This is why it's worth it.

Their smiles. Their happiness. Their loving hearts.

Please watch this video below. Then make sure to:

1. Sign the pledge.

2. Donate to the cause.

3. Buy an action kit and spread the word on April 20th.

4. Tell everyone you know! Tweet it, Pin it, Facebook it....seriously....do it! 

Joseph Kony needs to be known worldwide. This has gone on long enough.  I met children and villagers just a few weeks ago that were affected by the LRA and it's a tragic thing. No person should ever have to go through something like this. If there is ANYTHING we can do...we have to do it! This is what life is all about...coming together to make a change!

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Was it all a dream?

I found myself today running normal everyday errands. I went to get my eyes checked and then stopped by office max for some envelopes to mail which led me to the UPS store to send out said envelopes. As I was walking from my car to my apartment complex I found myself looking up at the sky and wondered what everyone in Uganda was doing at that very moment. I wondered how some of the amazing people I met were and if the beautiful children I connected with were fast asleep in their beds dreaming happy dreams. I longed to be there, under my mosquito net, fast asleep. I couldn't help but wonder if I was there if I would be thinking about California like I am thinking of Africa.

I find myself in this weird in between right now. All of my dreams and desires are pointing towards Africa...its just about waiting and being patient to Gods timing to see what He has in store for me there. I often am thinking of the beautiful memories I made during my short visit and I get so excited to return to make even more.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all
you do, and He will show you which path to take. "
Proverbs 3:5-6

Sara: A princess of Africa

I don't even know where to begin this post...I should be finishing my taxes right now but my heart is so overwhelmed by Gods work in my beautiful friends lives lately that I have to write it all out. All around me I see Him working in my friends lives, reaching out, creating miracles, speaking through others to them, etc...His love is everywhere.

One of my friends that has been on the most amazing journey with Him is Sara. You should know her by now, I just went on a trip to Africa with her. To tell you a bit more, she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. From day one of our friendship, I learned she is determined and compassionate. These two qualities of hers have helped develop her into where she is today. She has such an amazing husband named Shane who is the most beautiful balance for her and keeps her grounded. Their two beautiful children Forrest and August have this crazy quality of melting peoples hearts immediately and helping them maintain a child like heart.

When Sara told me that her and Shane were adopting from Africa, I knew it was the beginning of something huge for them. When they told me that they were adopting three children from Africa, I knew that they could handle it and these kids would be so very blessed to be apart of the Downing family. When they told me they wanted me to partake in this journey with them and document this special time in their lives, I knew this was the beginning of something huge in my own life..and that's a whole other story on its own.

I have watched God redirect Sara and Shanes journey radically in the last two weeks and if I began to tell you what that looked like, you might not even believe me.

A lyric that Sara and Shane have been coming back to through out this whole process of adoption has been one from John Mark McMillans song Love You Swore...

"Harbor me in the eye of the storm
I'm holding onto the love You swore"

Even that lyric changed and molded to their journey of highs and lows the last couple of weeks and it was amazing to see how it stayed very much present...it remained a source of wisdom, hope and comfort through all the change.

Sara wrote a BEAUTIFUL blog post yesterday walking us through the scripture that God led them on from the beginning of the adoption process to the present. It has been so cool to see how she dived into a newer territory of her bible and got to know Moses mainly through Exodus and how their lives have been parallel to one another. I can't even describe how awesome it is to see Gods promise for Sara and Shanes desire through scripture...and although it was extremely overwhelming and scary at times...He never failed. It has personally opened my heart and stirred up a passion for Him that I never dreamed of.

Sooooo.... from wanting to adopt one child, to three, to getting to Africa and learning it wouldn't be the best situation to adopt the three siblings and should just try for the one. To seeing hope in starting an orphanage and adoption agency of their own and bringing that dream to the table and getting rejected, to God working in someone else's hearts and dreams to deliver His ultimate good promise to Sara and Shane that they would be changing nations and they will someday soon have their own adoption agency like they have dreamed.

I know that all sounds rather overwhelming and crazy and it kind of is in a way... but in more ways it's not. I know that God doesn't put desires in our hearts that He wont deliver for us. Yes, Sara and Shane felt like God had something HUGE in store for them regarding adoption and they believed that meant to not only adopt one child but a sibling set of 3. Learning that wasn't the big thing He had in store for them was hard and letting go of that was hard, but He did deliver and guide them to the bigger thing He had in store which is not only adopting one child like they originally set out to do, but starting their own babies home and adoption agency. And you know what? They will change the world of adoption in Africa...I have NO doubt about that! God has literally called them to save a nation and they will!

Saras blog post is called "a roundabout way through the wilderness". And while they knew this journey would not be one of a straight and narrow easy path...they expected God to move a mountain to get them where they needed to be. To bring them straight to their desired destination...the one that they had been planning. But God took them on the back roads as He did the Israelites to the Red Sea. He knew it wouldn't be an easy path and that's what made it SO much better! So through the roundabout trail of wilderness God worked within Sara and Shane in so many beautiful ways that shaped them to where they are today and their relationship with God became that much stronger. And then...He didn't move a mountain, He parted the Red Sea and safely walked them through to the destination He had in mind for them all along....the something bigger...which is the adoption agency they will have in the future.

I looked up "Sara" on google before I began this post. I knew it meant princess....which fits Sara perfectly ;) ...but I laughed at the first thing that popped up on google...it said "Sara is a type of people in Central Africa". WHAT?! God has been working in Saras life before she was even born to bring her to where she is now! She has been divinely called to Africa and the change her family is going to make is indescribable. She is a true princess of Africa.

I feel blessed and honored to know the Downings. To know Sara and to be able to be apart of this adventure with them. I know God is working in my life through theirs as well and that is a beautiful thing to see. I know the dreams Sara and Shane have and the amazing things they are going to make happen are things that I will get to be apart of and make a difference. It gets me so excited to know that my one day family will get to be apart of it as well. I have learned it all comes down to family...and that's what keeps Gods promise going for generations.

Thank you Sara for being you and for never giving up on Gods promise! I am so happy and excited for you guys!

Saras blog // Embarking on Today: life between two worlds

The Sculpter.

Isaiah 64:8

You, Lord, are our Father
We are the clay
You are the potter
We are all the work of your hand.

Finding my way back home...

We are the orphan boys, we are forgotten girls
We are lost and far from home
We are the fatherless, born of dust and nothingness
We are lost and far from home

There is no love like Yours in all the earth
There is no love like Yours in the universe
There is no love that heals my broken heart
There is no love like Yours at all

- Orphans Song//Enter the Worship Circle

Video Updates

A couple of video blogs we have made along the way.

First Morning in Uganda: Video #2 from Mary Frances on Vimeo.

Heading to Lira: Video #3 from Mary Frances on Vimeo.

slow down.

This is all going by way too quickly.

We drove 5 hours north today on Gulu road and ended up in the beautiful town of Lira. We saw the Nile river, fed baboons bananas and I hung my head out the window letting the African breeze blow through my hair as I waved at every person I saw along the way.

We are spending tomorrow with an organization called Project Hope and I can't wait to tell you guys all about it!

Gods smile.

A few people had told me recently that they had visions of me standing in the midst of a lot of children...hugging, smiling, laughing. Their visions have come to life to say the least. I love hearing the yell of "Mzungu" (white person) from little kids from a distance...I eat it up. I wave, they wave right back with smiles. I motion for them to come near and they run up to me without any hesitation. They grab my hand and look into my eyes with love. They play with my funny looking hair and love when I tickle their noses with it. They love being chased and chasing me right back. And oh man....how do they LOVE the camera! The Ugandan children are such hams...I have learned more about posing these last few days than I have in the last 4 years of my career as a portrait photographer.

There is just SO much love within these childrens hearts and they live the simplest lives imaginable. There is community, there is joy and there is God.

En Route.

12 hours.

Tulsa -> Atlanta -> Amsterdam -> Entebbe, Uganda

In just 12 hours Sara and I will be on our way to AFRICA! Just the last few days preparing for our trip have been quite emotional. It's been so amazing to see how everyone has reached out with donations, love and support. Tonight we packed everything up and we are taking around 300 pounds of donations for children and adults who live and work in the villages and orphanages that we are visiting during our stay. I really am blown away by the graciousness in so many peoples hearts as they have been so giving, it truly does not go unnoticed...thank you all.

Sara and I have been bouncing emotions back and forth from one another the last few days. Whether its fear, excitement, hope, strength, anxiety, panic, joy....we have been there for each other and I am so thankful for that. Today has been a lot of joy and a lot of excitement. There were definitely some high kicks involved in us doing our last minute errands tonight and high fives were thrown when we fit nearly all the donations in 4 huge duffel bags. Through the highs and lows...we keep coming back to how God has made it SO clear to each of us that this is exactly where He wants us right now. All of the steps and decisions it has taken for us to be in this place at this time, have been perfectly and divinely planned. It's a beautiful feeling knowing you are making your Father happy by walking forward with the beautiful plans He has created for you.

Sara and I both know that we are about to experience things we have never before. We know this is the chance of a lifetime. We know this is only the beginning of something extremely beautiful and exciting. To know that we are about to partake on this adventure with God is so astonishing...I can't even believe it. I have been praying for strength for what we are going to witness and see in just a short amount of time. I have been rather sheltered my whole life, so I know I am going to have some eye opening, gut wrenching, heart breaking experiences and while I am scared of being in the midst of these circumstances...I am looking forward to it as well.

I couldn't help but think of something Katie Davis wrote in her book "Kisses from Katie"-

" I have learned along my journey that if I really want to follow Jesus, I will go to the hard places. Being a Christ follower means being acquainted with sorrow. We must know sorrow to be able to fully appreciate joy. Joy costs pain, but the pain is worth it. "

Here we go....to experience the suffering to know joy. To meet the poor to know richness. To hug the sick to know love.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Getting antsy.

In less than 1 week I will be in Uganda. 

In less than 1 week my life is going to change radically.

In less than 1 week I am going to see God in a way I never have before.

Friends, I am so excited. I'm all immunized and ready to go. I even have a little pile of clothes that I have been placing to the side in anticipation to pack right next to a couple of books and my malaria medicine. 

I keep going back to James 1:27 in my bible. 

I plan on living out this verse to the extreme while I am in Uganda.

It's amazing that this opportunity has even happened. There are times when I think back on how lost I felt just a month ago when thinking about how the future would play out and how badly I wanted to go to Uganda, but was unsure of when it would happen. 

This is my beautiful friend Sara that I get to embark on this adventure with. You should follow her blog and learn more about her AMAZING story here :  http://ssdowning.blogspot.com/

Sara mentioned this in on of her most recent blog posts..for me to be able to go with her now... it's truly a miracle. I want and need to be there for my friend during this amazing and emotional adventure. I want and need to be there for others to help and document the adoption process and way of living to raise awareness. I want and need to be there for myself.  But most importantly I want and need to be there to help and love on the people of Uganda to remind them that Jesus loves them...although I am sure they will be the ones reminding me more than I do them. 

Maybe this is something that ignites something in your own heart. Maybe you aren't exactly able to travel thousands of miles right now to visit the villages of Uganda and help out in the orphanages...but you ARE still able to help.  Sara and Shane have designed an awesome shirt and all the proceeds go to the adoption/orphan care. We are also hoping to fundraise at least $1000 to bring to the nursery to help purchase a dryer for them! If you would like to purchase a shirt or donate money for the nursery, please seek the information down below. 

I hope to be able to update while I am in Uganda...although I plan on getting to know the locals and dive into the culture more. =) I will have SO much to share when we return! 

beauty through others.

A dear friend of mine wrote me a sweet text message recently. He said " Oh and like it or not, you were put on this earth to make people feel beautiful". It was simple and sweet but floored me at the same time. All I want is to show people how beautiful they really are. While I am grateful I get to do that through photographs, I also get to do that every day through relationships. I know what makes me feel beautiful. It's not when a guy says he thinks I'm pretty or a friend tells me I am having a good hair day, it's when I am reminded that I am loved. 

My best friend growing up would always laugh at me and the intense sentimental side of me that I have always had. I don't hold anything back...I like sharing my emotions with others. So when our birthday month of April rolled around and I would hand her my present to her with the card adorned on top..she would always laugh because there would be a novel inside. Really...had that much changed from our 12th to 13th birthday? No...but my love for her had grown significantly every year and I believed it was important for her to know. It was something I was never ashamed of...everytime she opened her card, she knew she would have a heartfelt message telling her how grateful I was for her and hopefully feeling very loved and very beautiful. This is something that I have learned to bring into my every day life...reminding others how much I love them and care for them and hopefully that shows them how much Jesus loves them.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel beautiful...and I can understand how vain that can sound...but give me a second. Beauty seriously comes from the inside and it comes from your heart. To love and be loved is a beautiful thing and I have learned, through alot of low points in my life, that I am loved no matter what by God. The love He has for me is unconditional and so undeserving. When someone loves you...all you want to do is love them back and love on everyone around you because its the best feeling in the world. 

And that is why I have been put on this earth...to love others like He loved me first. It's not easy but it's the best duty one could ever have. Thank you to my friend for reminding me why I was put here on this earth. The opportunity I have been given to be able to document people is one I cherish but I also cherish the fact that I get to interact with people and remind them that they are truly loved and ultimately the most beautiful person in the eyes of their Father.

my heart has been restored and made anew.

the beginning of something big.

Friends, have you ever had that feeling that something huge is about to happen in your life and things are about to radically change? Whether it’s a physical change, emotional change or a spiritual change? I have that right now and my heart is on fire. 

This feeling has been brewing up for the past few months with certainties of what it could possibly be about confirmed here and there. For a majority of the time though, I felt completely lost. I felt this calling for something big but had no idea what it was. All I could do was run to God.

My prayer to God everyday for the last 3 months has been “I am yours God. Use me however you need to. I trust You”. There have been a couple of cases that my constant prayer and trust in God has helped me figure out what direction I need to follow, what’s really going on and what I need to do.

One of those situations I have prayed about daily is the desire that God has planted in my heart for Uganda. My good friend Sara and her family have been in the process of adopting from Uganda for over a year now. We all know that the adoption process is never an easy one and things are constantly changing or sitting still. Well, Saras process has been alot of both. Starting off wanting just one child and now having a verbal approval for a sibling set of 3 kids! In October, Sara and her husband Shane brought up the idea of me traveling with them to document the process and I felt like my prayer was answered! This was the “something huge” that was meant to happen. Not only was this an amazing experience I could document for my friends but it would allow me to follow through with some passions of my heart as well! 

When we were supposed to go has been up in the air as the process has changed alot since October for Sara and Shane and all I could do was pray for patience in the process, for not only them but for me as well. Things felt like they were sitting still and unknown for awhile but meanwhile this seed in my heart for Uganda was growing! It was looking like it wouldn’t be until late spring until we would be able to go to Uganda to bring their kids home and I knew I needed to get there sooner. 

I started looking into some mission organizations and was seriously praying over one called Visiting Orphans. Their mission statement is amazing and all I want to do is go and love on the children of Uganda and that is exactly what they do without the bells and whistles. There was a trip in mid March and I started to wonder if that was the step I should take to get to Uganda…to get my feet on Uganda soil. 

Well…God is funny in His timing and over the course of a few events, He brought up an opportunity for Sara to go to Uganda in early February with a friend from her adoption agency. Like me, Sara just wants to get to Uganda and see what it’s all about and how she can use her gifts to help the people over there. She has a huge heart and ALOT of passion and drive and I knew the wait until late spring/early summer was hard on her. Soooo…Sara jumped on the opportunity to go in early February. Not only would she see the inside world of the agency she works with and meet other families going through the process but she would also get to meet her kids!!! When she told me she was going I knew that was it….that was my chance too. So I simply asked her if I could come too and she said sure! 

So here we go. It’s looking like February 4th we will be flying out of Tulsa, Oklahoma and making our way to Uganda. I am so excited….all I can think about is the beautiful smiling faces we will be greeted with once we roll into the villages. I can’t wait to see Sara put her arms around her children for the first time. I am excited to love these kids like Jesus. I am excited for my heart to be changed radically. I am ready for God to use me however He needs to. I know opportunity will arise from this experience and I can’t help but wonder what it is…I am just so excited. 

Over the past few months, running to God soley, not trusting in my own will to make my “dreams” come true but rather PATIENTLY waiting for His answer has been the most amazing experience ever. He has guided me through a couple of amazing challenges and it all comes down to Him reminding me constantly that He is taking care of me. How did I get so lucky???

I will be documenting this whole process…not only with photographs but journal entries, random experiences, organziations that I am drawn to, scriptures that I’m getting lost in, etc. I am in the midst of working on a personal blog and website for my travel photography and daily experiences and thoughts but for now I will be updating this tumblr to get the ball rolling. 

If you have ever been to Uganda or Africa or can relate to any of the experiences I have shared…I would love to hear from you, I would love for you to share your story. If you asked me 4 months ago…I would have never thought up this adventure I am about to take in just a few weeks but the more I tell people about it…the more they can relate to it! I believe in the community of God and I would love for this to be a place where we can come together as well. 

=)

links:

Check out Saras journey here! : http://ssdowning.blogspot.com/

Visiting Orphans : http://www.visitingorphans.org/