Since I travel a lot and am usually in a different time zone from my family, l gave my Dad a journal last year that he could write in and then give to me and I could write in and then give back to him...you get the idea. I thought it was an original idea but it seems that I have done this before. He recently sent me this entry that I wrote to him back in '93. I was seven years old. I still have an affinity for office supply stores.
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Our first Hawaiian Christmas. In fact, this is our first Christmas on our own "turf" (whatever that means). For the past few years we have been on the mainland with our families. This year, Steve's family is coming to the island for the first time since Steve & I got hitched. We won't be staying at our apartment, so we didn't go all out decorating (PLUS, the craft store* here didn't have any of the materials for a few projects that I wanted to make...and the vintage Christmas lights that I bought at a thrift store for a dollar only worked for 30 seconds...and the sewing machine I was borrowing broke right when I started to sew those stockings. Phew, just needed to get all of that out there). |
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| Since Steve and I have never had out own Christmas tree before, I wanted to get him an ornament that paid tribute to our tropical Christmas and his infatuation with sea life/Shark Week (yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is why we do not surf). I found this wooden shark carved from Bali wood with Misie on the mainland. |
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| Happy Christmas, everyone. Charlie Brown, if you are reading this, you know you are jealous of our tree. |
A few weeks ago I posted a teaser about my husband's recent trip to Pakistan. Here is the rest of the promo video. Made by Greg.
Click HERE for a recap of Steve's time in Pakistan and a glance at some of the most beautiful people on earth.
Last year we were in South Africa during the month of December and I made Steve a modified advent. Because we travel around a lot and have not really ever had a home to settle into, these kinds of projects sort of make me feel like I have a home. This year, I used paint samples from a hardware store, some twine and white out to make a fun (free) advent calendar. Each number correlates with a small gift, quote or coupon. How do you decorate for the holidays at your home?
The tree shelf is stocked full of product and has been an eye catcher in one of the most popular places on campus- the Cafe! As promised, here is a (rough) photo! What do you think? (non-cell phone photos and photos of details coming soon).
One of the main ways that we work to raise awareness with PhotogenX is through publications and other materials that we distribute. You may have seen some of these products on our online store . Well, recently I started feeling a bit weighed down by all of the product that we distribute. To us, topics such as sex trafficking, honor killings and infanticide continue to grip our hearts, but have become normal conversation. Sometimes we get dirty looks from bystanders when we discuss our "work" in public and I don't blame them...for instance; "Remind me to call the Sex+ Money film crew about the human trafficking bank account, oh and please pass the butter".
Because researching the horrors of humanity tends to make the heart a bit heavy, I wanted to bring a bit of a lighter tone to the mix. I was really inspired by DIY crafters like Knitta, Please who make the world a bit more colorful in really sweet + simple ways. My creative friend Jannelle and I started to brainstorm and have a lot of new products that will be making their first online appearance very soon.
Around the same time that we started dreaming up projects, crafts and cuteness, the Banyan Tree Cafe on the YWAM campus in Kona asked us to create a PhotogenX store inside of their cafe. Instead of just putting books on a bookshelf, we decided to create a whole lotta' work for ourselves and dreamt up a plan for a sweet bookshelf. I love to create but am sometimes lacking in the skills department (read: I can't draw or paint). Thankfully I have some of the most creative friends in the whole wide world (seriously, they are from all over the world and they are amazing). I knew my friend Cambria (who we traveled to Panama, South Africa and Egypt with last year) would create a masterpiece and she truly has. She lights up when she gets inspired and she is one of the few people I know that would spend 3 hours in the paint store with me staring at samples and talking about all the paint names (seriously, naming the colors "enchanted forest" is a pure marketing scheme...and we fell for it). A new friend, Joel, just so happens to be a master with a jigsaw (he also designs and makes clothes). Cambria, Joel and a few other artists have created the most enchanted bookshelf I have ever seen. They have taken a little idea that I had and turned it into a beautiful reality. I feel really lucky to call these talented artists "amigos"(yeah, I call them that). Check back soon for more photos of the final set up!
Steve and Greg spent the last few weeks in Pakistan working on a campaign to bring safe and clean water to over a million people who have been affected by the disastrous floods (read more about the campaign here). Since they have returned a few days ago they have been putting together photos and video footage to shed light on the problem, the need and how we can respond. Below is a short clip that Greg put together yesterday. Check back in the coming weeks for more updates from Pure Hope Pakistan.
Over the years we have learned that it is important to take advantage of every available opportunity that we get to CELEBRATE! We have had picnics in airports, tea parties in Afghanistan, baked Christmas cookies in shantytowns and most recently we used Halloween as an excuse to dress up and take a lot of photos of ourselves. A singalong also evolved as is the norm when Isaac and Steve are in the same room.
Sleeping at Last is making a yearbook! This band reserves a very intimate place in my heart since I walked down the aisle to one of their songs, Careful Hands, when Steve and I got hitched. Listen, exhale and check out the Yearbook Project that they are doing!
Have you ever had a day (or a month...or seven months) where you are tired and weary and feeling like you've lost a bit of perspective on why you do what you do? I certainly have had a lot of days like this since I got sick and my body has been fighting to keep up with my heart. Today I received news that gave me goosebumps and helped awaken my soul to the truth that the world is so much bigger than me.
If you have been reading for a while, you may remember when I posted about the opportunity that we had to spend time loving the children of Panama. While we were there we learned about an issue from Matt & Misty Hedspeth that we couldn't ignore- the adoption system (or lack thereof) in Panama. While we were learning about the government controlled orphanages, restrictions on child placement, the only 9 foster families in the whole country and the stigma surrounding taking a child from a different family, class or culture into your home, most citizens of Panama are left unaware that there are problems behind the walls of the brightly painted buildings that housed thousands of abandoned, forgotten or orphaned children.
Matt & Misty (a family rights lawyer) left their home in North Carolina a few years ago when they realized the desperation of the adoption situation in Panama. They founded Hearts Cry Children's Ministry to create efficiencies for orphans and wrote a proposal to the government to implement change in the system so that it would be compliant with international adoption standards. While we were in Panama the proposal was accepted, Heart's Cry Ministry was given office space in the president's office and just recently they have been able to place a few children in homes for adoption!
We created a publication for Heart's Cry Ministry to use with the proposal to bring the stories of the children to the hearts of the citizens of Panama. The book needed to be approved by the government before printing (since the children are under the guardianship of the government) and a year later- the book is approved for printing!!! (did you get goosebumps?)
While doing research for their documentary, Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth, our friends realized that one of the primary ways that men, women and children were being trafficked for sex in the US of A was through Craigslist. They contacted Craig, explained the big picture of the global sex industry and offered to help him censor his site. Yesterday CNN released an article stating that the adult services section on Craigslist will now be censored! A major step in the right direction.
"We hope to...prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking, and to combat such crimes wherever they appear, online or offline."- Craigslist Spokeswoman
This is a literal answer to prayer and a huge step toward the eradication of human trafficking in the United States.
*To read the whole story click here
Lately I have been MIA in the blogosphere and for that I apologize. Thank you all for continuing to read, despite my faithfulness to this space. Steve and I have been visiting dear family and friends on the mainland, making stops in Michigan, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Maryland (where we created the little stop-motion treasure below) and are currently in Memphis (yes, I realize that I have listed some places as states and some as cities).
Once we return to Kona (on Tuesday) I am sure that I will be able to devote more time to online communication. For now, sit back, relax, enjoy the music of Jonsi and some young souls running around being ridiculous (and if you are from the Annapolis area, keep an eye out for these pirate faces in the local paper!)
Blood Water Mission helps to connect people from all over the world with communities in Africa to bring clean water solutions. Watch the video to find out exactly how they work. Visit their website to learn about how you can make a stand for clean water in Africa.
Below is a video clip from a really fun project called "Let's Color"- a group of people teaming up with local communities to replace grey, gloomy spaces with vibrant, colorful ones! Visit their website to see more photos and learn how you can get involved.
attention west coasters, tim dyk, from the sex + money crew will be showing some of his paintings at this artshow about modern day slavery. check it out! invite your friends and learn more about human trafficking in the U S of A. june 5th. darigold building. ellensburg, washington.
My friend Matt works with a non profit organization in Portland that has a simple vision to see young people empowered with the right tools to defeat poverty in their own communities. These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF) invests in young South Africans by helping them to develop the skills that they need to become strong leaders in their own communities. Some of the basic ways that they do this are through providing college scholarships, mentoring, financial literacy and other necessary tools to become successful leaders.
As many of you know, South Africa is one of my favorite places on this earth and it's young people hold a very dear place in my heart. You may also know that the World Cup will be held there this year. TNHF recently launched a benefit bracket from which all proceeds will go toward soccer and education programs in the Townships of South Africa.
Visit the These Numbers Have Faces website for more information on how the bracket works and how you can be directly involved in helping young South Africans reach the potential for which they were created!
Winner(s) will also receive a 20x30 framed print and an exclusive copy of "A Beautiful Game: Football Through The Eyes Of The World's Greatest Players."
My friend George Hsia is one of the most amazing photojournalists that I know! We seem to only hang out in really interesting places...Afghanistan, Haiti...check out his new website!
I LOVE story-telling and I love it when story tellers connect with one another to tell a much BIGGER story. So, I was really excited when I saw this from One Day on Earth.
In 2007, a group of PhotogenX students embarked on a journey through 20+ nations on every inhabitable continent, motivated by their love for photography and their passion for justice. At the outset, their experiences seemed diverse, even random. However, a common thread of human suffering would soon emerge as their travels exposed them to a dark, seldom discussed side of humanity-- children being bought and sold to satisfy the sexual pleasures of other humans.
As they returned to the United States in 2008, the students were surprised to find that the same injustice was happening on the soil of their own country. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Americans are still unaware that such a grotesque crime could ever be taking place in their midst.
SEX + MONEY: A National Search for Human Worth is a feature length film that documents a group of students as they travel in an RV across the United States, seeking to understand how the sexual exploitation of children has become the nation's fasting growing form of organized crime. As the students encounter the brave men and women who are fighting on the front lines of the modern abolitionist movement, they begin to consider what further action can be taken to bring an end to such obscene forms of injustice.
The final movement of Sex + Money portrays the students quest to help make America the first slave-free nation in the world and to inspire others to do the same.
This is the third "webisode" that has been released in anticipation for the final documentary. It just so happens to be filmed where I grew up, in New Jersey.
