swazi photography by mandy finley

 

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

 

 

 

photography

I sort of feel like I'm high on the clouds today.  It's almost weird when an opportunity is presented to you but you know you couldn't do it for at least another year or two.  I remember praying quite a while back about God using my photography talent that He has given me for His glory.  I especially wanted to photograph children, my my heart lays.  I was offered an invitation to go to Northern Uganda and take a ton of pictures for an organization called "Today's Children, Africa's Future".  I dont really know that terribly much about them.  They are small yet, and I dont think that many people have heard about them either.  I heard of them through facebook, somehow...Anyways, I thought that was pretty interesting.  I almost wanted to jump at it and accept it, but I knew I couldn't. Not now anyways.  I've began to want to take pictures more and more each year I get older, the desire grows deeper.  When the founder had presented this invitation to me, a bit later a thought had come to me.  I had remembered that night when I went to sleep but asked God to give me such an opportunity some day.  I dont know if this is the one He is talking about, but all I know is He is involved in my life and does hear me when I think He doesn't.  (We all doubt many times).  Even thought he knows I can't do this now, the founder still asked me if I would be willing to make a book for them to represent their organization to others (and for sponsored children).  Neat huh?  We'll see what God has planned for this next...I dont know for sure if I will be making this book, but it definitely made my day...for someone to recognize and be impressed by my photos I had posted on facebook.  

(Oh, and I have no photography training actually; I wish I could take a class to learn more about the technical parts of the camera)


I am pretty excited to see where I will be lead to in the future.  

God, you are always there, pulling my hand along the way gently.  And whenever I take a step backwards or sidewards, you are always pushing me back onto the right path.  I love you Jesus.

countdown

15 

days

till

I 

go

back

to

Africa

Africa Inland Mission

The other day, I met with the Regional Director of Africa Inland Mission.  It was such a great time for me because I dont get to talk with someone very often who has had many years of experience on the mission field.  I believe he was in Kenya for 20 some years or so.  Anyways we went to eat at an Indian restraunt for lunch. It was great to talk about my passion and what God has put in my heart for future ministry. So I was given two different opportunities I could pray about for the future- the first one was the TIMO program which is a two year foundation for ministry or I could work in an Orphanage in Uganda for one year and continue if I feel lead to after that.  I am bursting with joy right now! My heart is exploding with love for these african children who deserve a better life!

Class and Thoughts

Today, my Mali team had class from about 9-5 all day with cooking in between.  (We were graded on cooking and being back to class on time!)  We are doing the classroom portion of the class now.  When we get to Mali (in one month) we will then be doing some major hands-on projects amongst the culture, through observation and other things.  I'm actually excited for this.  Many people who ask me about this trip think its just another missions trip.  But in fact, it's all about experience.  It is all about learning about the ways other cultures think, why they do what they do and discovering more about the culture's values without making easy judgments on what they do.  It's very interesting and I am enjoying where this class is leading us already. 

After this week of class I will go back home (on Mon) and then Wednesday I am meeting with Warren Day, the Regional Director, from Africa Inland Mission.  I am so excited.  I've been looking into possible mission organization opportunities for the future.  I actually found out about AIM through one of our textbooks in a class I took in the Spring Semester of 2009.  I looked it up and it has stuck with me since.  After that I found out my Swaziland Leader this past summer knows Warren and it was kind of a cool thing to me.  I'm not sure what I am going to do yet.  I have a couple possibilities to go with after graduation in 2011.  Either I could work and start fundraising to go somewhere short-term (at first) with AIM (like one year), and eventually lead to long-term.  Or I could do their TIMO program, which is a 2 year foundation for ministry.  A small team of 8-10 people amongst an experienced missionary leader goes to an area of Africa that is considered "unreached peoples".  They do intensive language learning, homework, book reading inside of different units during those 2 years (i.e. spiritual warfare).  That's a major commitment though.  Another option I'm considering is going back to school right away that next fall and getting my Medical Assistant Degree (1 yr) to have some medical experience under my belt I can use overseas.  I feel if I dont do it now, I never will.  I honestly cannot get myself to say I want to do Nursing and go back for another 3 years.  I don't have the motivation or passion for that.  It would also be nice to have an MA degree b/c I could work for a while and save up before I went overseas, and if I came back I could always get a job again...again that is relying on security when I should rely on our Heavenly God.

The other thing that has been on my mind lately is children.  African children.  They grabbed my heart in Swaziland and my heart is bursting with more joy to just hold one of them again, and maybe someday be a mother to one.  I have been having consistent dreams, night after night, about children, about Africa, about being a mother.  God has never spoken to me through dreams, that I can remember anyways.  It's as clear as daylight.  He continues to give this passion to me when I pray about it.  But I have to remember to continually let HIM be my true passion, and out of that relationship flows a passion to be a tool for His broken world.  They brighten up my heart, and I can't think of any other thing in my future then to work at an orphanage or take care of children left on the street over there.  I can't even describe it anymore...it's intense.  I just have to wait now, and continue praying.

I love You, Jesus

Sacrificial Love

"The face that Moses had begged to see---
was forbidden to see---
was slapped bloody(Ex 33:19-20).
The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his own brow...
'On your back with you!' One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier's heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner's wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier's life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own.
Who supplies breath to his lungs?
Who gives energy to his cells?
Who holds his molecules together?
Only by the Son do "all things hold together" (Col. 1:17).
The victim wills that the soldier live on---he grants the warriors continued existence.
The man swings.

As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm---the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless---the nerves perform exquisitely. "Up you go!" They lift the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He beings to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being---the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father's eye turns brown with rot.

His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed,
shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross.
Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath.
But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky.
The Son does not recognize these eyes.

"Son of Man! Why have you behaved so?
You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped---
murdered, envied, hated, lied.
You have cursed,
robbed,
overspent,
overeaten---
fornicated,
disobeyed,
embezzled, and
blasphemed.
Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned!
Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name?
Have you ever held your razor tongue?
What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk---
you, who molest young boys,
peddle killer drugs,
travel in cliques, and
mock your parents.
Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons?

Does the list ever end?

Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp---
buying politicians, practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes.
You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves---relishing each morsel and bragging about it all.

I hate, loathe these things in you!
Disgust for everything about you consumes Me!
Can you not feel my wrath?"

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself.
The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place.
Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.
The Father watches as his heart's treasure, the mirror-image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah's stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.
"Father! Father! Why have You forsaken me?!"
But heaven stops its ears.
The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply.
The Trinity had planned it.
The Son endured it.
The Spirit enabled him.
The Father rejected the Son whom He loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied.

The Rescue was accomplished.

*This leaves me speechless everytime.  You can hardly read through it without stopping and thinking of what the Son of God went through for me and for you....we are sinful people but we are soo soo blessed!  We need Jesus, that is the beginning of the true Gospel. 

Ugandan Necklaces!

I found these necklaces made by some women in Uganda to raise money for living.  They are actually made out of recycled paper or newspapers, pretty creative huh?  Go here for purchasing a necklace from SUUBI, Light Gives Heat.  They also have bags, t-shirts and other sorts of necklaces in different lengths and color schemes.  I may have to splurge on this one so I can help these women out!!  It's easy to feel guilty in buying "stuff" at walmart where all your money is going towards is people's incomes and the store.  But what is better than giving your money to those who really need it---I get alot of joy out of it and the Lord is honored through it.