family

This past week I was able to spend time with a wonderful family up in Blowing Rock, NC. Lots of laughs and great times as we captured 3 generations of ladies while the gentleman snuck away during picture time. Here's a sneak peak of my favorites so far, more on the way!

Back in the saddle again...

Yes, I know this is a different blog post than what you're probably used to. (If anyone even reads this anymore because it's been SO long since I've posted!) It's been almost exactly 5 months since I've been back from Guatemala, and while it's been a big roller coaster of adjusting at times, I am so blessed and thankful of where God has me right now.

I think I needed some decompression time to process everything I saw and experienced in La Limonada this last year, and I know that will be an ongoing, probably lifelong journey. Getting back into photography as I've always known it has been a bit of a challenge after photographing life in Guatemala for the past year, which is obviously very different than weddings and portraits. :)

This past weekend I had the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet again with my awesome friend's engagement pictures. Thanks H&C for making it so fun and easy to catch the love between you two, and for allowing me to realize again just how much I love the gift of capturing that! Enjoy!!!

transitioning...

I feel like keeping that word in my everyday vocabulary will somehow make this process easier, smoother, help it sink in more? I'm not quite sure what I think that magic word will do, but however it's playing itself out in my everyday life, I'm realizing that it's taking a lot more time than I expected. But then I wonder what I was expecting...if I seem a bit confused, it's because I am.

I've been back in North Carolina for a month, and to my family in Guatemala, you were right, it is just NOW hitting me that I won't be on my way back there soon. I think my heart is starting to catch up to my mind, which usually takes a bit of time. I've been blessed to have spent a significant about of time with Doug since I've been back, we're still 2 hours away from each other, but at least it's not 2 different countries! In my mind I think that I'm going through all the right "motions" of moving back, getting a job to help bring in income since it's more expensive to live in the states, obtaining a way for people to get ahold of me (yes I have a cell phone again :), plugging into a church community, starting to make friends, trying to get my own place in the next few months...but something about it all just feels so.....................different.

And then I remember that it is different, I shouldn't be the same as I was before living in Guatemala. Living in the comfort of the states may never be the same again and I have to be ok with that. I'm realizing that it's taking just as much, if not more of my faith to come back, as it took to go. I know this is where God wants me at this time and I'll keep loving others the same whether I'm serving in a nice restaurant, or walking in the ghettos of La Limonada. It's a continuing process of taking what I've seen in Guatemala and being able to hold onto that and apply it to what God has for me here. I think it will always be a continual learning process...

So I guess transition of some sort will always be a part of life, and I guess I'd better get used to that.

it's about that time...

Yesterday morning I sat with all the teachers and told them just how honored I am to have worked along side them this past year. Their sacrifice and selflessness has taught me SO much. I've been working hard to get as much done before I leave as possible, and also trying to soak it all in at the same time, sometimes it feels like a whirlwind and sometimes it feels like life is moving in slow motion.

I know there is so much here that I'm going to miss that I don't even realize right now, and I also believe there is so much that God has waiting for me in the states that I have no idea about yet. That excites me and scares me all at the same time, the unknown. But that's where I choose to trust and know that I'm following a plan so much bigger than myself, and in that, I find peace.

2 days and I'm North Carolina bound!!!

pure joy

As I'm getting ready for my departure back to the states in 8 days, I have been feverently working on getting all the new students pictures taken and up on the website. I always take a few of each student to make sure I get one that really captures their personality. As I'm going through them this morning, these 2 shots brought a smile to my face, and I thought they'd bring some joy to share them as well.

Feliz dia! :)

Getting ready for the next chapter...

It's weird to think about not being here. This has become life...living in community, loving over 300 children on a daily basis, keeping them connected to their sponsor in the states, taking more pictures of this community than I know what to do with...

What started as a dream and a passion over 5 years ago to live and work here in Guatemala, has come to pass and is now moving onto the next chapter. What that entails, I have no idea at this point, but that's part of the journey, isn't it? I know this passion in me will stay for this community, I'll just be living it out in a different way I believe. I've been praying for months about the Child Sponsorship program and what it will look like after I leave, and God has brought an amazing answer for that.

Our close friend Rebecca who lived and worked with Tita for 2 months a few years ago, will be moving to Guatemala in May to take over the CS responsibilities for the Guatemalan end. I couldn't be more excited about this! She's got such a love and passion for these kids and this community and I'm thrilled that she'll be becoming a full-time part of our team. It's hard to think about letting go of being here, but I know it's God's work and not mine, and I'm just thankful to have been a part of it up until this point. And I know it's my time to step out, and Rebecca's time to step in.

Because this program has grown so tremendously in the past year, there is need for more of us to run it. So while Rebecca comes on here in Guatemala, I will continue to run the program stateside with Cherie. I'm looking forward to helping it grow in the states and allowing God to use me to raise more awareness in whatever way he sees fit.

2 more weeks here in Guatemala, and then onto the next chapter...

Welcome Rebecca!!! :)

there's a 5 year old in the house!

Wow...where has the time gone? I met Nathan when he was just turning 2 years old, and fell in love with that little man. Fast-forward 3 years, he's now been living with us for 11 months, he just turned 5, and he started kindergarden today!!!

He is definitely not a morning person so I was a bit nervous about the 5:45 am wake up call I had to give him...but after sleepily asking where we were going and, me telling him it was the first day of school, he excitedly jumped out of bed and asked me to help him pick out his clothes. That was easy! I put him on the bus this morning with his new backpack and couldn't have been happier.

I can't believe how fast time has flown with him!

Enjoying a birthday picnic in the park in Antigua.

Pizza party!

On the way home from the bus stop on the first day of kindergarden.