Update from South Africa

Greetings friend,

It’s hard to believe we’ve already been in Africa for nearly 3 weeks. Our trip here was long but miraculous in that Caleb slept for the majority of 3 flights. This was especially miraculous for our 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa. The woman in the seat behind Caleb asked where he had been the entire flight…this was with 2 hours left till arrival. Thank you to all those who were praying for us as we journeyed halfway around the world, we know the Lord answered those prayers!

Upon arrival we spent 2 nights in Fish Hoek, Vishoek in Africaans, which is on False Bay – famous for its great white sharks and Seal Island. Those of you who watch shark week on the Discovery channel should know what we mean. (Gary pretty much thinks its amazing and terrible all at the same time…paranoia of snakes in Panama has morphed into sharks and the Cape cobras that live up in the near by hills) Fish Hoek is a lovely town on a great sandy bay and for our tired family it felt like a safe haven. For the first time in 3 months I was able to cook in the little flat where we’re staying, which was amazing. We also have a million dollar view of the bay and town from our hillside perch. I was a bit reluctant to leave this slice of heaven for our next journey.

From Fish Hoek we joined the rest of our team, who had been staying in a Youth Hostel. Together we would journey up to Worchester, where we would be staying for a week long Uof N Conference, which is held in different locations every 2 years. We drove up along the coast for a stretch through the sand dunes which were covered in low lying bushes and calla lilies. I was able to enjoy the beauty despite being frozen. The first week in South Africa was so cold especially as we had just come from Panama with 90 degree weather and 84% humidity.

The conference for us was about getting over jet lag, reconnecting as a family in our Rondovel (round house), attending the general sessions of the conference and swimming in the hot pools. This was the only way we could be warm as apparently they don’t heat their homes/buildings in South Africa….again….freezing!!! The conference finished up on Saturday night and Sunday morning we headed to our next destination.

Paarl is wine country and we were staying at a Christian retreat center for our DTS Debrief. Unfortunately Caleb was very sick during debrief with the flu. He had a horrible croupy cough and no energy. In fact he spent most of his time bundled in blankets in his stroller drifting in and out of sleep. The only benefit for us is that we could both attend the debrief sessions together and he wasn’t a disturbance. Our last night together as team, we had a great graduation ceremony and we were given official graduation certificates. Pretty fancy! It’s hard to believe we survived DTS as a couple, with a 2 year old and being pregnant. This also marked our first contact with the “outside world” via internet thanks to a café in town. I was able to get a very brief birthday greeting to my mom who turned 50. Sorry Jon…50 trumped 28! Happy birthday though!!!

On Thursday we left Paarl amongst tearful goodbyes knowing that we most likely will not see most of our now ex-classmates again this side of heaven. About half of the students went straight to the airport in Cape Town and the rest of us drove back to Cape Town where we would be staying for various amounts of time in locations in and around the Muizenburg YWAM base. We are fortunate enough to be back in Fish Hoek, which is a beautiful 10 minute train ride from Muizenburg. We are staying in a little beach cottage that has two bedrooms. For the first time since April our son is sleeping in a separate bedroom…I thought it would never happen.

We had a long weekend to adjust to our new surrounding, stock our cupboards & fridge for the month ahead, and generally enjoy being a family of 3. It’s such a relief to be parenting in our own home…or the closest thing to it in the past 18 months. The beach is just a short walk through the sand dunes and so far we have enjoyed the sun, rain, whales, seals, surfers and walking barefoot in the sand; life’s simple pleasures. Fortunately for us the weather has improved greatly which is wonderful. We still had to purchase some winter clothing for Caleb but thankfully we found some amazing deals and were able to get jeans and 3 long sleeve shirts for about 100 rand (Which is around $15 currently thanks to the dollar decreasing even since we arrived).

Monday we met with Dave Fisher who runs Voice for the Voiceless South Africa, along with his wife Laura. We will be working with them for the month along with 3 of our fellow DTS classmates. The ministry in South Africa is much more hands on than the international ministry of PhotogenX/Voice for the Voiceless in Kona. We have a lot of freedom to pursue whatever interests us but they have asked if we would consider focusing on the issue of alcohol abuse as that is a major problem here. It is in all spheres of society and is linked to violence, rape, incest, unusually high car accident rates, etc.

At this point we are generating ideas about how to encompass this issue within a month long project. We will be back in the office today for a meeting to talk through our ideas, etc. Dave and Laura are very busy helping get the first leg of the track program up and running as it starts within the week. I’m not entirely sure how much they will be involved with this project, other than to provide oversight and some direction with contacts. Please join us in praying and believing that our little band of photographers can leave something behind that will positively impact change in and around Cape Town.

During this month in South Africa we are also considering what the next step is for us as a family. We have of course been kicking around different ideas and opportunities for the past few months. It would be impossible not to in the context of “what are you going to do after DTS?” questions. We know for a fact we will be in Seattle till at least the end of February but beyond that nothing is set. Again we ask you to join us in seeking direction for our future as a family in ministry. The decisions ahead of us will greatly impact the course of our future and we want to be planted where we will both be used within the scope of our gifting for the sake of the kingdom.

On a final note we wanted to report an amazing answer to prayer. As many of you know we had expressed our need for around $2000 to see us through to the time of our arrival back in Seattle. Within hours of leaving Panama we received an email saying a donation of $1000 was coming in. Then when we were in Paarl we received an email from Colink indicating that not just $1000 but actually $2100 in donations had come in. You would think I would be done being amazing at God’s amazing provision during this season, but alas I am not. I am repeatedly blown away by the generosity of friends, acquaintances, family, and how the Lord uses them to bless us abundantly. Indeed the Lord is faithful to complete a good work.

We will keep you posted on how the work with Voice for the Voiceless goes and if there are any developments on our future plans. Our internet access is limited still so it probably will not be frequent communication. We will just have to catch up when we get back in the states. We can’t wait to hear all the Lord has been doing in your lives over the past 8 months.

Love,

Jenn ( Gary & Caleb)

Good Bye Central America with Love (Photo Essay)

In writing one final update from Central America, I decided to recap with some photos and ultimately do a photo essay from my (Gary's) perspective of our time in Panama and Costa Rica.

(Imagine walking out your door at any time and seeing large cargo ships being escorted by a tug boat either up or down the water way. This is where we found ourselves in the small American build town of Gamboa. If you were wondering where the ships go from the Port of Seattle, f0r those who live in Washington, this is where they go.)

(For you this is a train, for me, this is a memory of a lifetime that will go with me to the grave. I am taking the joys of watching my son getting up in the morning to the sound of the blowing whistle. With an expression of joy and excitement only a little boy can have, he would run to our door and open it up to see the train blazing down the track. I can still picture Caleb jumping up and down waving at the people on it)

(Caleb and I went for a walk one day as Mommy and the rest of our team had a meeting. At first we found ourselves in our room, with me being frustrated that I couldn't be in the meeting. As I prayed, God spoke to me that I could spend quality time with Caleb and He would bless me even more than being in the meeting. As we walked we came to a what is known in America, "As a relic," The Telephone booth. Caleb posed for me and pretended he was talking to his Grandma's, wasn't he so cute)



(This is Panama City at night. The night this picture was taken, our team went out for ice cream. Near by was this amazing sight of the city. Now all of us as photographers wanted to get the best picture we could of the skyline, so we went as close as we could to the water to get it. Now as soon as we got there, we were yelled at in Spanish. We were told that we couldn't be there. Most of us were upset, including myself. We had to back up quite a bit in order to take pictures without being yelled at. About a week after being at this location, I found out that the newly elected President, took this property over. It was because the business on this land, owed the government a lot of money and had refused to pay it back. In a way for me, this was pay backs for not letting us take picture of this incredible skyline.)



(In our travels around Panama we found ourselves at the local mall on a number of occasions. In the middle of the food court was carousel and a play area for kids. Caleb spent plenty of time there. I think every time we went, he rode the carousel. It was $50 so I didn't think it was too much to spurge each time we went to the mall.)




(These two pictures are of the old part of Panama. These are the ruins of the first establishment of the Spanish settlers. We were told that this area was where all the gold came to from Central America, before it was put on boats and shipped to Spain. The funny thing about the bottom pictures was the fact that it took a lot to get it. With 40+ photographers in the way, I had to wait until they moved to get it. I know why many photographers prefer to take photos by themselves)



(The local bridge to get in and out of our community! Two problems. The first is that it was designed for conditions in Alaska. "No Joke" The bridge had wooden slats that went across it and then above that was two sections of cement that were 6 inches height and about 2 feet wide. We were told that it was for the icy conditions, which I here Panama get a lot of. The second is that it's a single lane bridge. So on each side there is a stop light to let you know when it's your turn to come over. Now the bridge is fairly long and depending when you get the light, you can spend 5 minutes waiting your turn. On a better note, the picture is rather beautiful of the water and bridge.)



(After being on the computer in the church, trying to stay connected to the internet, which proved to be futile, because the rain and thunder. I heard the laughter of my son. So I decided to go outside to find out what he was doing. To my surprise, I found him running around in front of the church in the pouring down rain. It's a good thing its a tropical rain, you won't catch a cold. Now as I looked out I notice Jenn was filling up a bucket from the rain and attempting to throw it on Caleb as he would run by. So in an attempts to catch the moment I pulled out the Camera and took some pictures. As you can see Jenn and Caleb were enjoying themselves.)



(The first Sunday we were here in Panama, we had a really bad rain storm. During it I look out from the door and notice this huge creature trumping through the soaking wet grass. We found out that this was the local iguana that lived in the drainage at the church. So throughout our stay we had plenty of time to watch this creature sun bathe. Caleb and I tried to get as close as we possibly could to the iguana without it scampering back down the drainage hole. You would have been amazed on how close we got. I think we were about 5 feet away. I tried to get Caleb to walk up by himself, knowing that the iguana was more afraid of him, and if Caleb got to close the iguana would go in the hole, but Caleb wouldn't. He wanted to go with his daddy. Caleb loves iguanas, because he saw this picture and wanted to look at it.)



(These three girls are indigenous to Panama and they live at the YWAM base and go to public school. During our brief stay at the base these girls fell in love with Caleb and wanted to always play with him. In fact when we got ready to leave to go back to Gamboa, these wonderful girls hopped in the van to go back and drop us off. It was cute during the arts festival. These girls came and immediately came over to Caleb. They wanted to take him and walk around with him. Caleb had himself a small fan club.)



(This is Tulio with his wife Norela. They are the amazing Embera couple who live at the YWAM base. I took this picture during our visit to Tulio's dad's village, Errebache. I got the chance to take their picture. This is just one of many great picture I took of them. I am happy that our team was able to bless them with a website. If you haven't checked it out you should. The website is www.errebache.com.



(Is this my son, or did we trade him for a Embera boy? No it's our beautiful boy who got the chance to spend the weekend in a indigenous village and be painted. I wish you all could have been there to enjoy watching Caleb interact with the surroundings of Errebache. I will never forget when I watched him chasing the ducks and chickens. Caleb had the opportunity of a lifetime and I was glad I could be there to watch him enjoy it.)


Our Time in Costa Rica

(I took this picture just outside the Salvation Army where we went an fed the homeless. It is a shocking picture when you realize that this person is using a cardboard box to sleep in. What is more deeply sad, is they covered themselves to keep from being seen. I really like this picture, because it give a face to homelessness and poverty, without shaming one specifically. May we remember to give to the poor and know that we lend to the Lord.)

(This is Arenal, the active volcano in Costa Rica. We happened to go there on a clear sunny day and I got the rare opportunity capture the mountain without it being cloudy. When I get back home I have a set of pictures that I want to photo-merge in Photoshop. How I miss my CS3 program and can't wait to get home. "Yes, I look forward to seeing all of you too, when I get home.")

(Caleb is going to be just like his daddy, A fish in water. When we went to the mountain in Costa Rica we stayed at a lodge that had a pool. We got the opportunity to go swimming and Caleb pick up right where he left off at in Hawaii. With his water wings, he's invincible in the water. Look at his smile and soon to be laughter as he get ready to touch the edge of the pool after swimming across all by himself.)

(This is Jaco beach, which is known for two things, surfing and prostitution. We went there for the day and walked around and did some prayer walking. It is very upsetting to know that 80% of the sex tourist that come to Costa Rica are Americans. In San Jose alone, the capital city, there are at least 3000 child prostitutes. This doesn't include all the child prostitutes who are being used as a part of the sex tour packages for foreign pedophiles that come to Costa Rica. In my last days, in Costa Rica I believe I met the face of one of those pedophiles. Luckily for the children of Costa Rica, he should be on his way being deported back to the U.S.)

(This is at one of the corners in Jaco. See what I mean surfing and prostitution. I find it sicking to see a Quiznos sign, along with a KFC, to go with all the Erotica in town. In one of the meeting I shared about the "Voice for the Voiceless" I asked the group of Costa Rican's to forgive me for my country. We are exploiting innocence of another nation. I challenge the group to defend their child from those American's who have been abused.)

(This beautiful girl caught the attention of our point person during our stay in Costa Rica. The first thing she asked this girl was, "Are your eyes real!" For a young girl that was a silly question, but for us in the age of color contacts, we had to make sure. It rare to see a Costa Rican with this color of blue eyes. I think it is rare in general. God gifted this girl with beautiful eyes and we had the amazing opportunity to capture them. This beautiful girl lives in the ghetto, where drug use it high, where shooting happen, and the only way to go and visit, is to know someone who lives there. Otherwise you run the risk of being attacked. What beauty amongst the down and out. May we remember those who are precious in God's sight.)

(Caleb is growing up to see his mommy and daddy take pictures. It would only be natural that he would want to take them too. During our time in Costa Rica, Caleb asked us to take some pictures. In the moment as we actually taking photos of Jenn, I grabbed the other camera and captured the little photographer in action. Caleb was so cute, he was trying to look in the viewer and then push the button to take the photo. As you can see he had so much fun with the camera and as parents we had much more fun seeing our son enjoy what we enjoy. May Caleb grow up to be just as or even more creative as his parents.

It's off to South Africa. May God grant us the privilege to be a blessing there and may he provide what we have need of as we go in faith believing for all the provisions to be provided for.

With lots of love

Gary.