When I think about the people that I have lost, the things that I wish I had, all the opportunities that have been left in the past, about the people that I constantly meet that tell me their stories of physical and sexual abuse, and when I think that you are not going to be with me anymore, I feel... Hurt. Sad.

When I think about the friends that I have, the few good things that I own, the new and exciting opportunities that I am getting, the job that I am doing, and of the people that tell me theirs stories of how they were able to overcome abuse and suffering, and how they were able to forgive and love, I feel... Hopeful.

After checking the first photo of the homeless guy in my camera, I asked him if he could smile,  then I took the second photo. Even with the smile I can still see the pain, the guilt, the loneliness of the homeless guy, but... no matter the circumstances, we can always find something that we can be grateful for. We can still smile.
It is so much easier to dwell in the negative, in all that we have lost. It is so much easier to worry about the future, and all the things we don't have. But, we need to enjoy what have, the people that are with us, and who we are. As hard as it is at times, we need to believe that we are in His hands and that He cares for us.


"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out- plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

As I stop and watch the photos above, I wish that I could go back in time to when I was a kid. I long for the days where I was able to love without being afraid. When I was able to give myself without expecting anything in return. When I wasn't aware of how fragile people are, and how much it hurts when they leave. When I was not able to understand how evil people can be, and how they can make others suffer so much. And to when I thought it was not possible that my actions could hurt others so deeply.
I wish that I could go back in time and go to the mountain with my dad, like in the old days, and fly a kite far in the sky without having anything to worry about. Without having to wonder if you are still going to be with me in the future.

For now I will patiently wait for that place where there won't be no tears or pain. Where I won't have to be afraid anymore. And i will fight to make this world what is supposed to be, and for me to become the man that I was created to be.

The older I get, the more I realize that there is no better gift thank that of friendship.

Some time ago I read something that made a strong impression in my mind. In China, several decades ago there was a campaign to kill different insects and a bird, the sparrow. Their hypothesis was that if they killed these insects and bird, there was going to be less deseases and more and healthier crops. What they did not understand though is that the sparrow was one of the main predator of crop eating insects, and by killing the sparrows and other animals they were harming themselves.
That year and the years to follow because of crop eating insects destroy so much of the crops, deforestation and other reasons, around 30 million people died of starvation in China.

Since I read this story, every time that I see a sparrow I am reminded of all the things that I do that seem to have little significance, but that in the longrun impact deeply the lives of the people that I love and mine.
I am in a stage of my life where I want my actions and my life to be able to feed the people around me (not literally speaking). I don't want anyone to starve or be hurt anymore because of my carelessness or my selfishness (again, not literally speaking even though I dont want anyone to starve in the literal sense of the word) .
I hope that you join me.

Some weeks ago I was asked to do a video for a ministry called Homes of Hope, a ministry that goes to poor communities and build homes for families that are striving to get out of poverty. As I was taking different shots of the family, the house, and the team, I noticed the neighbor kid looking in the direction of the house that was being built. I walked towards him and started taking videos and photos of him, but I was barely able to distract him to look at me for a couple of shots. Looking at him I started wondering if the kid was happy that his neighbors wouldn't have to live in a shack made out of metal scraps anymore, or if he would be mad at the people building the house for not seeing the need of his family and him, and for knowing that next time it rained at night they were going to be woken up in the one room house that they live in because of the water that licks through the scarp metal, while his neighbors would be sleeping in a nice, warm house.

As this kid didn't have any control over who would get a new house, at times we don't have any control over the circumstances that surround us. We don't understand why some people have so much when we have have nothing. Why some people are healthy when we are sick. Why some people don't seem to suffer when the people that we love the most are passing away. But even though we don't have control over circumstances, we do have control over the way we think and the way we choose to see things, and even though it might not seem as much we need to understand that we are not victims of the circumstances around us.


"I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."

"If I give it all to You will you make it all new?
If I open up my hands will you fill them again? "

At times I have doubted if He is going to be able to change me. I have doubted if I am going to be able to give it all. And I have doubted if He is going to keep forgiving me and blessing me after I have messed up so much.
The team and I were singing the lyrics above, and I kept thinking to myself... How the heck am I supposed to believe God can fully redeem young girls that have been trapped in prostitution when I doubt about my own life? and I kept asking God... are You going to make them all new? are You going to fill them? and.. are You going to make me all new?

After a while of debating with God this verse came to my mind... Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
I need to believe and not forget that we are a new creature, and the old has passed away. He is redeeming our lives, and he will carry our lives into completion till the end. 


I took the photo from above after we finished singing. A few of the girls that have been rescued from prostitution were in the playground. I wanted to share them with you without disrupting their identity. Because of the corruption of Central America we are not going to be able to share much of the stories of the young boys and girls that have been trapped in prostitution in the documentary, but through the few stories that we are going to share, we hope communicate that there is hope for the future and you and I can be part of that hope.

About a year ago I had the vision of travelling around Central America to do a documentary about Human Trafficking. Today I am days away from traveling with my team to Nicaragua to start filming. The process of developing my character to do this documentary has been painful, but worth it. In the process I have met amazing people, have been confronted with my issues, I have lost the person that I loved the most, and I have been put in places where I had to see how much I really trust in God. But now I am days away from working on my vision and realizing one of my dreams.

Something that I am constantly learning is that is not really about what I do, but about who I do it with. Right now I am going to lead this documentary, and after filming I am going to take an intense three month Bible school, going to set up a display of photographs by different professional photographers to take to the different galleries in Costa Rica to bring people into action about different social problems, and setting up a tour to show the documentary once we finish editing it. It amazes me how my life can shape society, and to see that even though I am so imperfect God still chooses to use me.

I am searching for people that would want to be involved in my projects, but most importantly in my life. I can't do things alone and am in need of a team of people that would back me up in my life.
If you want to be involved in my life and want to drop a note or question or whatever you are thinking you can email me at: pablojimenezphotography@gmail.com



Thank ya!

Pablo