Refugees in the Middle East: Learning to Laugh

While we were in the Middle East we had the pleasure of visiting several families from Syria. They have fled their homes trying to escape the bombs and fighting going on there. The first family we visited has 25 people in it. They all live in one house and by the smiles on their faces you would never know they were living in extreme poverty, having left everything behind in Syria. We talking with the father of the family and his mother. He also had several of his sisters present with their children as well. One of his sisters was carrying her precious 8 month old baby girl, and as we soon found out, she was actually pregnant with her when they made the long trek out of their country. Their stories of persistence will inspire even the weakest of hearts.     

As we visited the families we had the honor of having a beautiful young lady join us. (Pictured below) She is a Syrian refugee herself and is only 21 years old, but she has two children and her husband left her before leaving Syria. It was such a joy to watch her interact with others. She never stopped smiling and loving on the people she met that day.  

During our time in the Middle East we had the privilege of sitting down Syrian refugees and hearing their stories. A neighbor (and the first family we visited) introduced us to a man and his family. This man’s house was bombed during the war and as a result he became blind. He was able to flee with his wife and his 13-year-old son to a neighboring country, but his daughter and two eldest sons stayed behind. In addition to being blind he suffers from a heart condition that requires medication which is difficult to afford considering that the families sole source of income comes from their son who makes $7 per day. During our visit one of our GAiN staff members cracked a joke and everyone, including the man began to laugh. The laughter brought tears of joy to the wife as she explained “this is the first time that I have heard him laugh since we have been here.” We were able to connect the family to a local clinic to help with medications and also left them with winter jackets and food. But perhaps the greatest gift we were able to bring was laughter; a glimmer of hope shining light in a dark situation.

The last family we visited that day had been in contact with the staff for many months. It was great to see how receptive they were to all of us. The organization we partner with has actually helped the father of the family set up his own business for growing pickles. He has been able to make some income off of that to help provide for his family.

The next four photos are from the Princess Taghrid Institute. This is an organization set up to help young girls from the local community. It’s specifically designed for women who were abandoned or come from a broken home. At the institute they have the opportunity to learn skills like sewing, cooking and catering, business, and cosmotology. All of the classroom are equipped with the necessary tools and machines to teach the women. While we were there we were treated to some of the goodies the girls have been baking, and believe me they were amazing!

Harvesting Hope in Honduras

Back in March I got to travel to Honduras and Guatemala to help document several project with Global Aid Network® (GAiN®). If you don’t already know, I work full-time as a graphic designer and photographer for GAiN. I love when my job allows me to travel outside the states and really get to meet the people who benefit from the aid we send.

While in Honduras we met a man named Pastor Camillo. We were visiting some villages in the mountains near Olanchito area, when our local partners introduced us to the pastor. He had received some of the seeds GAiN sent a few years ago as well as some from recent shipments. As we begin the descent to his house we had no idea what to expect. I think most of imagined a small plot of land with a few vegetables attempting to sprout, but boy where we surprised!

After climbing down rocks and side-swiping trees we stopped to behold a beautiful garden with a mountain top view. It was stunning. You could easily tell Pastor Camillo had spent many hours working and tilling this garden. Then he began to tell us a story…

He had severe stomach issues and could not seem to find a cure or even something that would subside the pain. He had been told that okra would help, so his wife made the long 4-hour plus ride to the big city of San Juan de Sula. She bought some okra with the little money they had and made the trek back. Pastor Camillo soon found this was the cure, but buying more would prove to be difficult, so he began to pray. He asked God to send him some okra, even though he didn’t know how, he asked anyways.

Then one the local Cru staff in Honduras, showed up to his village with seeds sent from GAiN. In the mix of seeds was okra. It was truly an answer of prayer. I was honored to meet Pastor Camillo and his family. He and his wife were so gracious to let me photograph them and tell their story. It’s stories like these that we do what we do. From packing events, to shipping, to training local leaders, the hope of GAiN is to see people begin to provide for themselves and for their families. And in Pastor Camillo’s case, others.

Pastor Camillo knows that not everyone can nor has the luxury to farm like he does. So he takes his excess crops and hands them out to those in the community that need it most, families that may not have jobs or single mothers. And it’s through the generosity of Pastor Camillo that he is able to share the Good News of Christ. The story of redemption and reconciliation. He truly is a man harvesting hope.

Cruising in the Caribbean: Our Honeymoon

The week before Thanksgiving, my new hubby and I finally took our honeymoon. Though it may have come a couple months late, it was nothing short of fabulous! We hopped on a cruise ship in New Orleans and soon made our way to Montego Bay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. What follows are just a few photos of one of the most relaxing vacations we've ever had, including a few photos from one awesome take-me-back-to-the-90s underwater camera

Two things happened on our cruise that were front page worthy: Tensions between Israel and Gaza heated up and Baylor beat No. 1 Kansas

Central Asia Recap

This past October we had the privilege to travel to Central Asia. I had never been to this part of the world so I was needless to say I was beyond excited. Reed, however, had been before back in 2007. While the trip was a whirlwind (aren't they all) we managed to spend 3 days in the mountains getting to know a wonderful family. While we were there, we distributed food, clothing, and water filters to a nearby boy's home and some surrounding villages. Back in the capital we went to several schools, spent time with the local staff, visited a leper colony, and even went to a wedding. All in all it was a great trip and we both hope to go back very soon. Next week on the blog Reed will be sharing the story of one man we met named Kuzratalo.

Below you can see the whole team and the family we stayed with in the mountains. Many of the team members were able to make connections with the older boy and continue to follow up with him on facebook. (Isn't technology great!?) To the bottom right you can see the matriarch of the family, or who I like to call, Grandma. She lost her husband last year and has managed to do nothing but continue to provide for her growing family. It was a joy to get to serve alongside them. And of course I had to take a picture when I discovered a box full of Baylor Bear shirts in our clothes we brought to hand out to a local school. 

A sweet couple who lives in a leper colony.

The couple to the left showed us this photo of their son's new marriage. Aren't they beautiful?!

"O My Soul, Faint Not."

"O my soul, faint not, faint not." 

Strong words from some of my favorite artists, Jenny & Tyler. The words from this song (and their whole album for that matter) helped get me through a trip that not only tested my faith in God, but own personal values and future. There is so much I could say about my time in the refugee camp in East Africa, but to sum it up, there wasn't enough time.

One look at the faces of people hurting, starving, dying and it's enough to make you want to weep. But to live amongst them, to walk the path they walk is something I could never do. Yet there was happiness. There was joy. And there was laughter. Yes, there was heartache and death in a place where hope is not even familiar, but there was life. Mothers with their children, children with their laughter, and one white girl in a sea of hurting.

"Oh my soul keep up, keep up in love."

Listen to Faint Not by Jenny & Tyler

P.S. If you are in the Dallas area stop by Crooked Tree Coffee House where many of these photos and the stories that accompany them are hanging on the wall. And if you make it in, be sure to tweet me @jessicalee2819

Meet Kuzratalo

JANUARY 18, 2013

*Guest Blog by my beloved hubby, Reed Gardner.

—————————————————————–

After a long scenic drive through the mountains we finally arrived at our destination.  It was a small village that few choose to frequent.  Due to the high rate of Tuberculosis in this village, they are seen as outcasts. Even government officials were surprised when our team showed up ready to distribute food, clothing, and other aid to this small, forgotten town.

My wife and I had the privilege of meeting a sweet elderly man named Kuzratalo.  He lives in the village with his brother. He has lost all of his other family members due to tuberculosis, but you wouldn’t know it by the joy on his face and his radiant smile. We were able to give Kuzratalo and his brother a box of food and clothing.  As we carried on conversation through a translator, I shared with him that the woman who was that caretaker at our guest house was praying for my wife and I too have 10 children!  He laughed and said “Ten is not enough; I am going to pray for 20!” Needless to say my wife was not too happy with that response!

Before we left, Kuzratalo walked up to my wife and reached into his pocket and pulled out a 5 Somoni bill (the equivalent of about $1).  With a smile on his face he preceded to hand it to her.  Through a translator, he said that he wanted to give us a gift to remember him by, and that we were always welcome to visit him in his home.  Unfortunately we could not visit him that day, but judging by the smile on his face I believe we have an open invitation should we ever return.

We came to help meet physical needs through food and clothing, but perhaps the best thing we had to offer that day was the gift of friendship. Kuzratalo now knows that he matters and that he has not been forgotten.  We certainly won’t forget him either… 

Holding on to Hope: Meet Fatixya

As we went back to our hotel and I found myself alone in the silence, I began wondering what I was doing here. Had I come in vain? These thoughts danced around in my mind as I fell asleep waiting for another day...another day of heartache.

As we drive around the city our guarded guides take us to another camp. You can imagine that in a place where visitors are scarce, news travels fast that we have come. People emerge from their paper tents. Crowds start to form as they look for a sign of hope. Children start to laugh and gaze in anticipation. And my heart begins to get too close to my chest.

I meet a family on the other side of the barbed wire. I can't seem to find a way in so I'm stuck, once again, as an outsider from their world. I ask her name. "Fatima," she responds in a quiet voice. Through my translator I begin to find out that she is the grandmother of the seven kids all huddled up next to her. Her daughter was one of the lucky ones to be picked for the distribution. I begin making faces at the kids, probing them for laughs, when I notice a young woman in a bright pink head-dress. She seems to know the family and I found it it's Fatima's niece, Fatixya.

Fatixya comes over eager to hear what's going on. She politely answers my questions as I learn she is 27 years old and only arrived in the refugee camp 3 weeks prior. She told us how she has 2 children and her husband divorced her. She has walked days just to get to a place that offers not much more hope than from where she came. I notice that Fatixya is pregnant. She looks down at her covered round belly and says, "Yes. I am 8 months pregnant. I am in a lot of pain."

Knowing there are no hospitals or doctors on call in the forsaken place, I ask her where she plans to have her child. She looks over her left shoulder at the camp across the street, "in my tent." My heart breaks, and tears begin to well up. But I notice something strange. She isn't crying, she isn't sad, and in fact, she's almost laughing. She has a beautiful smile across her face. I ask Hassan, my translator, why is she smiling.

He asks her, looks back at me, and says something I will never forget, "She is happy because you are interested about her."

I bow my head, part in prayer, and part in shame. My heart pounding, my eyes blurry, my head spinning, what am I to do with that? I look up at Fatixya and smile. She may be smiling because I want to hear her story, but I'm smiling because she gave me hope. Hope for her people, hope for their openness to one day escape the heartache of war, famine, oppression, lifelessness. Hope that when I go back home to my cozy bed and all you can eat buffets that I will no longer be stagnant. Hope that her story can change the hearts of our Western comforts. Hope that one day I will return and bring Good News that they so desperately need to hear. Until then I smile. Because in our smiles holds a thousand words. It holds hope. It holds love, and most importantly it holds the truth of something greater. That when times are tough we continue to press on. We strive to fight and push back the darkness. And whether we are fighting in refugee camps in Africa or the suburbs of small towns, there is darkness everywhere, and we must fight.

While I only spent a few minutes with Fatixya it was enough to change my world. I glanced over my shoulder to answer a question from one of my colleagues, and by the time I turned back around she was gone. I had my camera in hand, planning on how to take Fatixya's portrait, but now she was gone. No one could find her,  but I did happen to snap one photo of her  before we talked. It was all I had left of that conversation, but it was all I needed.

First Steps

The air was dusty. Before I even stepped out of the Land Rover I could feel the sand in my shoes and in my clothes. It was dry, just like the rest of the country. In a place where turmoil had reared it's ugly head for so long, it seemed as if the ground had begun to mimic the ways of it's people.

My heart was in my chest. Partly because there were men surrounding us with AK-47s and partly because the people we were visiting were so beautiful, and yet so lost. As our guards ushered us into the first camp we began to separate. I, and my translator kicked the dust around as we slowly shifted in and out of the tents. There was a man lying in a tent, bones sticking out of his dark skin. He was too weak to stand, and probably wouldn't make it past the end of the week.

My colleagues wanted me to take a photo, I figured it was better to move on and lift up a silent prayer. I wasn't there to get a Nat Geo image, I was there to listen. To hear the cry of the people and understand, if even for just a second, a glimpse into their hearts. I wanted to try and open up my calloused heart just long enough to cry with them and love them. But it was already time to go. Anyplace longer than 30 minutes was too long. We had to watch our steps carefully, and trust no one.

As a mom rushed up to me with her baby boy I began to feel my heart explode. The child was sick, his skin was rotting off and his mom just looked at me and begin repeating something. My translator tried to explain but it was if time stopped. Sound bounced off my ears and all I could do was cry out to my God and pray for this little sweet child. A child born into chaos, war, famine, and a place void of true love. I choked back the tears as I touch his little hand. Our guards ushered us out as quickly as they ushered us in.

What now I thought? What could I possibly ever do to help? These questions have a way of keeping me up at night. Wondering, praying, crying, wanting to know why I am not doing more. But for now I have to play my part. I have to play the part God has given me for this moment. So if that means sitting in an office developing ways for our in-country partners to be more effective, then so be it. Because it's one step at a time. As God opens a door, I must be faithful to follow.