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!

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Pure Hope Pakistan Teaser!

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.

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feedback.

My friend Ryan Wojton recently pointed me in the direction of Derek Webb's new instrumental electronic album which is based on The Lord's Prayer.

In describing this project, which uses music, video, painting and photos, Derek Webb writes, "Worship is a complicated idea.  Arguably, it’s what we all do, 24 hours a day (regardless of what we’re worshipping).  And I’m aware of a lot of “worship product” in the marketplace I sometimes occupy.  So I was cautious when I first started receiving the coordinates that would lead me to make ‘Feedback’.  It was immediately conceptual and ambitious, so much so that I genuinely wasn’t sure I could do it.  But this seemed to be the perfect posture in which to create something worthy of being called a “worshipful” piece of art.  So I studied, meditated, struggled and prayed my way through this creative process, and it’s easily the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career. But I believe it’s been worth it, even just for the ways it’s stretched both my creative process and my faith as a follower of the Way." Check it out here!

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Lately.

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.

I wanted an excuse to make a yarn beard and drew inspiration from Steve's face. He couldn't decide on a costume so at the last minute we decided to be twins. 

Greg & Jannelle as a lovely indian and Brad Smith

 Matt is really good at staying in character.

The Fox family giving a colorful nod to their time in Japan.

 Anne, Emily & Megan

 Beards + Moustache.

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Pure Hope Pakistan

Pure Hope Pakistan Flood Relief from photogenX International on Vimeo.

We at PhotogenX are often presented with opportunites to partner with amazing people to make BIG changes. These opportunities are why we do what we do. They are opportunities that we cannot ignore. 

In February Youth With a Mission International sent a PhotogenX team to Haiti (of which Steve and I were a part) to develop a presentation that was given to YWAM international leaders, International Diplomats, Business Executives and key media contacts to form a sustainable long-term response to the disaster that shook the nation. The results of the presentation that our team created for are overwhelming and eight months later we are still hearing stories of how influential people are partnering to re-build Haiti because of it.

Again we have an amazing opportunity at hand. Right now Pakistan is facing a disaster that is larger than the last 5 natural disasters combined (like Haiti and Chile). There have been over 

2 million homes destroyed, 

over 7 million people displaced without proper shelter, 

the disaster is affecting 21 million people! 

What makes it worse has been the media blackout for the last month that has kept this information from getting out. The main concern now is the same thing that flooded them, water. Dysentery and other waterborne illnesses are beginning to spread and it is crucial that the people of Pakistan get clean drinking water-SOON!

Steve and Greg (a PhotogenX teammate, filmmaker and web designer) were asked to make a campaign to bring over 100,000 water filters to families that have been affected by this flood. Each filter can help a family of 10 and would be able to produce over 300 gallons of clean drinking water each week if needed. 

Greg has already built a website and a logo and he and Steve will travel to Pakistan NEXT WEEK to help with the distribution of water filters and to film the needs and some of the first families receiving these filters. They will be able to bring back the pictures and footage to make a promo video that will help bring safe and clean drinking water to over a million people who have been affected by the disaster.

Would you prayerfully consider contributing to this great need?

DONATE

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