Photos from Central America & South Africa

Muizenberg, South Africa

Not many years ago this beach was only for white people. However, now in a post Apartheid world, government sanctioned segregation, it can be used by all. Despite a reversal of Apartheid rule in 1994 millions of black and colored South Africans still find themselves suffering in the townships they were forced to live in by the previous government with no hope of finding their way out. The smaller township of Capricorn is just a short 15 minute walk from this world renowned surf beach.

Fish Hoek, South Africa

Nestled in a small cove to the southeast of Cape Town is the town of Fish Hoek. This predominately white community is known for being a dry town; meaning they do not sell alcohol from retail locations. In a country plagued by alcoholism and its effects this is very unusual. As a whole South Africa has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the world which leads to a myriad of problems including homelessness, domestic abuse, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, increased crime, high incidence of motor vehicle accidents, and unsafe sexual practices which increase the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS & other STD’s

Fish Hoek, South Africa
With the sun setting in the western sky over the Cape it is hard to not feel hope for a country that is constantly changing. Hope for a future free from the impact of government mandated segregation, the devastation of HIV/AIDS, hunger, extreme poverty and war.  South Africa is known as the rainbow nation for its rainbow of people from around the globe but what does the rainbow truly represent? The rainbow in Genesis 9 is a symbol of God’s covenant to never flood the entire earth – to preserve life. I encourage you to join us in praying for Hope, Life and the Goodness of the Lord God Almighty to be known in the land of South Africa.

Panama City, Panama

A blend of old and new – looking at the skyline of innovation and money. But what is this economy built on? A large amount of Panama’s infrastructure is built on the income it generates from the Panama Canal which it has had full control of since 1999 when the United States turned it over to the Panamanian government. What does the canal really represent? It is a passage way for large container ships hauling cars, machinery, clothing, food and sometimes people from one ocean to another. Panama is a hotbed for government corruption, trafficking of persons, drug smuggling and a myriad of other issues.

San Jose, Costa Rica

In the square where this pillar stands is on of the main centers of San Jose. During the day shoppers, business people, vendors and tourists pass by on their way. Some may stop to feed the pigeons, rest or enjoy a smoke with friends. However, once the sun has set the profile of downtown San Jose changes drastically. It is a city plagued with prostitutes, both men and women, who offer themselves to whomever is willing to pay. Often, many of the same tourists who passed by during the day snapping shots of this same unique pillar are those who are waiting to pay for 10 minutes or an evening of self gratification and cheap pleasure. Of all the sex tourists who travel to Costa Rica each year 80% are from the United States.

Khayelitsha, South Africa
In the Xhosa language Khayelitsha means, New Home. It is estimated that over 1 million black and colored South African’s live in this informal township. As we drove through the township we didn’t dare get out of the car as crime and theft are part of the profile of every day life here. Driving along the outskirts of the township we kept seeing these improvised and personalized billboards on the walls; messages of hope, change and truth. Spousal abuse, drug addiction, poverty, unclean living conditions, lack of education, violence, rape, incest, teen pregnancy, abortion, HIV/AIDS, death – these are all issues that the residents of Khayelitsha face everyday. Not exactly the kind of New Home you would be longing for when imagining a better future.

Khayelitsha, South Africa
It is hard to imagine, but this is the view you see for miles and miles. It is estimated that over 1 million people live in the township of Khayelitsha, which means New Home in the Xhosa language.  This is a place where the impact of HIV/AIDS is just a part of the day to day life. It is a place where it is not unheard of for both parents in a home to be deceased and the children are left with an aunt, uncle or grandparent and even sometimes left to raise themselves and younger siblings. Africa alone has over 12 million AIDS orphans.

San Jose, Costa Rica
In Costa Rica drug abuse, prostitution and trafficking of persons are all real everyday issues. Many individuals immigrate to Costa Rica looking for a better future than the one they left behind but often find themselves living on the outskirts of society, rejected and without hope. In an effort to provide for their basic needs such as food and shelter, they often turn to drug dealing and prostitution. These are desperate measures that they have taken in desperate times in order to stay off the streets. Even then they do not always escape the harsh realities of homelessness, hunger, and disease.

San Jose, Costa Rica
In San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, it is estimated that there are at least 2,000 child prostitutes. The majority of these young girls are forced into the trade by family and pimps that benefit financially in some way from the girls work. Costa Rica is quickly becoming the Thailand of the America’s with 80% of all sex tourists visiting the country coming from the United States of America. The impact of internet pornography and sexual promiscuity in the US reaches far beyond its own borders and impacts the lives of innocent girls with no hope of escaping from its grasps.

 

Colon, Panama

The indigenous communities of Panama have been fighting to maintain their traditional way of life for centuries. As early back as the 1500’s the Kuna people migrated to the San Blas region of Panama to escape the Spanish. They were able to live in the San Blas region on the Caribbean coast relatively free from outside influence until the early part of the 1900’s. Since then they have been fighting to maintain the rights to their land and living in a traditional way. New communities of Kuna now exist within the large Panamanian cities of Colon and Panama City as some have moved into the city looking for decent wages, better healthcare, education and sanitation. Many find themselves instead living in poverty and without the opportunities they sought in the first place.

Fish Hoek, South Africa
1st Class & 3rd Class…which would you choose. We chose 3rd class because it was less expensive and a comfortable train ride was not our priority. We were often the only white family in this section of the train which was hard not to notice. Once we were even asked if we were in the wrong car.  The segregation that one still finds in South Africa is a sign that although Apartheid ended in 1994 the attitudes and racism of that time still exist today. And yet God created us all equal, all in his image, man and woman. Join is praying for a South Africa and world free from racism and a world in which the diversity of our skin tone is seen as part of the beauty of our creator.

Fish Hoek, South Africa
The Cape area is known for the rugged beauty of its landscape and indeed it is beautiful. But within the beauty are communities and people who don’t have enough to eat. The ocean is teaming with fish and yet all they can afford is rice. Who will feed the hungry and cloth the naked? Who will answer the cries of the child waiting for its next meal?

Masiphumelele, South Africa
A short 10 minute taxi ride from the famously safe and predominately white town of Fish Hoek is the township of Masiphumelele. Violence and crime are part of the culture of this community as witnessed in the play of its children. We all know that children mimic the actions of the adults in their lives. How easily this small child holds his toy gun as he hugs on his friends. It is attitudes of acceptance towards violence that continue to shape the ideas and opinions of South Africa being unsafe and the idea that all people of color are violent and will rob you given the chance. It is a stereotype that of course is only true of a few and we hope that this small boy will not become the next perpetrator of violence in this community.

 Errebache, Panama 1-5

The Embera people are a vibrant and ancient South and Central American people group.  Originally from the Darien province a small community of Embera now lives on the Caribbean coast north of Colon in a private village called Errebache.

They hope that they will be able to preserve their natural history and dying culture within the borders of their village by choosing to live in a sustainable and ancient way.

Because of the hardships faced in many Embera communities face the inhabitants often choose to leave for the larger cities in the hopes of finding a better life but are often met with a different reality.

Young girls often find themselves in prostitution or working in menial jobs that in no way honor the traditions of their past while young men are lured into alcohol and drug abuse.

The community of Errebache hopes to preserve the innocence and honor of its youth by providing them with a life where the opportunities found in the city are not something that they have to look to for a better life.

9 weeks to go

Today I'm 31 weeks into my pregnancy....its hard to believe Jude Michael Land will be joining us in just 9 short weeks. We are frantically trying to get "life together" before his expected arrival around January 25th. I'm still not sure exactly what that means but we sure are busy with meetings, planning, doctor visits, putting together a launch party for PhotogenX Seattle, and the day to day stuff of running a family.  

What a story I'll be able to tell this little guy about all the places I took him, the miracle we saw take place in preserving his life back in Kona, and the faithfulness of our God to provide for his family all along the way. It kinda makes my hormonal self want to weep just thinking about it all. Maybe because I know that the past 31 weeks were also some of the toughest of my entire life. Instead of dwelling on all that though as its over and done with and I think somehow I am better for having gone through it I thought I would share what I'm thankful for...

• I'm thankful that even though we have zero financial support that God is miraculously providing for our basic needs
• I am thankful for being able to make my own food, in my own wonderfully free apartment
  
• I am thankful that I only have 9 weeks more of Jude kicking me constantly and making my back hurt
• I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends who I missed so much while we were gone
  
• I am thankful that I'm finally not having a bad hair day everyday thanks to my hair straightener having the proper electrical input and not being in 84% humidity...kinda helps to have good hair days when you are feeling hugely pregnant
• I am thankful for Caleb and his adorable little talking self and the fact that he is in love with baby already...here is hoping he feels the same once Jude arrives
• I am thankful for the opportunity to work in Seattle as PhotogenX staff with my husband - the work I love, the place I love and the man I love all for the God I love and His voiceless children
  
• I am thankful to Gary for being willing to walk through the challenges of working together, living together and learning how to love each other more perfectly

These I am thankful for!!  I'd love to hear what your thankful for....

Beyond Just the Two of Us, What's Next?

To all those we are privileged to call friends,

It’s hard to believe we have been back in the Seattle area for three weeks now. What a blessing to be back among family and friends. Our first week was spent staying in our pre-DTS home, the Chisum Inn, Jenn’s parent’s house. We spent that first week visiting with family, going to numerous Dr.s appointments, getting winter clothes out of storage, Gary working a couple of odd jobs, visiting our new home and trying to get Caleb adjusted to the new time zone. It’s hard to tell a 2 year old that they just need to go back to sleep when they wake up at 1:30am thinking its morning. Needless to say we really did hit the ground running or at least trying to run.

On Halloween we moved into our new place, an amazing 2 bedroom mother-in-law apartment that is fully furnished. This housing is made available to missionaries who are in transition, visiting the area, or on furlough from the field by our generous hosts Gary & Pam Sanders. We are able to stay here until the end of February which is after our baby BOY arrives, whom we plan to name Jude Michael Land. We expect to welcome him into our family sometime around January 25th.

Jenn speaking at Northshore Baptist Church about our Mission trip

The day we moved in we were also busy getting prepared to share at Northshore Baptist Church about our time abroad. We were both up late pulling together the details of our presentation and Gary somehow managed to make a great slideshow in the wee hours of the morning. Our time of sharing with the missions’ class was encouraging and one of celebration. Just talking about all that God has done for us was wonderful. We also had some great conversations with a number of people that are interested in our next step.

So that brings us to what does God have in store for the Land Family? We are thrilled to share with you all that we plan to stay in the Seattle area and continue working with PhotogenX. Our goal is to launch a branch of the ministry here in the Pacific Northwest, which we plan to call Voice for the Voiceless Seattle. I’m sure many of you are now thinking oh wow…that sounds great but what does that mean? Allow us to elaborate.

Jenn & Gary in Muizenburg on our last day in South Africa

We both see that PhotogenX is very effective at raising awareness around various issues of injustice. We believe that God is calling us as a couple to continue this aspect of the ministry by supporting existing non-profit organizations (NGO’s) through media development and communication and then calling the church to take action in helping bring an end to injustice globally. That’s a bit of a mouthful but encompasses the general idea of what we hope to do.

Our first plan of action is to begin building relationships with both churches and organizations in an effort to bridge the gap between the two. We see the church at large as a mighty army for bringing about lasting change and we hope to connect them to NGO’s that are already laboring on behalf of those who suffer in silence. Not only do we plan to work with Seattle based churches and organizations but the entire West Coast of North America.

Caleb is sad to say goodbye to South Africa, or maybe the sun is in his eyes

There are so many organizations that are well established and doing amazing work on location in other countries and even within the US towards ending injustice. We want to be able to support them in any way that we can. Even if that means traveling to remote locations to photograph the work they do and the people they serve. It could also look like assisting them with their media materials including brochures, website, etc. There is a lot of potential to serve them free of charge which would then enable them to put more of their budget towards the work they do.

Jenn & Caleb walking back to the store to get a few snacks
for our 30 hours of travel back to the U.S.

As Photogenxers we will also be continuing to raise awareness about issues of infjustice wherever we go. Gary would love to be able to set up booths at our local farmers markets with his photography and use it as a platform to talk about voicelessness and God’s heart for those who suffer in silence. Jenn plans to continue doing live painting in various venues using it as an opportunity to share about the work we are beginning. We are both very passionate about using the media that PhotogenX has already put out, including the 30 days of Prayer booklet to call the church to prayer and action. As you know we were able to launch the Spanish edition of the prayer book, while we were in Central America and we would love to begin getting it into the hands of Spanish speaking believers in North America.

Caleb upset that he had to pose for this picture. He wanted down so he could play.
We were at the water front in Cape Town

Obviously this is a huge vision beyond just the two of us and there is much work to be done. We are currently in the foundation building stage of getting the ministry going which includes revamping our communication network, building a website, creating and printing business cards and brochures, establishing relationships with churches and NGO’s, building our prayer and financial support network and recruiting workers to help us.

Jenn, Caleb, & Gary posing for our last picture in South Africa
We have to give credit to our friend Cale for taking a great shot

We are thrilled about the vision God has laid before us and we would like to ask that you prayerfully consider if He is asking you to partner with us in any way. If so we want to connect with you and hear what that might look for you. We are so excited to be jumping into ministry as a family even if it is terrifying at times. We know this is why God had us go through DTS together with a 2 year old and now we are on the other side beginning a new ministry.

In faith and hope of all that is to come,

Gary, Jennifer, Caleb & soon to be Jude Land



Prayer Requests
• To establish a strong foundation over the next six months of the Voice for the Voiceless Seattle ministry
• For the delivery of our baby boy – due January 25, 2010
• The formation of a faithful group of prayer and financial partners that are committed to the long term vision

Current Needs
• $4000 of monthly support to cover both ministry and personal income.
• Adobe Suite Software program
• New Camera equipment including lenses, tripod, Nikon D700 body, reflector

Our Last Post Until Arrival

Our last update…

It is sad that we have come to the end of this journey, but we are so excited to be on our way home. In so many ways we have grown as a family. We have been strengthened, challenged, and unified. We come home with a new vision and new mandate upon our lives. We eagerly await our arrival so we can begin.

I (Gary) have grown accustomed to sending out photo essays. So in keeping with this theme, I have decided to end with one last set of photos.

Can anyone say cheese! Yes, our amazing son has begun to mimic his father’s passion for photography. Caleb’s latest attempt to take pictures is with his camera, made from one of his toys. He has gone from setting up our tripod and pretending to take pictures, to his blocks. We found out, from one of the staff working with Voice for the Voiceless, they make a real camera that is indestructible for preschoolers. We’re thinking this should go on Caleb’s Christmas gift list this year.

The next best thing to taking pictures is playing in the rocks and sea shells that have washed up onto the shore. On one of our Sunday walks, we walked on a trail that went along the ocean. We stopped for a few minutes to let Caleb play and Jenn was busy finding interesting sea shells to bring back with her, for future art projects. She has come to realize how much she loves painting and has been inspired by her travels, to come home and take up where she left off, with a renewed passion.

A wonderful combination of this boat washed up on shore and Jenn & Caleb walking on the beach. We are going to miss this wonderful place called Fish Hoek. It has been one of the best times for our family to rest and hear God's voice for the next step of our lives. We will never forget the amazing beauty of this side of the world.

See, Caleb is watching his father working hard at getting the perfect shot. No wonder he wants to take up photography at an early age.

For all of you who have wanted to see a picture of Jenn’s belly, here it is! Jenn has walked so many places while being in South Africa. She is staying fit for being pregnant. She told me that she's going to have to not eat as much when she gets home. It’s going to be cold out, so getting around will be by car and not feet.

Enjoying the wild life of Simons Town. The safest city of all South Africa. Jenn is attempting to take a picture of her shoes. She is done trying to get the perfect penguin picture. Yes, South Africa has penguins, which I bet most of you didn’t know. As we were told, a couple of penguins some how found their way to Simons Town and decided not to leave. From their offspring, a large population of Jack Ass penguins has emerged. They have become a huge tourist attraction for many to come and see.

Here’s the proof that penguins truly do live in South Africa naturally. Honestly, not all penguins live on the ice of Antarctica. Caleb had the time of his life seeing all the “Happy Feet” as he calls them. If only you could have seen and heard the excitement from him. Each time Caleb would see a penguin along the walking path, with the loudest excited voice possible, he would repeat “Happy Feet” “Happy Feet” We thought for sure Caleb might scare the penguins away, but he didn’t.

This picture is the reward of hiking up a mountain at 5:30 in the morning and being able to catch the sunrise. Elsie’s Peak, as it is called, can be climbed to give you a spectacular view of False Bay. I was told that you do need to be careful when you hike up any of the mountains in the area. They have two poisonous snakes to watch out for, The Puff Adder and The Cape Cobra. Most fortunate for us, it was early in the morning, blowing cold wind, and praying not to see any crawling creatures, that we never saw one. On the other hand we saw a whale in the ocean, which was cool.

Here I am with the three of us that climbed Elsie’s Peak. Jenn wanted to climb the mountain, but she was in a lot pain from her back, so she didn’t come. Good thing, because the wind was so cold. After seeing the sunrise and getting our photos, we didn’t stick around for very long. We hiked up the mountain for about an hour, took pictures for about 25 minutes, and then quickly made our way back down to get something hot in our stomachs to warm us up. Thanks Cathy for leading the way and Lindsey for joining us to embark on this most amazing view to write home and tell my friends and family about.

The waterfront in Cape Town! O.K. I have to say, after going to a lot of the tourist spots in a city on the water, I think they are all like. They have their unique landscape, but all shopping stores you would typically see are pretty much the same. I think I am getting to the point where I don’t want to go to the typical tourist spot, because once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Don’t get me wrong, Cape Town is a beautiful city because of the surrounding mountains, but I think the next time I go to visit a city in a foreign country, I will think twice before walking to a hotspot for tourists. Ultimately, going to these places you’ll end up buying overpriced souvenirs, where if you went to the places that were really worth seeing, you’d end up with souvenirs that were cheaper and helping the people who really need the business.

Many of you will never know what it means to walk into a township in South Africa, but if you do, you will see a large community of thousands living in a remote area just outside from the surrounding city. It was Apartheid that segregated the whites from the coloreds and blacks. It was the ruling party up until Nelson Mandela that made all non-white South African live in townships. Now coloreds and blacks can live in any community they want, but many still live in townships, because of poverty. Capricorn, one of the local townships in the area where we visited quite often, is the home of 20,000 people. The homes there are made from whatever material can be found. Some of the homes are better than others. I was told that a family of four living in a township could live off 20RAND a day. This is almost $3.00. Sadly though, what they would eat is not that healthy. For the three of us, we thought we were doing well if we could go to the store and make a simple meal for $7.00. Poverty is real; the hard part is to know how to best serve these people, because giving money to problem in many ways, makes it worse.

This wonderful woman, who went by Sister Margaret, was one of the most faithful in coming to the home groups in the town ship of Capricorn. I mention and include her in our photo essay, because this past week she went home to be with the Lord. She was a sweet and wonderful woman who had a passion for the Lord and deep desire to see her daughter saved. You would've loved her tenderness and the joy she had in meeting new people. May she be remembered for her heart to see her community change for the kingdom! She will be missed by many.

Will you keep us in your prayers as we transition home and get back to the life of being in United States! We have an exciting adventure ahead of us as we start the process of planning the next step of what we believe God is calling us to do as a family. There is going to be much work for us and we are going to need help. We look forward to soon revealing our plans and hope that many of you will want to join in our adventure also.

Until we see each other soon


Gary, Jenn, Caleb & soon baby Land.

Are You Ready When A Loved One Leaves?

It is a strange reality to witness the death of someone and realize in some form or manner everyone will die. For me, I witness the death of a staff member from the YWAM base here in South Africa. It was very tragic to walk out from the office to see a young Brazilian man on ground with his face lying in a pool of blood. He had fallen from the rooftop of the YWAM Building next door, to the pavement of driveway of house where the voice for the voiceless office is.

In the moment, I calmly tried to help, but there wasn't much I could do. I was left to pray and ask God to grant this man mercy by sparing his life. The next thirty minutes I watched as each different emergency agency from South Africa came to aid in trying to revive back to life this staff member. In the last moments of the CPR, I watched to see if the medical team was getting a pulse. It was when they call out the time of death; a sigh of sadness overtook me. It was going back upstairs into the office to give Jennifer the horrible news that the tears began to well up in my eyes. “He didn’t make it,” was my reply to Jennifer. Honestly this was the first time to see someone die before my eyes. In retrospect, I wished I’d stayed home with Caleb and hadn’t gone out to witness the tragic event, but in the moment I was doing what I thought was needed.

Needless to say, what I had planned to do that day didn’t get done. All I wanted to do was drown my brain by watching movies, just so I could forget what happened. It took me a day or two after the event to reconcile what I witness, but it left a deeper sense of the future reality for everyone. Death has a date with all of us, none us know when, but inevitably it’s going to take place.

The question that needs to be asked is, Are you ready for it and are you ready for your loved ones to be gone when death comes knocking? I know for myself, when I die, Heaven will be welcoming me in because I’ve called upon the resurrected Lord and Savior of humanity. The harder question is being ready to let go of the ones I love when it’s there time to go. Witnessing this death was hard, but not as hard, if I had received the call saying that my love one had fallen to their death. The relationships you and I have with family are such a huge part of our lives and when they leave and never come back, it will leave a spot of emptiness and loneliness that can never be replaced.

The pain of losing someone will be experience by every human living and I pray for all those who are experiencing such grief that they will have peace from God and rest in knowing that if their love one knew the savior, they are experiencing life in the fullness and they are in a place of pure paradise.

I rest in knowing that the gentleman that died is in a much better place, but for those who called him son, brother, grandchild, nephew, uncle; I pray that they are comforted with relief. Life is short, it is but vapor that it is here one day and gone the next. May we all place our fate and lives in the mighty hand of God who is able to keep us, both in this life and the next one to come!

The exciting adventures of South Africa

Hi everyone,

Did you know South Africa has 11 official languages; that’s more than anywhere else in the world. When we sit on a train I hear English, Africaans and Klosa which involves a few clicks. Yesterday on the train we had a funny experience. We have been traveling in 3^rd class instead of 1^st class as it is cheaper and usually the train cars are fuller which is good for safety. There is safety in numbers. Anyway we were taking the 10 minute ride into Muizenburg from our place in Fish Hoek with our friend Dave. Before the train left the station the man next to Dave asked him if we were lost and meant to be in first class. This may seem funny to you but you have to understand we were the only white people in our car – which is usually the case. In South Africa the blacks and coloreds ride in Metro and the whites ride in Metro Plus.

Catching the sunset light of a beautiful ocean view in Fish Hoek. South Africa is truly a gorgeous place

You may be shocked by my use of the words black, colored and white to describe the people but it is the way that all South African’s distinguish one another. They are after all the Rainbow Nation. Blacks are Africans while Coloreds are a mix often with some Malay her in Cape Town and Whites are anyone of white skin color. I must say it is very strange to use these terms to describe people but within this culture it is the norm. I suppose that this attitude is a remnant of the pre-apartide culture which has yet to work its way out. On the other side of the spectrum we have had many “helpful” white people telling us how dangerous the blacks and coloreds are. It’s hard to hear this knowing that we have met so many amazing South African’s of all colors and ethnicities.

Over the past few weeks we have been going into a township about 15 minutes walk from downtown Muizenburg called Capricorn. The townships are where a huge percentage of the black and colored people live. They don’t live there because they have to by law anymore as they did prior before but most of them can’t get out. They find themselves now stuck in the poverty and dangers of the townships. Our friend and fellow DTSer Lydia has been co-leading a number of house groups with an African named Clinton. Gary has had the opportunity to speak at the home groups and will be teaching every Thursday from tomorrow forward until we leave the 24^th. We are so encouraged by the growth and fruit of these home groups and are reminded of the early church from the book of Acts. One of the best aspects of attending with Clinton and Lydia is that we are able to pray, encourage and feed all those attending. The meals are simple but such a powerful example of feeding the hungry both in spirit and in body.

Caleb walking to the beach to enjoy the sand and the sea shell that lying around for him to play with.

The home groups were started by a group of students from our DTS that did their outreach here in South Africa. It is so encouraging to see the fruit of their labors and we are thrilled to be a part of what God is doing. It is through this experience that we have been able to see yet again the beauty of God’s diverse creation through the faces of his children. There truly is beauty all around us.

Additionally we have been working on a project for Voice for the Voiceless surrounding the topic of alcohol abuse in South Africa. I have been working on researching statistics, awareness programs, support groups, education, etc. Interestingly there is not a lot of education about the dangers of alcohol abuse here despite having one of the highest documented incidents of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAS, and a culture largely built around alcohol. Alcohol abuse is wrapped up in a lot of other social problems in South Africa such as domestic violence, risky sexual practices which increases one’s risk of contracting STD’s including HIV/AIDS, incredibly high incidence of motor vehicle accidents, increased violence and abuse. It is a problem for teens, young adults, parents, grand parents and great grandparents and nearly every family in South Africa is affected by it regardless of their religion, color or how much they make.

This is Clifford and Clinton, at the home group in Capricorn. Clinton is the leader and Clifford is one of faithful follower who comes to every meeting.

Gary has been focusing on a different part of the research which is personal stories. He developed a survey and through the questions has been engaging with people he meets on the streets, trains, shops, church groups and restaurants. One of the great contacts he has made is with a woman from Nero’s pizza where we get coffee in the mornings. Her mother is a foster mom for a two year old boy with FAS. Late last week he and two of our team mates interviewed her and this morning they had a photo shoot with the family at their home. At this time our goal is to use all that we have found in our research to clearly outline the issue and be able to produce an article, photo essay and or exhibit of some sort about alcohol abuse with the intention of bringing awareness and educating.

This is Khayletisha, one of the largest townships in South Africa. There is at least a million people who live here. (Capricorn, the township where we have our home groups, looks much like this)

Please join us in praying for open doors, effective words and images that capture the heart of what we are trying to communicate to this, the Rainbow Nation. We have a little over two weeks left here in South Africa and we want to use our time effectively. We are headed home in just 17 days and we know the time will fly by. Despite the exciting things we are doing and the beauty that surrounds us I was ready like yesterday to fly home. We are definitely ready to move forward in sharing all that we have learned, experienced and captured with our cameras. This has indeed been a fruitful and ripe year for us as a family and we are bursting with it all.

Again this is Khayletisha, but this is an overview of what one little area of it look like. What a interesting place to call home.

Likewise we want to know all that you are up too. We feel in many ways we have missed out on some significant events this year; friends having children, our nephew turning 1, my brother Matt & his wife Whitney moving back to Colorado, changes in our church Mill Creek Foursquare, my mom turning 50. These are just a few of the changes and we are definitely ready to be a part of life with you again. We can’t wait!!!

Love,

Jenn, Gary & Caleb Land

A picture of us coming back from the beach. Don't we look cute.

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)