Onward Adventures to Home

Sorry I don't have any pictures for you today. I am taking the week off from photography kinda like a vacation, just so I don't go crazy. Next week I should have some more stuff.

There is something special about home. I once heard that "home is not where you live, but where they understand you." I am beginning to see how true that is. I am yearning for home. To be with my girlfriend to see familiar faces to do familiar things. I'm looking forward to going back and taking classes and afterwards going to Taza, our local awesome coffeeshop. I'm looking forward to serving at my church again. But more than anything I am looking forward to laughing with those closest to me.

I love to travel. I love seeing new things, meeting new people, learning about new cultures. I love taking pictures and capturing a culture. I love trying new foods. I have tasted some exquisit foods and some pretty gross foods too. I have had some pretty crazy adventures from driving to my first Mexican wedding with an enormous floral arrangment on the hood of the car to feeding the mouths of hungry down syndrome kids in Bogota. From witnessing some of the most beautiful sights of the Mexican country side to running the equivalent of an Olympic marathon in the Panama City airport. And it has been an incredible and an unforgetable trip that most people in the world will never experience.

But the countday until I return home is 35 days, and my heart is already home. I know that when I finally step off that plane on to American soil I will finally breathe a sigh of relieve and say "home at last". Not because I am stepping on soil of the most powerful and richest nation in the world. Not because I can finally have the convinences buying whatever I want whenever I want. Not because I will get a job that makes 2 to 20 times as much money as the rest of the world. Not because I will have a fast internet connection, or finally get to use my cell phone again, or not deal with the inconviences of another country, or be with people who speak the same language, believe the same things, do things "the normal way", or dress the same way I do. If this trip has taught me anything it is that it doesn't matter to me where I live, what kind of standard of living I live under, how much I make, whether I can enjoy all those convinences or not, whether I'm safe or not, or whether or not it matters that people do things differently than I, in fact I would trash all of that to do the same thing again and might even prefer it.

The only thing that matters is that when I step off that plane and go home with my family and soon there after drive to Cincinnati, I will be greeted with open arms. People who missed me and those whom I missed. I will see familiar faces and we will continue life as it was. The only thing that will be different is that perhaps we will have a different perspective on the world. I know at least I will.

Dos and Donts of Mexico

These last couple of weeks have been crazy! I've been trying to get together the wedding pictures and they are almost complete. I will put up a gallery soon.

I put together this list of dos and donts in Mexico. I enjoyed putting it together, I hope you enjoy reading it.

Don't:
· Don't Drink the Water!!! (ok I had to get this one out) Although some gringos are really paranoid about this, the water system is improving and you don't have to go to the extreme of closing your mouth in the shower. I have brushed my teeth with tab water and have not died. But in general the water they have told me that the water is filled with a lot of extra minerals which isn't good for you. Just don't go chugging it.
· Don't eat street food. If anything will get you sicker faster, it is this. I have never had a successful street food stand experience that hasn't put me on the toilet for two weeks. The hard thing about this is street food is amazing! and cheap. But don't succumb!
· Don't assume pedestrians get the right away while crossing the street or assume Mexican traffic laws are mandatory. The rule of the road is the bigger object wins. For all my engineers out there, F=MA. The bigger the M, the more screwed you are. Simple physics.
· Don't freak out when you see a bloody pig head hanging in the local market. Very common. umm, in fact, if you get queasy easily, just avoid the market altogether…
· Don't be afraid to go to the doctor if you get sick. $10 is the bill and $10 is the medicine and you'll feel better in 3 hours. No insurances necessary, it's great.
· Don't give up money change if you don't have to. Change is so rare here I don't know why, because everything requires change. If you have been given a $500 (50 USD), forget about ever using! I have seriously had taxi drivers charge me less because I didn't have the correct change and they didn't want to break a $100 (10 USD).
· Speaking of Taxi drivers, don't start screaming at your taxi driver because he just ran a red light or starts driving down a one way. You won't die, I promise, just think of it as the newest rollercoaster at King's Island…
· Don't rush anywhere. Relax! Take your time. You're in Mexico! Just pretend you are on a beach in a lawn chair with a Pina Colada and then you'll begin to see the life in the eyes of a Mexican.




Do:
• Take the international bus system. I'm telling you, you can get anywhere in Mexico for under $40 in the most comfortable seats. Half price if you are a student. They usually show really horrible B movies along the way if you're into that. But the Mexican countryside is beautiful. Way cool
• Expect a TON of fiestas. I have been to a fiesta every week I have been here. I kid you not. They often last until 4 in the morning. I'm a woose and can't stay up that late, but there is always good food and tequila.
• Bring ear plugs. Like I said fiestas until 4 in the morning? Yeah, it never fails that they are your neighbors playing Ricky Martin, Shake Your Bon Bon at hours in the morning only roosters and borrachos know about.
• Fake that you are Mexican. Ok, maybe not if your white with blond hair, but I laugh whenever I tell people that I was born in Mexico, their whole tone of voice changes as they smile and give me a wink that says, "welcome to the club". It's like telling people you're a Bengal's fan in Cincinnati…well kinda…
• Do talk in Spanish. I think it's very rude assuming everyone speaks English.
• Do go to a Mexican wedding, it's a riot!!
• Do get your shoes shined at a vendor downtown. One of the best experiences of my life. Felt like a new man. Don't judge me until you try it.
• Do try to befriend the Mexicans. Mexicans are normally very friendly, but I find it a challenge--you've gotta "break them". They are weary of foreigners but like I said, once you are in you are in. Caution: there are some who won't just like you. Don't take it personally, just move on.
• Try new foods. If you have never eaten every last morsel of the cow from butt to brains you are missing out!! Not because it is tasty, most of it is the grossest thing you'll ever try. But come on! To come back to the states and say you had cow stomach soup and lived to tell about it? What better way to make new friends standing in line waiting for burritos at Chipotle… "Can I tell you about the time I ate cow brains in Mexico?...." Great conversation starter.

My first experience with a Mexican wedding

This past weekend I got the priviledge to shoot a wedding, and it just happened to be a Mexican wedding! The wedding was very fast paced, as I just found out that I was the photographer 9 days before the wedding. But the couple, Gaby and Fernando, were very fun to work with and it was a fun wedding.

Some would say that there aren't a lot of differences between Mexican and American weddings. Of course they have a lot of the same things: a church, a bride, a groom, a priest. I mean there isn't much to that. I have never been to a Catholic wedding, so I don't know the differences and similiarites there. But let me just say that I think there are a lot of differences, Mexican weddings are crazy (good crazy)!

After the bride finished getting ready, we headed off to the church. They didn't have a driver, so I quickly switched from photographer to chaufer in a matter of seconds. So I drive to the church with 15 minutes until the wedding. I was worried about getting there early, but apparently that didn't matter. Driving was an adventure in in itself, as there was gigantic flower arrangement on the hood of my car! Driving in Mexico is hard to begin with, but with a gigantic flower arrangement, you are pretty much going on a prayer...

So we get there with negative 2 minutes to go, and I was nervous because I wanted to get set up and prepare and everything. I found that that was actually unnecessary because when we get there there is an entire paparazzi to escort the bride down the aisle! So this paparazzi proceeded to follow the bride even up on stage! I don't know if that's customary, but I just sort of followed the crowd. Just go with the flow. No need to "setup". haha!

But the bride was dressed very beautifully. And the ceremony went wonderfully. Maybe except for the 70 year old woman in the back who kept screaming "AMEN!" "Hallelujah" after everything the priest said. It was quite funny. And there was the dancing kids in the aisle. I figured they were part of the act. And afterwards the reception!

Receptions in Mexico are similiar like that in the states, but on a much grander scale. It was in this very fancy estate and if you didn't have a suit and a tie or a dress (for the ladies), you felt out of place. Waiters and decorations and everything dressed to the nine... I was told that the reception was a small wedding. It is very customary in Mexico to spend a lot on the wedding, even if you don't have the ability to.

And the reception was a party! That is the biggest difference between American and Mexican weddings. Americans dance at a wedding......ha! yeah right! Mexicans at 11:00 the place turned into a club! Everyone, young and old were dancing to Norteñas, Rancheras, Reggaeton, Rap, Oldies, Salsa, Tango, everything! I left at 1:30 (that's AM...) and the party was just getting started! Even the bride and the groom were still there. I was told it was probably going to last until 4am or 5am!

Let me end on one tradition that is definitely different, which I'm glad the US hasn't found out about. During the reception, it is tradition for the Bachelors to do the garder thing--same as in the states. But after that is when it gets crazy. It is tradition for the bachelors to grab the groom and haul him off to the bathroom. They then strip him of all his clothes and leave him there. After they do this cruel deed, they then present the clothes to his new bride, and she has to go rescue the poor humiliated man! It's a good thing that many traditions stay in Mexico... :-D

So many other incredible stories, I wish I could tell them all..

Thus is the story of my first experience with Mexican weddings.

Final Pictures

Sorry I've been a while getting these last pictures up from Colombia! Coming back to Mexico has been crazy. When I got back to Mexico, I found out I had a wedding to shoot...next week! Apparently, when it comes to parties and weddings, that's how Mexicans work--who cares about details, let's just have a party! sheesh! So I've been frantically trying to pull together loose ends. I'll let you know how it goes. Meanwhile, check out the pictures from Colombia!

Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Gallery 3

Final Thoughts on Colombia

And so today I am leaving Colombia. It has been quite an adventure and this is an experience I'll never forget. I feel almost like a cop-out, as I have only been here a week. I have done very little with regards to helping out the orphanage. I have fed some mouths and I have given some hugs and I have carried a few kids with dirty diapers to be changed, but I have only been here for a few days. I will leave today but the workers who slave away for 40+ hours a week will stay and will continue to do ten times more what I have done. Though we have loved on some kids, they and Sister Valeriana are the ones who truly care about them and sacrifice their lives to create an environment for these kids where they feel loved and accepted. In comparison, we have done nothing.

But we have done something, for we did show love to these kids, and it is awesome (and sad) to see these kids cry when they know that we are leaving, for I suppose we accomplished what we came to do and that perhaps they will remember us. However, if they remember us doesn't really matter as much as they they have a place where they are continue to develop their self confidence and esteem. They are happy, and not just happy but joyful, more so than most people who have beauty, wealth, love, fame, and family. That is what matters now.

I came into this trip thinking that I was going to serve them and help them that they might be blessed. I thought they needed our help, but after the trip, I realize that wasn't the purpose of this trip. The purpose of this trip was to learn from them--the kids and the workers--and to bring back what we have learned in order to bless those around us. Sister Valeriana has had a vision and just was used as an instrument by God to help a couple of orphans some 17 years. Because of this heart and vision, it has grown to an incredible size and so many people have poured so much money and time into this place. Just because of one vision.

I can't stay forever, but since my stay I've caught a glimpse of something big coming from the actions of one person. So perhaps we can take this back to Cincinnati. If we have a desire to see our community changed, and it might seem too great a task, we only need to remember the heart cry of a little Spanish Catholic nun years ago, the persistence of these angelic workers, and the simple love and faith of these little kids and how much we are able to see the kingdom of God in them. "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these..."

Learning about service

I think the incredible thing that has struck me these last few days is the workers who work there. See we are only a group of 10 going for a very short time. There are so many workers there. Saints. I have talked with them and some of them have worked there for years. It has been incredible to me because even after working there for 3 hours in one day, I have become absolutely exhausted. And all we have done is feed the kids and play with them (as that is what they have requested). But these workers, every...single...stinkin...day. Have come to this place to care for the kids, love these kids, feed these kids, change dirty diapers on 15 year olds, have put up with there screaming, have taken them through therapy, have put up with the emotional drainage of seeing the state of these children--every single day from 6 in the morning to 6 at night.

It is incredible and I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they wake up in the morning and continue to do what they do. Not getting much pay and not getting much vacation. I have been amazed and am ashamed at myself for getting tired after 3 measly little hours. I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

These past few days we have had the opportunity to visit some of the other locations of Luz y Vida. Like the schools and the other orphanages and the rest. Sister Valeriana has done an incredible work with these children and have build them a kingdom! She has vowed not to rest until sickness or death keeps her down. And her whole family has backed her. Currently, she is trying to build a hospital in the orphanage in order to care for the children. Yesterday we got to tour another facility in a town miles away that is a huge building fit to care for many children. She has done everything and has given everything to ensure that these children have an chance for love, healing, life, and laughter. I could go on and on about what she has done but one thing I'm convinced of: I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

And what is incredible is that she is working to ensure the integration of the children. Within the orphanage, there are kids helping other kids. Not so disabled children helping the disabled. And the semi disabled helping the rest. Sister is really working hard to try to integrate these children into society. By sending them to school and so that someday they might be back in the world. It is truly an incredible.

In other news, throughout the week we have battled smelly diapers, splattering food, lice, bumpy Colombian roads, gas exhaust asphyxiation from our ghetto car, backdoor of car randomly deciding to open (see picture), Colombian gringo stares, and thus... we are exhausted. Tomorrow we are going to take a rest from the orphanage but Saturday we will be back there for a little fiesta!

Redefining Love through Deformity

You never know what to expect when you walk into situations that are extremely uncomfortable and not ordinary. Such as walking into a special need orphanage containing mental and physical disabilities you have never encountered before in your life. Of course you always first walk in and act like nothing is wrong with them and that you can talk to them like they are normal, but the fact of the matter is, you can't, and that isn't to discriminate but is just a fact. You walk in and you are totally shocked that actual disabilities like this exist. You wonder how they can live like that, for that is all they have ever known.

Luz y Vida is enormous. They have like 5 levels of bedrooms and rooms with various rooms equipped to handle the various needs of the children. They have the biggest kitchen with vegetables that they grow from a farm that they own. They have all these tunnel ways that weave to and fro throughout the place taking you around like a maze. They have a courtyard and also a huge playroom with every toy imaginable and many therapy type things like bikes, and weights and such things.

You walk in and you see all these kids running everywhere. Or perhaps not running because they do not have legs, or do not have legs that work. Everywhere you look you are taking aback because you cannot go anywhere without seeing something you've never seen before. Like the girl wrapped in saran wrap because she has a disease that her skin is pealing off slowly. Or like the little girl with a clef palette who is 3 years old. Almost everything is not normal and often hard to look at. A lot of the kids are quite normal but have very devastating diseases like HIV, it is very tragic because many of them are the cutest kids and will steal your heart.

But the fact of the matter is, is after you get past deformities and past the stupid fear that you might break them, you begin to see something in them that was born of a human spirit. That is personality. Each one of them has an amazing personality and shows it off to the world as a beautiful person would show off their beauty. Joan-Anna, the little girl pictured with a clef palette is very hard to look at if you have never seen that circumstance before. But she is the bravest of the bunch, and though she cannot speak she has a voice and a personality that could start a revolution. But she is the sweetest girl and will come up to you and loves to be held. Or Claudia, who has a severe retardation and is in a wheelchair, loves hot guys. And when a hot guy enters the room she has the biggest smile on her face and becomes quite shy when approached. But see that's what makes them human, despite that they happen to be often grotesque on the outside, inside they are beaming with spirit and personality and smiles. They are deformed but they still need touch and love. They aren't like everyone but they are everything like everyone else. Deformed, often broken, hurting, often crushed, but still needing love, attention, laughter, food, or maybe just a good conversation.

I think the thing that struck me the most was was something Joan-ann did, the one with the cleft-plate who is 3 years old. After she was done with lunch, she saw all of us feeding the kids and decided that she needed to help and started feeding one of the kids near her. I was hit by that moment that this little three year old who is hard to look at...got it. She understood what the life was about. She saw someone who was hungry. She fed them. She saw someone in need and did something about it. She didn't care who they were. She didn't care who she was. She didn't care what problems she had. She understood what many of us go through life and never understand. She fed the hungry. I was humbled by this act and dreamed of what the world would look like if everyone understood what Joan-Anna understood. The world wouldn't be hungry. I wonder if what we all actually need is to be deformed, then perhaps we might begin to understand the basics of humanity. I have posted more pictures of the first and second day that can be viewed here. Thank you for stopping by. More will be coming tomorrow.

Giving and Beyond

Today we had a chance to go and see a little of the city. It is a very pretty city and I cannot get over how blue the sky is. It is always rainy but the sky is always blue. It is because there is a mist over the city that comes from the Andes mountains. The bluest sky I've ever see, and never knew that hue could actually exist in the sky until now. And very nice people. Everyone invites you to their house but they never tell you when, what time, or where they live. It is said that they the people will always tell you what they think you need, but never actually listen to you actual need. So for example, when we arrived at the airport, we requested a big van to load all our stuff from our guides. They were very close to bringing a school bus or two. Luckily, someone from our group told them that a van would do. They brought two vans. Oh well. :-)

(all our luggage of gifts for the children)

We went to a church today, and it was very refreshing to see other cultures in worship. When I see other people worshiping God in a different way than we do in America, it is comforting to me because I I believe in God. As odd as that sounds, if we all did "church" the same way, I would wonder if we just made this all up, but God is a very diverse God. And again wonderful people.

Tomorrow we head to Luz y Vida. It is actually a holiday tomorrow so we don't know if everyone is going to be there. Today we organized all the stuff that our church brought to give to the orphanage. It is incredible how much we have!! Everyone (10 people) packed an extra suit case which contained all the gifts and stuff for the kids. We were unloading today and we have 88 little backpacks (which was purchased through a miraculous donation), an entire suitcase of toothpaste, an entire suitcase of crayons and school supplies, there were legos, and notebooks, and soap, and toothbrushes, and pencil sharpeners, and coloring books. It is incredible! These were mostly donations from our church or friends from our church, and I was amazed of how much a little church can give. And I was moved that even though we are small, and so far away, that we can in turn bless these kids. It felt that we were getting something right.

And I say this not to boast, but rather to remember and remember how Jesus fed the 5000 and then the 4000, meeting the needs of everyone (though stomachs will go hungry again and toys be broken), our purpose for giving should 1) never be limited by the size of who you are, if you desire to give it will be given to you to give and 2) try to put a smile on a kids face and you begin to see the heart of God.

En Route

June 28, 2008
I am sitting on a a bus on my way to Guadalajara, Mexico. We are about 3 hours from the city. From there I will take a plane to Mexico city, and from there to Panama City which will then direct me to Bogota, Colombia. As I sit here and think, I get excited because this is my first mission trip. I am so excited to be going with my Lord serving Him. It is exciting going on mission trips, mostly because of the thrill of the beyond. The human spirit was made for such adventures, like we were designed to do this along.

Starting off, it is my belief that everyone who is able would should go on a trip to another country in order to see how others live. And then it hits me how privileged I am to be going on such a trip. I would guess that there is only 10% of the world who has the means and the ability to go on such a trip. In Mexico, I started off by telling everyone that I was going to Colombia! How exciting, and I was sure that they would be excited for me for they speak Spanish there! But as I did, I got a sense of disappointment, a feeling like, “Why can’t I go?”. And then I asked myself. Why can’t they go? It was hit with the fact with how rich I in fact was, even I being a “poor” college student, simply because I live, and work, and play, and befriend, and eat among kings and queens, even the poorer of us. And so as I the date for Colombia grew closer, I became almost ashamed to speak of my travels in a very humble sense asking, “why me?”

There is a verse in the Bible that says this, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” I believe that is one of the most haunting verses in the Bible, because I have seen what I have, I have seen what I have done, and I’m a witness to the good life I live. And so what the Bible tells me is that I am expected to give a lot. Which is a high and heavy standard for me as a 22 year old to live out just trying to get through a college education and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. And how much exactly is “much”. 10%? I would have hoped so, however, I have a sneaky suspicion that it is not a fixed number that I take out of my paycheck every week, that would be too easy. CS Lewis once wrote:

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if out expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them.”

CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, pg 86

So off I go to Colombia, and will arrive in my destination in about 12 hours from now. Not (only) because I want to, and I am excited about this trip, but because I have to, for there is an insurmountable debt of blessings that I must return.

Destination Colombia: Excitements and Oppositions

Something funny happens to you when your heart is caught by something that you know you need to do or by that feeling that captures you soul that tells you you ought to pour yourself into a cause. Since I am a Christian, I call this feeling the Holy Spirit, the living God flowing into my heart causing me to give myself to something which I might not exactly benefit from, but only because He told me to. Others might call it something different. Nevertheless, what's interesting about it is that I have never even met these kids who I have attempted to help over the last year at Luz y Vida. But to those who know this feeling I'm talking about, that seldom seems to matter. For you know that someone out there needs your help.



But this is all about to change, because in 7 days I will have an opportunity to meet these kids. My church and I will be traveling to Bogota, Colombia to Luz y Vida, an orphanage containing many mental and physical handicap children, as well as normal kids who have happened to be a victim of the unrest there. I'm very excited about this opportunity, and I will be bringing my camera (obviously) but more importantly, I look forward to interacting with these kids and being blessed by them, as I hope to return the blessing. Keep checking this blog daily, as I will updating it frequently when I get there and will be posting pictures as fast as I can.

One other thing I would like to touch on, which has surprised me. I am surprised about a few oppositions I have received about 1) going to another country to help orphans and 2) going to another dangerous country to help orphans. The first group of people implying that we should be focusing on our country and helping orphans there instead of spending money to go to another country to help them. The second group of people implying that there are other countries out that are much safer, why not go there, why try to be the "hero" and go to a dangerous country to help others.

I'll address the second one first. Why go to a dangerous country (a country that has over 4 million-ish refugees as a result of a 40 year war of drugs and power)? To me this really shouldn't be a question. We do not blame (well most of us) soldiers for going and doing their duty overseas, we honor them for their service. Granted, we might blame the powers at be who cause us to be in Iraq in the first place, but if anyone has fought in a war (I have not), I would assume that the issue isn't whether or not we are in danger, for we can all run from danger but it doesn't really get us anywhere. Selfishness has never been a standard for the human race. It is not a matter of becoming a hero, I don't believe that Mother Teresa would consider herself a hero, I think she would just consider herself a human being who doesn't like to see others suffer, so she did something about it by going to the people who were hurting the most. It just made sense.

So if danger isn't the question, then what is? That is whether or not we should go or not. I met a guy in Mexico who was very strong in his belief that we should only help people in our own country. I belief that this is the most ludicrous system of belief. Hear me, I'm not saying that we shouldn't help our own country, I think we should help our own country more than others because if we don't know how to serve here in America, how can we serve a people who we don't even speak the same language? But to say that we should never help other countries is completely rediculous.

First of all, from a Christian point of view, I come to the story that Jesus tells about the Good Samaritan. An expert of the law asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. It was concluded, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbors as yourself." But then the expert of the law wanted to be justified it says, and asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus proceeds to tell the story (Luke 10) about the Samaritan (who would have been in those days like a Muslim here in America) who helped the Jew. A complete foreign helping another foreign, which means that Jesus broke the boundaries of who we ought to help.



See, the expert of the law wanted to be justified, and hoped that his neighbor would only include his neighbor John Smith who he happens to get together and plays cards with every Saturday night. The expert would be in the good standings then. But that would be too easy. But Jesus lifted this idea that boundaries define our service. No it must be everyone, even our enemies.

Secondly, even if you do not have these convictions, why wouldn't you want to help others outside your boundaries? If you are most concerned about your country wouldn't developing good relationships with other countries most secure your survival? Instead of bombing them with bombs, why not bomb them with care packages? They might then desire to see your development rather than demise. But I cannot speak much on this as I'm not an expert on other world belief systems and politics, but just seeing how half the world hates the USA, I suspect I'm not far off.

Either way, we will be going for 10 days. Please stay tuned and offer your prayers and thoughts for us and the kids as we are there. I am very excited for this opportunity and look to keeping you updated. Blessings.