Beautiful Day

One more day until I leave for Maryland. This morning there were butterflies floating through the work shop next to our breakfast table. so many different kinds, I can't remember them all. In addition to that, there are a couple of small black birds that have decided they like the human company. So the are flitting around singing a sweet song all the while.

In addition to the butterflies, I have been bitten so many times by some small invisible insect that I can no longer count the bites! Just me... I must be special.

I can't help but make that in to a parable, about what kind of person each one of us decides to be. One kind of insect bites and runs away, the other transforms in to a beautiful creation that soars on the wind. Can you see the parallel in human life? The interesting difference is that we can CHOOSE to be one or the other, God has given us that gift. I choose metamorphosis!

Our guest at the dinner table last night:

A Gift

I am often overwhelmed with all the people I see called to work for God in one way or another. It's truly amazing. Yesterday, I taped an interview of a young Canadian woman who knows she is called to work with the homeless in Costa Rica. Today I videotaped a young Costa Rican man who feels called to work in India. And my current mission is videotaping Americans who have started a camp and training center here in Costa Rica. I see people who have a heart to cross borders, and share what God has done for them, and each one is called in a different way.

God calls each of us to use whatever He has given us to the best of our abilities, whatever they may be. Someone called me blessed by God today because of the gift I was given to share, and I know that I am. But I believe that each one of us is blessed with something special to give, to God, and to others.

Rainy Days

Taking photos here is very different from other places. Much of the sky is cloudy. But it makes interesting light now and again. New photos up on Flickr (see the link at the right).

I've been chatting with various missionaries from Costa Rica recently, and it's interesting to see how often God provides in miraculous little ways, providing equipment, funds, and whatever else we all need at just the right time. As we chatted, one missionary realized she knew of an apartment opening up that another young missionary in our conversation needed, at just the right amount, in just the right neighborhood. Very encouraging.

On Sunday, members of the Tabarcia church will come to the conference center for the first time. I will take video then of the first meeting being held there. It's such an amazing view, you should really go look at the photos on Flickr! Meanwhile, here's a teaser... a local frog living in the bamboo just outside.

Blessings!

Mountain Rain Forests

Life in the Countryside

I went trekking through the property this morning because Miguel found a rather large ugly bullfrog by a tree. It made for cool video, but it’s one of the ugliest creatures I’ve ever seen! Compared to the tiny green and black frog I found yesterday, like beauty and the beast. Miguel is busy using a machete to clear out the jungle from around the building we are staying in. Still working on doors (almost done), and walls for the upstairs rooms, we watch the clouds roll in and out of the structure. It’s really beautiful here, and you can see God’s hand every where.

We painted the front bathroom, a large one, a few days ago. And Franklin is busy creating doors, frames and screens and then installing them. There is so much work to do here, and no teams coming in for a while.



This morning we went to a local sugarcane farm where they crush, boil, cook and process the cane sugar in to a sort of candy, or table sugar. It was very interesting, and I had great fun shooting photos and video. Then this afternoon, I was left on the road near a mango tree for an hour or so, to photograph the various butterflies that find the fruit irresistible. It smells a bit like a brandy factory there, with all the fruit all over the ground. But the butterflies are gorgeous!  Everywhere you look, the views are incredible. God is amazing!

Costa Rica

From Costa Rica with Love

Today I was worshiping in church in Tabarcia, Costa Rica. I could not understand the majority of all that was said or sung, but a young man from Kenya was asked to speak for about 15 minutes, and chose the topic of prayer. As I sat there, listening to a Ugandan give Costa Ricans encouragement and words about prayer, I thought about my church’s recent studies on the importance of prayer.  I thought of the fact that across continents God has made it clear how valuable conversation is with Him. I realize that there am blessed, and He is truly with us all, everywhere, all the time.  He hears each prayer because He is God, Almighty,Omnipotent.

In the same Costa Rican service, I met someone from each of these countries, England, Colombia, Kenya and Uganda.  Six countries together in one small South American Church, worshiping together.   And we all had a common heart, a common idea, to love God, and to love others as ourselves.

Have a blessed Sunday, and may we all make talking with God, and listening, the priority in our lives.

May Update 2009

Seven Countries Last Year
In 2008, I traveled to 7 different countries.  I was experimenting with trying to make my travel budget go further by hitting three countries in one trip.  But this comes with its own set of issues.  It’s not always as easy as one would think to travel from one close country to another!  Quite often you have to fly to a city that is not in a straight line, and takes you hours out of the way.  Another issue became having the time to finish all the projects I took on trying to make good use of the travel.  I only finished the last of the 2008 missionary videos a few weeks ago.  

Local Projects
In addition to the international travel, I also created several videos and animations for the Youth Evangelism Conference (Uncharted) that was held in Baltimore this March.  I drove to Mississippi, and home again, stopping along the way to visit ministries and churches.  While in Mississippi, I met with Global Outreach to start planning and creating for GO Expedition, an exhibit on East Africa that will be opened up to 4th graders in the region of Tupelo, Mississippi.  

Video and Photo Catalog
Most of the videos created by this ministry and its partners are up online now at http://www.stonesoup.tv. I need help with evaluating their speed and accessibility. Also, I've added photos from most of my trips to my web site.  

Videos at http://www.stonesoup.tv/videos.html
Photos at http://www.stonesoup.tv/photos.html



Where to Next?
I have upcoming trips to Costa Rica on June 12, and Spain and Uganda in July and August.  When I return, I will be in Mississippi for the month of October to prepare for the Global Outreach Conference, and GO Expedition East Africa.

http://www.stonesoup.tv

Striving for Excellence

This weekend I attended a photojournalism conference at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft Worth. I was greatly inspired by extremely talented professional photojournalists who humbly pointed back towards God as the reason they put no stock in fame or accomplishment. They love God first, family and friends next, and excellence in serving God through their work after that.

Two thoughts really stay with me. I asked John H. White (Nikon legend and pulitzer prize winner) why he photographs and what he loves to shoot. He replied, "I try to see through God's eyes".

The second is that as a Christian media specialist, I need to be a jack of all trades, and a master of one - Storytelling. I am reminded of how Jesus reached out to the multitudes everyday. He is the master of all storytellers, and I want to be like Him.

Inspired indeed.

When the weekend was done, we took a trip down to the Fort Worth Stock Yard, and I tried to put in to practice some of the ideas given to me over the weekend. In the stables there, we ran across a Christian cowboy who works with prisons through the Christian Motorcycle Association. He introduced us to his horse named Katrina, found in a shelter where she was taken after hurricane...you guessed it...Katrina. It was a great day, and further proof that God is everywhere we go.