quiet and rarely talks. i've never even heard any of the other kids call for her.

quiet and reserved, somehow poised and mature beyond her age. i've often wondered why she is how she is. i know that everyone has their own personalities but living in a place like the hole, i immediately assume something has happened, or she's experienced something that makes her this way.

despite the crazy kids jumping, and twirling, and screaming around her, she found a friend. one that was quiet and reserved just like her. her new friend scooped her up in her arms and i happened to catch their bond. i believe in kindred spirits. have found a couple along this journey. i know what an instant bond can do for the soul. and since i happened to see her crack a few shy smiles, i think she may have found hers.

Photo of the Week-6/7-6/14

do you see it? do you see it in his smile? the joy of feeling loved written all over his face?

being able to freeze a moment in time is one of the most incredible parts of my job. i have the opportunity to capture life in its purist form. without bias. without agenda. i get to see little ones be loved by people they sometimes only meet for fifteen minutes. and if you only knew how much these little ones crave it. how desperate they are for it. even today two brothers got in a huge fist fight right in front of me. a team member asked me why they were fighting so hard. i told them, "they are fighting over which one gets to hold your hand."

could you imagine? fighting for fifteen minutes of attention? fighting for fifteen minutes of feeling loved by a stranger? its reality for them. someone to love them and hold their hand and tell them they are loved in a language they don't even speak.

pray that god can let them hold onto that truth. that they are loved. even when their new friends leave. even when they feel alone. even when they can't make sense of the things surrounding them. that they find their identities in Christ, and only him. that they understand they are more than the sum of their circumstances. that they realize they are heirs to the throne of an almighty god, who in his sovereignty, intimately knows everything about them.

Photo of the Week-5/31-6/7

as we walked between the run down houses in a thicket of grass, i already knew what to expect. i knew i'd be a sobbing mess. i knew god wanted me to feel the suffering of another.

we stopped at a wooden shack with a blue rocking chair on the porch. no bigger than my living room, at least five people lived there. she stood there, in the center of the room, probably wondering what all these gringos were doing filling her house. although not scared by our presence, she still clung to her grandmother for comfort.

as the team members gently laid their hands on her little head and body, one began praying. praying that the lord would restore her body. that we know he is the great physician and his plan is the ultimate glory but today we want to pray for healing. that she would be whole again. that her immune system would gain control. that the chemo treatments would work. that she would be free from leukemia.

i imagined my little emi standing there. being prayed for as her tiny body fought off leukemia. i imagined the emotions of feeling so out of control, as her mother, and just wanting a miracle to take place and have my little girl be well. as i placed myself in her mother's shoes, my tears began to fall. not tears of hopelessness or despair. not tears of pain and agony. but tears of understanding and empathy and hope. knowing the big god we serve. a god who especially loves children.

her name is ruth esther. such a big name for such a little girl. i wonder if she even knows that her namesake is after two of the most incredible women in the bible? that she, too, possesses such amazing power, whether she is taken by her leukemia or not.

please join me in praying for her. for her healing. for her treatments. for her family. they sold the little land they owned to begin paying for her chemo treatments but it will not even come close to paying for all she will need. pray that god provides in a miraculous way, to bless this family and to bring him glory.

Photo of the Week-4/5-4/12

meet jack. meet bienvo.

when i took this photo, as crazy as it sounds, i teared up. yup, i'm generally an emotional sap and it carries into my work on many occasions. i was teary-eyed not because of the quality of the photo but because of what it represents.

when we try to explain to people what parternship really means, we sometimes get blank stares. but when st. john was here this week, i didn't have to explain a thing. they get it.

when you see jack and bienvo's hands, to the outsider it just looks like a nice picture of four hands. but to know the story means to know the partnership it represents. bienvo's hands, the size of bear claws, rough and worn from years of hard labor. jack's hands, small and smooth, lacking in life experience but ripe with possibility. bienvo represents our ministry so incredibly. a hard-working, christian, god-fearing man who wants to make a difference in his community with christ's love while still being relevant to his culture. jack represents three generations of a family who is sold out for christ and believes whole-heartedly in international partnership and the bond of mutual transformation.

four hands, which in most circles would never connect, but in this "circle" finds friendship, comfort and the transforming power of god uniting cultures despite race, language or class.

no other four hands could represent something more powerful, redemptive or influential.

Perez Family

catching up on some of my recent shoots...the perez family and i had a quick little photoshoot in our friend's backyard. it was fun and quick and amazing that we got as many great shots as we did with two very busy girls. stella and amelia are awesome. and already declaring their individual personalities. enjoy the photos...

papi and his daughters...so adorable

love this mama

this face cracks me up

little amelia

vivacious stella

"what? we didn't do anything..."

"are we about done? i need my beauty sleep."

"oh my gosh! i totally want to switch stuffed animals with you."

"it's ok, stella, i still love you."