Elle Effect » travel

OAF Project: Seven Glimpses of Hope

laurensusanna — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:54:29 +0000

Last year in July and August, I traveled to work with the Open Arms Foundation through photography and dance/movement. Stephen and I documented the heart of what the Foundation is all about, and have released much of our work over this past year to further raise awareness for the Foundation itself and the heartbreaking and hopeful stories and statistics of the street children living in Medellin. My heart is forever connected to these people.

I feel as though I’m there in spirit with Stephen, John and Mallory as they work, and you can be too –

Seven Glimpses of Hope: WEBSITE

There has been much preparation for this project, Seven Glimpses of Hope. Join in watching as daily videos are released over the next SEVEN days, May 27-June 3.

This group of artists will be highlighting where the Foundation is directly involved, and how you can get involved. I’ve never experienced such an organically run, listening, loved-filled group of people changing and literally saving the lives of children on the streets… every day. This only begins to touch on what they do.

Some unreleased photographs from my time in Colombia last year.

Portland: Spring 2010

laurensusanna — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:24:08 +0000

Open Arms Foundation – #3

laurensusanna — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:08:47 +0000

Cannot wait to release the rest of these photographs… some of my favorites will remain under wraps until then.

Take a moment and think about playing Dutch Blitz in Espaniol… ; )

Zach & Candice, 11/1/09

laurensusanna — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:36:08 +0000

{click on double images to view larger}

rehearsal: october 31st, 2009

the wedding day: november 1st, 2009

Moravia, Colombia

laurensusanna — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:19:47 +0000

We gathered in a two-story brick and cement building in the middle of Moravia. Climbing stairs slowly as little feet ran past me, laughing. The stench didn’t matter. The language barrier didn’t quite matter, either. We were meeting to rehearse for the big concert. They had been rehearsing for months, and this was their time to show me what they had learned. I doubt I could be glowing more than when I watched them move.

They motioned for me to join in on the movement. I danced, they danced, we danced — back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Laughter being our melody continually those two hours of time.

We watched the sun go down together. No flashes with me – just natural light and a high ISO at sundown and then, altogether, no more camera. No more snapshots. Just us.

I’m a little more confident in my skill of salsa thanks to these young ones who could do the steps in their sleep. They shrieked and their eyes widened when I would lift a girl onto my back and walk across the room, spinning her, and placing her back on her feet. Potentially a bad idea, because every little girl in the room now had to do the very same thing. Then, they caught on to the movement and copied… lifting friends and laughing, walking across the room with me.

Movement allowed me to communicate what my tongue could not, and I am thankful.

There are currently very difficult, finanical situations occurring with Open Arms Foundation.
I will be posting a letter from the Founder, Bill Perrow, and express the need to
continue to be aware of in helping these street children in Colombia find a home again.

I will be selling photographs from my time in Colombia to help keep the Foundation doors open.
More information to come this week.

Open Arms Foundation – Medellin, Colombia (Pt 1)

laurensusanna — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:11:07 +0000

First post of many — excited to finally debrief this amazing, challenging trip with you!

I spent 12 packed days in this country. In the overwhelming & amazing city of Medellin, on a dairy and produce farm in San Pedro and in the heart of downtown where kids come off the streets to spend the day being nourished – physically, emotionally and spiritually – at the Foundation’s Patio program.

Most of the city shots you see in Medellin are taken from the hip in taxis — more graphic photos will filter through here shortly, so do be aware. Medellin is very diverse, intense, breathtaking and heart wrenching all in one.

These faces changed how I see the world. More in detail to come.

Daniel Dixon: Documentation

laurensusanna — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:15:48 +0000

Seems over the past two years I’ve documented effortlessly and organically Dan’s life. From living with us, to moving again, to visiting/recording/working in CA, crashing in countless cities on the west and east coasts with this brother… Had to post a little review timeline in photographs.

He is now living in Portland — producer, songwriter, composer.

Louisville, KY; March 2009

Felton, CA; Sept 2008

Charleston, WV; May 2008

Charleston, WV; April 2008

Felton, CA; Sept 2008

Berkeley, CA; Sept 2008

San Ramon, CA; February 2009

San Ramon, CA; Februrary 2009

Unseen Photos of 2008 – Pt 1

laurensusanna — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:43:55 +0000

Hannah Schroeder, San Jose, CA: Tracking of Andrew’s record

Nacho, West Virginia: Winter

Justin Yates, Felton, CA: September

Daniel Dixon (or Huckleberry Finn), Mountains of West Virginia: Spring

Jessica Grady, Wilson, NC: Spring

Justin Yates, Felton, CA: September

Andrew and Brittany, Wilmington, NC: Spring

Daniel Dixon, Felton, CA: Tracking of Andrew’s Record

Too Cute Not to Post: Andrew & Mom, Mountains of West Virginia: August

Old Biscuit Mill: Neighbourgoods, Cape Town, South Africa: November

A Little Fun in Chicago…

laurensusanna — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:02:19 +0000

I brought in the New Year this year driving 18 hours in 3 and a half days… every hour worth it. Shooting an amazing, reflective wedding in the middle of nowhere in snowy Ohio New Years Day, to driving onto Chicago the very same night to stay with the lovely Laura and leave early Saturday morning with few hours of sleep into Columbus, OH and finally, home… late. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind of an adventure.

A few snapshots from our time in Chicago:

Here’s to where 2009 will take us…

Smell the flowers, Blow out the Candles

laurensusanna — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:45:24 +0000

Something that I’m going to take home with me from this place is so simple and yet, so valuable. To feel the depth of ones beauty, be able to embrace it, feel seen even though you are alone, smile inwardly and geuninely, smell the flowers… blow out the candles. Smell the flowers, blow out the candles. Repeat over and over until you’ve passed that one certain rock, turned the corner, stomped upon those fallen purple-hued flowers scattered across dark, red clay; some days dry, some days damp. Inhale, exhale, beating the ground with heavy-laced shoes.

The kids will come out and play while we take our evening run down through the school and around the farm. The dirt-clay soccer field holds their attention for quite sometime and the playground entertains for the remainder.

Tonight, I turned the corner and saw Nyiko sitting in the middle of the dirt road. I smiled. He smiled back. I passed him playing his new, shiny harmonica courtesy of Nate and a lovely man back in Nashville. He laughed. I always seem to say the kids names and wink right after. “Nyiko! (wink)” He laughs again; that beautiful, high-pitched laugh. This time to my pleasant surprise… he winks back. Perched there in the middle of the dirt road, time slowed. I proceeded to turn my running, sweating body to face him – “Nyiko!” – He looked up again and watched, making fun of me, as now, I was running backwards. Just as much as we think the kids are goofs, they think we are, too. It equals out and is quite enjoyable. So many little things to enjoy, to laugh at, to remember. And this being one of them. My memory, my camera.

——-

It’s easy to write about things that naturally capture your soul. Not trying to conjure up some epic truth of some kind, but simply expressing how life is beautiful.

“It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.”
-Donald Miller

51 pages [ front and back ] have been filled in my journal.
Active progress: living out and wresting with the questions and loosing the desire to find all, the, answers.

A quote I took with me before I left from a past journal:

“Do not grow faster than you should. You may dislocate and be ineffective. And what good is that? To be ineffective? Wait and grow, strength comes in time. It does not come overnight. Nothing is truly good unless it is worth the wait.”
[ Summer, 2007 ]