a little story.
when I look at this photo, I hold my breath a little.. knowing the very girl reaching out for her friend’s hand. to support, to be supported. this was taken at the Open Arms Downtown Center mid-afternoon. the girls had just showered, clothes were drying on the banister overlooking the pool-area. conversation and attentive listening between the staff and girls took place: gently, quietly. laughter. open air. scent of exhaust.

another story.
this young girl came to listen in a children’s church service saturday morning in her town. just a story above moravia, a group of people gathered to teach, laugh and love the kids through song, dancing, puppetry and interaction. she stayed near the door for the entirety of our time there: attentive, sucker popping in-and-out… pop, click, pop, chew. tapping her foot. smiling at me.

(click for detailed view)
my taxi sat behind buses at a stoplight, downtown medellin. a man to my right sits… without motion – only emotion. I had to process so much in so little time. focus, assess, process, capture. flipping through what I had caught later, I relived moment after moment. some surprised me, some I do not recall and lived for the very first time, some… I cried looking at. what I had a responsibility to capture overwhelmed me. only by Grace could I begin to comprehend it all.

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.