(Please read the Part 1 blog below before reading this blog!)
We have had our ups and our downs in the past year, but we can honestly say that God has really grown us. He has shown us even more of who we are when we walk in Him and what walking in Him looks like. It is not a formula and that is exciting, somewhat scary yet extremely intriguing and beautiful.
One more 2008 moment and we will move forward into 2009!
Ted woke one December morning and told me to listen to his dream. Let me just say that the last time he told me to listen to a dream he had, it was in Decemeber of 2007 the night before the shootings at YWAM Denver occurred. He actually woke me to tell me that dream and had me take notes in his journal. I was incredibly morbid and confusing and once the shooting happened, it hit us so suddenly that the dream had to do with that very thing. So I was worried when he told me about another dream he needed to share.
He then went on to tell me he dreamt that we had poineered a photography school here in YWAM Denver. We both took it lightly and continued on with what we felt for our future. Pushing this dream to the back burner and honestly thinking nothing more of it. Well, that was until February 09.
In February Ted headed to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras Outreach with the winter WISE school he was working with. He took our Canon and began documenting the things he saw on the streets. He ran into a man that the team had told him about, a man who prophisied over a few of them. When he prophisied to Ted, he told him that he felt like Ted was coming to a Y in the road and then he said it might have something to do with a camera. He said he saw polariod pictures and he told Ted, like someone flipping through the photos and stopping to realize he saw a photo that caught his eye, then flipped back to it. He said he felt that Ted needed to go back to something that God showed him. Kind of vague and actually I feel like I am leaving some things out. I will ask him and update more specifically later. Ted called me from New Orleans to tell me this and was excited about it, even though we both had no idea where this was going.
When Ted returned we spent time talking, praying and taking notes about what this could mean. We talked about the possibility of heading out in 2010, spending the summer working and with relatives, then moving to South Africa for a 4 month long photo school and heading to Tyler, Tx to do a TESOL, etc. We looked up the cost to live in Thailand and we were floored to think with the amount of support we have now, we would be able to live in Thailand! We kept searching, seeking and dreaming.
And then came our week long staff conference in March. We spent most mornings in worship and I remember clearly this one morning while in worship, God asked me to release my dreams and plans for our future. I was 6 months prego at this point and the thought of releasing our dreams and plans meant that we don't have a plan. This scared me, but after batteling within for a while, I let them go and cried.
That afternoon Peter, the director of our base here, spoke about having a communications school here in Denver. He was saying he stepped out in faith and told the founder of YWAM that our base would be running all four "core courses" by 2010 and we at the time were only running 3 of the 4. Kind of confusing, but I'm trying to condense this blog. Ted turned to me a few minutes later and said, "I feel like we are supposed to propose a school of photography here." Without even hesitating, I agreed. This is not typical for me. You see, Ted is the visionary, the one with the big dreams. At the moment I didn't freak out, but later my mind was trying to understand what this could mean and the logistics of it all. That was when I freaked out!
Ted and I went to a local coffee shop and prayed for a while then felt we were to begin writing a very detailed proposal for this school. Our vision with it came out as soon as we began to write.
You might be wondering, why photography? Was it just because of Ted's dream in December? Isn't this a little too visionary and lofty?
I would normally answer with YES to the final question, but I can honestly say we know this is where God is leading us. Does this mean we know what this might look like, or if we will be leading, or if we will even be running this school here? No! How crazy I must sound. We are really stepping out here and we are trusting God as He leads. I think the most exciting part is the fact the He is leading, not us, not me!
Random bits of information:
*Ted and I feel strongly about raising awareness of what is happening around the world. One way to do this is through media. In the new testament it talks about Jesus seeing the crowds and being moved with compassion. The importance of seeing is actually quite incredible. We would love to travel and document the lives of people around the world through photography, video and journalism and bring awarness into churches, youth groups, highschool, etc. Letting people see and be moved in compassion. Causing people to say, "I want to do something about this".
*Ted is truly gifted. I know I am his wife and a bit bias, but God has gifted him with being able to read something once and remember it almost word for word. In the past year Ted has researched the use of our camera, lighting and exposure, etc. He now has this incredible knowledge. I don't know very much about our camera and he always seems to amaze me and those around us. His photography from New Orleans brought me to tears! Not only does he have the knowlegdge but he also has such a heart for people. Combine our camera with his heart for people and the outcome is phenominal. (I will post some of his photos soon).
*We both love finding beauty in all things. I have a more creative point of view but not the knowledge of the camera and Ted vis versa. We are learning on working together in this and encouraging and challenging each other to grow in areas that we need growth.
*We would aslo like to add a journalism track to the photography school and I am hoping to be involved in this somehow.
We have proposed the school and had our first officially meeting to see if the school would fit into the criteria to run as a communications school and it does. We are still waiting to hear of anything more and can only hope for the best at this point. God's got our back and we are trusting Him. Please pray for us as we are walking into the unknown!
Thank you and we love you!
Any questions? Colourherhope@gmail.com or comment on here. =)
