Sharing your Gifts

I truly believe that God gives us all gifts. I am so blessed to be able to create images for a living. I love holding sweet little newborns and getting them to sleep for perfect photos. I love conversations with three year olds, and teenagers.

One of the projects we do while in Guatemala is professionally photograph all the kids and house parents at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in Monjas, Guatemala. Our team helps us, then we a print made for every child before we leave. It is not that these kids don't get pictures made of them, but 99% of the snapshots that are taken of them stay on the phone/or camera. The fact is, they will never be able to show their kids or grandkids those images on some gringo's phone.

My gift is to make images. My other gift is to make those images into something that can be passed down for several generations.

Me and my nephew Devin playing while waiting for the kids.

Mark taking photos while JT works the reflector.

Hugo and Maritza - the brave house parents to the boys home, and to whom I am so thankful for being

house parents to my Jazmín for many years.

Break the Cycle

Most of my Blog is usually business/studio related. I love my clients and my job.
But sometimes, I just need to share a bit of my personal loves too. Parts of my heart are in Guatemala. Parts in Monjas, where Shadow of His Wings is located. Parts of it are scattered throughout the country with kids that I have met that have left the home. Some have graduated and are adults now, working, going to school, making a living and I still get to communicate with those. Some returned to their families, and I pray for them and their families. That the cycle of abuse that existed in their lives before I met them has been broken.
Abuser, abused, abuser, abused.  Lets not write these kids off as broken victims that are destined to be come abusers. Instead, lets provide a way they can learn different, be different, treat others differently.  Lets change their "norm" of a life in this cycle. Here, there, and everywhere.

Tiffany Applegate, the director of SOHWO writes about the kids, the life there, and the transformations there. Some topics are heart breaking, gut wrenching, and some are down right uncomfortable. BUT this is the life these children live in. This is the life they seek to change.
The link below is to the original post from Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in Monjas Guatemala.
http://www.shadowofhiswingsorphanage.org/blog/2015/6/4/from-victim-to-victor

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From Victim to Victor

Tiffany Applegate June 11, 2015

Tears filled his eyes, while shame filled his heart.  As he sat listening to the conversation, he knew he was guilty.  He knew he was a victim as well.  But the behavior was so common.  It had almost become normal.  He was never taught that it was wrong, though inside he knew it.  The turmoil inside was unbearable.  If he confessed he would be punished.  If he didn’t, it would kill him.  He didn’t want to be that person anymore.  But everyone would know.  They would know what he did.  They would know what he was still doing.  They would know what was done to him.  They would know who he was.
These women were saying things that he no one had said to him before.  Touching was wrong.  Victim or perpetrator, it was wrong.  Just because someone did to you doesn’t make it right.  It doesn’t give you permission to do it to others.  Something inside told him they were right.  He needed to stop.  He needed to confess.  He needed to change.
This was the moment.  Had he kept silent, he would still be the same.  Had he kept silent, he would continue to be his step-father.  He would continue the behavior.  His secrets would still be his.  But something about these women was different.  They seemed to care.  They promised a different way, a different future.  What they said actually made sense.  It is wrong to continue.  It is wrong to keep it all in.  So he let it out.
As he poured out his heart, tears poured out his eyes.  He revealed the past, and the present.  As he did, the arms came around him.  He begged for help.  He begged for forgiveness.  The arms became tighter.  As the truth spilled out, the love spilled in.  His confession was answered with encouragement, not punishment.  This was a moment of change, of repentance, of freedom.  He no longer had to carry the burden.  But he did have to change.  And change is what he did.
He was given a mentor.  Someone to counsel him through this difficult time.  And over time, he became a new person.  From perpetrator to protector.  From victim to victor.  He now lives free of the shame and guilt.  He now lives as example and leader.  No longer a hinderer, he is a helper.  He broke the cycle that is common and became the uncommon.  Leader, role model, friend, brother.  The real man inside has been revealed.  Now everyone knows who he really is. Defender, warrior, forgiven, Son of God.

InChild Abuse Prevention, Stories TagsBoys Home, Orphans, child abuse

Halloween Free Photo Treat

Free Halloween Photos

Every year, as a treat to our community kids, I open the studio for professional studio quality photos of kids in costume. I do this at no charge. Free. Gratis.
It is the same this year, except I am going to ask that you consider making a small donation so I can buy books in Spanish for "my" kids at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in Guatemala. I love to treat your kids every year with professional photos at Halloween, please help me treat "mine" with the gift of reading. Reading is knowledge. Knowledge is the most powerful tool for changing lives.
See you Friday night from 4-7 at the studio. Can't wait to see all the kids in their costumes!!!

Guatemala Part 3

The Bike crews first look at the project.

Sometimes it is hard to describe exactly what we do when we go to Shadow of His Wings in Monjas, Guatemala. It always depends on what talent we have on our team, but more importantly - what NEEDS to be done.
My husband, Mark, loves to spend his days off at the bike shop, or in his man cave barn tinkering with his bicycles - and he is good at it. He is also good at teaching, which worked out great when we assembled a group of us that had NO experience fixing bikes. The orphanage had told us in advance that there were some bikes to be repaired. Other teams had bought the kids bikes years ago, but through wear and tear of kids and weather they no longer worked. The wheels were rusty, brakes were shot, seats were demolished, tires flat, and pedals missing. I think Mark felt a little overwhelmed when he first saw them, but then we got to work. He taught Meredith and Derrick how to fix the tires, put new tubes in, new tires on. Natalia and Terri became the brake crew, testing, repairing and replacing brakes. Jane put seats on. We all took a turn at removing rust and painting wheels and baskets. One by one, each bike started to work.
The last night we presented the bikes to the kids at an ice cream party. They were so excited! They got to ride them around. The best thing - we heard later that one of our sweet girls - Clara, that had never had an opportunity to ride a bike before was learning from the other girls.  One of the many firsts that she and the others that have not been at Shadow very long will have the opportunity to experience.

But our team also had another rare talent that we could put into use - Kassen is a great welder. When we first got to Shadow, we noticed a little girl with an arm in a sling. We found out that she had fallen when the rotted teeter-totter had broken.  The four teeter-totters were dangerous, so we decided to go buy the steel beams to replace them so Kassen's welding skills could make it safer for "our" kids. Scott fashioned new seats from some beautiful local wood, and Alicia and I helped remove the old teeter-totters.
Play is important to ALL kids. For some of "our" kids, Shadow of His Wings is the first safe place they have had to play. Safe to be kids, and not caretakers of their younger siblings. Safe from abusive parents. Safe from predators. Safe from drugs. Safe under the Shadow of HIS Wings.


Kassen & Margarita
 

If you are interested in going on this mission trip, please contact me. There are 3 churches from our area that take teams to Shadow - and all are open to people outside of their own churches. First United Methodist of Russellville usually makes the trip over the New Year's holiday and spends 8 days in Guatemala. Participating in the fundraisers earlier in the year helps to offset the cost per missionary.


Guatemala 2014 Part ONE

The Hardgraves with Jazmín
 

Two weeks ago,  a group of 9 other people and myself spent time with angels... in Guatemala. These angels bring the message of Love, Hope, and Healing. Shadow of His Wings Orphanage is located about 3 hours from Guatemala City, in a little town of Monjas, where the cowboys drive their cattle to the fields through the dirt streets of town. The open market is filled with beautiful fruits and vegetables being sold by hard working people with smiles on their faces - ready to haggle for the price.
The children of SOHWO come from all over Guatemala. Sometimes they have been removed from homes by the court system because of abuse and neglect, other times their parents have given them up because they don't have the resources to care for them. Some of the children have been at Shadow for 5 years or more - this is Home for those. Others have arrived recently and are just now getting the opportunity to attend school, learn how to read, or learn how to ride a bike. Each one has a message for the missionaries there, without even saying a word. A message of hope, of what matters, of the bigger picture of life.

When I come home from this mission trip, I am even more thankful for the parents that trust me to photograph their children, that believe their child's life is worth capturing in photos.

More posts to come about the projects we worked on while in Monjas, Jalapa, Guatemala.


These are just a few of the "Angels" from Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in Monjas, Guatemala. If you are interested in finding out more about SOHWO click here. If you are interested in finding out more about going on this mission trip in the future - call the studio. I would be happy to give you the info.
479-885-3835