We’re going to start something new here at Bedouins:  Every week we’re going to post some of our art.  We’ll share a photo, a video clip, some new design…something to show you some of the art that we’re working on.  We are artists and we’ve decided that should be a part of our blog.  So…to kick it off here’s a photo from our project with Hearts for the Children Ministries in Guatemala.  I’m currently logging audio and building a timeline for the multimedia presentation that we’re putting together for them and can’t wait to share that with you as well.  This image is one that will be a part of “Lupita’s Story”, a project we worked on while in Guatemala.  I will be posting the story chapter by chapter on here very soon with some photos, so you’ll get more context then.  This is one of Lupita’s sons looking out over the field that Lupita works in every day to provide for the family.

So if you read my post a little while back about my broken camera then you’re “in the loop”. If not, let me bring you “into the loop”. I traveled to Guatemala City to work on a dual documentary project for Hearts for the Children Ministry there last month. While I was there I was shooting my new mamiya (camera) and suddenly the shutter went out, thus rendering my camera useless. I was able to shoot with other cameras for the rest of the trip, and my camera was unexpectedly replaced free of charge when I got home! BUT…I got the film back only to discover that the roll before and the one when the shutter went out are both pretty much lost. This doesn’t mean that the project is lost…we shot a lot while we were there and I have plenty of stuff to make some beautiful presentations for Hearts for the Children. What this does mean is that I get to share with you some images that I would normally hold until the project is done because they will not be used. God seems to turn these frustrating things around into something beautiful. So…without further ado, I give you a few images from our day at the garbage dump:

The film from our recent trip to Guatemala with Hearts for the Children just came back today and is Awesome!  I’m so excited about putting this project together and sharing their ministry with all of you.  Here’s a sneak peek at one of the film images that I pulled down today!

Here are a few of the digital shots from our project with Hearts for the Children in Guatemala…more photos and stories to come soon!

So I just got back from Guatemala last night and, after a shower, some food from Urban Standard and a good nights sleep in my very own bed, I’m refreshed and ready to get rolling again.  The trip was amazing.  The ministries that we worked with were amazing.  The people were amazing.  I think amazing might be the word of the week.  I have so many stories to share, and starting in a week or so I’ll be posting the story of Lupita, the woman we worked with for a good portion of the trip.  We’ll be putting it up chapter by chapther, as it’s a pretty intense and beautiful story, worth taking the time to share.  I hope that you will all keep up with it as we go.

For now though, I do have a story that I want to start the “trip review” with.  This story actually starts about a week and a half before the trip.

I had saved up for some time to switch to a new camera system for many reason (most of wich would be incredibly boring to those of you who dont’ know/care that much about cameras), but sufice it to say that when I bought my Mamiya 645af a few weeks ago I was really excited, and most of all excited that it would be here in time for me to take it to Guatemala for this trip.

About 4 days before the trip the shutter died on the camera and suddenly it was useless.  Not only that, but I also had one last wedding to shoot the day beofre the trip, and again had just lost my new camera, which I had planned on making my primary camera.

I called the company (they have a 7 day return policy, this was about 9 days later, and, being a used camera, there’s an “as is” clause on their site) and told them what had happened completely expecting them to apologize but tell me there’s nothing that they can do, but instead they offered to replace it, and not only that but to overnight me the new one so that I would have it in time for my wedding and my trip!

All went as planned, the camera came in, worked fine and the wedding went great.  Then I headed out to Guatemala.  I shot the camera for most of the week here and there and it was fine, then we were photography someone there and suddenly it happened again…the shutter went out!  The camera, the new one, was useless.  I was instantly upset, frustrated and worried.  I had no extra money and was sure that I wasn’t going to get a second refund.  Elizabeth, one of the women who runs the ministry there came to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t even worry…God is going to provide you a camera…probably an even better one.”

I worried.  I don’t know how not to, but within a few mintues we were back to interviewing and I’d pushed it to the back of my mind, resolved to paying the $400 or so to have the shutter replaced.  The last day there we were called up front at church and Tom, Elizabeth’s husband told the church about Bedouins and what our work there was about.  He also told them about my broken camera and asked them to pray for us.  They were praying in spanish, so I’m not exactly sure what everyone was saying, but Elizabeth came up to me and again put her hand on my shoulder.

“God, thank you for the plans you’ve already made to provde for Stephen and to take care of his camera.”

This morning I called the company and told them what happened.  The response:  Oh No!  Not again!  Well…we actually had your original sent to Mamiy and rehauled, so it’s in perfect condition and we’ll send you that one back.  But not only that, now it’s under a Mamiya warrentee so you should be safe for a while!

Good trip.  Great God.  Amen.