day with the guriles

Before this little adventure, I did some research and posted it under my page 'tips and guidelines,' but I contacted my sister and wrote down some ideas and guidelines so that I wouldn't be completely lost during this shoot. Yes its all an art and type of experiment, but its nice to not be completely lost. So I did some playing around and figured some of my settings out. I also looked at some photography ideas, trying to get some inspiration on different frames and shots.

We did went to Kildonan Park at around 3-3:30 ish and we just walked around and had fun, took photo's and just were adventures. Climbed a bridge, tried to feed ducks. We brought some different outfits and just ended up change somewhat discreetly behind trees, and just having a good time! My Pentex started having some focusing problems as the sun went down, but I wasn't too concerned because I thought I got some decent shots. Yes I got to learn how to figure out my aperture settings and some shutter speed stuff. Used some different automatic settings, and even did some manual focusing. But it was also a great memory.

I'm sorry these too so long to finally get up. I've been super busy lately and I haven't had time to edit them, and upload them. But here they are.

They are all up on my flicker.

final post... at least for this semester...

Wow this semester went by so fast! This past monday I presented my project to my class. And it went a lot better then I thought. (apart from my shaky voice) :) I think I got my main points across.
I talked about my background to this project and how Uganda and Grand Rapids really had an impact on me, and that it really change my perspective toward my surroundings. I also talked about my experiences at Siloam and how that even though homeless people are grubby and have nothing. God made them and that they are still special.
And yeah.
This is more of a project for me, this is more of a lifestyle, and so I don't think I'm just going to end here now that this class is done.
This class, or project kinda was just my starting point, my push to actually start being more involved. So I don't think this will be my final post. And maybe it will be. But this isn't going to be the end of working inner-city!

becoming a mentor at St. Aiden's

So my project seems to becoming together in more ways then one. Lately I have felt that I don't know what to do with my project. I just haven't been moving along, plus this is more than a project for me. Its more a life style. So putting a life style into words and a 'final project' it kind of draining and stressful.
I am now getting closer to becoming a mentor at St. Aiden's, which was what I wanted to do from the beginning. So now that its starting I am getting excited.
I'm really looking forward to this. I get to be a 'big sister,' to one or two kids. I can help out during school, and in a classroom setting, or/and I can be big sister after school, and just be there with them. The only problem is my schedule. I am pretty busy after school, I have piano and homework, and my evenings just seem to run out. And if I do it during school I don't want to miss my classes. So my hope is to go during the day when I have double spare in the morning.
Maybe I can meet with Mrs. David before Christmas and take one or two of the kids home with me for the holidays, even for a bit. I think that would help me get to know them and get for them to get to know me. Also will establish a relationship, and coming here away from a difficult home situation, will be thriving to them.

Walk with me

During the banquet when people where doing speeches. Dylan, one of the staff, asked us to imagine a broken child saying these words. A broken child from a reserve...

Walk with me
Please, I beg, walk beside me,
You see, that's what it takes to get inside me,

If you really want to have your god to have my heart...
Get to know me, that's a start.
You see I don't need another class, another track or a chart
But instead, I need you to get to know me,

You seed I have my struggles, my hurts an my pain
My life isn't sunshine, mostly its rain
Inside my soul? If feels dark, and I feel alone
My mind is confused, and my heart feels like stone
And if you really cared... I think you'd pick up the phone
You tell me Jesus died. That his blood can atone.
You tell me "run to Christ! and then you'll be known!"

Yet you don't even know my name.
Shame. Yeah that's how I feel.
To be honest, I don't even know what is real.
You say that I'm clay, wrong. I feel closer to steel.

When. Will things ever change? If so then when?
But then, my throat closed up, I could barley swallow...
Because all of a sudden you asked me to follow.
Me, no a future better version.
I begged for a drip of love but you gave me submersion
Your gospel and my heart felt this crazy immersion

Because simply, you walked with me.
You showed me first hand, what it meant to be free
So I opened my heart and I gave you the key
And for the first time I could finally see
Why someone like Jesus would actually die for me.

You brought your bible to life, it wasn't just talk
You see the word love, it's a verb, and so is the word walk
So I thank you for putting your love into action,
Because your love is what caused my internal reaction.
No. My eternal reaction
This crazy attraction..
I finally know what it's like to be free
Because you took the time to walk with me.

Written by:
Dylan Howell ( from Pathway Ministries)

little history

This was the school I worked at in Uganda.

I have always loved kids. I have a big family and with kids all the time, and I just seem to connect with them. Last year I went to Lugazi, Uganda for 3 weeks with 2 of my older sisters. There I worked (accompanied) at a school named 'Hope Land School,' in which English was strictly unforced . (Yes it was beaten into them..)Before I left I bought a whole bunch of supplies, crayons, colored paper, books, lots of sports balls and a big world map. They were so happy when they got everything, and incredibly grateful. I attended 3 different grade/classes every school day. I mostly just played soccer and football, jump rope and catch. But when I was in the classes I would assist the kids on their work and tell them about the world and showed them where I lived. I would draw pictures on the black board and they would laugh and laugh and tell me to draw this and that. I worked with the kids and loved each an every one of them. This was an amazing experience.

Some kids from pathway...

This past summer I also did another outreach ministry which took place in Grand Rapids, MB. There we provided all day day camp for 5 days for about 60-70 kids, ages around 7-12[with a few that weren't that age :)] The name of this reserve is Misipawistik Cree. We would start at 9 am in the morning and go all day till 4:30. The days were intense, we gave everything we had to the kids. During a regular day in this day camp we would have a chapel, play sports, do either crafts/cup stacking/or gym activities, we would have silly songs, water balloon throwing, and feed them lunch and a snack. For some this was the only meal that the kids got. There was one little girl who asked if we were going to get another meal that day when all the kids left. She was so surprised when one of the volunteers said yes. These kids we very needy, but they were so fun and I loved every minute of it. Most of these children were in the care of someone else besides there birth parents. Some in foster families, others with uncles, aunts, and many grandparents. In Grand Rapids they had a lovely school facility, but the problem is that kids are dropping out at 9 years old, because the caregivers were not providing the support that the children needed. There are a number of kids that stay, and there are just some that get kicked out. There was one little boy who came to the day camp and he was only 7 years old, and was kicked out of school already. So many of the children we worked with suffered, many had lice, and some with open sources that just weren't being attended to.
I have been to two places in my life with extreme poverty. But to me they were completely different. I guess maybe the point of my project is to see that we have poverty here. We have it all around us, in our city, in our province, in our country.