fruit of your labor

It is a wonderous sight to witness seeds come to fruition. Here are some of different natures, each fulfilling the hope they were planted in.

Ejoka

The greeting in Turkana land is Ejoka/Ejoke . Here is the warm colorful Ejoka we experienced.

There's one photo with an elderly woman kissing a piece of paper... the paper is actually an icon I used in my lesson. I was humbled by her peace and reverence.

The last photo in this set shows the parishioners bearing home-made gifts while singing and dancing. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching goodbye moment.

Its hard to believe we were really there, and now that we're really here.

Ejoke

We recently returned from the Turkana region of Kenya. It is difficult for me to write my feelings about something so personal and far away. This much is true: hunger is real, culture is essential, and God is God... here and there. Here are some of the black and white photos from the trip.

Ellery the duck

I had a pet duck this past April. Actually, he was first a pet egg which I incubated and then he hatched out of that little egg. Each day I would turn off all of the lights in my classroom and hold a flashlight to the egg. I saw him grown from a bouncing embryo to a baby duck.. with a real bill, two wings, and two wonderful webbed feet. Each day my heart would leap to see the movement inside the egg. Watching him hatch over a period of days was one of the most incredible things I've ever witnessed. Once he hatched, he never wanted to be apart from Mama (which happened to be me). He would spend time inside my sleeve in-between classes, or while I was doing paperwork. I'm glad to know he is on a farm learning to be a real duck, but I sure miss him as my baby.

Entering The Church

Last Sunday a very sweet family became part of the church. It was touching to witness their children Baptised, and to see the two of them Chrismated. We participated in a beautiful and holy sacrament that morning. Both children were quiet as they were submerged in the water. I get chills when I remember that it is during Baptism that we receive our Gaurdian Angels.

Fibonacci in the Garden

I've been peeking through this book: Fundamentals of Photo Composition by Paul R. Comon. I like the book because its divided into relevant chapters. One Chapter might cover the idea of thirds while another explains perspective. The chapter I'm hooked on right now is about the Golden Mean. Leonardo Fibonacci discovered a number sequence that can be seen in architecture, musical compositions, and nature. The idea is to begin with the number 1, then add 1, then add 2, and so on. You continue to add the previous number to the current number for the new sum. I'm sure many people studied this in school, and I probably did too, but for the first time it is relevant for me. It goes like this:

1+1=2

2+1=3

3+2=5

5+3=8

8+5=13

13+8=21

21+13=34....

So I tried an outing in the garden over the weekend, to see if I could do it. Here's what I got

It was interesting to compare B&W to Color in these two photographs. I feel the sequence is enhanced with the B&W above and diminished below.

K E N Y A

We have been overjoyed with the opportunity to go to Kenya this summer. I post these photos because four years ago in Lodwar, my photographic journey began. I took my mom's 35mm Cannon, and a couple of rolls of film to document my adventure. I met Joy, humility, and the image of God. Their suffering allowed them a closer look at Christ. I pray that we may have a closer look too.