Facebook is the new black

Posted on January 12, 2008

And here I thought I was already on the Information Superhighway. Note to all the young’uns: That’s what they called the Internet way back when…

I am finding myself behind the game, and so today I joined Facebook. (Verdict after 3 hrs of membership: definitely cooler than MySpace, and there’s no annoying music that starts playing when I go to a page.) It’s one more way I can stay connected with my friends, my family, my clients, one more way I can share images and slideshows, one more way I can throw sheep at people.

But it’s lonely in cyberspace, and I need friends (don’t we all?)… so if you want, go ahead and add me to your list:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1081474068

And, because I generally like to post at least one image with every post, here is a shot I took almost a year ago in Haiti. I’m putting this one up because Michael, a friend of ours, just arrived Haiti this week to spend 3 months helping Rob & Anne Marie (some Dutch missionaries) with construction on a hospital there. (Yes, I have posted these two images before but it’s been a while… if you’d like to see the rest of the pictures from my trip to Haiti, you can do so here, here, here, and here.)

This is a girl we saw who was hauling water for her family. Some families have to walk on foot for a mile or more to get fresh water.

And here is a girl in the hospital who has since passed away from AIDS, with her mother standing by the bed.

This work is so important, and if you’re a person who prays, Michael could certainly use your prayers. You can keep up with his online journal while he’s there at www.MikeInHaiti.com.

Filed Under Documentary, Misc | 2 Comments

Through Their Eyes Africa

Posted on July 9, 2007

Remember that documentary Born Into Brothels? If you don’t, you really should see it… it’s a fascinating story of a photographer who spent a lot of time with the children of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red light district, gave them cameras, and began to teach them photography in an effort to help them get out of the vicious circle of sex and drugs they were born into. Very powerful (and the film has some beautiful images, too).

A similar project is soon going to happen in Africa. David Hessemer is a photographer in Hawaii who is putting together a team of world-renowned photographers to visit some unreached places in Africa, and teach kids there how to take pictures of their world. Why? To quote their website, “Our hope is provide maximum exposure for those in the most need in this world in a way that communicates the uniqueness of their culture. We want to create a platform to get much needed financial help to the people we work with.”

Please take a minute to visit the Through Their Eyes Africa blog today to see how you can help. We’ve been given so much… it’s time to give back.