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.

Melody in January 09

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a while since I sent an email out.  I feel like I'm in a confessional! Here’s the current update:

Miracles
What I’ve Been Up To
What’s Next
Photos

I have been many places over the last year, and God has shown me more grace than I could have imagined.  He always does that somehow, the more I give Him, the more He surrounds me with blessings and faith.

Miracles
Sometimes He works miracles in my life, and lets me know for sure that He uses me, even through my weaknesses.  Not long ago, I was descending a flight of stairs and tripped up, sending my computer flying.  It managed to last through the next several months, Uganda, India and Egypt, and even to a missions conference in Mississippi before it died on me.  

With videos to finish, and no backup that could handle it, I was on my knees in prayer.  But within an hour of finding out the cost, I located funds to do the repair.  And not only that, but I received a call minutes later from a recipient of a previous missions DVD, telling me that he and his wife wanted to buy me a brand new computer, because they understood that the work God has given me to do is important. Before the week was out, I had the new computer.

What I’ve Been Up To
My trips to Costa Rica, Haiti, India, Egypt and Uganda have kept me running.  In these places I gathered photos, video and stories that continue to open my eyes to the great need, and the shortage of help that they each have.  I've seen ministries that rescue street boys, create community centers, train pastors, take in abused and abandoned children, drill water wells for poor communities, set up medical camps, and the list goes on.  Each of them needs more awareness and support for their work.

As I pray for more people to help, it seems that God is beginning to send them. I have five people considering going on short term trips with me this summer, but I know that God's hand must be on their plans as well.  I know so deeply that it must be His calling that sends them.

What’s Next
At the moment I am working on video shorts for the upcoming Uncharted conference designed to get youth involved in inner city ministries in Baltimore.  Along with the videos we hope to include more internet interaction with Facebook, iPods, blogs and other interactive media.  I’ll also run the video backgrounds for the conference.  This summer, I plan to take volunteers with me to Spain and Uganda, and possibly back to Mexico to help out Armonia.  These are the projects that God has laid on my heart.

I am working on putting up a web site that encompasses more of the media work that I'm doing. There I will try to tell some of the stories that are too long to tell in this newsletter, and include more high resolution videos and photos.  Until then, here are more photos to enjoy!

Photos
Haiti – http://www.stonesoup.tv/photos/2008-haiti
Costa Rica - http://www.stonesoup.tv/photos/2008-costarica

Pictures from Egypt, India, and Uganda can be found at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30721475@N07/sets/

Thank you for all your support.  May God bless you greatly, and I pray that you will hear all that He has to say to you and me.

Blessings,
Melody Warford
Global Outreach International

Home is Where the Heart is

I’ve been roaming the country and the world over the last year, and it’s been hard to call one place home. But as I go, I find people who believe just as I do, and have a passion for the same things. I find more and more, that my home is wherever the people are.

I am beginning this blog so that anyone wondering where I am, and what I’ve been up to lately, will be able to see for themselves. I can barely get around to sending a newsletter once a month. When I do, I can’t possibly tell everything that happened in that entire month!

The last few weeks have brought more encouragement and a sense of purpose than I’ve had in a long time. I attended a photography conference, that ended up with a smaller group of multi-media people breaking off to discuss new directions. Very cool.

That was followed up this week by some great brain-storming about short term media trips. So, this afternoon, I’m just getting back to the internet, and taking it easy. After my long drive across the country to Texas and back, stopping at churches and friends’ homes along the way, I really needed a break!

But the long break will have to be put off until after the new year. I’m off to Uganda and a couple of other countries at the end of this month. So looking forward to new adventures, and helping out wherever I can.