I took the kids out to Battlefield Park today to replace those hideous school pictures. The overpriced, cheesy pictures were the inspiration behind getting my Nikon D5000. I also love pictures and view them as art... something you can keep forever. I hope I continue this romance and my pictures only get better. It's like making time stand still, and you can grab and hold a moment of life and beauty. Here are a few of my favorites.

I'm still in love with photography.. that makes several months in a row, and for those of you who know me, that is a LONG time! I am learning more and more about composition, lighting, aperture, ISO settings and white balance. It all sounds very technical and impressive, I know, but it's really simple. I also love all the new actions I purchased through MPActions and Florabella. Here are some of my new faves. I still have yet to master the vast caverns of Photoshop, but I'm trying! I even take little tutorials on youtube... and they actually help!
Enjoy....

My first visit to Haiti awakened me. I had never seen such pain, suffering, poverty, and joy all rolled into one. I finally realized my calling in life... to serve these beautiful people who need only basic things to stay well and happy. Joel and I will devote our latter years (that means when the kids get older) to serving however we can. Please consider how $30 a month can feed and educate a child... who knows, one day a sponsored may be president.


 His expression speaks volumes to me... he looks so miserable. I wonder what he was thinking??
 These sweeties were playing at the local river. They drink, bathe, and wash clothes there.
 I gave him a new shirt, and he was more than thrilled.... what a blessing it was to me!
 We weren't able to stay and have clinic because of the condition of the roads. This woman was outside my bus window asking me for help. All I had were a few dollars. I gave them to her and she broke out into song and rejoicing. She was praising God for His provision... I felt so inadequate that I could not to more, and so humbled at her thankfulness.
 local vendor at the Baptist Mission.
 Two orphans from the Ryan Epps Home for Children. They are very sweet and well looked after.
 As we were leaving clinic one day, this mother brought in her baby who was only hours away from death. There was nothing the doctors could do... The mother was also pregnant. It was devastating to witness.
 Going to take a shower has a whole new meaning over there!
 This is my sponsored family right before we met them. The mother was near death from stomach ulcers which killed her husband just one year before. Her children were all malnourished. Sponsorship has saved this family's lives. I know it's not the first time sponsorship has been someone's salvation.
 We stopped at an orphanage and found the children living in filth. The feeling of helplessness and sadness is indescribable.
 The same orphans... I have no words to describe how hard it was to drive away that day.
 This little one was so sweet. She couldn't read, but wanted a pamphlet that told the story of Jesus.
 While mama was getting medical treatment, Joel held her baby and she fell asleep... one of my favorite pictures!
 

You may be going through your life and wonder if you'll ever really make a difference. Maybe you've considered going on a short term mission trip but talked yourself out of it saying, "could I really make that much of a difference?" The answer is YES! The God of all wisdom can take our shortcomings and produce miracles. This picture is of a young Haitian man named Alain. He is praying the prayer of salvation. His life was forever changed! Then two years later, he was killed in the Haitian earthquake. God took him home. 


One week long trip can change the course of a life for all eternity....




 

Hey,
I'm wanting to enter some photo contests to learn, and to have professionals really put me in my place. Then once I stop crying, maybe I will have learned something. Here are some recent edits... please tell me what you think! I'll be posting a few of the same to see which one gets the best response.


 This is Whitlyn. She was about two and her leg was badly injured by the earthquake in 2010. She died a few hours later from shock. We were trying to comfort her while the doctors tried to save her life.

 This little guy's face says it all. A life of poverty, intestinal parasites, hunger, filth, and boredom.
Thanks, yo....

 This little girl had just lost her mother in the earthquake. She was so numb and wanted comfort from anyone.. even a stranger.
 My sweetie nephew, Matthew. I caught him in his natural expression.... solemn  and wondering what you're doing.

 My sister, Shannon and her hubby, Brian. This was taken on the steps of Old Main.