Your Name is Written

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/27/12

The first day back at school for our second year in the Niger Vocational Training School for Girls at Risk. A few of the girls thought it would be fun to put their name tags (for the benefit of new staff) on their foreheads instead of their shirts. Our prayer is these names will be in God's hand and heart and book of life!

photographer: Chantelle McIver, Niger. Chantelle is the Director of the Niger Vocational Training School for Girls at Risk. www.nvoc.ca

I Never Tire of the Beauty

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/20/12

Even after living here in the Peruvian Andes for almost 14 years, I never tire of the majestic beauty of the mountains. For someone who grew up in the flatlands of Ohio, being surrounded by these peaks is incredible! Living in their shadow provides us with so many perfect illustrations of various Bible passages as we teach the Quechua people, and our own 6 year-old son about God's power and majesty.

photographer: Rachel Yanac, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Peru. You can connect with Rachel on the Yanac's website: http://www.adeandrachel.com/

Heavenly Hugs

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/13/12

I have the blessings of many hugs in our ministry. We live in a rural area of Bolivia where we teach practical skills to underprivileged children, while reaching them for Christ. This picture was taken when I went to the local government school to register these precious children for our computer classes; they blessed me with heavenly hugs.

Often we are asked what we miss most from home; that’s easy, family and friends. Our granddaughter recently celebrated her eighth birthday; we missed the party and hugs. But, there is a heavenly hug available. It travels through the heavens and comes out through a phone or a computer. We are blessed by the technology we have available to us today. Before the Internet, we got mail once a month and rarely made a phone call. Now we are blessed to have instant communication daily.

God has blessed me with a ministry of physical heavenly hugs from children every day, and ethereal heavenly hugs from across the miles often. Even when I miss a birthday party, I am content where He has me. He is my refuge, under His Everlasting Arms of heavenly hugs.

submitted by: Peggy Cunningham, Bolivia. You can connect with Peggy on her blog, www.peggyspostings.blogspot.com

Cling to Him

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/6/12

I love taking pictures of flowers. I have folders and folders of them on my computer. Some are printed out and hung on walls. Someday my kids will inherit my computer and just delete most of them. So I’ve asked myself, why do I continue to take so many?

I think it comes down to looking for, and finding, the beauty that is often hidden or unnoticed all around me. Some days it’s easy to only see the dust of dry season, the hard life that many of my friends have, poverty, injustice and the list goes on. In each flower I see beauty, brilliance, intricate detail and the loving and creative touch of the Father’s hand. It’s His way of reminding me that He offers hope to a world that, for now, is not like He intended it to be.

I took this picture after eating a picnic lunch at a runway at a nearby town (pilots' wives do things like that). The runway was dry-season-brown instead of the lush green of rainy season. But this one flower remained along the fence line – resilient and proclaiming hope.

photographer: Chris Van Weerdhuizen, Cameroon, Africa. "My husband and I serve as part of the support team for Wycliffe. Over the years (20 years in the Philippines and now in Cameroon), I’ve been privileged to do a variety of practical helps to support the Bible translation task. God has not gifted me in linguistics, but I can provide hospitality, be a listening ear, encourage and pray for those are. Together we can bring God’s word to the Bible-less people of the world."