Ambohitriniandriana...beautiful countryside...part 2.

So here's part 2 of this latest blog!! I hope you all enjoyed part 1!

While there, I did a bit of exploring around the area. I didn't have to go too far to see so many cool places! The rice fields, which are all over, were incredible!! This was one just down from the school. The photo above is my favorite! I love the bright green fields and the awesome clouds. 

I went those these rice fields two days in row. One, because they are so amazing, and two, because I wanted to bring a different camera each time. Both times the two women were working in the fields. And the second day, their daughters were there as well. The younger of the two talked to me almost the whole time I was there. They both attend the school and remembered me. 

Sometimes it's good to change your point of view when you are looking at things! When I showed my friends this photo, they thought it was coolest thing and had never seen the rice fields at that angle. 

Faly is shucking beans that they have harvested. He said they have been growing these beans for years. He also shared with me that he has been blessing those in the village with these beans, have been planting them all around. He hopes that in the coming years, everyone in the village will have access to these beans to enjoy!

By the second or third day of visiting the school, whenever the kids were out on recess, I could hear my name being said all around me, wanting photos with their friends, with their classmates. 

I love black and white photos, and I love black and white photos of kids laughing and smiling! These girls were so funny...I think I took close to 10 photos of them, in different poses. I took one and they said, another, another! This one was my favorite of them all!

These students were learning to play basketball during their recess. Some of the were really good. Later on, in the afternoon, some of jr high students were out playing and I joined in. I hadn't played basketball in years, but it was a lot of fun. As you see in the photo above, many of the kids played barefoot. The ground was pretty dusty. I had never played basketball barefoot before, just soccer. As I was playing, just in my flip flops, they kept flying off. I ended up tossing them off and it was a lot easier!

Of course the kids were playing soccer at every recess! They really good at this game! And very creative as well, as you see the ball is made up of plastic bags tied all together into a ball. 

I love being able to capture pure joy and laughter through my photos!!

This girl pictured above, she became my little buddy that week. From the first day she would call out my name, she would run up to me and give me a big hug each time we met. She would want me to take her photos, especially when she was eating something! When I left I had to make sure I said goodbye to her. I gave her a big hug! Her Mom (who’s a teacher at the school), asked her if she was going to miss me…she nodded yes. She was really the sweetest little thing!

"You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you" - John Bunyan

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can"  - Charles Wesley

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive"  - H. Thurman

Thank you again Faly and Clara for letting me come and spend 8 amazing days with you and your family!! 

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Ambohitriniandriana...beautiful countryside...part 1.

I spent 8 days in this countryside, visiting some old friends. I've known Faly and Clara and their family for over 16 years now. I have been to their countryside multiple times, but they were always for a short visit. This time, I wanted to stay a bit longer, spend more time with them and the ministry they have going on. 

As you can see, in the photos, it was a beautiful area, lots of green!! Just during those 8 days I was able to do many things, bless them and those around them. I attended and photographed a wedding, explored the countryside, shared my personal testimony, visited the private school there in the village, shared about American and my family to a couple of classes, and taught about American history to the 12 grade class of the school, 

Pictured above is the private school. My friends helped open this school back in 2004. It's preschool age up to 12th grade. Almost every morning I would walk down the hill and visit the kids when they were out at recess. Some afternoons I would hang out with them as well, and play basketball. 

The photo above is my friend Faly teaching English grammar to some of the high school students. I took this photo during my first day that I arrived. I was coming out of the house and Faly was walking down to the school. He asked if I wanted to come along. I ended up sharing about myself, my family and my country, in English. 

My friends Faly and Clara's oldest daughter Mamy got married while I was there. It was great to attend my second wedding this trip! Malagasy weddings are usually long but full of excitement and fun!! Things got under way around 9:30am that morning and ended around 5:30pm. 

Me with the happy couple, Raj and Mamy!

One of the mornings I was there, I took some photos of the teachers, as well as each of the classes. In the photo above are most of the teachers in the school, there were a couple of them missing. The man in the front, and the woman to his left are my friends, Faly and Clara. 

The kids loved getting their photos taken!! I loved hanging with the preschool class, they were so much fun! I would be walking down the hill towards the school, some of them would see me coming and would shout my name and ask me to take their photos. Every time I took a photo they would have to look at it on my camera and they always burst out laughing! Having a camera with kids around equals a lot of fun and a lot of laughter!!

Here I am (above photo) hanging out with a few of the teachers, during the kids recess time. 

The teachers were aware I might be popping into their classroom to sneak a shot of the kids studying. The are used to having foreigners come and visit them. 

During lunch time, most of the kids go home during their break, but around 80-90 of the kids stay at school. They have a canteen that runs for the kids during the week, for those who don't have time to prepare lunch ahead of time, or they live further away. 

Once or twice a week, they also receive a dessert with their meal. Picture above, some of the older students are handing out fresh fruit to the kids. 

Pictured above is the open, covered area where the canteen is. They just hang out their during lunchtime, eating and talking! 

The kids have an area to play basketball as well as a field down below for playing soccer. You can see up in the distance the canteen from the outside. 

I have so many photos that I would love to share, but didn't want to make a huge blog, so I decide to make two different ones. 

Part 2 will be coming soon! Thanks for taking a look!

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the color green.

Sunday I spent the day in my friends countryside. We left in the morning to be able to get to church in time, as it took a bit over an hour to get there. My friends own a bus that usually runs daily, taking people to town and back. But on Sundays, they use the bus to go to church in their countryside. 

Sahaza hanging out on the bus.

Sisters, Sitraka and Tella.

Fita looking cool on the bus!

Brothers!!! Mihary (back), Fita, and Manovo

Their church in the countryside.

After church let out, me and few of the younger kids walked down to the rice fields that were close by. We took a bunch of photos and Manovo took some videos with my phone. 

It was so beautiful and green all around, I loved it!! I could just gaze at all the beauty around me for hours. 

Sitraka walking through the rice fields.

I love this photo above...the rice fields, the large open garden, the bright red dirt and the river running through. 

Sahaza down by the river.

Sahaza jumping for joy!

Manovo taking a ride on his grandpa's bike.

Later in the afternoon, some of us went on another walk up the hill a ways, and found more beauty around us!

Nothing more fun than dancing on the road in the countryside!

Love this shot of Fita riding his grandpa's bicycle!

Down by the river. Thanks Sahaza for taking this!

This shot below I think is my favorite shot I took, with my iPhone. It was in the afternoon, right before it started raining. Ten minutes later I started to rain a little bit. I was concerned because I had my camera with me and no protection from the rain with me at the time. We still had about a 5 minute walk back to the house. Thankfully we had the bicycle, so I jumped on that and raced back to the house before my camera got wet. 

If I get the chance again before I head home, I hope to get back here again and go on some more adventures and explore new areas of the countryside. 

street photography

I went to town yesterday with my friends. I had been wanting to take some street photos but didn't want to bring my large camera. I ended up bringing a small point and shoot to get some shots. 

They may not be the best of quality, but I still think they speak a lot, especially in black and white. 

F I T A H I A N A

‘Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the common place, the slaves of the ordinary.’ -Cecil Beaton

Fita is 15 years old now and I remember when he was just a little baby. I know I’ve told this story before, but when was a toddler, around 2 or 3, he would love visiting me. One time when I went home on furlough, he still went to my room trying to find me. 

Later on, when he was around 5 or 6, he would come over and talk to me after he got home from school and tell me all kinds of stories. 

Of course there was a time where I was absent and didn’t see him for a number of years. When I saw him back in July after I arrived, I almost didn’t recognize him. He’s grown into an amazing young man. 

I was visiting him and some of his other family the other day. I brought my camera gear along, hoping to get some photos of the kids playing around outside. Later in the day, he asked if we could do some photos. We both had different ideas for the photo session, and I was very happy and satisfied with many of the photos. He’s a born model!!

"Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread through shadows to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

"With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity"  - Mark Twain

I hope the best for you Fita, and I hope you can accomplish the things on your heart!

The kids of Itaosy.

My first week in Madagascar I stayed in Itaosy, a suburb of Tana, the capital. I have known these kids and their families for years now and have watched them all grow up. They are an amazing group of kids!

This here is Princy. His is 22 now, but I remember when he was just a little guy, always talking to me in French and was super friendly. He would always come up to the room where I was living in at the time, and would tell me story, after story. And now, he is going to medical school to become a doctor!

This is Fita, who just turned 15! This kid is pretty awesome and a great model!! I remember when he was just a couple of years old, he would always come and visit me. And if I was gone for some reason, he would go throughout the house, calling my name!

Jedidiah, 11 years old.

Mihary, 6 years old.

Miandritiana, 18 years old

Sahaza, 17 years old

Manovo, 11 years old....too cool for words!

My time in Tana was a bit short because I have to start working on my visa, but I hope to get back over there sometime while I'm here and spend a bit more time with my friends. I am glad though I could have last week with them!