Elle Effect » Africa

Pfunanane Academy: South Africa

laurensusanna — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:10:23 +0000

Remembering South Africa…
and planning to go back!

Go and see Pfunanane Ministries new website with featured photographs
by Nate Johnson and myself.

They need some new school buildings and cottages built as soon as possible –
if you’re interested in helping this incredible school, contact me.

Kruger Park, South Africa

…this van blocked our pathway for over an hour. nice.
kruger park, south africa

Pfunanane Exhibit @ Quills Coffee

laurensusanna — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:54:27 +0000

My good friend, Bradley Speaks, contacted me to hang my work in the new Quills Coffee location in Louisville, KY. They recently relocated and had a grand opening in August. Feel honored to have my work from Pfunanane Academy in South Africa displaying until the end of this month. I wasn’t able to see it myself, so I vicariously lived through Andrew in these few photos he snapped on his iphone for me!

Thanks to Nate, Some Behind the Scenes:

laurensusanna — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:04:03 +0000

This is the post before the post of my heart finalizing my time in South Africa.

After sharing last night (first presentation of many back here at home), I know this to be true (always): Art is finally art when truly communicated. It has been communicated to some degree before now, but the processing of it all took longer than I thought it would. My heart was so full, so overwhelmed, so alive. More to come, so much more. God has done so much in my heart, I can’t even begin to say. It’s breathtaking to be truly alive (in every sense) right here, right now. Beautiful.

(do forgive the extensive photos of myself, wow)

Khutso and I testing Nate’s lighting.

Grade 4 drama instruction. Such an interesting experience, considering they liked to talk over me the entire time in languages I knew nothing of (sootu). But I know body language and eye contact well – how I survived and overcame! They were great in the concert.

exploring the greenhouses on the farm (school property).

Fox in Sox. Yes, FOX IN SOX. So fun.

At home. Makoma and I bonded like none other. Such a bright spirit, she is.

Oh, Cape Town, how I miss thee.

Thanks to my dear friend, Lauren Masser, we stayed on this lovely street in Bantry Bay.

Assembly.

Yes, that is indeed a freshly killed Black Mamba. I soon after dropped it when I felt the blood rush (still) through its body. Um, no thank you. And I like how far I’m standing away from it?

Henry (the golden) should not be near the road. Bad, bad Henry. He likes the roads too much. Makoma and I waited for the bus here most days.

road to home.

Mantwa, beautiful soul.

Ramen and cheap beer at Kruger Park destination #1

PB&J and water at Kruger Park destination #2

A Girl, A Boy

laurensusanna — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:00:33 +0000

Pfunanane Academy, Duiwelskloof, South Africa

Holga 120S

laurensusanna — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:25:24 +0000

I need a real medium format, soon to be purchased. Until then…

Nate, Kruger Park, South Africa

Precious, Pfunanane Academy, South Africa

Bantry Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

Barren Land, Chicago, IL

Andrew, Charleston, WV

Paul, from Raleigh, NC visiting us in Charleston, WV

Grade R (known to us as Kindergarden), Pfunanane Academy, South Africa

The Nameless Face Who Continually Smiled for Me.

laurensusanna — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:31:16 +0000

Kgapane, South Africa

Picking up 5×7 prints to send off to sponsors
Finally, finally beginning to finish up my S.Africa video presentation.
(You all have such patience, hope I haven’t lost your too much of your interest
Dreamt of all the simple beauties of South Africa last night… missing it so much this morning

I’ve been juggling so many things since being home. Christmas, family, weddings, work, reflection.
This past month, as I look back, has been such a blur. Can’t believe this much time has passed already.
It will take a good amount of time to reflect on the heart changes I’ve had and what I experienced in those two short months. Do bare with me. I know you’re wanting a ‘conclusion’ just as much as I do.
I keep remembering the small things. They’ll hit me at the most random times and are taken in, slowly, like a new breath of fresh air.

So many good things to catch you up on. I never thought I’d play “catch up” on my own blog. Things are happening so fast, it’s hard for me to keep up!

I received this in the mail today with a note from a new friend, Christy. She’s also traveled/lived in South Africa, and knows of alllll the little towns I speak of. It was a complete surprise. I’ll be starting this book today, no doubt.

Toms

laurensusanna — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:26:28 +0000

www.tomsshoes.com

A Bit of A Release:

laurensusanna — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:19:48 +0000

“For example, a marriage without a place, a household, has nothing to show for itself. Without a history of some length, it does not know what it means, without community, to exert a shaping pressure around it, it may explode because of the pressure inside of it.“

excerpt from The Art of the Commonplace by Wendell Berry; Men and Women in Search of Commonplace

I feel that pressure. My “marriage” is my relationship with the Living God. This quote is true of me. And that pressure inside of it, this relationship I have, can be clearly seen in Jeremiah,

”If I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” [20:9]

The pressure, the burning is deepening and expanding. It consumes me. There hasn’t been a release to this building pressure, an healthy inward inhale and exhale; and I’ll say now: it must happen soon. I don’t want to think of the “or’s.”

My faith for now will stand with few words in a strength given to me each morning through grace. Glory to God.

Living in Black and White (Pt 1)

laurensusanna — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:51:36 +0000

all taken with my Holga 120S.

Transition

laurensusanna — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:57:19 +0000

This simple Scripture [below] I read two mornings ago while the sky, at 6am, is still the darkest of blue hues, and the silence is deafening. These few verses stilled my spirit in this transition back into American culture. Sitting there, I remembered the early, warm mornings just a few weeks ago — you could never beat the sun. I wanted to, and few times attempted to. But, the sky is brilliant at the wee hour of 5am, and I couldn’t force myself awake before then. It was always the one to wake me up — bright; softly stroking my cheek through the white, long curtains across from my bed view whispering, “Wake up, Lauren, wake up…” And in moments of my sleepy eyes opening, children would run past my bunk and into the toilet in the back. I always attempted to wait for a moment to sneak off my top bunk and into the kitchen, but, as always, they caught me. Every morning, they caught that first, awkward-morning glance and laughed at me. And the same thought went through my head every time, they are seeing teacher before teacher is awake enough to speak, ohh my. Alas, they saw me later down on the school grounds with the same, laughing glance as earlier that morning never lacking in speaking my name, Teacha, Teacha!

Now, onto that verse that is currently calming me… I now fully know what Paul was talking about.

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you have no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:10-13

Oh, I guess they’ll say I’ve grown
I know more than I wanted to know
I’ve said more than I wanted to say
I’m headed home

Yeah, but I’m not so sure that home is a place you can still get to by train…