Somewhere along the way we end up in Wisconsin at an amazing resort named Kalahari. No expense was sparred to allow for great fun, relaxation and enjoyment in this place. If anyone earned this “vacation” as sorts it was the people I had been with the last 8 days. They worked hard and did all they could to perfect what they had committed to do.
In our van alone as we pulled up around 10pm at night, there was shouts and screams and gasps at how massive this place is. If you’ve not seen it please check out the links. This place is amazing! We were honored to stay in an amazing condo, whose floor plan rocked with amazing decor and features that simply was a home I could have stayed in forever
Can’t say enough about the park and amusements, food and fun. We even had a ice cream eating contest that Nathan swamped Jim on. I mean seriously how fast can you eat a half gallon of ice cream? I’m pretty sure Nathan can beat you!
Many many thanks to Church on the Rock, Pastors David and Kim Blunt for trusting me with driving these amazing people and allowing me just a tiny glimpse into the excellence of the people of MidWest Movement.
We pulled into the church parking lot and the movement got out and it was a time to unwind. Football, skateboarding and just enjoying the beautiful grounds and a wonderful day! Our mission, Pleasant Hill Arts Center and a fundraiser for Haiti.
Great performances all around that night and of course the movement performed in excellence and nothing stopped them from giving their all and sharing what they came to share!
Our next stop was Kalahari but I’ll leave that for the last blog post about our event.
Last stop: Danville Ill and the New Life Christian Church
Amazing church with a youth group called oneeighty (one-eighty). The Movement performed their best as this was their last performance together as a team. Some will move on and some will stay for another year. What ever they choose we know God will bless their every steps and they were enriched by being a part of the Midwest Movement and we will be enriched by knowing them.. I know I am!
The next place we visited was Bridgeton, Iowa where we visited First Assembly of God, The Great River Christian School and one of the movements own Joy’s home!
Performing an amazing event of Drama’s, Human Videos, Song and Ministry the team was confronted with low ceilings and small smiling faces that allowed them to close the gaps and journey into the realm of being instant in season and out. They rocked and as we left..the small voice from inside the fence at the Great River School screaming: “I love you, you’re awesome” if just that one little voice was affected by what he saw and heard that day, then… it was all worth it. Every moment! Because he’ll never forget the group that showed up and performed for him that day!
After that we we drove to team member Joy’s home, where her family prepared lunch for everyone and her father gave us ample amounts of pepperidge farms products to eat along the way. Serious, have you tried their new products? YUMMY! thanks so much to Joy’s family for their hospitality and love shown to us!
Next stop: Pleasant Hills Arts Center, Pleasant Hills, Missouri and New Life Christian Church in Danville, Ill.
I was once again asked to drive for the Midwest movement (MWM) and I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be with these people. Top notch, class and a whole bunch of energy rolled into one!
Let me introduce you to them:
Sean – 3rd year, sensible, down to earth, leader
Shanon – 3rd year, considerate, organized, mom figure to group
Jeff – 3rd year, artist, created groups T shirt design, observant
Tim – caring, open, will pray for anyone and has
Ricky – strong, big heart, sensitive and shaves his head
Landon – bass player, witty, focused, loves music
Jeremy – funny man and all around tech guy
Tank – dancer, heart and a ton of energy
Marquis – thoughtful, will do anything he’s asked and really tall
Nathan – strong, helpful and mechanically inclined
Justin – musician, inquisitive, concerned and a great singer
Jamison – musician, thinker, hard working
Christina – investigative, inquisitive, funny, and lots of questions!!
Mackenzie- hard working, strong, sensible
Millie – lovable, caring, smart, artist and loves to hug
Joy – kind, caring, and growing
They have all made immeasurable impact in my life from our first meetings till now. I’m blessed to know you all!
Yours truly got to drive a HUGE 7 passenger van, and I’ll be honest, I was not comfortable, but I have to admit I rocked it! It was not as bad as I thought and with that awesome backup navigation beepy thing, I was home free. I did however follow the wrong van for a period of time and I think I would have followed them right to their home if my mistake was not revealed to me. Hey, in my defense, a white van is a white van right?
I took notes this trip about where we were and what we did. Basically what the movement does is travel for 9 days and it’s a stretching on everyone involved, but it’s all good. They may not think so, but they are an extraordinary! I’ve said it to them and I’ll tell you “I know exceptional people who can’t get along together for 12 hours much less then 9 days” This is rare, yet so common for them! It’s an honor to be around them!
So this tour we traveled to Moberly Missouri, Bridgeton, Iowa, Pleasant Hill, Mo., and Danville Ill. with a fun stop in Wisc. for a team retreat at Kalahari Resorts!
I got to experience several different ministries and meet a TON of new people and that is one of my most favorite things to do!
Let’s start with Moberly Missouri, Family Life Fellowship Destiny Center, Pastor Shawn and over 200 young people filling this 2nd story brownstone in downtown Moberly. This is quite a place for young people to hang out, skate park on the lower level, cafe, pool table, basketball and then the stage and ministry center.
Here’s a bit of video from our travels and a few of the team ministering…
Next blog post: MWM 2! Why they do it, what they did and Fun times at Kalahari!
In closing about the Arizona Mission Trip I have to say I’m still thinking about the people who touched my heart.
Thank you to everyone that entrusted us with this trip, your children and the awesome responsibility to be a light to the world!
So without going on and on and on about stuff I’ve already said in the past 3 blog posts, I wanted to leave you with some shots of the people who I got to spend time with, worship with and hear their life story.
The faces of White River Arizona…
When I came home from Arizona last week, I got off the plane around eleven and took our bus back to the church where my sons picked us up. I can’t remember what time I got home, but I do know that after I unpacked and did some laundry I was in bed around three and up again around 5:30. I was shooting a gym event in Illinois.
Now I get to sit back and reflect on a trip, a people and chance to change!
Whenever you are given a chance to give back, you are always given a chance to change. I was honored to be one of 21 of the greatest people on the plant as we all set out to “make a difference”. What made the difference was what changed in me and how much I learned about hope, life and love from the amazing people of White River and White River Assembly of God!
I had more experiences then I can mention, and I’ve mentioned so many in the prior posts and video’s.
I’ve seen hope in hopelessness, and I’ve seen love in a land that love seems to have abandoned!
There was painting a sanctuary, feeding the hungry, walking among the locals, and for me…. the faces. Nothing NOTHING can compare to conversation, eye contact and listening, stopping long enough to care to hear the stories of Alvis, Lucy, Rudy and the list goes on. Seeing the face of a small boy that just sweeps your breath away and wondering what the future will hold for him! Hoping that somehow, what you’ve done in a week will affect him for his lifetime! Life is so precious and when it touches you so deep, that you genuinely care, then that is change, change I am so thankful for!
Pastors School in Phoenix was a whole new setting and to be a refreshing but, the people we left up in the mountains was forever a part of my daily thoughts and prayers.
Pastors school, was empowering, awing and just one big WOW! There were classes by an invisible man (yes I sat in on a class about that), there was a mountain, that I was absolutely fine to climb 1/2 way and enjoy the view from there and events that would make your jaw drop.
It was all such an awesome experience, I won’t ever forget and I am forever grateful for such an opportunity!
Stained Glass window at the church that hosted the Movement!
Millie's mom and nephew!
I believe her granddaughter was interpreting in apache to her
I still see his face! I'd have brought him home with me if I could have!
Lucy, she loved seeing her image after I took it! She's beautiful!
The Movement! Some really amazing people!
Pastors School, I got to play with some amazing lighting!
Now I've seen it all! Starbucks!!!!
One of so many amazing dramatical experiences at Phoenix First Assembly
The days wound down and it was time for us to leave, this lady was thinking about the drive DOWN the mountain. I was a bit concerned, but it was not so bad…sometimes our minds can play a big role into our fears. Saying good-bye was a bitter sweet thing, some of the kids from the movement would not be back next year, so this would be their last time visiting White River. First trip, last trip it was an experience and it wasn’t over yet….
Oh yes and a mountain, prayer mountain, that I was going to climb!
Arizona was much warmer and the hotel we stayed in was beautiful. We were once again busy from the time we got there till the time we left, it’s just part of fitting it all in and not missing a moment. You just do what you have to do.
Phoenix First Assembly was the church we went to for the meetings and what a set up. WOW. The dramas, music and ministry was amazing.
The drama was amazing, their plays are put on by over 600 volunteers and would put New Yorks Broadway to shame, no really! Angels floated in the air, live pyrotechnics and people dedicated to what they were doing.
The music… Press Play, okay you have to hear them, they are pretty amazing. Coffey was there, American Idol contestant Michael Sarver and Sinbad!
and you have to check out the Dream Center…want to support a good work? Here is your chance!!!
I got to attend a couple classes and it was fun, but most fun of all was watching everyone else react to what was going on. I had my run of the place, myself and the video guy Sean, we were everywhere in that place and I’m very sure he got some amazing footage, HE even got on stage!!!
It was a packed 9 days, was it 9 days? I can’t even remember but it was such an honor and blessing to be able to participate and get to know everyone and work side by side, by some of the most amazing people in the world, our own MidWest Movement!
Thank you all so much… and yes, Christina, your words are coming I promise!
Oh and that mountain. hmmm, I made it half way, then it did not matter anymore. I was high enough to feel the presence of God!
Okay, so here is where I get to tell you what we did. Normally what happens is ministry, drama, music and a drawing of people from every corner of the reservation, this year was different.
Due to the snow, most basketball games were cancelled and basketball is a BIG deal on the reservation, so by the time we got their, the snow stopped and the games were on. What this meant was the services would have been bare, so instead of the normal flow, we flowed the way God wanted us too. Everything happens for a reason.
So, we cleaned and painted and moved and removed and cleared out and redid. We repainted the entire sanctuary, moving out all the chairs, covering every fan, removing all fixtures and wall plates, covered the carpet and went to town. What a difference. We put the church back in order for Sundays Service.
The men had a men’s meeting while the woman went with Hope Feeding to a small church that opened it’s doors to whomever wanted to eat and they were not only fed, they were served! This is where we really got to interact with the people and listen to their stories.
Bashes is a general store in the area, we got to visit for a tail gate they had where local vendors sold items. What happened there was a real experience into life on the reservation, and we had Tank. Tank is a young man with a talent that some may think not very “godly” but I can tell you, if we did not have Tank doing his popping, locking and moving, we would have not had drawn the crowd we had. God will use us, we just have to let him! Sure we had a few surprises, but all in all, we had some great conversations and everyone was invited to church that Sunday… surprise was, most of them came!
There were two very touching drama’s performed and moving music. I got to sit in on a Sunday service in both Apache and English. WOW!!! Something about people who are really reaching out to God, they have nothing else to reach out, some have tried other things, every thing. I talked with one man who was an alcoholic, he told me about passing out and waking up by the road outside the church, had no idea how he got there… looked and the church and thought… “I wonder what it’s like in there” He passed out again, but in time he ended up coming and is now one of the regular members of the church.
My honor was taking pictures of the people, it took a few days to feel comfortable in my role, but from the youngest to the oldest, it was an honor. Their faces are deep with emotion and in some you can see the trail of life that has taken them to where they are now. Pain, Sorrow, joy and love. A people just about forgotten by everyone around them, a nation inside a nation. A proud people. Apache’s are warriors! I was so deeply humbled watching and learning about them! As strong as the features of their faces are the features of their hearts. Very open, loving and giving. Very strong and determined.
Not a day goes by…that I don’t think of something I learned or experienced. I’m overwhelmed when I think about the things I saw and the people I got to photograph!
I can speak for myself… I know we were sent there to minister to them, but I learned more in those few days then I’ve learned in a long time, but watching and being quiet and observing.
I’ll be putting up a blog post of personal thoughts next week. I’m trying to stay focuses on the Movement and all that transpired in such a short time, it went by fast.
Thanks to COTR and Midwest Movement for allowing me this awesome opportunity. Thank you for trusting me with a van of awesome people and an open door into the lives of some of the most amazing people I’ve met!
I had the distinct honor to travel with an amazing group of young people to White River Arizona, Apache Tribe.
I have to tell you now that I have made 3 video’s to cover this event and will show them to you over the course of this coming few days.
Midwest Movement is a group of select young people from my church that spend 10 months of their lives: giving, learning and doing. I can’t speak enough about the maturity that I saw, let alone the selflessness they exhibited in the days I was with them.
I said it so often they all just kinda looked at me, but honestly, there were 16 people together in some tough environment and I did not see one instance of anything other then love, help, understanding, kindness and dying to ones self. Sure, there were little things, but honestly so little I don’t even need to mention them. I’m so proud of what I saw and that I got to be a part of that. I’m also thrilled to have made 16 new friends!
I’m trying to figure out how to tell you all what happened in the days I was gone. I guess the best way is at the beginning. We left STL bright and early and boarded our plane to Arizona, When we got to Arizona we drove up and I mean UP to White River where they had just dug out from a major snowstorm… it was COLD!
The movement stayed in a small church where they would be working and ministering, and as things had it, nothing was meant to be the same and there were a lot of changes that took place. They slept on beds of 8-10 chairs put together. Breakfast was always good, in fact the food was always very good, we also had a chance to experience authentic Apache food: Fry bread, Oven Bread, Apache Burgers and more.
For me, it was all about pictures and it took me a couple days to get comfortable taking pictures of a people who were not accustomed to a photographer in their face, but… I said earlier, take a picture of someone and show them their image and tell them how beautiful they are, and they smile and you’ve made a friend!
I learned a lot about Reservation life and my heart soon opened wide to accept a people, I’d not really thought a lot about till now. I think daily about the people who touched my life, the faces I saw, and the things I experienced.
Hope took on a whole new meaning to me! I saw young people praying and I wondered, how hard is it to have Hope here? Unemployment 80-85%, suicide attempts increasing and drinking and drugs seem to be a normal way of life for most…then…then there are the people making a change, and they are! I heard countless stories of the power of prayer. In this small church, that was cleaned, painted and lived in is making huge dents in an otherwise hopeless situation. The power of prayer is one thing, but the power of a group of people acting, doing and giving is another….Actions!!!! Love was abounding and I was again, sooo very blessed to have been asked to go and experience it.
Running a tad late with posts, I had so many posts going on, but I wanted to make sure you all got to see this! How awesome it is. One private comment..yes, Bob, I know!
I have to go to the coolest church on the planet. I get to photograph the most amazing things and it’s a church that never stops doing and giving and bringing such great things for us to be a part of.
Sunday we had a live nativity. How cool is that? Fact is it was very cool, it was freezing cold. These had to be some of the most dedicated warm blooded people I know. I’m not sure what the temperature was but, for some reason I did not bring a coat and I was frozen through! But there were two teams of Nativity people who sat, and acted for people to enjoy.
Not only were the people troopers but so were the camels and sheep and goats and chickens.
I got to look at peoples faces as they saw the live nativity right before their eyes. Children looked in amazement and I heard the gasps of people as they saw what was put together for them that day.
and it had to be one of the most photographed event on phones that day!
I wish I had sent everyone a picture from my Iphone, I just was not thinking.
My favorite part are the camels. I love Camels and I’ve been blessed to take pictures of Camels in Israel. These camels were different, first off they did not spit, and the one camel became my friend, yes I become friends with camels. Don’t judge
So, below are some of the images of the day! It was cold but it did not stop anyone from stopping and looking in awe at a very big real reminder of the Nativity.
Yes, we changed our blog again! Why? Because we can, and, because it’s so important to us to keep current and up on the trends, what’s new, what’s exciting and what gives you the very best!
We LOVE what we do, and that is what sets us apart from the rest. It’s not just a “job”, in fact it’s not a job at all, we love it, and we have fun while we shoot and you will to! You are not going to have to worry for a second what we are doing or how we are doing. That’s what we do, set you at ease so you can enjoy your day and we can get the awesome images you deserve.
