Like a Baby's Iron Grasp

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 11/28/11

When I was in Kenya, Pastor Francis, the man who started the orphanage where we stayed, told us about a woman, Rose, from his village. He told us her husband was murdered about two years ago during a civil war, leaving Rose with six kids and a mother-in-law to take care of, and a house that was literally falling apart before their very eyes.

We had the chance to help Rose demolish the house that burdened her. We were able to come together with others from surrounding homes to construct a new and safe home for her and her family. While the house was being brought down, one of the girls on my team was holding a neighbor’s baby. Another girl on our team saw the baby and couldn’t resist the temptation of playing with her. The baby reached out for my teammate’s finger and grabbed hold with the iron grip that babies have. I stared for a moment at how precious it looked. I reminded myself that it would look even better through the lens of my camera and snapped the photo.

Later that night lying in bed, I was looking through all the photos I had taken. I paused at this one. It was such a simple photo and a small part of my trip, but that did not suppress the excitement inside me. I looked forward to showing my friends and family back home.

photographer: Kelsey Lane, USA. "I am a 16 year-old who has always loved living in Denver, Colorado. I am a cheerleader and a junior in high school at Front Range Christian School. Every year, my youth pastor offers the Kenya trip to whomever feels called to go. I asked God if I should go, thinking there wouldn’t be a reply, but there was. And it wasn’t a very specific answer; God said, 'Go to Kenya, I want to show you something.' I asked Him again and again throughout the following weeks and each time I got the same response. So I told my youth pastor I wanted to go and started fundraising."