Braisteds Photography

Photo of the Week-2/12-2/19

2012-02-21T13:07:00.003-08:00

meet linda (pronounced leen-dah; means cute, adorable, beautiful). hey there, pretty girl. she lives in the hole and she's been my photo of the week before. except before, i didn't know her. before, she cried at the sight of me. before, i hadn't stepped into her world.

it's been a strange transition working so closely to the ministry happening in the hole. i figured i would become more emotionally numb to it since i see it at such close proximity. but, quite frankly, the opposite has happened.

i remember when i was explaining life in the hole to a short-term missions team for the first time after i began working there. i said my usual stuff, expressed the need there, shared how tough life can be. and i cried. like, to the point that i just wanted to jump out of the van, find a corner and curl up in it. it no longer was just a story i told. it was her story. linda's story. i know kids now whose parents leave in the morning to go to work, lock their kids out of the house and make them fend for themselves until they get home. i know girls who are basically child prostitutes with no self-esteem or feeling of worth. i know parents who hardly have enough food to feed themselves, let alone their eight children. and it breaks my heart even more knowing their real life stories.

but for me, what keeps me coming back, what keeps me taking the long staircase down into this dump are the smiles i get when i turn the alley to the church. linda, who was so petrified of me two years ago, is now one of my most enthusiastic welcomers. she will stop whatever she is doing, run barefoot and jump over trash and dirty water just to rest comfortably in my arms. talk about redeeming people. god's already working on her little heart, changing it from fear and uncertainty to trust and love.

Welcome to the World!

2012-01-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

Little Isileidy came into this world on Saturday, January 14th, weighing in at 7 lbs 8 ounces. Although she was healthy, her Mama wasn't. I hadn't realized how serious it was until after the fact, but apparently we almost lost Yuleidy. Due to severe anemia and not being able to stop her bleeding, lots of fluid and four pints of blood later they were able to bring her around.

When I went to the hospital to see her, they wouldn't let us in. She wasn't out of the woods yet and she was in intensive care. Intensive care, not in the sense that you and I think of. It didn't look sterile at all and there wasn't very much care involved. I kept praying, "Lord, just let me see her even if for a minute." And just after I finished praying, a nurse saw me standing at the door and waved to me to enter. She said all I could do was peek my head in and I told her that's all I needed.

When I rounded the corner to her room, i had to fight back tears as not to scare her. It looked like she was in a storage room that they just threw a hospital bed into. There were literally randomly placed filing cabinets surrounding her bed with just a small passage-way to reach her. This small child, laying all alone in a storage room with blood and fluids filling her veins. She looked like she was on death's door but as she turned to see me, a little smile. I smiled back and started to step in the room. The nurse stopped me and said, "You told me you just wanted to look." "But can't I just go hug her really quickly?" I asked. "No." The head doctor noticed me standing there and began shouting. By this time three of her friends had huddled behind me without my knowledge and the doctor pointed her crazy finger at them. I quickly told her that I loved her and that I was praying for her, and that was it.

She apparently improved through the night and I called her sister-in-law, Carolina, to see what the news was. She was back home in The Hole. I hopped in the jeep and drove there, to enter into a house completely filled with people. If it were me, I would have been completely overwhelmed.

Yuleidy looked exhausted but a hundred times better than the day before. Isileidy was already a pro at breastfeeding and it was so rewarding to see her Mama relishing in her new role.

Keep praying for this one. When the newness wears off and she's overwhelmed with exhaustion and the baby wakes up for the fourth time to feed; pray for perseverance and joy. Pray for her relationship with her "husband" who is only 21 himself. Pray for God to reign over them and raise up a new generation of parents. Pray that God touch their hearts in a big way, through this little blessing.

Photo of the Week-1/3-1/10

2012-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

grismeily is shy, reserved and pierces your heart with a single stare. she is the youngest of four and the only girl. when i found out her mom was pregnant and that she was a girl, i don't know why, but i was so excited. maybe, if nothing else, just for her mom who was surrounded by boys. maybe because i knew she would be one loved little girl. and maybe because i thought, just maybe, her mom may warm up to me a little bit given that i had a little girl too.

you see, up until grismeily was about one month old, her shy, reserved mother was very weary of me. i had loved her boys for almost four years and said hello to her and hugged her whenever i could, but still she was very stand-offish. never rude or blatant, just weary.

when grismeily was one month old, i had been making headbands as a fundraiser for our ministry. i saw one that i had made and thought of her immediately. the next week i brought it to her mom. elisabeth's eyes lit up. she was so excited. something as small as a headband with a flower became my window of opportunity to love her as much as i loved her children.

even at age 22, elisabeth is one of the most caring, loving mothers i have ever known. even me, at 30, i don't know how she does it; caring for three boys and a baby girl. and although our friendship isn't where i would love it to be, i know for some, trusting doesn't come quickly.

grismeily and her headband, about 6 months old when she could finally wear it!

The Perez Family

2011-11-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-07T14:19:00.001-07:00

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

2011-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

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."

Photo of the Week-3/23-3/30

2011-03-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

i love this photo. and i loved this week. this group from canada came down and did a tremendous job. they were so polite and so kind and well-behaved. we never had to worry about them or wonder if they were going to get into trouble. they were just a great group of kids. but most of all they were such an encouragement to romano.

partnership is what our ministry is all about. relationships. encouragement. discipleship. and this team loved on romano like they had known him their whole lives.

romano is an incredible guy. not quite 30 and a pastor, soccer coach, counselor, translator. he wears so many hats and truly is a man after god's heart and his people. after starting his journey as an illegal immigrant from haiti, he worked hard, educated himself and found a place in the G.O. Ministries family. his dedication to god's word and desire to bring more Christ followers into God's kingdom is such an inspiration to me and probably most that have come in contact with him.

you could see how revived romano was this week. its not an easy job, what he does, and even the most sold out soldier for Christ needs a little pick-me-up now and then. and that is exactly what westside was for him. he already has an infectious smile but this week it was beaming.

Photo of the Week-3/6-3/13

2011-03-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

there's always been a special little place in my heart for brisas de ocampo and for cross point christian church. cross point was the very first church mike and i worked with when we joined G.O.. they support fellow missionaries, jeff and vicki rogers, as well as partner with moise jean. they put missions in their church's dna from the very beginning and its been incredible to see the fruit of that decision.

i remember i was so nervous. i wasn't sure if being a missionary was what i wanted to be. i didn't think i was deserving of so much responsibility as the "ministry's photographer." but the people at cross point made me feel at home. made me not feel so much like a fish out of water. made me realize that i wasn't capable, but God was. it was like a team of big brothers that somehow made me feel like i could do this. i could be a missionary photographer.

this picture is so special to me because i was there when cross point broke ground on the church and nutrition center in brisas de ocampo. i remember staring at the trenches in the ground thinking, "how on earth will we turn that into a building?" but here we are. five years later and it is a building. and it is feeding kids.

on the first day the kids didn't really know what to do with all of us staring at them, trying to help where we could, sitting next to them as they ate. it was awkward and bumpy and uncomfortable at times. i barely got a single picture of any kids smiling. in fact, most of them shied away from my camera.

but on the second day you could see the thick air, thinning. they smiled when the member's of cross point came into the church. they laughed when the guys made funny faces. the little one's welcomed the help when they just couldn't figure out how to feed themselves. it was like i was watching my time here on this island go full circle, played out right in front of me. i saw the change from doubt and concern to joy and completeness. which is exactly what god does. complete.

Wendoli's Quinceanera

2011-03-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

I could not believe it when I found out Wendoli was having her Quinceanera party. I've known her since she was 10!!! Although the word quinceanera probably doesn't mean much to the average American, to a Dominican it is a BIG deal. When a girl turns fifteen it is equivalent to your sweet sixteen in America. There are elaborate dresses and tiaras, lots of friends and family and a very big party. I wanted to do something special for Wendoli. Something besides a gift. Mike and I are pretty close to her family and I knew one thing would be sufficient for Wendoli's big day. A photoshoot! What fifteen-year-old girl doesn't LOVE a photoshoot in a beautiful dress. So we headed for a nearby park and clicked away. It was so much fun. And her mom was just in awe at the fact that her baby girl was now a woman. I'm sure in 14 years, I'll feel exactly the same way :)

Photo of the Week-2/15-2/22

2011-02-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

if there's one thing that is missing in my life, it's sports. i love sports. the thrill of sports. the nerves and butterflies and rush of energy before a big game. the smell of the grass on a freshly cut soccer field. the peanuts and bratwurst at baseball games. the camaraderie during march madness.

so when there is a sports week down here i am all over it like white on rice. and baseball week lived up to the hype.

there is something so incredibly special about being part of someone's future. and if there is one thing that i have found in over two decades of playing sports, is that sports can change someone's future. and it is no different in the dominican republic.

unfortunately for kids here, young boys especially, it is easier to get involved in drugs and alcohol than anything else. these things are readily available. laws for underage drinking aren't enforced. the scene is very accessible. and sometimes drugs and alcohol appear to offer a life of luxury and opportunity more than anything else they are presented with. but what G.O. is doing with sports is absolutely incredible. will partin, mike braisted (my husband) and a dominican/haitian staff of ten are going to great lengths to invest in the youth in our community, through sports.

when the baseball group was here this week i had the opportunity to see this interwoven group of men offer more than just instruction in baseball. they offered their life experiences and their love of jesus. they offered vulnerability and honesty. they offered these young boys hope. a group of men, who, for all intensive purposes were heroes and incredibly talented baseball players. someone these kids could look up to and find real, tangible ways of living out their faith but still staying relevant in their culture. there is nothing like finding a common ground like sports and using it as an avenue to better someone's life. i'd even go as far as to say that at least one of the kids this week had their lives changed forever.

Photo of the Week - 1/4-1/11

2011-01-20T16:52:00.001-08:00

our little ariani. she lives in the hole. and this was a special day. her and 100 other kids from the nutrition center were treated to ice cream by real life church. indeed this was a special day.

aside from watching kids guzzle down gallon after gallon of sweet tasting ice cream, the mayhem of them riding every ride and going down the slide and crossing the monkey bars, is a sight to see. i watched car after car pull into the bon parking lot, and i watched car after car take one look at 100 crazy kids and squeal away. i was kind of glad. this was their day anyway.

ariani is a little more special to me than even the other special kids that i love from the hole. i've gotten to know her and her mom over the last year. plus, i have a little place tucked away in my heart for kids with special needs. there's a reason they call it "special" needs.

we've determined that she probably has cerebral palsy and probably a cognitive disability. but you see that smile? that smile is there, every minute of every day. i've never once heard her complain that her mom has to carry her to the nutrition center every day. i've never once heard her whine when the other kids are running around and she can't. i've never once seen her feel sad or sorry that she was born the way she was. just a smile and an insatiable zest for life.

this day, i admit, as amazing as it is, i sometimes feel anxious about it. i get very stressed out feeling responsible for 100 kids. even though other staff are there to assist, i just feel overwhelmed. kids pushing, wanting more ice cream, wanting to be first in line for the slide...all normal kid stuff but all stuff that stresses me out. then ariani reminded me why i love this day.

there she was, struggling to get to the slide with her walker, waiting her turn for her friend from real life church to assist her up the stairs. sitting at the top of the slide. huge smile beaming from ear to ear and a whoosh as she slides down. at the very bottom, just two words, "otra vez." she grabs her walker again, rushing to get to the stairs to meet her friend who helps her to the top. ready to go down and whoosh. this time, even before she gets to the bottom, i heard the words "otra vez."

she went down that slide more than twenty times. each time the same beautiful smile as the first. each time sliding down like she'd never done it before. each time asking if she could do it again. by the end of her twenty or so times, she was exhausted. some of us discussed how it was probably the best therapy that she's had in her eight or so years of living with her condition. regardless of the stress or the overwhelming feeling when i think of taking 100 kids to get ice cream, i could do it every day of the week if i got to see little ariani...and her humbly grateful smile.

The Schwulst Family

2010-10-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I don't need to say much about this family. Just that they are awesome. I love them to pieces. And when they asked me to do some family photos for them I was so excited. The whole shoot lasted maybe 45 minutes and it was so much fun. And did I mention their beautiful girls? Whom I adore? They are seriously great. Ok, no more words...just enjoy!

i totally loved these "accidental" shots of the girls getting ready

the darn humidity didn't help their wavy hair, we had to photograph quickly!

um, don't know what my deal was, but i loved this feet picture

a-dor-a-ble!

my fave from the day

beautiful rachael. yeah, she's only 15. watch out mom and dad!

i love beka...she totally reminds me of myself at her age...funny, spunky, energetic...

Thanks for letting me photograph your family, Schwulsts'!!!!

For information on booking your family photo shoot, go here.

Welcome to the world, Marvin!

2010-09-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day! I finally got to meet little Marvin. I've developed a friendship with Marvin's mom, Joanna, for the last two years. I met her in February 2008 at a medical clinic in the Hole, when her oldest daughter was less than a year old. There was just something about her that I loved.

Us at a different medical clinic, June 2008, after Darolin was born

Joanna was 12 when she "married" her husband Melvin. They waited five years until she was 17 to start having kids. Now... three years later, they welcomed their third child :)

seriously, look at his little hand

Marvin was born at 29 weeks gestation on August 28th. 2 lbs 9 oz. 13 inches long. crazy. He stayed in the hospital for about two weeks and came home a few days ago. Little miracle baby. I was terrified to hold him because he was still so tiny almost three weeks after being born, but of course, the proud mama insisted. She also let me know that her and Melvin talked about it and I am his Godmother. I was so excited. What an honor.

Just a little proof that God shows us the beauty of life even in a place like The Hole.

Arolin and Darolin, the new big sisters

proud mama

Perez Twins

2010-09-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting the little photoshoot I did with the Perez twins last week. Their mom and dad, Jackie and Alan Perez, are on staff with G.O. Jackie is super creative and artsy so I always look forward to working with her cause we feed off each other so well. She had some great ideas for photographing the girls. Amelia was awake almost the entire shoot, Stella, not so much! But isn't that soooo twins? One awake, one asleep. One happy, one cranky. One hungry, one full. One laid back, one more energetic. Either way, we got some cute shots of them together (plus a couple with their beautiful mom!). Enjoy!

sweet little stella, already sleepy five minutes into the shoot

little amelia workin' her belly time!

yep, i want to eat her up too

proud mama, double blessed

sweet angels

well hello there, little beauty

my favorite from the day

Ruben-9 Months!

2010-08-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to do portraits of someone other than your kids. My poor kids are going to hate me until the day they move out of the house. They will probably never purchase their own camera because I will have overused mine on them so much. Or maybe they will just be grateful that sometime when they are getting ready to get married, they can sit on the couch with their future spouses and look at the bazillion photos that I took of them. Either way, this train ain't slowin' down!

Today, I did get to photograph someone other than my own. Little Ruben is only 5 days older than Emi and his mother is on staff with Mike and I. His father is one of the Haitian pastors that work here in the Dominican. Together, they made a pretty adorable baby. We just did a little mini shoot (only about 15 minutes long) and he didn't exactly want to cooperate and give me smiles but we got a few. And man can he light up a room. Cute thing. Enjoy!

Photo of the Week-8/3-8/10

2010-08-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

as we were closing our time at the river on saturday, one of the leader's of the college group from eastview christian church asked if there was anyone feeling prompted to be baptized. the spirit was moving.

one by one, young men and women began to step forward. twenty of them to be exact.

as they were being baptized i began snapping away, feeling like i was getting a front row seat to something so intimate. watching people be baptized is so incredibly moving. i didn't get a chance to get to know many of the kids on this trip throughout the week but as i sat there photographing this monumental moment in their lives it was as if they were sharing their stories with me.

about halfway through, this young man and young woman walk up. they were obviously a couple. as he began speaking it completely moved me. i began crying (as i feel seems to be a theme these days).

his words were so simple. he said their relationship before had been "dead and dirty" and because of god's saving grace and abounding mercy, they were standing there that day in the river, new creations. when they got down in the river he began to speak to her. too quiet for any of us to hear but as i took their photos you could see her face change. you could see how much she adored him and how grateful she was that she had a boyfriend that truly desired to be a man after god's heart. she trusted him. and as he submerged her in the river and she came up for her first breath...celebration. cheering and clapping rang through that place. an example of transformation and new creation.

Photo of the Week-7/27-8/3

2010-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

although i feel like i'm running behind in all of my work, i actually wasn't running behind on posting the photo of the week for this week. it has just taken me a week to really figure out what it was about this one vbs that got to me.

i remember driving over to los guandules, i did not want to be going. i had a ton of stuff to do and i thought i had lined up someone else to help me photograph the vbs but it fell through. angry. frustrated. irritated. those would be the words to describe my mood walking up the steps to the church. not exactly the words i would want to describe my mood, ever.

as i reached the top of the stairs a cloud was completely lifted from me. i left the world of darkness and moodiness and entered the world where happy children play. to describe what i saw in words is nearly impossible to do. but words are all i've got. there was music playing, there were children laughing and there was dancing...oh yes, there was dancing. there was hand holding, and leg kicking, and booty shaking.

the light trickled in the windows of the church just right as to caress the little faces that were beaming with smiles. not like the kind of smiles with lips pursed and corners turned up...but the kind of smiles i dream of seeing here. squinty-eyed, cheeks gathered, teeth bearing, smiles.

as i'm typing these words now, a little chill runs up my neck and my eyes well up with water. it was that indescribable.

i literally kept my camera plastered to my face, not so much as to capture every moment of this incredible scene, but to keep people from noticing the tears streaming down my face. i've never really felt the holy spirit, in the moment, and known it was the holy spirit. but in that moment it was as if the holy spirit was standing next to me, speaking to me, whispering in my ear.

about two weeks ago, i started reading a book called, "90 minutes in heaven." it's not necessarily a book that i would recommend to everyone i meet. and honestly, the book itself wasn't all that impressive. but what was impressive was the man's account of heaven. i almost feel like god wanted me to read the book only to have the background of what heaven will be like so that when i walked into the church at los guandules that afternoon, i could feel just a little of what heaven will be. i feel i've come to understand that heaven's dancing and singing will be on a much grander scale but let me tell you...if it's only twice as grand as that afternoon, i'm ready to go now.

Photo of the Week-7/20-7/27

2010-07-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them;

I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."

-Ezekiel 11:19

tears rolled down her cheek. but she stopped to look at me. me and the big black thing that i put in front of my face and lug around everywhere.

i've decided that my camera has become a barrier in my life. something that keeps me from feeling emotion for the things that i see daily. i have the type of personality that can become very overwhelmed with hard situations. i cry a lot. not just a tear or two but like big crocodile tears. especially when it comes to kids.

i went through a period in my life not too long ago where i literally rendered myself incapable of emotion. not completely on purpose, but kind of. i wrote in my journal during that time and i said, "it's like i want to care, but i don't; it's like i don't want to care, but i do." sounds a little confusing, hey? bear with me.

sometimes its just easier for me to tell myself that these kids, the ones living with prostitute moms and drug dealer dads, don't have it all that bad. i try and convince myself, just so i don't really have to think about the things they deal with at the ripe age of three. because when i do, when i really think about the things they see, it devastates me. it keeps me up at night. it makes me feel guilty for how good my kids have it and for ever complaining that we don't have enough. it suffocates me and crushes my chest to the point of losing my breath sometimes.

i knew, when i took the photo of this little girl, she was the photo of the week. not because she's spectacularly beautiful (because she is) or because she lives in the pits of hell (because she does) or because she was bawling her eyes out and nobody held her and told her it was going to be all right (because they didn't). i knew because she is the epitome of what i run from, emotionally. if i just take her picture, i'm just a photographer. i'm just doing my job. but god calls us to have 'a new spirit' and change our 'heart of stone' to a 'heart of flesh.' that means even when you know it is going to hurt. though the bible says to guard your heart, it doesn't say anywhere to protect it from feeling pain. i think feeling pain and empathizing with other people's pain is where spiritual growth occurs. it's where healing begins.

i know i can get overwhelmed with feeling that i can't do enough for the people that live on this island. but rather than use my camera as a shield, i want to use it as a way to capture their lives and hopefully inspire others to go out into this world and do the one thing we are very capable of doing...loving others as Jesus loves us.

Photo of the Week-7/13-7/20

2010-07-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

i remember growing up my dad was my hero. there wasn't anywhere i would have rather been than sitting on his lap watching a movie. we are just alike. we are hot-headed and passionate. we are impatient and caring. we are emotional and loving. we are melancholy and nonchalantly humorous. i also knew that no matter what came my way, my dad would be there to protect me and teach me, scorn me and love me, motivate me and encourage me. i thought everyone's dad was that way.

it wasn't until i got older when i realized that all dad's weren't that way. some were unintentional. some were demeaning. some were abusive. and some were just down right bad. and it wasn't until we moved to the dominican that i realized that a lot of dad's were absent.

i am not saying that it is culturally acceptable for a man to abandon his family, because that is not true. i have met and have grown to adore many of the dad's that i come in contact with on a daily basis down here. but...there is an underlying cycle in this culture, of men not taking responsibility for their children...to raise them well and love them better.

as vicious as the cycle can be, i always find hope somewhere amidst my most hopeless of days. that was this picture. the little boys' name is Junior. the man holding him was named Wes. Junior held onto him the entire time Wes was in his community. and just like Jesus' grace washes over our spirits and brings us peace, i saw this little boy rest his head on Wes' shoulder as the peace of being loved and feeling secure washed over him.

i was reminded once again that we can't be something to everybody, be we can be something to somebody.

Photo of the Week-7/6-7/13

2010-07-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Isaias was one of the first friends I made when we moved to this island. Back then, he was just a kid. Just graduated from college. Just figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. Even though I was three years older than him, it sounded a lot like me.

Four years later, Isaias has become one of my closest friends here. At the age of 26, I have watched him transform from a kid, to a pastor. From wondering what he wanted to do with his life, to leading hundreds of youth to the Cross of Jesus. God is using him to revolutionize this culture. Accepting those that the church would normally shun. Inviting those in who would normally be written off.

This weekend, I was a part of one of Isaias' visions. Cristo Urbano...Urban Christ. For the second year in a row, Isaias and his "soldiers" put on the Cristo Urbano youth conference with the help of one of Isaias' supporting churches from the States. Over 250 kids, all areas of the island, all walks of life. There was rapping and reggaeton. There were dramas and break dancing. There was praise and worship and serious talks. And I got to be the fly on the wall. Listening to conversations. Praising with them. Singing with them. Watching God transform a ton of young lives.

On the last day, Isaias was talking...like really talking. Spirit-moved words. The theme of the conference was "no soy un fanatico." or "not a fan." Changing from just being a fan of God to being a follower of God. And when Isaias began to speak about baptism and how it would be one way to show your commitment to being a follower and not a fan, I was moved. God prompted me. God spoke to me. It was time for me to be baptized.

I could go into an incredibly long story about why I haven't been baptized yet, but this post is about the baptism that took place in the photo above. Isaias' cousin decided to be baptized, right there in the pool. A bunch of us gathered around, Isaias talked about the purpose behind baptism and as we sang "Glory to God," he was baptized. It was incredible. And I cried.

It was the fruit of a work God started about four years ago.

Photo of the week - 6/22-6/29

2010-06-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

this isn't the best photo i've ever taken. but my best work doesn't necessarily mean the photo of the week. i chose this photo solely for the subject matter.

little yajaira.

she is actually andre's sister. she's feisty. disobedient. excellent hugger. loving. nurturing. and she's got a bit of a twinkle in her eye. but the day this photo was taken, wasn't her best day.

we'd just gotten down to the hole and were about to feed the kids. i was chatting with felix abreu, the pastor in the hole, just wondering how the kids were doing. he said it wasn't that good of a day there. the police had been around all morning. i asked if anyone was taken. sure enough. the police stormed a house that morning, kids all watching in horror, as their dad was grabbed and escorted out. yajaira and andre's dad.

i immediately scanned the tables to find her, to see how she was doing. there she was smiling, hugging, playing with an american woman as if life was as normal as could be. i couldn't help but wonder about her. about her demeanor. did she really feel ok about what went down that morning? was life just like that, that it's no big deal to see your own dad dragged out of your house by a bunch of armed men? has she seen so many awful things in her seven or so years that a scene like that just doesn't phase her? or is she just so used to these things that, in her seven or so years, she's already learned to bottle it up? to push the hurt and pain, confusion and sadness, as far down as she can as to not feel it?

my heart ached for her. whether she was aching or not. that a little girl should see something like that and go about her day as if it were just a normal day. but there was hope after all that. she showed up at the feeding center, greeted by people who love her. people that were there only to love her and give her some attention. let her know that not all things end so painfully. that hope is revealed through love. and who else to show her love but the god who is love.

Photo of the Week-6/15-6/22

2010-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

i know, i know. how dare i pick my own son as the photo of the week? but let me explain.

there is nothing more that i want for landon than for him to love Jesus. although i grew up in a christian home and had loving parents, i definitely chose a different road for a few years. that road was paved with nothing but heartache, pain, despair, loneliness, guilt, emptiness...i could use about 8,000 more adjectives but you get the point.

i don't want landon to walk that road that his mama walked.

so when i took landon to vbs with me because i was out a babysitter, i knew why God let it happen. this picture.

the team began to sing a song in spanish that i have known for probably more than 20 years. it goes, 'halle-lu, halle-lu, halle-lu, halle-lu yah...alaba señor (or 'praise ye the lord' in english)' landon loved the song. he sang it with all his might. he clapped and threw his hands up in the air to his creator. and this mama just sat there, mesmerized. i really wanted to bawl my eyes out, which i would normally do, but i just smiled and watched and listened as my almost-three-year-old praised our God. and that is why this is my photo of the week.

Photo of the Week-6/8-6/15

2010-06-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

meet andre.

i haven't had the opportunity to get to know andre very well, other than what I observe. he's rowdy. he's rough. he's aggressive. he desperately needs attention. he is another little boy that lives in the hole.

how you can pray for andre:

-for him to grow physically and stay healthy

-for him to be a light in his community and take a different path than his peers

-for him to desire to learn more about God

-for him to learn to be sensitive and more caring towards other children

-for him to be able to grow up and witness to his family and neighbors who are not believers

-for him to not fall into the traps of drugs, alcohol and abuse that will be finding him soon

Photo of the Week-4/3-4/10

2010-04-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love the kids from The Hole. They've wrapped their little arms around my heart and changed me forever. Normally, I post something on my little guy, Minino. But there's another little one that is making his way into the blogosphere.

His name is Simon. Almost four years ago when we moved here, Simon was pretty reserved. When all the kids jumped on the backs of the Americans, craving their love and attention, Simon kinda sat back and watched. Just like all the other "little guys" in the Hole, the big kids picked on him. But he's learned to fend for himself. A little on the angry side, angrier than you want a 6 year old to be, but totally sensitive at the same time.

Over the past year, I've seen a pretty good change in him. He would always give me a high five when I came to this place, but nothing to ecstatic. He's been fighting with kids less, crying less, loving more and best of all...he hugs me. The best hugs ever. Of course, I, being an obsessive hugger have been teaching him to hug, to love, with two arms. He would always give me one of those half-hearted, one-armed hugs. Totally not sufficient for some lovin'. But now, when I call out to my little Simon, he knows two arms, tightly wrapped around my neck is what I want. I don't have to teach him how to hug anymore.

Today, he was just sitting there. Hanging out. Eating an orange. I loved it. His dark little eyes, hiding a grin behind them. He knew before I walked up to him with my camera that he was a "photo opportunity." And there he sat, posing for me with his orange. Grinning a little. Hugging me with his eyes, instead of his arms. What an incredible journey we've been on. How both of us have grown over these last four years. I've learned so much from those little ones. How to love more deeply. How to live more freely. How to hug more tightly.

Introducing: Mr. & Mrs. Alan Perez

2009-06-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

I had the honor, again, to photograph one of our staff weddings. I just love these opportunities to do something a little out of the ordinary from my normal "work." Plus, Jackie is one of my really good friends. And let me tell you...she was ABSOLUTELY stunning! The weather was perfect, the wedding was beautiful and everyone had a wonderful time. ENJOY THE PHOTOS!

My Little Minino

2009-06-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Most days he's crying. He either was spanked for doing something wrong or just crying because he's still just a baby. Either way, when I see his giant tears rolling down his little cheeks it gets me every time.

I don't know if I'm the only one he has a "special" bond with or if other people feel it with him too but there's something about that little Minino that makes you feel like you're the most loved person in the world.

He's pretty neglected. His mom just turned 20 and he has 5-year old and 1-year old brothers. I suppose its not easy to raise three kids when you're still a kid yourself. Either way, he is starving for attention most of the time. Most people think he's awnry and a trouble-maker but that just makes me love him more. He's feisty, he almost has to be to survive the older boys picking on him all the time.

He almost always has a bump or a scrape or a bruise and has already knocked out one of his front teeth. He eats entirely too much candy and drinks way too much soda for a toddler. But those things are just accessible where he lives.

But when he sees me, he smiles. Sometimes he likes to pretend that he's not going to smile and it makes him smile even bigger. And sure enough, before long I have this tiny 2-year olds arms wrapped around my neck. I'd squeeze him harder if I didn't think I'd break him.

He's so capable of love and is so in need of more of it. Sometimes I forget that I'm supposed to be doing my job because I get lost in loving this little boy. And sometimes I don't want to put him down and say good-bye because I know it will be three or four more days before I return. Even sometimes, I feel guilty that I love him so much because I have my own son that is about his age. But its almost because of Landon that I can love Minino like I do.

So today, as me and my little guy sat on the stairs leading up to the church he put his little hand in mine. I thought, "Would it be cheesy to take a picture of this right now?" I opted for a "no" and shot it quickly before he decided to take it away.

Now I have a reminder of the love of a little boy that steals my heart weekly and makes me want to be a better mom to my own little boy.

A rare photograph...

2008-06-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

Since I am usually behind the lens, it's a rare thing to get a photo of myself. But today I was playing with Minino (my favorite little guy from the Hole) and another one of our missionaries, my friend Lisa, grabbed my camera and started snapping away. So I just had to post one of the photos because it was such a great couple minutes with my little friend. Thanks Lisa!