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ISSUE EIGHT

MAY 2009

ISSUE EIGHT

MAY 2009

ISSUE EIGHT

MAY 2009

ISSUE EIGHT

MAY 2009

ISSUE EIGHT

MAY 2009

When did you come to Christ and choose to live a set-apart life for Him?

God rested my childhood into the hands of two great Christians, my parents. They raised me with a holy fear of God, love for Jesus, and a strong sense of honor and set-apartness.   I was blessed to be set down into such a world, but even with such protection and introduction to the things of God, I came to a point in my early teen years where I faced my utter lostness and desperate need to give my life into Jesus’ hands, relinquishing my control thus far, and laying hold of His given Life.

That was the time of my true salvation and surrender, but in recent years God has taken me much, much deeper in understanding what it means to be bought with the price of His life and set apart for Him alone.   God has walked me through the process of dethroning other lovers in my heart, overcoming lust, laying down worldly praise and pursuits, and re-shaping my dreams, desires, and plans around His priorities.   I have found no adventure so great or joy so full as bringing death to my own life and living in His!

What are some experiences that have dramatically shaped your relationship with Him?

One of the first memories I have of being forever changed by the reality of Jesus was when I left my home in Idaho to attend Capernwray Bible School in England.  Stepping out from under the umbrella of my parent’s wisdom and guidance led me all the way to a tree in the middle of a pasture in the English countryside where I sat and discovered what dependency upon Christ alone truly meant.  It was a sweet and simple moment, but it changed the very way I was to operate from that point on.   I had a big decision to make and couldn’t reach my parents at home.  I was frustrated, angry, and panicked with the deadline to decide rapidly approaching.   A Bible was in my lap and I opened up haphazardly to Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and lead you in the way you should go, with My eye upon you.”

Gently, God’s words took a deep grip around my heart and mind and I realized that, although I would always have the godly counsel of my dear parents, the Lord wanted me to look to Him first for the direction and decisions of my life.   Not only that, but that He would answer and lead me.  This truth was immediately put into practice that day and my joy in the reality of our near and real Savior, Jesus, has been not only lasting, but abundant in it’s increase!

Another adventure led me to a leprosy village in remote China.  I was very intimidated by this, and was grabbing on to that “dependency” lesson every step of our trip.   Our group made plans to visit the village, bringing love, medical care, and supplies to the people there.  I was amazed at the reality of how rejected these people were, ostracized from society and nearly forgotten down the long dirt road that led to their hideaway.   It truly brought new emotion and understanding to the stories of Jesus’ encounters with lepers.

While touring their village, they led us to a very old and abandoned building, and to our surprise, we found a woman living in it.  It was so grievous to realize that these rejected people had outcast one of their very own - a blind and crippled woman had been left in a dark corner of the neglected building.

I’ll never forget what I heard Jesus say to me in that moment.  I was kneeling before the woman with a translator at my side and all I could see before me was ugliness.  Discomfort filled every bit of me and all my eyes could see were mangled feet, broken skin, blind eyes, and the stench of poverty.  I knew that God wanted me to embrace this woman with the love He had sent me to give, but I found myself wholly unable.  I offered my hand, and what was left of hers grabbed mine with such a desperation that I dropped my eyes to the ground and began pleading with God to give me what I knew I didn’t possess.  In that moment of simple asking and recognizing that my own measure would never be enough to give in the name of Christ, He answered,  “I will do it.”  

That’s all it took.  I lifted my head and my eyes now saw a beautiful creation of God, who’s worth to Him was far more than my heart could hold.  A real, overruling love filled my heart and somehow my two arms found themselves wrapped around her whole body.  She began to shake and cried “I’ve missed you, I’ve missed you.”  

How could a blind woman have missed me, someone she had never met?   Her blindness allowed for me to be removed and Christ was present.   This changed me.  I now know that no person is unreachable, no encounter too difficult, no challenge too great, that the indwelling Life of Christ cannot take it on victoriously and lovingly through my yielded life.   

When did you begin to feel His call to the lost/least?

When I was little, my mom would take me to visit those who were often forgotten or rejected.  I followed her everywhere.  Nursing homes were our favorite places and we would sing and pray with many of the people there.  I was taught by my mom’s example to ignore the feelings of awkwardness or fear that kept me from reaching out, and to extend a simple gesture of love or prayer; and my young eyes saw the fruit of it and tasted that early joy of serving others.

Then when I was about 13, I had a burden emerge for the orphan girls in China.  I spent hours looking at photos and reading statistics of the conditions, numbers, and heartaches of these little ones.  God awakened me to His heart back then and it has only grown since.   And I can say that whenever my life has met with an orphan, a passion to give my life to them is ignited in an almost uncontainable measure!

Tell us a little about how He has called you to use your photography skills for the cause of orphans.

I have always loved taking photos and at one time dreamed of being trained professionally, pursuing it as my full time work.   Time and money had never allowed me to pursue it in that measure, and once I surrendered my life fully to Jesus, I dove joyfully into full time ministry work.  It was only after laying my passion for photography down at His feet that God allowed me to pick up a camera and begin using it for the ministry He had called me to.  He trained me through the lens of His heart and gave me hours of practice with the little faces constantly before me in my role as a nanny.

One of my favorite verses is I Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.”  I have learned that whether God leads you through professional training or a more “back roads” way, if He is calling you, then He will equip you!  He can choose the avenue in which I learn, but I want Him alone to build my skill and work.

Directing my photography into orphan work was simply the outflow of my passion and love for these children.   I wanted to visit them, live with them, snuggle them, teach them, find them homes, etc., but then I also began to see just how powerful photos can be when you share a child’s individual story and give a face to go with it.  God began to open my eyes to how my photography can serve their lives, connecting them with families, sharing their stories, advocating their cause, and sharing Christ and His heart in the process.  I also began to see other peoples lives and hearts mobilized to serve these little ones and pointed to their rescuer.    I’m just beginning in this adventure and time will have to yield the fruit for the Lord.

When I first began longing to use my photography for orphans, I had no idea how to go about it.   I was in full time ministry work, could not take too much time off to travel and I had no idea where to being looking for the need.  I began saying a simple prayer - but prayed it faithfully and fervently - “Lord, open the door for me to use my photography for orphans.”  It wasn’t long before the need for a photographer had come up between an adoption agency and their conversation with Eric and Leslie.  The next thing I knew I was amid 50 orphans in the countryside of Haiti.  Doors you don’t even know to knock on will open wide to you when you trust, yield, and pray!

“When I was thinking about who our "sister of the common life" should be this month, it struck me that the answer might be right under my nose.  I thought it would be a great idea to acquaint our readers with Annie Wesche, my beloved assistant and nanny, who has tirelessly served our family and ministry over the past four years.  For those of you who have met Annie at our retreats or conferences, you know that she has a radiance and passion for Christ that is truly inspiring, contagious, and powerful.  I am daily blessed and privileged to have Annie in my life as a wonderful ministry comrade and friend.  I know you will be uplifted and encouraged by this glimpse into her walk with Christ...”

      rainy days  .  my townie bike  .  dogs  .  kiddo giggles

            outings with my mum  .  stories of victorious historical Christianity 

   spending days on end with orphans  .  peonies  .  english countryside

                                                                    hardcover books  .  soft scarves

* back to magazine archives

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