Malawi

“Camp Chisomo is located in southern Malawi, a region that is rich in natural resources and cultural beauty. Camp Chisomo is established in the heart of the villages we have spent years working with in order to continue building relationships and implementing sustainable resources and practices.

Camp Chisomo provides an opportunity for stateside high school and college students to spend a summer as counselors, learning about the culture while running programming sessions for the children at camp. Campers are local children that have been nominated by village officials to attend, while stateside sponsorships allows campers to attend camp without the burden of financial responsibility.

Our camp facilities are intended to bring structure and safety to our campers, while providing them with the new and exciting experiences. Our staff are currently constructing our Staff Housing building, allowing our staff and counselors to reside on our land as we run camp programming and continue the construction of future buildings. Our future goals include cabins used as housing for counselors and campers, which will likely be the first time these children will sleep in a bed or under a mosquito net to protect them during the night. We desire to have a chapel that will be used each morning and night with campers, and a mess hall that will be used for meals and activities.”

www.campchisomo.com

We spent a few weeks this last November with the Camp Chisomo Team. We were able to capture the beginning stages of building on the Camp’s land while seeing some old friends. We love every thing camp stands for and we hope that you’d follow along with their journey!

Here is a link to video footage of our time with Camp Chisomo:

www.gooderafilm.com/work/camp-chisomo

Deaf Can! Coffee

"Deaf Can! Coffee exists to affirm young people in their identity as a Deaf person and as someone made in the image of God. Success is defined as young men and women accepting themselves, believing in their inherent gifts and talents, taking responsibility for their future and becoming a leader in their families, communities and careers. We are an outreach of HarvestCall Jamaica, a not-for-profit organization founded to obey God and love others." [www.deafcancoffee.com]

To see more blogs posts like this, click here.

Malawi // Camp Chisomo

For more information, or to watch the mini-doc "Chisomo Pa Chisomo", go to www.CampChisomo.com

Gear used:

Sony a7s, Sony a6000

Canon FD 50mm 1.8, Canon FD 135mm 2.5, Rokinon 14mm 2.8, Sony/Zeiss 35mm 2.8

Edited in Lightroom CC, with VSCO presets.

IF:Table

My first experience with IF was the the IF: Gathering last February. I joined a local group of women for two days full of learning and asking "what would it look like IF we lived like Jesus?" It was a gift to gather with women of all ages to worship, listen to, and stand in awe of our God.  During these two days I was moved, challenged, heard, encouraged, & believed in by these new and old friends.

One of the many important things I walked away with was knowing the importance of gathering around a table. They encouraged the IF: Table, an idea based on Acts 2:46, "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." I had recently started meeting every other week with a group of women who I would consider my people. The women who know me through & though, cheer me on, and point me to Truth. We met every other Tuesday to gather around one of our kitchen tables, share a meal, and share our lives. 

Gathering around a table has taught me a lot about Jesus. And He has taught me that when we gather, as I prepare food, or share a meal with those who know me, that He does not only nourish my body, but my spirit as well. We can love others by serving them in our kitchen, but we can also love ourselves by taking a place at the table. At this place He feeds us & we choose to honor the fact that He has made us to need Him and others.    

Here is a recent piece Neal created for the Cedar Valley's IF: Table. Our hope is that it moves more women to say YES to the table & the work God does there. 

-Courtney