My Eyes Can See

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 07/25/11

I captured this picture of my son and a friend one afternoon as we picnicked at a scenic lookout over our mountain city. The giant cross is visible from nearly every neighborhood in the town below, backlit by the early sunrise, and reflecting the last rays of daylight as the sun sets over the mountains on the other side of the valley. Frequently as an afternoon rain shower ends, a double rainbow appears to spring up from the cross into the blue sky above. I can see this cross right now as I gaze out the window of my home office, and it stands as a daily reminder of what should be the top priority not only in our work as Scripture promoters among the Quechua people, but also in my personal life: to set the Lord always before me.

photographer: Rachel Yanac,Wycliffe Bible Translators, Peru


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How Wide

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 7/18/11

It’s funny when you are in a foreign country where you don’t know the language. I do village nursing and physio in these small communities, sometimes going far up mountainous areas. I was on a walk trying to discover it on my own, without an interpreter, seeking to find out what this village was about. I had just met some kids who had just got out of school, as I was taking some pictures of beautiful scenery. The kids were following me on their scooters, being very adept and showing off some of their tricks by not going over some cliffs on the narrow roads! As we arrived at the village they were saying goodbye, but wanted me to take a picture of them first.

Usually everyone wants to do the “victory” sign in a photo and they actually automatically posed with this. I didn’t want this pose so I started showing them to do something different – like, for example, flying like an airplane. So I just caught them in the action! They loved to see their pic - so good of an opportunity to get to know them. And they were also getting to know me too! I hope I started a different trend too!

Just as a side note: that road was later closed to foreigners. It shows we have to take the opportunity when it is there.

photographer: Lynn T., RAC

Planted & Placed

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 7/11/11

Having served in rural Kenya, I am drawn to the work friends do in the more rural parts of Indonesia. While I was working at an international school in Jakarta, I visited dear friends who have been working among a people group in a less open-minded part of this country. Early one morning, my friend showed me the path where her morning walk would take her... It was early enough for the sun to cast long shadows on the rice paddies. Of the 8 million people in this area, only a couple hundred are believers.

photographer: Adele Booysen, Java, Indonesia

Hanging in the Balance

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 7/04/11

We work in rural northern Bangladesh with The Leprosy Mission International. On the day I took the photo, we were headed to a village to visit one of our community-based rehabilitation groups. The car had gone as far as possible and the rest of the journey was taken on foot. These groups of about 10-15 members meet monthly to save money, assist each other in caring for their leprosy-affected feet and hands, and address other needs they may have. Bridges over rice fields like this are quite common. Actually, this one is quite sturdy, having been built to accommodate rickshaws, not just foot traffic. The tenuousness of life here – where houses, bridges, and lives are daily hanging in the balance – is a constant reminder of God’s sustaining hand.

photographer: Sherilyn Bowers, Bangladesh.