Photography as mission... focusing in on building bridges

Selfie.  (/ˈselfiː/) A self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. They are usually flattering and made to appear casual. Most selfies are taken with a camera held at arm's length or pointed at a mirror, rather than by using a self-timer.

They are everywhere. You text them to friends, attach them to emails, and make them your Facebook profile pic. You can post them to Tumblr, pin them on Pinterest, Instagram them to the world and, erase them in a few seconds with Snapchat.

Most of us have so many photos of ourselves and our families  we hardly think twice about them. With the advent of the digital age, many people have more photos then they can ever hope to display, let alone organize. 

The days of the Kodak Instamatic Camera with the square flash cube are long gone. And so are photo albums, drive thru film processing from Fotomat, and those classic frames with holes of every size and shape. 

Today, if you want a picture, you just pull out your phone, snap it, save it, and print it. 

But what if you lived in a place where that new fangled technology had not reached? What if you lived in a place like San Dionesio Ocotepec, Oaxaca?

Getting vitals checked at our clinic in San Dionesio Ocotepec, Oaxaca

I was there recently with my ministry, Adventures in Life, to hold a medical clinic for the people of that largely Zapotec community. Alongside the medical checkups and eye exams, we also offered personal photos to the people of the community.

Cyndy Smith of Mission Focused climbing to get the perfect shot

Using Mission Focused, a San Diego based non-profit dedicated to using the power of photography for God’s glory, we were able to give many of the people, like this man, of that small pueblo, and others around Oaxaca, the first photos of themselves.

Read those words again… the first photos of themselves!

You see, the selfie craze hasn’t quite reached many of the people of San Dionesio. Neither has the ability to quickly, and inexpensively print photos. 

As I think about mission, thoughts of connection are always closely intertwined. How do we, as believers, connect with people who are different from us? What are the ways we can develop bridges into communities to make a kingdom difference?

The ubiquitous Splash Mountain shot, complete with a selfie 

One of those ways is through photography. Even if you are that person who hates having your picture taken, I’ll bet you still go check out that candid photo Disneyland takes of you on Splash Mountain. We can’t help ourselves. There is just something about seeing our faces, smiling or not, on an artist’s canvas, or in this case, through the photographer’s lens.

Especially, if it is the first time. In. Your. Life!

Brother Joe printing out photos in San Dionesio Ocotepec

Now imagine if that gift comes from a group of people who love God and are freely giving you that gift. In a world where everything seems to come with strings attached, that idea seems like a relic of a bygone era.

Effective mission, the kind that connects to people for the long hard work of disciple making, takes relationship. It is not accomplished by giving one of Chick’s Tracts to someone you’ve just met. I place great value in the old Young Life saying that you need to “earn the right to be heard” before sharing about the Gospel. 

Those pictures Mission Focused took for us? Along with our medical mission, these were the first steps in relationship building for Adventures in Life in San Dionesio Ocotepec. My hope and prayer is that they will serve as a bridge for the local churches with whom we work in that area to challenge people to live for Jesus.

******************************************************

Here are a few of the portraits taken that week by Brother Joe and Cyndy Smith during our week of ministry in Oaxaca. We made sure everyone got a print of the photos we took of them. Check out more of their work on the Mission Focused Facebook page...

MISSION Focused and the Power of Photography...

Every once in a while, I get asked if short-term ministry makes any real difference in the lives of those we serve.

The answer usually is that it depends.

Certainly it can if you are part of a team that brings some significant improvement to a family, church, or area.

But those are the big obvious examples.

Far more times we are never going to see how our work impacts those in other countries when we go to serve.

Today however was different.

I was next door to a church we helped build in San Baltazar, Oaxaca, talking to the Jaime and his family as they were working in their trade, making shawls.  When it was time to leave, Jaime’s wife Marta invited me into the house to talk and have a cup of avena.

As I walked in the door, I saw it.  A picture I have seen a million times on my computer.  It is one I have used on the Adventures in Life Ministry web site.  It was a picture of my friend Doug and the new friend he made in Oaxaca, Julian, Jaime’s dad.

Everyone in the family remembered Doug and the day that photo was taken.  I listened as they shared about their dad helping us build the church next door and his work with us alongside Doug in Tlacolula. 

One of the ministries we have partnered with is MISSION Focused.  When we are on mission in Mexico, Brother Joe Ramirez and his team come with us to take photos.

Now I’ll be honest, sometimes I wonder if we need to take a million photos of us working.  But we are not the only people Brother Joe and his team are photographing while they are in Mexico.

Every ministry site we are on in Oaxaca, anyone in the village can come and get photos of their families, kids, their home, or whatever.  

For many, it may be the first color picture they have ever seen of themselves, or their families.  For most, it is the first tangible expression of God’s love they have ever received from the church.

Today when we finished talking next door with Jaime and his wife Marta, they asked if we could come back later and take some photos of his new son.

It is amazing to see what something as seemingly simple as a photograph can mean to a person, or a family.

Every day people around the globe are serving in short-term mission taking pictures.  And every day, for the most part, those people will go home with their photos, forever missing a chance to leave a lasting impact with those whom they are serving.

It is good to know that when we leave this week, alongside the photo of Doug and Julian, there will also be photos of Jaime’s and Marta’s baby boy.

And it is even better to know that the ministry of MISSION Focused is helping Adventures in Life Ministry and churches in places like San Baltazar Guelavila and San Felipe Guila build bridges into their communities for Jesus through the power of photography.

Sometimes You Just Need Help...

Cathedral Santo Domingo against the blue sky of Oaxaca

I am horrible at publicizing what I do in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.

There is a part of me that wars within my soul against drawing attention to me and my work and the need to get the word out about what we are doing in Mexico.  And yes I know it's God's work, but you know what I mean.

I hate asking for money, paying the bills, worrying about making ends meet and setting up good photos of our work, both to document it and for publicity.

One of the little ones inside the church we helped build in San Baltazar Guelevila, Oaxaca

And yet, I know all of this stuff is a necessary part of what must be done in an organization that does not have the luxury of being in front of a congregation every week and passing an offering plate around.

Thankfully God has brought two wonderful people into my circle to help me.

One is Kristin Grimes.  Kristin, who I've known from my original days in Las Vegas, takes care of paying the bills, making ends meet, and is biggest help I have had in our office in many years.  Her expertise, professionalism, and love of what we are doing is a constant source of encouragement for me.  I could not continue to serve were it not for Kristin.  She has been a gift from God.

Art exhibit remembering those that died trying to go north to improve their lives

The other is Joe Ramirez.  Joe was mutual friend of AIL Ministry Co-Founder Grady Martine and our original translator, cultural guide, and teacher of all things Mexico, Paul Lathrop.

Joe is a great photographer.  Years ago when he was starting out, he was always talking about getting involved with AIL Ministry... it just never quite happened.

And then a few years back I got Joe to join us in Oaxaca on our Men's Ministry to shoot photos.

WOW!

TURSE, a world famous men's choir we encountered on the streets of the Barrio Jalatlaco

Just knowing that Joe is there with us and shooting photos of what we do has been a tremendous blessing.  No longer do I have to spend hours trying to get the money shot, as photogs call it, only to have it over exposed.

Joe is part of an organization, Mission Focused, that exists to help people document God's work around the world.

This man will sell you whatever you need for your kitchen

Trust me on this... if you are on mission and want to tell your story, you need photos.  Joe can be a huge help to your ministry and he can be reached though Mission Focused.

Now I still have to be that guy asking for money, but the load is a little lighter with people like Joe and Kristin carrying some of the burden.  So until I find someone to do that asking for me, make sure you go to our web site and make a donation, both you and AIL Ministry will be better for it.

Meanwhile, the pictures here are just a few that Joe took recently when he was in Oaxaca with me earlier this month telling the story of Oaxaca and our ministry... enjoy!

 

Thinking Outside the Box... A Different Portrait of Short-Term Ministry

[Julia and Santiago in the first portrait they have had since their wedding]

You have probably seen this before if you’ve ever been part of a short-term mission trip.

Some poor guy is hopelessly out of his element simply trying his darnedest to serve God and the people he is visiting. Yet the task he has been given is one that literally is designed to make him a failure.

And then in that failure, his leaders will offer up some verse from the bible, usually 2 Corinthians 12:9 where Paul says “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” The thought being that God has a chance to really work on us when we are in, and acknowledge our weaknesses.

But my question is this. As short-term mission leaders, are we really being good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us if we follow this line of logic?

Here’s what I mean.

You are a local church pastor trying to recruit a team for a short-term mission trip. Bill comes to you and says he would like to come. A local contractor, Bill has no language skills for where you are going to serve, and is not really a people person. However, since you know you need a certain number of people, you take him anyways, trusting that God will do something in his heart during the trip.

So Bill takes a week off work, gets on the plane with everyone else, and spends his week learning about God showing him strength in weakness.

While all of that may be good for Bill, perhaps the effectiveness of our short-term mission efforts would be enhanced if we, as leaders, thought a little more outside of the box.

I recently had a conversation with a doctor in Mexico who holds monthly medical clinics in some of the poorest areas of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Listening to him, I was challenged to move beyond the traditional ways of considering short-term mission.

Typically, as outsiders, we tend to focus on evangelism and construction as areas where we can make a difference. But as I listened to Dr. Alberto, I started to hear some affirmation of my own mission philosophy.

While not neglecting the incredible work God can do when people are stretched and forced to live in their weakness, he believes, and I agree, that even more can be done when people use their strengths on the mission field.

While I was in Oaxaca last month, some of the folks serving with me were photographers. Now I could have used those guys to dig ditches, move rock, pour concrete, or even participate in a small local outreach. But would that have been using the gifts and skills that God had given them?

Probably not, so I used them to take pictures. Of Oaxaca, of our work, of the people in the villages where we are working. I saw people cry when they were given some of the family photos Joe and his team photographers took during the week.

Did those guys shovel any cement? Nope. Did they share Jesus through the gifts that God had given them? Yes they did, and in that, their mission was successful.

Returning to Bill, let me pose a couple of questions.

1. Might Bill receive more out of his mission if there was a way that he could use the gifts and talents that God has given him for Kingdom good?

2. Would the field be better off if people were regularly put in situations where they could excel, rather than struggle?

3. What are some of the impediments that keep us as leaders from focusing on the specific gifts and talents of our short-term mission participants?

These will get you started thinking.

Next up I will be sharing more from my conversation with Dr. Alberto and his thoughts and ideas about effective ministry and American missionaries working in Mexico.

To see some of the photos that Joe and his group of photographers took with us in Oaxaca, look up their Facebook page, Mission Focused.