BE APART OF THE STORY | THE MISSION BEHIND THE BUSINESS
After I graduated college and I had no idea what I was going to do as an adult. I knew I loved art and I knew I loved ministry, but I also knew that those two things weren’t the best career options for someone who actually wanted to make a living.
But, God is bigger.
In 2014, I had the opportunity to travel to São Paulo, Brazil. It changed my life.
As I walked through the dirt roads, loved on children, and passed out what might have been the only good meal those families would have that day, or week, I saw more beauty and more brokenness than I’d ever seen in my life. What hurt me the most was coming back to my cozy bed, my wonderful family and all the blessings I had. It’s hard when you realize how differently the rest of the world lives. The 4 year old girl that I played with had experienced more pain in her little life than I had in 20 years.
São Paulo is absolutely beautiful, but it is also very, very broken.
Over the course of the next couple months and years, my eyes were opened to the beauty and brokenness around me. I didn’t need to travel across the world to see it. It was happening in my own neighborhood. Slowly God showed me what He had in mind for me. I would be a bridge. A bridge that connected people who wanted to help heal the world’s brokenness with the amazing people who are doing just that in places where it’s needed the most.
5 years and 1 degree later – life fell apart. I was exactly where I’d started, except now I had a new (and expensive) hobby and a camera attached to me at all times. God allowed all of my plans to fall apart so that He could show me His plan for my life. He’s beautiful plan.
Word of Life Island is a summer youth camp that was started by an incredible man named Jack Wyrtzen. An actual island located in the middle of Schroon Lake in upper state New York, the Island has seen many lives changed.
My heart wanted to become a bridge. My desire was to somehow continue supporting ministries that I am passionate about. But I had no idea how it would be possible with a “real” job. I remember sitting at my old job, brainstorming the future of my business and how to make my dreams a reality. I was stuck on two things I was most passionate about:
1. I wanted to do ministry, more than just serving on a Sunday morning.
2. I wanted to be a photographer who traveled the world and captured people’s stories.
These two didn’t seem to go together in my head., but when God has a plan, nothing is off the table. I remember stumbling upon another photographer’s post about her love for missions and how she uses her photography to support a small mission in Kenya. That’s when it hit me. If she could do that, why couldn’t I do both?
After I had decided to make my dream of a photography business into a reality, I knew that it would be apart of making an impact. So 5% of every single session is going to send teens to the camp that has made an impact in my life and so many others. Every single session, every memory I capture, every wedding I document supports this ministry. It’s my favorite part of my business because I not only get to do what I love and tell your stories, but I get to be apart of something that is making a huge difference in the lives of people both in my city and across the world.
God is funny like that, sometimes. He knows how to make all your dreams come true before you even know they are your dreams. I look back to five years ago and wonder how in the world He got me here. How He orchestrated every single step. Every unknown. Every fear. Every failure. All so He could get me to this place. This place where He so lovingly molded every passion in my heart into one purpose that, I hope, will bring Him glory.
If you want to get more in involved in Word of Life – attend their summer camp, or serve at it, or go on a missions trip them – just send me a message and I’ll get you some more information! If you want to capture some amazing moments in your life while supporting my vision, then lets DO IT! It would be my honor and joy!
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