Greetings from Africa!

We made it indeed. It was a LONG trip to get here, but tonight we are enjoying the comforts of our apartment and a home-cooked meal. Our apartment is nice and the people are absolutely the most welcoming I've ever met. London was brief but fun and yes I did get fish and chips. Between the two flights of 8 and 6 hours I only slept a total of about 5 hours. I took a nap this afternoon and then we went to the afternoon support group. It was amazing. I wasn't prepared for it, being sat in the very front facing everyone (over 100 patients easily) and then being asked to share a little about ourselves. We were then asked to speak some words of encouragement if we wanted, and I actually felt inspired to do so. Maybe it was because the woman who was translating what we said in our intros told the crowd that I looked like Jesus, or maybe it was that the guy who asked for the inspirational words was looking me dead in the eye almost the whole time he was talking. At any rate, I basically said that although they were honoring us that we were very appreciative of the opportunity that they were giving us to be there and that even though we're Americans and they're African, we are all brothers and sisters. I know it's super cliche, but there was a very strong sense of community and family in that room. It quickly turned from being nervous about looking out at them all to looking them in the eye and sharing a smile. It was pretty darn powerful. I didn't take the camera for that leg of the journey, but I've gotten shots of lots of other stuff from London to the drive up. I wanted to experience this first hand without the distraction and I'm very glad I did it that way. I can't even imagine how the rest of the week will be! I feel kind of weird being on the internet, so I'm going to close this out. Thank you all for your prayers and support! God be with you!

Balancing Acts

Balance. We all deal with it everyday. I for one have been trying to balance multiple projects at work this past week, all the while facing my upcoming departure for 2 weeks. But that's not the balance I want to talk about. My concern is balancing my role as a videographer and that of a person who wants to be hands-on. You see, I like to be involved in things like helping others. I am not the kind of person to serve on the board of a non-profit or just talk about how we can make a difference, then pat myself on the back for being a good, caring individual. Clearly there is a place for people like that, but I'm not in that crowd. I want to get my hands dirty. So, I'm trying to imagine what it will be like in Jos when I feel like my primary role is to be an observer through the lens of a camera. I kind of had the same feeling when I visited Mississippi and New Orleans a week after Katrina with representatives from United Way and the Community Foundation of Fort Collins. I went with a video camera to document them dispersing money that had been raised in the FC community. It was great to be a part of that, but I really didn't feel like I was doing much. I think that's why I really enjoyed our mission trip to Gulfport, MS that following spring. Finally, I wasn't just an observer, I was a contributer. So for this trip I have to find a balance. I think the trick will be to be conscious of this and not allow myself to slip too far in either direction. Let's face it, if I make a really good video that gets shown across the country and raises lots of money and attention for Faith Alive, then I will be making a very big impact. On the other hand, if I travel all the way to Africa and hide behind my camera the whole time, then I think I'll be missing out on connecting with the local people.

Am I worried about the balance issue? Not really. I feel like I have been called to go on this trip to make a video, but I'm not just a video guy. I think having a camera and the need to interview people will give me ample opportunity to connect with and learn about people while I'm there. I also think having the desire to pitch in and help will provide me with a nice break from looking through a viewfinder, and probably open my eyes to things I might otherwise have missed. So rather than those two facets of my trip being independent, I think that they can actually be complementary and improve my experience.

I hope this makes sense. I'm kind of writing in a stream of consciousness fashion, and I don't feel like proofreading. So welcome to my brain and some of what goes on it there!

Only one more day! Thanks for reading and God be with you!

One Week Left!

I don't have much new to report, but figured I should at least check in since we leave in a week! In fact, in one week I'll be on a plane bound for London at this time. Wow.

I picked up the camera from Bryan today, so I get to play with it this weekend and make sure I know everything I need to about it.

Good night!

Happy New Year!

I'm now less than 1 month from departing on my trip. Actually, I leave in a little more than 2. January 25, to be exact. I got all my vaccinations about 3 weeks ago, so I'm now resistant to Hepatitis A & B, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Typhoid, and Polio. I also should be getting a visa issued from the Nigerian government sometime soon.

Things are coming together for our trip, but it still doesn't seem real. I've been through a bit of an ordeal with securing a camera for this adventure, but I have one lined up that should do a great job. That's the one problem with being a professional videographer...it's really hard to be satisfied with "cheaper" cameras when you're used to shooting on really nice equipment. After purchasing and returning a camera, I will now be borrowing one from another member of our church, Dr. Bryan Willson. I actually helped him pick out this camera a few years ago when he was looking for something that was easy to use, small for travel, and somewhat inconspicuous. Who knew that I'd need a camera with those same qualities? I think my chance run-in with Bryan at church and his volunteering the camera (before I even asked) is just another way that God is involved in this crazy adventure of mine.

I have much more to say, but I need to save something so that I actually come back to this and update it more often. Thanks for stopping by!!!