nature vs. culture

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!

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.

Pure Hope Pakistan

>> November 1, 2010 – clean water, disaster, flood, Global Virtual Studios, Grassroots News International, Greg Althoff, Pakistan, photogenX, Pure Hope for Pakistan, Steve Schallert

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

a road in the country.

one of my favorite quotes from Lin Yutang. inspiration poster by vol. 25

If one suffers, we all suffer.

My husband is going to Pakistan in a few weeks to help distribute water filters to flood victims and to document one of the greatest natural disasters ever known to our earth. My thoughts and prayers have been focused on those who are suffering from waterborne diseases now more than ever as I ponder what my response to my suffering brothers and sisters in Pakistan will be.

If you are wondering the same thing and would like to take action for those who have been so devastated by the floods in Pakistan, leave a comment below or e-mail me at diane@photogenx.net and maybe we can come up with some solutions together.

Freedom is sweet.

>> October 7, 2010 – Chocolate, Freedom, Halloween, Hershey, Not for Sale, October, Pennsylvania, Slavery, Trafficking, Trick or Treat

Reverse Trick-Or-Treating

It's not everyday that you have cute little monsters, scary ghosts or awkward teenagers in sort-of-costumes knocking on your door but fall has arrived and the time for trick-or-treating is fast approaching. You know the costumed masses are coming so this year, instead of turning out your lights and pretending you're not home, giving out healthy snacks (I've done this) or quarters taped to tracts clearly explaining how to escape the doom of hell (I won't mention any of my parents' names), why not participate in a new way? This Halloween families across the United States and Canada* will help to
-END forced labor in the cocoa industry
-ERADICATE poverty among cocoa farmers
-PROMOTE Fair Trade
-CHANGE Consumer Habits…
…all by giving Fair Trade chocolate back to adults and kids as they Trick-or-Treat in their communities on October 31st.

Global Exchange is giving out FREE Reverse Trick-Or-Treat kits (containing fair trade chocolate attached to an informational card about the problems in the cocoa industry such as child slavery, environmental degradation, and poverty and how fair trade provides a solution).

*Global friends, please get involved, too!!!

Chocolate Campaign

Join Not For Sale in the "Raise the Bar Campaign" by selling delicious Sweet Earth Fair Trade Chocolate, hosting a film screening of the new documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate, and asking others to sign to petition to make Hershey’s fair trade. Your efforts in this chocolate campaign will:

1. Raise awareness of the ongoing use of child labor and human trafficking in the cocoa industry;

2. Inspire thousands to sign petitions asking Hershey to be transparent in the sourcing of their cocoa beans, and begin sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa;

3. Raise funds needed for the Not For Sale Campaign to end child labor and human trafficking in the production of chocolate.

Not For Sale has partnered with Sweet Earth Chocolates so you can offer 100% organic Fair Trade chocolate to your friends and family! This chocolate comes from grower co-operatives that monitor their operations to ensure that forced labor was not used in the production of their chocolate.

Next to Me

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!

Like cold water to a very weary soul.

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?)

If you would like to contribute to the printing and distribution of this book, please contact Heart's Cry Ministry.

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land" Proverbs 25:25

Every Nation, 24 hours and YOU.

>> October 3, 2010 – diversity, documentary, film, media, one day on earth, participation, photography, raise your voice, world

Remember when I shared about "One Day on Earth" back in April? Well October is here and in just a few days it will be time to join thousands of inspired citizens all across the globe will record the human experience over a 24-hour period for the largest participatory media event in history! Visit the One Day site to register and contribute your voice!

Founded in 2008, ONE DAY ON EARTH is creating an online community, shared archive, and film. Together, we will showcase the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occur in one day. We invite you to join our international community of thousands of filmmakers, hundreds of schools, and dozens of non-profits, and contribute to this unique global mosaic. Through the One Day on Earth platform, we will establish a community that not only watches, but participates.

A Wake up Story

This video from Healthy Child Healthy World is about safety for children but is applicable for all of us. We come in contact toxic chemicals each day. Thanks Jeanette for sharing it!

photogenX tote bags

photogenX now has tote bags available for sale at the online store. all proceeds from the merchandise on the store go toward the ongoing efforts of photogenX. raise your voice in style!

Join Not For Sale in the "Raise the Bar Campaign" by selling delicious Sweet Earth Fair Trade Chocolate, hosting a film screening of the new documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate, and asking others to sign to petition to make Hershey’s fair trade. Your efforts in this chocolate campaign will:

1. Raise awareness of the ongoing use of child labor and human trafficking in the cocoa industry;

2. Inspire thousands to sign petitions asking Hershey to be transparent in the sourcing of their cocoa beans, and begin sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa;

3. Raise funds needed for the Not For Sale Campaign to end child labor and human trafficking in the production of chocolate.

Not For Sale has partnered with Sweet Earth Chocolates so you can offer 100% organic Fair Trade chocolate to your friends and family! This chocolate comes from grower co-operatives that monitor their operations to ensure that forced labor was not used in the production of their chocolate.

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