blow away the clouds.

the sun is always there.

sometimes it gets trapped behind the clouds

and you lose sight of it for a while.

the gloom sets in.

it makes you want to give up.

but then the wind comes.

it blows the clouds away.

you feel the warmth of the sun on your face again

and know that everything will be alright.

ps. apparently i have an Instagram web profile now. you should check it out...i mean, only if you wanna keep up with my daily life and see all the things i like to take random photos of. :)

i got an email from Kris (she's also going to Uganda in July), and she met a friend of a friend who runs/works at/is somehow involved with another orphanage outside of Kampala, Uganda. this lady has been wanting to take a professional photographer to her orphanage, but hasn't had the chance. she asked if i would be willing to spend a day at her place while i'm in Uganda and photograph the children and staff (and of course, i said yes!). :)

God is orchestrating everything, and i couldn't be more excited for this trip and the opportunities it is bringing! 


a financial update:
my Christmas money, babysitting jobs, cleaning jobs, a photoshoot, my paycheck from working on the farm, and a week of housesitting comes to $716

178 days until Uganda, $2,284 left to raise.
(i need to raise about $1,000 more by March to buy my $1,700 plane ticket!)

if every one of my facebook friends donated approximately $4.64 (that's FOUR DOLLARS and SIXTY-FOUR CENTS...which is what? the equivalent of a tall cup of specialty coffee from Starbucks? c'mon, do you really NEED the coffee? bless a missionary instead! i would be eternally grateful), i would reach the goal in no time! :)

*donations can be made via paypal (photobyvalerie@gmail.com).

this hope.

"as i sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
YOU know how i'm feeling.
know the danger i'm in,
the traps hidden in my path.
look right, look left--
there's not a soul who cares what happens!
i'm up against it, with no exit--
bereft, left alone.
i cry out, God, call out:
'You're my last chance, my only hope for life!' "
psalm 142:3-5 (The Message)

there is this hope.
an assurance.
a faith.
in Jesus Christ.
and the blood He gave.
the willingness.
the sacrifice.
the love poured out.
the redemption.
the saving grace.

it is an anchor.
the rock that holds my shifting soul.
the faith that moves mountains.
the security i need.
it keeps me from sinking, drifting.

hope is the anchor for my soul.

legacy.

i met Ms Debbie last year.
she always had a smile on her face and always gave hugs to everyone.
she was the kind of genuine that i can only hope to be.
she got excited when talking about Jesus and what He had done for her.
she was the first person to tell you that she wasn't perfect, but redeemed.
she carried herself with dignity and lived passionately for the Lord.
the joy of the Lord was her strength.

on Christmas Eve 2012, Ms Debbie met her Savior face-to-face for the first time.
she is worshipping Jesus with the angels in Heaven now.

this past saturday, her family had a memorial service/celebration of her life.
i'm not sure how many people came, but my church (that seats like 300-ish people) was PACKED.
as people shared what she had done for them, i couldn't help but get choked up.
her big heart and welcoming arms will be missed.

while i don't understand WHY, i know it was her time.
God called her home.

i want to live by the same generosity and nonjudgemental attitude.
i want to live with open arms and a transparent heart.
i want to trust God even when it's hard.
i want the Joy of the Lord to be my strength.
just like Ms Debbie.

a is for adventure.

since i returned from my 6 month DTS adventure with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), my heart has wanted to pursue missions and photography. but for a 19-year-old missionary with no money, it's kind of hard. however, i have been learning to be content in all things and rest in God's will. maybe i'm not supposed to live overseas and be a foreign missionary permanently, but short term. but over the past 4 months, i have prayed and prayed for another opportunity to use my photography skills in foreign missions.

in October, God laid Africa on my heart. shortly afterwards, i saw a Facebook post from a friend asking if anyone was interested in getting a team together for a missions trip to Africa (Uganda). heart pounding, i immediately replied YES. she said the school/orphanage needs photos of the children to help get them sponsored/adopted. UMM, YES!

i asked for confirmation from the Lord.
in the following three days, i asked to hear "UGANDA" without any prompting from me. the next day, i got a call from a lady and we started talking about missions. she casually mentioned Uganda and i knew.

Africa is calling me and everything has sort of fallen into place over the past few weeks.

our small team will be spending two weeks (July 29th-ish through August 12th-ish) at Boanerges Deaf Initiative, (BDI is a school/orphanage for deaf children) near Kampala, Uganda. i will use my photography skills to photograph the people and places, bringing back a piece of Uganda for the people in America. i will also improve my ASL skills (which are pretty bad right now...but hey, i have about 7 months to learn), and serve wherever i am needed. i'm also hoping for our team to put together some skits and fun things for the children.

i am so so SO excited for this opportunity to serve in missions with my photography.

GUYS. i'm going to UGANDA. and i need YOUR help! :)

being that i have just returned from the missions field, other than odd jobs (babysitting, working on the farm, etc), i haven't had the opportunity to earn much money. i need about $3,000 for this. and about $2,000 (for my plane ticket) will need to be raised as soon as possible (preferably by March).

SO. do you feel called to support me?
do you:
need a babysitter? i love kids and i need to raise money for a missions trip. BAM.
need family photos? i do that too. :)
need your house cleaned? i was trained at and worked at a Bed & Breakfast for 3 years. i can clean. :)
need a room/house/fence/whatever painted? i'm pretty handy with a paintbrush.
need your flower garden weeded and your yard mowed in the summer? i'm not afraid of a little dirt. :)

whatever you need done, i am willing to do it in exchange for a donation towards my trip. however, if you are overcome with a spirit of generosity and just want to donate, i have a Paypal account (send gifts to photobyvalerie@gmail.com) and will accept donations of ANY amount! if every single one of my facebook friends donated $6.00, i would have just under the $3,000 that i need.

well, are you guys as excited as i am? maybe not, but i would love it if you could keep me and my fundraising in your prayers. i feel (very strongly) that i am supposed to go on this trip, and your prayers and support are what will make it possible!

PS. a few fundraisers are in the works, so stay tuned! i don't think you'll want to miss out on them. :D

the adventure continues...

206-ish days until Uganda (dates have not been finalized.)
$3,000 to raise.

God will provide. :)