Composing the Vision

Winter Months and Travels

2012-01-29T18:29:00.001-08:00

Winter is usually really quite for us. (Though here in Cincinnati, I can’t say that we have gotten much of a winter. Seriously!). I usually take the time during winter to have a break, reflect, and maybe actually cook a homemade meal. I normally vow to take a couple weeks off. It’s ironic though, because that sabbatical usually lasts about a week and a half and then I get anxious to pick up the camera again.

If I could I would become a travel/nature photographer. It is hands down the best job in the world -- a professional tourist! There are some amazing travel photographers out there that I could only aspire to be as good as. To be a travel photographer you basically have to take photos that people think are photoshopped because there is no way they can pull off that shot. But I still like to try my hand at it – and I have to use photoshop. :)

Almost a year ago Melanie and I had the wonderful privilege of visiting Italy. We toured Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, and Venice for a total of 10 days. Absolutely incredible scenes, I would just close my eyes and start shooting wildly and prove that you can’t take a bad picture in Tuscany. We took about 2000 shots if you are curious, which is less than we shoot for a wedding. Hey, it was my vacation! Here are a few:

Fiesole looking down on Florence

Tuscan hills.

Pisa

I forgot where these two pictures were taken...

That last picture on the left is from San Gimignano. Oh my word that was one of the most enchanting cities that no one knows about. It’s like you stepped back into medieval times. A castle on a hill surrounded by vineyards where it is golden hours all day long.

Just last week I flew out to San Francisco. I was so excited to shoot the first morning I woke up at 4:00am to venture into the city. Of course, I realized quickly that not many things are open at 4:00 in the morning. It might have been a bit a bit overkill, but you can be the judge. I did hit the golden hours at the golden gate bridge.

A baker at the Fisherman’s Warf

Waking up at 4:00am, highly recommended. :) This next is my favorite picture of Alcatraz. I just love the simplicity of it with the fog.

Rented a jetpack to get this shot…

And of course, the picture of Melanie and I. My favorite person to travel with. Wish you all a blessed February! Make sure to give someone you love a big fat sloppy kiss this month!

New Year and New Website

2012-01-07T04:52:00.001-08:00

So excited for this next coming year! I am proud to say that we have a new website up too!

Clean and simple and to the point. We are so excited this year for all the weddings that we have. Lots of great things coming this year. It’s going to be a good year.

Website Redesign

2011-11-17T03:36:00.001-08:00

We are redesigning our website! I am very excited about the new page and look. Check page in the next couple of weeks! Or contact me at eliot.gomez@theartisticvision.com

Walk to Cure Diabetes

2011-09-23T03:46:00.001-07:00

The pictures from the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes are up! Make sure to visit the gallery at:

www.theartisticvision.com/JDRF

We got pictures of most of the groups and then some candid snapshots of the event toward the end. The digital pictures are available for purchase for $15. $15 will allow you to download of the high resolution digital image file. After you download the file, we will give you redistrubution rights (give the photo to other people in your group) and you will be given permission to print the photo yourself and put it on Facebook and other social media sites. This gallery will allow you to choose what images you want to purchase.

If you have any questions please email me at info@theartisticvision.com.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures! I had a lot of fun at the event and I hope to see you next year!

Eliot

JDRF–Newport Walk to Cure Diabetes

2011-09-18T15:40:00.001-07:00

I had the awesome opportunity to shoot at the Newport Walk to Cure Diabetes put on by Cincinnati’s Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation this past Saturday. The morning weather along the river was beautiful as you can see. There were so many people who walked on Saturday, it was really incredible to see the enormous support. I’m going through the pictures now and they should be up later this week so please come back to check on the blog. All the pictures will be up on the website to view and if you are interested in purchasing prints that will also be available. Thanks so much for the opportunity! It was great meeting everyone and taking pictures!

David & Lauren

2011-08-02T05:38:00.001-07:00

We really enjoyed this wedding and so many incredible pictures to choose from I wish I could show you them all! David and Lauren were such a sweet couple we really loved having the honor of shooting their wedding.

Make sure that you look us up on Facebook! Many more gorgeous weddings to come!

Jordan & Keri

2011-07-29T05:00:00.001-07:00

Almost the end of July! Can you believe it? It has been quite a ride this summer and we are loving every minute of it. Here are some of my favorites from Jordan and Keri’s wedding. More to come!

Dustin & Denae

2011-06-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

The weddings are coming quickly! We are putting most of the weddings up on Facebook (my wife is thankfully in charge of keeping that up-to-date so it gets updated unlike the blog). But call me old fashioned because I grew up in the blogger era. :)

This is Dustin and Denae’s wedding. Such a sweet wedding. They adored each other so much. I hope you enjoy! Be on the lookout this week for more weddings or just check out our Facebook page!

Jordan and Keri Engagement

2011-05-25T16:38:00.001-07:00

We met Jordan and Keri over a year ago and we were so excited when we had the opportunity to shoot their wedding. Jordan and Keri are photographers in northern Ohio, they run Bluebird Design and Photography Studio (www.photographybybluebird.com), love their work! They actually got married two weeks ago but right before they got married we got to shoot their engagement photos. And oh my goodness – so sometimes a session is just magic, and I can’t really explain this one but this one was magic. Perhaps it was the ingredients of beautiful light, amazing locations, and of course a couple who just adored each other so much, but this photo session was magic. This is one you have to see for yourself! Love!

Bobby and Jennifer Engagement

2011-05-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

Bobby and Jennifer are getting married this year so we celebrated by going out to Eden Park and Mount Adams to get some shots! Love these pictures. You would have never thought it was a cold and rainy spring day. It just goes to show that a little smile on a cloudy day goes a long way. Enjoy the pictures! We’ll see you in July!

Joe and Heather

2011-04-20T19:08:00.001-07:00

What an incredible time celebrating with Joe and Heather. And who would have thought that a rainy April morning day could have turned into such a beautiful afternoon. Which is good because I promised Heather sun! I can’t begin to say how much fun we had with the whole group at the reception. So much fun! Here are a few shots of the day.

These next pictures are my favorites, the dress was amazing and that bouquet was out of this world!

And I’m not kidding - right before Heather walked down the aisle, a beam of light from the majestic church broke its way through the window and followed Heather all the way down. I just turned off my flash and let Heather and her spotlight work the magic.

Ha! Cracks me up. This reception was a party!

Thank you so much you two for letting us be a part of your day! We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Kara Portraits

2011-04-12T06:11:00.001-07:00

Everyone once in a while we like to venture outside the wedding realm and do some other type of photography. Here is a portrait session of a friend of ours, Kara Huber. Kara is a concert pianist studying at CCM at University of Cincinnati. I have had the privilege of seeing one of Kara’s performances and oh! my! gosh! I have never seen hands move so quickly on a piano, and when I was watching her I kept saying to myself, “she only has 20 fingers and I’m pretty sure I just heard 21 notes!”

If you ever get a chance to see her play, you will not regret it:

www.karahuber.com

Here’s the results! Portrait work is so laid back I love it. :-)

Scott and Barb Wedding

2011-04-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

We returned from our vacation in Italy! An amazing country and it was humbling to realize that many of the sights that we were looking at were 4+ times older than the United States. Such a rich history and beautifully preserved architecture, countryside, and culture. Took way too many pictures! I was like a kid in a candy store, seriously, I think I literally took a picture of every canal in Venice. I would love to show the pictures, but I haven’t even seen the pictures yet! We got back and got straight to work on our first wedding of the year.

This is Scott and Barb’s wedding in beautiful Cincinnati. Melanie and I were so blessed to be a part of this wedding. What amazed me about this wedding was that their ceremony, though short it was, demonstrated to everyone that they knew they had found a strong love in each other. It was incredible to have the chance able to witness this love.

Here are some glimpses from the day:

And let me tell you – there was no shortage of dancing at this celebration…

Thank you for letting us be a part of your day!

Engagements 2010

2011-03-14T19:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some of our favorite engagement images from last year! We always seem to forget to preview engagement pictures mostly because weddings shadow them, but I really enjoy the diversity and the personality that engagement pictures bring. It is such a laid back photoshoot, walking around, and shooting on the spot. Awesome awesome couples this year!

In other news, we are traveling Italy next week! A bit of Europe surveying to satisfy the traveling bug. We plan on traveling Tuscany, particularly Florence, and seeing Venice. I will be sure to post some pictures!

Welcome 2011

2011-01-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Announcing The Artistic Vision's New Year resolution: tending to my poor little blog that I forgot about the latter half of 2010. Usually, blog consistency lasts about as long as everyone else's resolution to get in shape and lose weight. But I think this blog is favored for resolution success because we've got some incredible weddings coming up this year!

And while the world was ringing in the New Year, we had our own celebration in Marion to ring in the newlyweds - Aaron and Laura! What a privilege to be a part of this wedding.

There was this old barn turned B&B that they rented for the day. Unbelievable!

Aaron saw his future bride for the first time by her grand entrance.

And who would have thought that it would have been 50 degrees on New Year Eve! It was so warm we shot outside in the amazing Ohio countryside.

Such an awesome group of people which really added the dynamic to the day. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a wedding when we were shooting a model shot of the girls and the boys ran around to get a look at these ladies totally unscripted.

And the rest of the day was equally as fun. Such a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony followed by such an authentic reception.

Thank you Aaron and Laura for allowing us to be a part of your day. We wish you the very best in your new life together.

Remembering the Orphans

2010-08-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic wedding season it has been! I don't think my wife or I anticipated just how busy we would be. It has been so cool to celebrate with all the awesome couples we have photographed so far this year. As it is our first year of marriage, it’s like every wedding has been a continued celebration for life and love. We have been so busy traveling, shooting, editing, and building the business and I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this, from couples to friends for their encouraging support.

We have featured a lot of weddings over the summer on this blog but I do not want to lose sight of the mission of The Artistic Vision. Those of you who know us personally will know why our slogan is Beauty, Life, Love, Hope, but for those who are curious I would like to spend a little time on the last one: Hope.

Every day I witness these beautiful ceremonies and couples, whether shooting or editing, I always remember how blessed I am to be a part of this. We witness the sanctity of marriage and the holiness of love and every wedding has a happy ending. There is no greater joy that we witness because we believe that weddings are the reflections of the Great Wedding that will happen between Christ and His Church – and because of this we have a greater understanding of marriage.
And every time I remember how fortunate I am, I am always convicted by the words Jesus spoke, “ For to whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more”. Because of all this good that we experience, I feel that it would be incomplete, amiss, or even wrong not to give away proportionally what we have been given.

We are striving to build the business and better ourselves as photographers, and as we grow we equally strive to become better stewards of the widows, orphans, justice, poverty, and the sphere of influence the Lord has given us. I cannot help but remember the orphans of Colombia whom we saw a couple of years ago. Though the time we had with them was brief, they continue to make our hearts ache because they are iconic to all the orphans and all the injustice this world contains. We continue to try to do what we can, even though sometimes it feels like it has had very little impact, we know that it is building something bigger than this business. There are two things from The Artistic Vision that will outlive us and these two things we make every effort to produce excellence: your wedding pictures will outlive our days and for this reason we will do everything to the best of our ability to produce excellent results; the second is providing hope and serving justice to those who are less fortunate. The latter will outlast even your photos.
I will leave you with this story that hopefully will keep us all accountable to the mission.

"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. ' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Kai and Libby

2010-08-05T19:00:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Kai and Libby who tied the knot last Saturday! We enjoyed ourselves tremendously and loved shooting this beautiful couple. Such an honest and heartfelt ceremony. The butterflies were flying but their love was so strong and such a testimony. Thank you for the wonderful weekend and may the Lord bless your marriage and life together.

Nate and Andrea

2010-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Up to Norwalk for an exciting wedding! Nate and Andrea were such a great couple and we loved their style, personality, and their bridal party made it absolutely a blast to shoot unique and fun pictures. We enjoyed watching this couple get married and they enjoyed each other as they exchanged vows. Congratulations to Nate and Andrea! May you continue to find joy and peace to bond your marriage.

Craig & Sallyann

2010-07-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Craig and Sallyann for getting married! We were excited to be a part of your day. They got married in this old country Catholic church that was very beautiful. The stained window light beautifully lit Sallyann as Craig saw her for the first time and made for a beautiful ceremony. The reception was very friends and family oriented and it was awesome to be a part of that. We wish you two well and for many happy years.

Michael & Melissa

2010-06-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Michael and Melissa for getting married last Friday! A beautiful wedding held in Loveland, Ohio. The Catholic church was modernly ornate and the Old Montegomery Inn was a perfect place to host the reception. I loved watching Michael and Melissa together. Their love for each other was evident to all. And Melissa has such a joyful laugh mixed with Michael's pleasant and outgoing personality, taking these pictures was such a pleasure. Michael and Melissa, I hope that these pictures will serve as fond memories. I know we will not forget this incredible wedding.

Michael and Suzanne

2010-06-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Shooting weddings of friends is crazy fun for us and this was certainly no exception! Michael and Suzanne are friends of ours and we were privileged to capture their wedding day. And what an amazing day it was! I loved the church that they held the ceremony in and the reception was beautiful! Even more so though, it was awesome watching this couple cherish each other. We were so thankful to be apart of it. Michael and Suzanne, blessings on your new life together. We hope you enjoy the memories!

Matt & Nancy

2010-06-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to travel back up to Peru, Indiana this past weekend to be apart of Matt and Nancy's incredible day. The ceremony was held in a beautiful Catholic Church, which was the perfect setting for such a fun and sweet couple. Despite shifting weather, the day ended up being beautiful and ended with a rainbow. Thank you Matt and Nancy again for letting us share in your special day!

Ben and Leslie

2010-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

What an incredible weekend! We had the amazing opportunity to shoot the wedding of our friends, Ben and Leslie. What a beautiful couple! So happy to get married and such love and support from friends and family. This wedding was evident that it wasn't just a celebration of two people getting married, but rather the union of two families. While Leslie the beautiful was joined by her lovely crew of ladies, Ben the brave brought his motley band of men equipped with swords and chivalry - and a good time was had by all, as they all brought their joy, laughter, and dance.

Blessings to you two as you start your new life together. I only hope that these pictures can leave you with memories that such a wonderful and joyful couple as you two deserve.

Katie and Jireh

2010-05-21T03:31:00.000-07:00

This shoot was amazing. Katie and Jireh have been our friends for a while, and actually Katie was one of my first ~~victims~~ models when I first picked up the camera and was learning. This time she brought along her fiancé and we left for Hyde Park Square and Alt Park. What a happy couple, I loved taking pictures of them! Way too many good pictures to choose from. I am so excited to have the opportunity to capture this wedding come time September. Thank you for the fun time you two, may the Lord bless your future together.

Mike and Kelsey

2010-05-15T05:16:00.001-07:00

Mike and Kelsey were such a great couple to work with. I think they put up with more unusual poses and stunts that I made them do than any other couple. I really enjoyed shooting this engagement. Mike and Kelsey really enjoy each other and just went with the flow. Taking pictures at Ault Park and other spots in the city just really worked out so nicely. In addition, I would also like to thank my good friend John Paul for filling in and helping me shoot this one. Awesome shoot!

PS Can I just say that I loved those sunglasses!!

We'll see you in August!

The Engagement of Michael and Suzanne

2010-05-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

This was a fun session. Can I just say that I love shooting on Ludlow? I think there are so many cool little nooks and crannies that really just make the place. My second favorite place is Spring grove Cemetery. Needless to say that this shoot was a photographers paradise. And what a wonderful couple to work with! Michael and Suzanne are simply one of those couples that naturally complement each other. Something about the way they interact with each other just makes everything work. Beautiful day, beautiful couple - I am really excited for there wedding happening in June. Thanks you two! We'll see you on the day you walk down that aisle!

God Girls in Motion Christian Conference

2010-04-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

The weather was a bit chilly in Sandusky Ohio but Kalahari Resort was anything but! This was our second year shooting at the God Girls in Motion Christian Women Conference. There was an amazing lineup of speakers and bands, including Cheryl McGuinness (wife of one of the 9/11 pilots), Nancy Stafford (Hollywood actress), David Dean (Christian comedian), Betsy Kniffin (speaker and musician), and Praise-apella.

I was most impressed with praise-appella - they are an acapella group that sounded like a full band (drums and all). In fact, they sounded better than most bands! I was also humbled by many of the stories and testimonies given by the speakers. We often have hard times in this life but these speakers showed how they found hope, forgiveness, and beauty through Jesus Christ.

An incredible time!

Craig and Sallyann Engagement!

2010-04-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

We were on the road again to small town Ohio to do the engagement shoot of Craig and Sallyann! Fun couple and just really seemed to enjoy each other and just being goofy together. We even got to bring their super happy dog, Annabelle, to get a couple of shots with her. It was such a fun day in sunny northern Ohio, we hope the pictures reflect it! Their wedding is coming up very quickly in June. All the best with the wedding! We will see you very soon!

Starting the Season with Fun!

2010-04-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

With the winter season officially gone and the business side of the business all set, we finally get to get out the camera and dust it off a bit to prepare for the season ahead! We have many weddings that we are so excited for this year and we have a lot to look forward to.

So to get the shutter going again we coaxed one of our good friends, Kim, to allow us to shoot some portrait shots of her around the 'nati. Kim is a ministry leader at a college campus and needed some pictures for some of the stuff ministry leaders do. I suppose a simple "yearbook" shot would have been sufficient, but we wanted to add a little fun and excitement into the mix. I'm sure she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

Art Show on Friday - A View of Simplicity

2010-03-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday, March 26th at 7:00pm, we will have the wonderful opportunity to partner with 25th Hour Associates to present to you a photography event called Simplicity. This is our second major artshow and we couldn't be happier than to share it with our friends at 25th Hour.

25th Hour Associates officially launched in the beginning of 2009, with a vision to simplify the lives of our clients by freeing up time for them to do what matters most (a handyman service). They wanted to take the opportunity to open up their office to their partners, friends, clients, and random passerby's to support a local artist, and have interactions that typically don't happen during the 9-5 workday.

Being that their goal is to simply lives we wanted to springboard off of this idea and present a show that we thought portrayed simplicity.

We hope you will join us at 4314 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45212 this Friday!

New Website! (finally)

2010-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce that we have officially updated the website!! (insert a chorus of hallelujah!)

The old website was very sad and I do not think was true to the quality of the pictures and it was extremely hard to navigate. If you remember it I apologize. But we are very excited to bring this new one to you.

Thank you all who were apart of our lives and a part of this vision in 2009. Thank you to all the beautiful couples we had the opportunity to shoot for. I give you The Artistic Vision 2010:

Chad and Angela Engagement

2009-05-04T06:37:00.001-07:00

Thank you Chad and Angela for such a fun engagement photoshoot! I can't wait until August! Blessings!

New Wedding Website

2009-03-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

A long since needed wedding website has been made! It is separate from the main site and has its own navigation bar. This way it's easier to view the wedding portion of the Artistic Vision and you can see the packages and prices available for weddings. Check out the new wedding site!

Quarters of Beauty

2008-12-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

I love the whispers of Autumn. They bring me back to memories of my childhood. There is a certain feeling; it is the smell in the air--that cool crisp smell which freezes your nose--and the colors on the trees--those rustic oranges and ruddy splashes of the drapery--that remind me of when I was young. I am always inspired to recreate that feeling in photos, I suppose artists always do. However, photos or paintings fall short of replication only achieving a mere appropriation of the beauty; only borrowing from the text instead of scribal rewrites, for the text is too hard. Perhaps it's like the little boys who make a snowball to store in the freezer to remember come summertime. But yes, the sublimation laws of physics always seem to destroy our fun.

We try anyway. We try because we love to hold on to that which dies or that which is temporary. So much so that when the first snow falls and we get out the snow shovels and Mother's Christmas pudding, we furtively look at the pictures on the wall. Pictures of colors that we stored away to remember that which once was. And we secretly wonder if we were cheated this year from a shortened autumn, why didn't you stay like you promised you would? Why did you leave so soon?

Though I never lose hope, for maybe this wasn't the year the Promise was fulfilled, yet I know that someday that year will come. The year when I wake up and it is always Autumn.

A long needed post

2008-11-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted something, you can tell school is in session. But I haven't forsaken the camera. I'm actually taking a photography class this quarter so I can keep in practice. I've done a little bit of everything recently, a lot of portraits and engagement pictures.

I have a show with the International Justice Mission this Saturday at 8:00 pm at Taza. All proceeds will go to support IJM.

Enjoy:

Back in the US of A

2008-09-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Ohio. Getting adjusted to life as normal. I can't say that I've had reverse culture shock, yet, but I did have my Panera bread fix and I am not getting sick from the food (except maybe that McDonald's I had...yuck).

I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot an engagement session for my long time friend Amy and her fiancée Michael who will be getting married in December. It was so much fun getting to capture their personalities on camera and had some fun doing beach shots. Enjoy!

Final thoughts of Mexico

2008-09-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

My time in Mexico is coming to a close. I will have been here a total of 183 days. I have taken over 6000 pictures. I have been to well over 30 cities. I have met so many people. I have learned so much Spanish. I'm sure I have written over 50 journal entries about my trip here as well as to Colombia. I have tasted some of the finest food Latin America has to offer. I have gotten sick more than 4 times from the finest food Latin America has to offer. And now...it's time to come home.

Mexico challenges me more than anything. This year and last year might be one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it molds me into who I am more than anything previously. I can't even tell you what it is exactly. I just come back thankful I'm alive (from the times I swear I almost die from bizarre sicknesses), I come back longing to be around the people I love (for the times I swear I almost die from being alone). I come back craving really weird foods (this time it is an incredibly delicious salad topped with every type of natural organic vegetable Kroger can offer dressed in some fine creamy Italian dressing. weird.).

So as I look back at all those pictures, reread all those journal entries, remember all those "pinche fiestas" I went to in all those exotic towns ;-) I have to ask myself, what will it matter? What will change in my habits in Cincinnati that will say I changed for the better. For I do believe I have been changed for the better (all you Wicked fans out there)

Without running the risk of being too dramatic or corny (as I have a tendency to do) here is a list of things I have learned looking back through my pictures.

1) They say you are a total sum of everyone you meet. I say if this is true, invest in the lives of those around you with everything you have so at the end of your life you can say you lived.

2) Give all of yourself with love and sacrifice until you can give no more. It's about the little things

3) Make friends with people who are completely different from you. You might learn something new, or if anything you'll at least have a new friend.

4) Learn to party. Responsibly of course. But humans were created to celebrate and you'll bond with a person faster under the banner of merriment.

5) Hold fast to the things you love but also be quick to let go to share with joy.

6) Fight for peace you believe in. Die for something that is worth living for. Cry for a future of joy.

7) Let music be your vision you when you cannot see.

8) Feed those who cannot feed themselves even when you are hungry.

9) Laugh for no reason. Run until you tire. Sing until your hoarse. For the kingdom of God is such as these...

10) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight."

Latin America through a Lens

2008-09-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

6000 pictures later...and I think it's time to come home. I'll be home in less than 2 weeks! It's been a great trip though.

Meanwhile, if you are interested, check this out if you'd like to see the Best of Mexico. Blessings.

http://www.theartisticvision.com/news.html

A Cry of Freedom

2008-09-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

I believe that one of the greatest things a human can witness is the march and demand for peace and freedom. History books are bursting with stories of marches and freedom cries that have shaken the world. You wonder and doubt how a mere voice can change the course of history. You become skeptical that a simple march is able to halt the disturbing statistic of an average of 10 kidnappings a day in Mexico. They will march today, shed a few tears, send a few prayers and petitions, but by tomorrow life returns as normal and killings continue. Oh, but the cry of the human spirit is much stronger than that; petitioning their demands of unassailable rights with words that fly to the heavens reverberating and joining the choir of freedom songs echoing throughout the folds of time.

Freedom seems so fundamental to us, like breathing. Nobody has to tell us that we need freedom; somehow we just know it, like we are entitled to it, and we pursue it, even die for it. The lady leading the march I was a part of in Mexico said through the tears, “We will march, we don’t have fear, we want to end this violence…I don’t care if they kill me…” Powerful words. Incredibly powerful words. That this freedom is something worth living for—worth dying for. “Give me liberty, or give me death” is the heart’s cry that can bring a powerful British army running. Powerful words. It indicates how we were designed. Jesus once said we are “slaves to sin”. But if we “know the truth, the truth will set us free”. Somehow we know that how this life is, isn’t how it ought to be. And so we search for this freedom.

I was watching a live concert of Michael Bosé, a Spanish singer, on DVD the other day. The concert filmed in Madrid in Plaza de los Toros in Madrid, Spain, one of the largest coliseum that holds well over 20,000 people—it was packed. One of the songs, that is one of my favorites “Nada Particular” is a song that calls for peace. I was moved when I saw everyone in one voice singing this song, calling for peace. Part of the song the translation in English is this:

May my history not bring pain
May my hands work peace
And if I die may you kill me with love
Nothing particular.

Sing and fly, oh Freedom
like the dove who sings.

Give me an island
in the middle of the ocean
and call it Freedom.
Sing strong my brother,
Tell me that the wind
won’t sink it
and call it Freedom.

And with all these 25,000 of people singing this song crying for peace, certainly one could assume that the rest of the world would agree with them. With millions of people across Mexico marching for peace, certainly one could assume that the rest of the world would affirm their voice. Why can’t we all agree to throw down our swords and beat them into plowshares? Is it really just a handful of people that are ruining it for the rest of us?

Obviously this isn’t the case. We sinful creatures who cry “Freedom!” chant in the next breathe “Crucify Him!”, and we continue the cycle. But that never stops us from dreaming. That never halts the imagination from wondering what it would be like if we returned to a world without hurt, a world with freedom, a world of peace; return to a familiar way how things ought to be. Nada particular.

An Observation on Religion

2008-08-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make this journal entry for sometime now. I've been merely an observer of religion down here in Mexico. I haven't joined a church or anything, part of it because I miss my church back home and it "wouldn't be the same", but part of it is just to step away from the church for a short time to merely observe it.

My friend asked me a while back "How is God moving down in Mexico?". The answer to that I'm not really sure, and that upsets me. Most of the people here are Catholic. Catholics and Evangelicals have an interesting history, and so its hard to filter through all of that, since I consider myself an Evangelical. Our first instinct is to say, "oh look at all those idols to Mary and Jesus on the Cross instead of an empty cross". Granted, there are a lot of "statues" to various saints, but before you get to quick to judge, Evangelicals have their downfall too. We have "idols" in our Christian T-shirts, expensive cross necklaces, Christian music CD collection, and bumperstickers. To say that a Christian T-shirt or cross necklace is being a "witness" to others is to forgo the fundamental nature of the gospel--a good news spread by the people for the people (not to be confused with democracy), or in other words a Christian T-shirt isn't going help the poor down the street. We have just "sacrificed" a bunch of money to this "object" and wear it "ritualistically" that is neither God's power or salvation; sounds like an idol to me.

So I say that to say that we cannot come and judge merely by outward appearance because we have our idols too, I can't say wether the Catholic transitions and rituals are good or not. But I do say that if I were born in Mexico, my beliefs might be a lot different than they are now, and that is interesting to me. Hear me out that this does not nullify what is true and the truth of Christianity; arguments on disproving God based on cultural differences ignores fundamentally what it means to be human. Nevertheless, If I were raised in Mexico I still might know the power and salvation of the Lord God, but I might cross myself every time enter a church, or I might have my rosary, or I might go through all the ceremonies of first communion, baptism, confirmation, and whatever else they have. But I have heard of plenty of saints who have done that and still been a powerful soldier for the Lord. It all depends on the Lord's power and grace.

I can't say all is well here. I have a feeling much of the church is sleeping, merely going to church to check it off the list, and having a choir of dead souls filling the beautiful sanctuary of joyless music, but I don't know, I shouldn't go too far. I have seen a great respect for the Lord and His Holiness, however I have seen and read about what a church looks like when it is alive and I don't know if I see that here in a majority, or in a majority of America for that matter.

Nevertheless, it is so important to realize that God is moving everywhere and even in Mexico. He hasn't forgot about them or the US. He's moving quietly in the older generation, perhaps even in the newer generation, in a small quiet revolution, changing hearts just like He has been doing since the beginning of time, and we are always a part of that.

Onward Adventures to Home

2008-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry I don't have any pictures for you today. I am taking the week off from photography kinda like a vacation, just so I don't go crazy. Next week I should have some more stuff.

There is something special about home. I once heard that "home is not where you live, but where they understand you." I am beginning to see how true that is. I am yearning for home. To be with my girlfriend to see familiar faces to do familiar things. I'm looking forward to going back and taking classes and afterwards going to Taza, our local awesome coffeeshop. I'm looking forward to serving at my church again. But more than anything I am looking forward to laughing with those closest to me.

I love to travel. I love seeing new things, meeting new people, learning about new cultures. I love taking pictures and capturing a culture. I love trying new foods. I have tasted some exquisit foods and some pretty gross foods too. I have had some pretty crazy adventures from driving to my first Mexican wedding with an enormous floral arrangment on the hood of the car to feeding the mouths of hungry down syndrome kids in Bogota. From witnessing some of the most beautiful sights of the Mexican country side to running the equivalent of an Olympic marathon in the Panama City airport. And it has been an incredible and an unforgetable trip that most people in the world will never experience.

But the countday until I return home is 35 days, and my heart is already home. I know that when I finally step off that plane on to American soil I will finally breathe a sigh of relieve and say "home at last". Not because I am stepping on soil of the most powerful and richest nation in the world. Not because I can finally have the convinences buying whatever I want whenever I want. Not because I will get a job that makes 2 to 20 times as much money as the rest of the world. Not because I will have a fast internet connection, or finally get to use my cell phone again, or not deal with the inconviences of another country, or be with people who speak the same language, believe the same things, do things "the normal way", or dress the same way I do. If this trip has taught me anything it is that it doesn't matter to me where I live, what kind of standard of living I live under, how much I make, whether I can enjoy all those convinences or not, whether I'm safe or not, or whether or not it matters that people do things differently than I, in fact I would trash all of that to do the same thing again and might even prefer it.

The only thing that matters is that when I step off that plane and go home with my family and soon there after drive to Cincinnati, I will be greeted with open arms. People who missed me and those whom I missed. I will see familiar faces and we will continue life as it was. The only thing that will be different is that perhaps we will have a different perspective on the world. I know at least I will.

Dos and Donts of Mexico

2008-08-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

These last couple of weeks have been crazy! I've been trying to get together the wedding pictures and they are almost complete. I will put up a gallery soon.

I put together this list of dos and donts in Mexico. I enjoyed putting it together, I hope you enjoy reading it.

Don't:
· Don't Drink the Water!!! (ok I had to get this one out) Although some gringos are really paranoid about this, the water system is improving and you don't have to go to the extreme of closing your mouth in the shower. I have brushed my teeth with tab water and have not died. But in general the water they have told me that the water is filled with a lot of extra minerals which isn't good for you. Just don't go chugging it.
· Don't eat street food. If anything will get you sicker faster, it is this. I have never had a successful street food stand experience that hasn't put me on the toilet for two weeks. The hard thing about this is street food is amazing! and cheap. But don't succumb!
· Don't assume pedestrians get the right away while crossing the street or assume Mexican traffic laws are mandatory. The rule of the road is the bigger object wins. For all my engineers out there, F=MA. The bigger the M, the more screwed you are. Simple physics.
· Don't freak out when you see a bloody pig head hanging in the local market. Very common. umm, in fact, if you get queasy easily, just avoid the market altogether…
· Don't be afraid to go to the doctor if you get sick. $10 is the bill and $10 is the medicine and you'll feel better in 3 hours. No insurances necessary, it's great.
· Don't give up money change if you don't have to. Change is so rare here I don't know why, because everything requires change. If you have been given a $500 (50 USD), forget about ever using! I have seriously had taxi drivers charge me less because I didn't have the correct change and they didn't want to break a $100 (10 USD).
· Speaking of Taxi drivers, don't start screaming at your taxi driver because he just ran a red light or starts driving down a one way. You won't die, I promise, just think of it as the newest rollercoaster at King's Island…
· Don't rush anywhere. Relax! Take your time. You're in Mexico! Just pretend you are on a beach in a lawn chair with a Pina Colada and then you'll begin to see the life in the eyes of a Mexican.

Do:
• Take the international bus system. I'm telling you, you can get anywhere in Mexico for under $40 in the most comfortable seats. Half price if you are a student. They usually show really horrible B movies along the way if you're into that. But the Mexican countryside is beautiful. Way cool
• Expect a TON of fiestas. I have been to a fiesta every week I have been here. I kid you not. They often last until 4 in the morning. I'm a woose and can't stay up that late, but there is always good food and tequila.
• Bring ear plugs. Like I said fiestas until 4 in the morning? Yeah, it never fails that they are your neighbors playing Ricky Martin, Shake Your Bon Bon at hours in the morning only roosters and borrachos know about.
• Fake that you are Mexican. Ok, maybe not if your white with blond hair, but I laugh whenever I tell people that I was born in Mexico, their whole tone of voice changes as they smile and give me a wink that says, "welcome to the club". It's like telling people you're a Bengal's fan in Cincinnati…well kinda…
• Do talk in Spanish. I think it's very rude assuming everyone speaks English.
• Do go to a Mexican wedding, it's a riot!!
• Do get your shoes shined at a vendor downtown. One of the best experiences of my life. Felt like a new man. Don't judge me until you try it.
• Do try to befriend the Mexicans. Mexicans are normally very friendly, but I find it a challenge--you've gotta "break them". They are weary of foreigners but like I said, once you are in you are in. Caution: there are some who won't just like you. Don't take it personally, just move on.
• Try new foods. If you have never eaten every last morsel of the cow from butt to brains you are missing out!! Not because it is tasty, most of it is the grossest thing you'll ever try. But come on! To come back to the states and say you had cow stomach soup and lived to tell about it? What better way to make new friends standing in line waiting for burritos at Chipotle… "Can I tell you about the time I ate cow brains in Mexico?...." Great conversation starter.

My first experience with a Mexican wedding

2008-07-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got the priviledge to shoot a wedding, and it just happened to be a Mexican wedding! The wedding was very fast paced, as I just found out that I was the photographer 9 days before the wedding. But the couple, Gaby and Fernando, were very fun to work with and it was a fun wedding.

Some would say that there aren't a lot of differences between Mexican and American weddings. Of course they have a lot of the same things: a church, a bride, a groom, a priest. I mean there isn't much to that. I have never been to a Catholic wedding, so I don't know the differences and similiarites there. But let me just say that I think there are a lot of differences, Mexican weddings are crazy (good crazy)!

After the bride finished getting ready, we headed off to the church. They didn't have a driver, so I quickly switched from photographer to chaufer in a matter of seconds. So I drive to the church with 15 minutes until the wedding. I was worried about getting there early, but apparently that didn't matter. Driving was an adventure in in itself, as there was gigantic flower arrangement on the hood of my car! Driving in Mexico is hard to begin with, but with a gigantic flower arrangement, you are pretty much going on a prayer...

So we get there with negative 2 minutes to go, and I was nervous because I wanted to get set up and prepare and everything. I found that that was actually unnecessary because when we get there there is an entire paparazzi to escort the bride down the aisle! So this paparazzi proceeded to follow the bride even up on stage! I don't know if that's customary, but I just sort of followed the crowd. Just go with the flow. No need to "setup". haha!

But the bride was dressed very beautifully. And the ceremony went wonderfully. Maybe except for the 70 year old woman in the back who kept screaming "AMEN!" "Hallelujah" after everything the priest said. It was quite funny. And there was the dancing kids in the aisle. I figured they were part of the act. And afterwards the reception!

Receptions in Mexico are similiar like that in the states, but on a much grander scale. It was in this very fancy estate and if you didn't have a suit and a tie or a dress (for the ladies), you felt out of place. Waiters and decorations and everything dressed to the nine... I was told that the reception was a small wedding. It is very customary in Mexico to spend a lot on the wedding, even if you don't have the ability to.

And the reception was a party! That is the biggest difference between American and Mexican weddings. Americans dance at a wedding......ha! yeah right! Mexicans at 11:00 the place turned into a club! Everyone, young and old were dancing to Norteñas, Rancheras, Reggaeton, Rap, Oldies, Salsa, Tango, everything! I left at 1:30 (that's AM...) and the party was just getting started! Even the bride and the groom were still there. I was told it was probably going to last until 4am or 5am!

Let me end on one tradition that is definitely different, which I'm glad the US hasn't found out about. During the reception, it is tradition for the Bachelors to do the garder thing--same as in the states. But after that is when it gets crazy. It is tradition for the bachelors to grab the groom and haul him off to the bathroom. They then strip him of all his clothes and leave him there. After they do this cruel deed, they then present the clothes to his new bride, and she has to go rescue the poor humiliated man! It's a good thing that many traditions stay in Mexico... :-D

So many other incredible stories, I wish I could tell them all..

Thus is the story of my first experience with Mexican weddings.

Final Pictures

2008-07-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been a while getting these last pictures up from Colombia! Coming back to Mexico has been crazy. When I got back to Mexico, I found out I had a wedding to shoot...next week! Apparently, when it comes to parties and weddings, that's how Mexicans work--who cares about details, let's just have a party! sheesh! So I've been frantically trying to pull together loose ends. I'll let you know how it goes. Meanwhile, check out the pictures from Colombia!

Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Gallery 3

Final Thoughts on Colombia

2008-07-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

And so today I am leaving Colombia. It has been quite an adventure and this is an experience I'll never forget. I feel almost like a cop-out, as I have only been here a week. I have done very little with regards to helping out the orphanage. I have fed some mouths and I have given some hugs and I have carried a few kids with dirty diapers to be changed, but I have only been here for a few days. I will leave today but the workers who slave away for 40+ hours a week will stay and will continue to do ten times more what I have done. Though we have loved on some kids, they and Sister Valeriana are the ones who truly care about them and sacrifice their lives to create an environment for these kids where they feel loved and accepted. In comparison, we have done nothing.

But we have done something, for we did show love to these kids, and it is awesome (and sad) to see these kids cry when they know that we are leaving, for I suppose we accomplished what we came to do and that perhaps they will remember us. However, if they remember us doesn't really matter as much as they they have a place where they are continue to develop their self confidence and esteem. They are happy, and not just happy but joyful, more so than most people who have beauty, wealth, love, fame, and family. That is what matters now.

I came into this trip thinking that I was going to serve them and help them that they might be blessed. I thought they needed our help, but after the trip, I realize that wasn't the purpose of this trip. The purpose of this trip was to learn from them--the kids and the workers--and to bring back what we have learned in order to bless those around us. Sister Valeriana has had a vision and just was used as an instrument by God to help a couple of orphans some 17 years. Because of this heart and vision, it has grown to an incredible size and so many people have poured so much money and time into this place. Just because of one vision.

I can't stay forever, but since my stay I've caught a glimpse of something big coming from the actions of one person. So perhaps we can take this back to Cincinnati. If we have a desire to see our community changed, and it might seem too great a task, we only need to remember the heart cry of a little Spanish Catholic nun years ago, the persistence of these angelic workers, and the simple love and faith of these little kids and how much we are able to see the kingdom of God in them. "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these..."

Learning about service

2008-07-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

I think the incredible thing that has struck me these last few days is the workers who work there. See we are only a group of 10 going for a very short time. There are so many workers there. Saints. I have talked with them and some of them have worked there for years. It has been incredible to me because even after working there for 3 hours in one day, I have become absolutely exhausted. And all we have done is feed the kids and play with them (as that is what they have requested). But these workers, every...single...stinkin...day. Have come to this place to care for the kids, love these kids, feed these kids, change dirty diapers on 15 year olds, have put up with there screaming, have taken them through therapy, have put up with the emotional drainage of seeing the state of these children--every single day from 6 in the morning to 6 at night.

It is incredible and I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they wake up in the morning and continue to do what they do. Not getting much pay and not getting much vacation. I have been amazed and am ashamed at myself for getting tired after 3 measly little hours. I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

These past few days we have had the opportunity to visit some of the other locations of Luz y Vida. Like the schools and the other orphanages and the rest. Sister Valeriana has done an incredible work with these children and have build them a kingdom! She has vowed not to rest until sickness or death keeps her down. And her whole family has backed her. Currently, she is trying to build a hospital in the orphanage in order to care for the children. Yesterday we got to tour another facility in a town miles away that is a huge building fit to care for many children. She has done everything and has given everything to ensure that these children have an chance for love, healing, life, and laughter. I could go on and on about what she has done but one thing I'm convinced of: I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

And what is incredible is that she is working to ensure the integration of the children. Within the orphanage, there are kids helping other kids. Not so disabled children helping the disabled. And the semi disabled helping the rest. Sister is really working hard to try to integrate these children into society. By sending them to school and so that someday they might be back in the world. It is truly an incredible.

In other news, throughout the week we have battled smelly diapers, splattering food, lice, bumpy Colombian roads, gas exhaust asphyxiation from our ghetto car, backdoor of car randomly deciding to open (see picture), Colombian gringo stares, and thus... we are exhausted. Tomorrow we are going to take a rest from the orphanage but Saturday we will be back there for a little fiesta!

Redefining Love through Deformity

2008-07-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

You never know what to expect when you walk into situations that are extremely uncomfortable and not ordinary. Such as walking into a special need orphanage containing mental and physical disabilities you have never encountered before in your life. Of course you always first walk in and act like nothing is wrong with them and that you can talk to them like they are normal, but the fact of the matter is, you can't, and that isn't to discriminate but is just a fact. You walk in and you are totally shocked that actual disabilities like this exist. You wonder how they can live like that, for that is all they have ever known.

Luz y Vida is enormous. They have like 5 levels of bedrooms and rooms with various rooms equipped to handle the various needs of the children. They have the biggest kitchen with vegetables that they grow from a farm that they own. They have all these tunnel ways that weave to and fro throughout the place taking you around like a maze. They have a courtyard and also a huge playroom with every toy imaginable and many therapy type things like bikes, and weights and such things.

You walk in and you see all these kids running everywhere. Or perhaps not running because they do not have legs, or do not have legs that work. Everywhere you look you are taking aback because you cannot go anywhere without seeing something you've never seen before. Like the girl wrapped in saran wrap because she has a disease that her skin is pealing off slowly. Or like the little girl with a clef palette who is 3 years old. Almost everything is not normal and often hard to look at. A lot of the kids are quite normal but have very devastating diseases like HIV, it is very tragic because many of them are the cutest kids and will steal your heart.

But the fact of the matter is, is after you get past deformities and past the stupid fear that you might break them, you begin to see something in them that was born of a human spirit. That is personality. Each one of them has an amazing personality and shows it off to the world as a beautiful person would show off their beauty. Joan-Anna, the little girl pictured with a clef palette is very hard to look at if you have never seen that circumstance before. But she is the bravest of the bunch, and though she cannot speak she has a voice and a personality that could start a revolution. But she is the sweetest girl and will come up to you and loves to be held. Or Claudia, who has a severe retardation and is in a wheelchair, loves hot guys. And when a hot guy enters the room she has the biggest smile on her face and becomes quite shy when approached. But see that's what makes them human, despite that they happen to be often grotesque on the outside, inside they are beaming with spirit and personality and smiles. They are deformed but they still need touch and love. They aren't like everyone but they are everything like everyone else. Deformed, often broken, hurting, often crushed, but still needing love, attention, laughter, food, or maybe just a good conversation.

I think the thing that struck me the most was was something Joan-ann did, the one with the cleft-plate who is 3 years old. After she was done with lunch, she saw all of us feeding the kids and decided that she needed to help and started feeding one of the kids near her. I was hit by that moment that this little three year old who is hard to look at...got it. She understood what the life was about. She saw someone who was hungry. She fed them. She saw someone in need and did something about it. She didn't care who they were. She didn't care who she was. She didn't care what problems she had. She understood what many of us go through life and never understand. She fed the hungry. I was humbled by this act and dreamed of what the world would look like if everyone understood what Joan-Anna understood. The world wouldn't be hungry. I wonder if what we all actually need is to be deformed, then perhaps we might begin to understand the basics of humanity. I have posted more pictures of the first and second day that can be viewed here. Thank you for stopping by. More will be coming tomorrow.

Giving and Beyond

2008-06-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

Today we had a chance to go and see a little of the city. It is a very pretty city and I cannot get over how blue the sky is. It is always rainy but the sky is always blue. It is because there is a mist over the city that comes from the Andes mountains. The bluest sky I've ever see, and never knew that hue could actually exist in the sky until now. And very nice people. Everyone invites you to their house but they never tell you when, what time, or where they live. It is said that they the people will always tell you what they think you need, but never actually listen to you actual need. So for example, when we arrived at the airport, we requested a big van to load all our stuff from our guides. They were very close to bringing a school bus or two. Luckily, someone from our group told them that a van would do. They brought two vans. Oh well. :-)

(all our luggage of gifts for the children)

We went to a church today, and it was very refreshing to see other cultures in worship. When I see other people worshiping God in a different way than we do in America, it is comforting to me because I I believe in God. As odd as that sounds, if we all did "church" the same way, I would wonder if we just made this all up, but God is a very diverse God. And again wonderful people.

Tomorrow we head to Luz y Vida. It is actually a holiday tomorrow so we don't know if everyone is going to be there. Today we organized all the stuff that our church brought to give to the orphanage. It is incredible how much we have!! Everyone (10 people) packed an extra suit case which contained all the gifts and stuff for the kids. We were unloading today and we have 88 little backpacks (which was purchased through a miraculous donation), an entire suitcase of toothpaste, an entire suitcase of crayons and school supplies, there were legos, and notebooks, and soap, and toothbrushes, and pencil sharpeners, and coloring books. It is incredible! These were mostly donations from our church or friends from our church, and I was amazed of how much a little church can give. And I was moved that even though we are small, and so far away, that we can in turn bless these kids. It felt that we were getting something right.

And I say this not to boast, but rather to remember and remember how Jesus fed the 5000 and then the 4000, meeting the needs of everyone (though stomachs will go hungry again and toys be broken), our purpose for giving should 1) never be limited by the size of who you are, if you desire to give it will be given to you to give and 2) try to put a smile on a kids face and you begin to see the heart of God.

En Route

2008-06-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

June 28, 2008
I am sitting on a a bus on my way to Guadalajara, Mexico. We are about 3 hours from the city. From there I will take a plane to Mexico city, and from there to Panama City which will then direct me to Bogota, Colombia. As I sit here and think, I get excited because this is my first mission trip. I am so excited to be going with my Lord serving Him. It is exciting going on mission trips, mostly because of the thrill of the beyond. The human spirit was made for such adventures, like we were designed to do this along.

Starting off, it is my belief that everyone who is able would should go on a trip to another country in order to see how others live. And then it hits me how privileged I am to be going on such a trip. I would guess that there is only 10% of the world who has the means and the ability to go on such a trip. In Mexico, I started off by telling everyone that I was going to Colombia! How exciting, and I was sure that they would be excited for me for they speak Spanish there! But as I did, I got a sense of disappointment, a feeling like, “Why can’t I go?”. And then I asked myself. Why can’t they go? It was hit with the fact with how rich I in fact was, even I being a “poor” college student, simply because I live, and work, and play, and befriend, and eat among kings and queens, even the poorer of us. And so as I the date for Colombia grew closer, I became almost ashamed to speak of my travels in a very humble sense asking, “why me?”

There is a verse in the Bible that says this, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” I believe that is one of the most haunting verses in the Bible, because I have seen what I have, I have seen what I have done, and I’m a witness to the good life I live. And so what the Bible tells me is that I am expected to give a lot. Which is a high and heavy standard for me as a 22 year old to live out just trying to get through a college education and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. And how much exactly is “much”. 10%? I would have hoped so, however, I have a sneaky suspicion that it is not a fixed number that I take out of my paycheck every week, that would be too easy. CS Lewis once wrote:

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if out expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them.”

CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, pg 86

So off I go to Colombia, and will arrive in my destination in about 12 hours from now. Not (only) because I want to, and I am excited about this trip, but because I have to, for there is an insurmountable debt of blessings that I must return.

Destination Colombia: Excitements and Oppositions

2008-06-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

Something funny happens to you when your heart is caught by something that you know you need to do or by that feeling that captures you soul that tells you you ought to pour yourself into a cause. Since I am a Christian, I call this feeling the Holy Spirit, the living God flowing into my heart causing me to give myself to something which I might not exactly benefit from, but only because He told me to. Others might call it something different. Nevertheless, what's interesting about it is that I have never even met these kids who I have attempted to help over the last year at Luz y Vida. But to those who know this feeling I'm talking about, that seldom seems to matter. For you know that someone out there needs your help.

But this is all about to change, because in 7 days I will have an opportunity to meet these kids. My church and I will be traveling to Bogota, Colombia to Luz y Vida, an orphanage containing many mental and physical handicap children, as well as normal kids who have happened to be a victim of the unrest there. I'm very excited about this opportunity, and I will be bringing my camera (obviously) but more importantly, I look forward to interacting with these kids and being blessed by them, as I hope to return the blessing. Keep checking this blog daily, as I will updating it frequently when I get there and will be posting pictures as fast as I can.

One other thing I would like to touch on, which has surprised me. I am surprised about a few oppositions I have received about 1) going to another country to help orphans and 2) going to another dangerous country to help orphans. The first group of people implying that we should be focusing on our country and helping orphans there instead of spending money to go to another country to help them. The second group of people implying that there are other countries out that are much safer, why not go there, why try to be the "hero" and go to a dangerous country to help others.

I'll address the second one first. Why go to a dangerous country (a country that has over 4 million-ish refugees as a result of a 40 year war of drugs and power)? To me this really shouldn't be a question. We do not blame (well most of us) soldiers for going and doing their duty overseas, we honor them for their service. Granted, we might blame the powers at be who cause us to be in Iraq in the first place, but if anyone has fought in a war (I have not), I would assume that the issue isn't whether or not we are in danger, for we can all run from danger but it doesn't really get us anywhere. Selfishness has never been a standard for the human race. It is not a matter of becoming a hero, I don't believe that Mother Teresa would consider herself a hero, I think she would just consider herself a human being who doesn't like to see others suffer, so she did something about it by going to the people who were hurting the most. It just made sense.

So if danger isn't the question, then what is? That is whether or not we should go or not. I met a guy in Mexico who was very strong in his belief that we should only help people in our own country. I belief that this is the most ludicrous system of belief. Hear me, I'm not saying that we shouldn't help our own country, I think we should help our own country more than others because if we don't know how to serve here in America, how can we serve a people who we don't even speak the same language? But to say that we should never help other countries is completely rediculous.

First of all, from a Christian point of view, I come to the story that Jesus tells about the Good Samaritan. An expert of the law asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. It was concluded, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbors as yourself." But then the expert of the law wanted to be justified it says, and asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus proceeds to tell the story (Luke 10) about the Samaritan (who would have been in those days like a Muslim here in America) who helped the Jew. A complete foreign helping another foreign, which means that Jesus broke the boundaries of who we ought to help.

See, the expert of the law wanted to be justified, and hoped that his neighbor would only include his neighbor John Smith who he happens to get together and plays cards with every Saturday night. The expert would be in the good standings then. But that would be too easy. But Jesus lifted this idea that boundaries define our service. No it must be everyone, even our enemies.

Secondly, even if you do not have these convictions, why wouldn't you want to help others outside your boundaries? If you are most concerned about your country wouldn't developing good relationships with other countries most secure your survival? Instead of bombing them with bombs, why not bomb them with care packages? They might then desire to see your development rather than demise. But I cannot speak much on this as I'm not an expert on other world belief systems and politics, but just seeing how half the world hates the USA, I suspect I'm not far off.

Either way, we will be going for 10 days. Please stay tuned and offer your prayers and thoughts for us and the kids as we are there. I am very excited for this opportunity and look to keeping you updated. Blessings.

Composing the Vision: New Beginnings to See

2008-06-24T13:02:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Thank you for visiting my site. To those who have been with me from the start. Those I knew before I even knew all this would happen. Those who have encouraged me in my gifts and who ultimately developed me to who I am today. Who have pointed me to the Lord who gives us eyes to see with, in order to see this Vision that existed since ancient days. I thank you, from my heart, this is for you, that you might receive the blessings and not me.

Welcome! To those who maybe are just passing by. I hope that you like what you see. I never consider myself the best photographer out there, but I do like to pour my heart into what I do, and this is a result of that. My hope is that you will take time to stop and see the beauty around you, even if just for a while, and give thanks. And perhaps you will then become inspired to pour your heart into the things you do best, whatever it may be. I hope that I can encourage you to live the greatest and most fruitful life you can and create what you have been designed to do. But I hope that you may never stop there, for we have been given so much to keep it for ourselves. Learn to give some of it away and you'll begin to catch the Vision which so many quiet saints and great men and women before us did.

So this is my gift to you. Feel free to look around, leave comments, subscribe to the blog, send me favorites pictures you've taken, or contact me with questions or stories you might have. I am grateful for you being here. Thank you.