Pablo Jimenez Photography

2012-01-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

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."

2011-11-28T06:05:00.001-08:00

"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.

2011-11-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

If you want to support the documentary I am working on go to:
http://iamactive.org/ofbrokenwings

If you want to support me financially through a tax deductible donation go to:
www.meigiving.com/ywamsanjose.php and in giving type, select "special gift for a person" and put my account number which is: A9045

Thank ya!

Pablo

2011-11-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

I remember the time that she found me drunk... A girl had just broken up with me that I really loved, I had a bottle of rum in the study room and drank most of it. I dont remember most of what happened that night, but I remember that my grandma found me shirtless in the terrace of the house at midnight. I remember that the next day she wanted to put me in rehab even though I think it was the first time I had really been durnk, lol.
I remember that every morning she would have oatmeal ready for me before I showered, and every night she would do chamomile tea for me to drink while we talked about our daily events.
I remember waiting for her to come home after work when I was a kid.
I remember being her guinea pig because after working a full time job, and always having a cook at the house, after she got retired she was learning to cook and I was the one eating her food.
I remember that every time I went home she would buy me socks and boxers.
I remember her becoming like a mother to me after my mother died.
I remember her sowing my pants and every other peace of clothing that was ripped.
I remember her tending the garden.
I remember being certain that no matter how much i messed up she was always gonna be there for me.
I remember her touch.
I remember her voice.

I hope to alway remember.
I hope to never forget.

I so wish I could tell me grandma how much she means to me and how much I love her. In my 25 years of life I have made some terrible mistakes and she was always there for me, she never gave up. After my mom died she really stepped up and words can not describe how grateful I am for her.

It is hard to grive when I was not there when she passed away, and while I am still in another country. It is like my life here is completely unaffected while inside of me something is missing. Its hard to believe that next time I go to Guatemala she is not going to be there waiting for me. The hard thing is that she was what I call "home". Ironic as this my sound, but now I feel homeless. And even though I know and believe that I have a Father that loves me, and cares about me and all those christian feel good phrases.... it still hurts, and I still feel lost. But I guess we are all lost, even though some of us are more aware than others.

See you in Heaven Iso. Dont have too much fun while I am not there ( :

2011-10-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

At times my pride, my desire to be a savior, and the need of having to accomplish my plans, have gotten in the way of what matters.
At times I have been so focused on creating projects, of thinking of creative ideas to do ministry, of trying to figure out more my beliefs and other stuff that I have forgotten how much my life can be a blessing to others.

I took the photos in a small community that my friends visit twice a week. They go there to spend time with kids and love on them. What they do makes a profound impact in their lives, and is something that I could be doing if I were to choose. I need to get rid of my pride and my agenda and focus on what matters.

2011-10-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

The photos that I take reflect who I am.
As a photographer my job is to record memories through images. Most of the photos I have taken display someone else lives, not mine... but through those photos I hope that people see beyond the image, I hope that people get to see me.

I took the photo of the kid above while my friends were doing a presentation in a neighborhood. I sat in the back while they were telling stories and singing. As I sat there this kid came walking and stood infront of me, watching from a distance as well.

Even though he is so different from me physically... can u see me in the photo?

2011-09-11T19:04:00.001-07:00

"Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.

Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?"

2011-09-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I got a new camera. I had given mine away several months ago, so for a while I was a photographer with out a camera.
Not having a camera made me ask myself... how much of my identity is found on being a photographer? I was able to realize that I am more than a photographer, I am more than what any "title" could define me.
It was a hard time with out a camera but its over. God is faithful beyond words and for me being able to get this new camera is another proof of His faithfulness.

The photo below was taken with my new camera. The two photos were taken three and a half years apart. I see the photos and even though I still look the same, it surprises me how much I have changed. I didn't know it was going to be possible that I could get even more handsome, lol. But yeah.. I have changed... and even though there are areas that at times I feel like I am stuck, I need to accept that I am in a process where He is transforming me to become a bit more like Him.

OF BROKEN WINGS

2011-08-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Male and female prostitutes are some of the most broken people alive. Daily they are sexually, physically and emotionally abused. Some of them have been abducted and put in brothels, strip clubs, or sent out to the streets to do prostitution. For others the situation at home is so difficult that prostitution seems to be the only way to survive. As child prostitution grows in demand, younger girls and younger boys are being forced into the sex trade. During my travels in Central America I had the opportunity to meet one of these young prostitutes, a 17 year old boy that had been prostituting himself since he was 12. Meeting this boy sparked A desire to do something that would bring relief to the victims and that would shape how people think about concerning the sex trade in Central America.

Since I started working, investigating, and doing research I have been asking myself the same questions over and over again. The questions are: Would society as a whole, do something to fight against human trafficking if they truly understood the damage that it causes to the individual and to communities? Would people be more compassionate to prostitutes if they understood the pain and suffering that they go through? Do people understand that they can make a change about something as great as human trafficking?

Because of these questions, a project came to my mind; To travel with a group of about 4 or 5 young people throughout all Central America creating a documentary about human trafficking. The goal of this project would be to assist people in seeing and understanding what is happening in Central America, and by means of this documentary, they could understand that is possible for an average person to fight against social injustice.

The idea of the project came about in September of 2010. It has been a long process to find people that were willing to embrace the vision, and at the same time that are passionately about God. In September of this year the team and I are going to receive a one month training that will include classes of videography, photography, self defense, how to interview… but most importantly as a team we are going to grow in unity between us and with Christ.

We are hoping to start traveling in October beginning in Panama and from there we are going North, stopping in every country until we get to Belize. In each country we are going to partner with organizations, ministries, and government agencies that are working with things concerning human trafficking. We hope to show the realities of what people go through, the reason why people dedicate the life to this kind of work, and the reason why people abuse and use the prostitutes and the consequences of their actions.

Personally this is the biggest project that I have ever created or that I have been involved in. We are going to be working with the most broken people in some of the darkest places in Central America. The challenge is great and we can not do the project by ourselves. We ask you with humility to commit yourself to the project by praying daily for us. Spiritually and emotionally the project is going to be tough and we will need Gods hand to come with us at all times. We need your help financially as well. We need to cover living and traveling expenses, plus equipment. Your prayers and financial support would be greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in joining us in this project feel free to contact me. If you wish to support us financially click in the following link and it will lead you to a Paypal account where you can donate online.

Link: OF BROKEN WINGS

2011-08-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

I went to a metal core/hard core show last weekend. Being there and seeing the emotion and passion that the performers had, reminded me of the desire that we all have to give into our emotions without fear. It made me realize that the only way for me to give myself completely, is if I am certain that who I am passionate about is as passionate for me as I am for that person.

That is why for people like me His sacrifice makes all the difference.

2011-08-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

2011-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

When she found out that a group of foreigners had come to the community center to paint it, she went to visit, hoping that they would give presents to her granddaughter and herself.

The group of foreigners didn’t have anything else to offer more than themselves.

She left disappointed because the foreigners didn’t meet the expectations she had of them.

They felt disappointed because they felt that what they were offering (themselves) was not good enough.

2011-07-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

Good intentions are not enough.

I met the boy in the photo above while living for a week in an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador. As a good bye present my friend and I had decided to to take individual photos of the kids, print them, and give the photos to them. After taking photos of several kids, with a certain background, and posing the kids in a certain way, it was the boy's turn... but the boy didn't want to take the photo by himself, didn't like the background, and didn't want to stand in the posture that we had decided.

I figured that a boy in an orphanage needed structure, discipline, and to follow rules. I told him that unless he did things my way, that my friend was not going to take a photo of him and that he wouldn't have a printed photo of himself. He didn't accept these rules.

Good intentions are not enough.

The boy walked away, sat at the swing, and silently cried as my friend and I kept taking photos of the rest of the kids.

That afternoon we printed the photos for all the kids except his, and the next morning we gave them away. The kids were super excited, for some of them the photo they got was the only one they had. When the boy saw that we didn't have a photo to give to him, he walked away to a secluded place. People tried talking to him but the only thing that he would talk about was how people hate him, and how nobody loves him.

Good intentions are not enough.

The director of the orphanage came to me and asked me what had happened. I told her, and she then explained the boy's story. I won't tell you the story out of respect for the boy, but I doubt that anyone that will read this has suffered as much as he has.

I went to the boy and asked forgiveness, I told him how valuable he was and that I did not hate him, but that I loved him. Eventually he was a bit better.

Later we took a photo of him and promised to send it to him eventually.

After that we left.

My intention of taking photos and giving them to the kids were good. My intention in teaching structure and discipline to the boy was good as well, but...

Good intentions are not enough.

I left the orphanage feeling like a failure, and like I should have done things in a different way.

Should I stop trying to help people because my good intentions are not enough? Should I give up? Should my failures define what I do or who I become?

Good intentions are not enough but at least they are better than no intentions at all.

But I know that I can not be complacent and mediocre with what I do. I am going to take my good intentions and back them up with education, experience, and love... then good intentions are going to be more than enough.

OF BROKEN WINGS

2011-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

“Because their wings have been broken

and the pain has kept them on the ground,

They have forgotten that birds were created to fly.

Because they have been rejected and trapped,

and the lies have hidden their worth

They have forgotten that humans were created to be loved.”

Poem written by Nicole Howell, Ryan Mackle and one line by me!

2011-07-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had some blood test done just recently, I wanted to make sure I was doing alright. One of the result didn't turn out that well.... my white cells count was extremely low, which meant that there was a slight chance that I had Leukemia.
After finding that out and waiting for more results to come out there where a couple of thoughts that were constantly on my mind...

I started thinking and writing all the things that I would loose if I were to have cancer... all the dreams and goals that I wouldn't accomplish, all the stuff that I would never get, all the places I would never visit... it was painful to think about it, but I was okay about loosing it. But the thought of loosing my family, my friends, and of never having a family of my own was overwhelming.

I understood that all the accomplishments, all the dreams, and all the stuff that I can get don't really matter. What matters is the people that I love and love me. The people that would miss me if I were to be gone. And the people that would be with me if I were to be sick.

The other question or thought that was constantly on my mind was... Can I trust God right now? or to put it in other words... Can I trust God even if things don't go my way? or Can I trust Him even when I don't understand what He is doing?
I don't want my love for God to depend on my circumstances or the things that I can get from Him, but in that moment I was doubting if I was able to trust Him.

There was a process I had to go through were I had to take a decision to trust Him no matter the circumstance. It wasn't easy but I was able to do it.

The results came out and the only thing that I have are some friends from the Amazon in my tummy, but besides that I am healthy.

Concept III

2011-06-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have seen how people want to be rich but are not willing to take risks or work hard enough.
They want to be smart but don't want to spend time studying and reading.
They want to be fit but don't want to spend their energy sweating and working out.
They want to be healthy but don't want to spend their money in organic food or prefer the taste and convenience of fast food.
And they want to be good Christians but are not willing to seek HOLINESS.

I took the photo above while visiting a dark place. It reminded me that no matter the circumstances or how hard the challenge is; I can overcome what ever comes my way and don't give up in my pursue of Holiness .

Concept II

2011-06-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Out of fear of being robbed, hurt, and violated we protect ourselves to the best of our abilities. We not only create physical walls and barriers around ourselves and our property; we also create barriers and walls around our heart.

C.S. Lewis wrote:
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."

The walls that we build around our heart not only protect us, they also take away our ability to love and feel loved. Our feelings of security soon become feelings of loneliness and depression. Instead of feeling strong, we become purposeless and empty.

On the other hand I agree with what Bob Marley wrote:
"Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for."

People fail, disappoint, and even violate our rights at times. But we do the same. And we do need to be careful who we give our heart and love to. But...
Isn't there someone whose love is perfect? Wasn't there someone who was willing to do anything in His power to prove His love for me?

If I am confident and secure in the One that has perfect love for me I won't need to build walls around me. The love that I have for others and myself will come out the love the He has for me and that I have for Him. The forgiveness that I have for others will come out out of the forgiveness that He has for me. And the trust that I would need to give others after the walls are down will come out of the trust that He has for me.

Concept I

2011-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

For years I believed things about myself that were not true. After listening to the lies over and over again I accepted, and incorporated them to my character and identity.
The lies became part of who I was.

As I was walking through the country side of Costa Rica, I noticed how the trees had been used as post for a fence. The barb wire had been nailed to the trunk of the tree for long enough time for the tree to incorporate the wire into itself.
The barb wire became a part of the tree.

I saw the image of the tree and I started thinking about my life. For years I had believed that I was not good enough, that I was not capable of being successful, and that I was meant to be alone and lonely.
I believed the lies for so long and they were such a part of me that the thought of me living with out those lies was something that I was not able to comprehend.

The process of casting off the lies out of my life has been both scary and painful. I was afraid that if I was to change I would stop being myself. And it has been painful because when the Truth came into me it felt like a part of me was ripped out and it left me vulnerable and exposed.
The process has been hard but worth it.

There are still areas of my life where I need more Truth; but I am pursuing truth, and I am letting myself be pursued by truth.

2011-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Beka

2011-03-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Beka… A beautiful girl with green eyes, blond hair, long legs and a tight body . She is everything that a young man would want, right?

It has taken me the longest time to understand how deceptive beauty can be. For the longest time my priorities were so messed up that I preferred beauty than intelligence and a heart for God. That led me to make mistake after mistake after mistake. It has been a hard process to change the way I think and my priorities, especially when every time I go in the internet or watch TV society is selling me a broken perception of beauty and value.

As a photographer I have been in the quest to look for real beauty without compromising my beliefs.

As a guy I have been trying to understand what is what is valuable and to pursue that witch I find.

I use the images of Beka above not because I think she is another bimbo, caz that is the opposite of what I think of her. I have seen the choices she has been making and how she is choosing to go after the Truth, and I admire her because of that. I use the images because they are beautiful photos, from a good girl that help me portrait the point I wanted to make.

2011-03-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

"It doesn't always work like I've planned it.
I've seen a lot of good things, a lot of things been out of my hands.
Even when I don't understand it.
We have all got choices to make.
And this one is mine...

Even now... here's my heart, God

Seems like all You do is so hidden.
Sometimes I'm led to wonder are You working at all?
But even in the darkness I'm listening.
For Your still small voice in the distance I hear You call.

Even now... here's my heart, God

Runnin' out of reasons to doubt You.
Can't live another day here without You.

Even now... here's my heart, God."

2011-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I always wonder if people actually believe who they say God is in their lives. You ask around and get the cliche answers, and you ask yourself "wouldn't their lives be different if they lived what they believe of who God is for them? " But there are people whose lives do match their beliefs.
The photos above are an example of them.

LOVE FAILS WHEN WE FAIL TO LOVE!

2011-03-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

2011-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

I showed the photos of the prostitutes of Rivas to my friend, his first comment was: “I would have to get paid to have sex with one of those women.” Physically some of the ladies that do prostitution in that part of town are chubby, old, have mental issues, lack teeth, and don’t have the best personal hygiene. The male prostitutes seem a bit out of place as well, being around 40 years old, with really tight clothes, high heels and an awkward smile. The cost to have sex with them is around two to five dollars. They don’t take you to a room or a motel, but to the banana plantation that is behind the dirt street where they work to save some money.

Since I met them I have been asking myself: what is the worth of a person that would prostitute themselves for 5 dollars? And, why would anyone give one of the most precious things they have for such small amount of money, and in such a harsh environment?

But is a person's worth based on how the look or the work that they do? Or, can it be based on how much a person would charge to prostitute themselves? Do people truly believe that we are equal to the men or women that sell their body in the banana plantation?

When I went to visit them with my friend from Light Force International I was able to see them not only as prostitutes. We talked about their families, their sons and daughters, their fears and frustrations. I understood that they are like me, and because of circumstances that I can't comprehend, are doing what they do. At the end they are mothers, daughters, friends, and lovers that have the same need for love and acceptance as anyone else.

It is not how you look or what you do that defines your worth. We are all created with the same value, and there is nothing we can do to diminish that value.

Issac

2010-11-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Dinner was over. They were sitting at the table waiting to hear his story. He looked around and saw his friends and three foreigners from different countries that were waiting to know more about him. He didn’t want to go into the details. He didn’t want to remember the faces, the screams, the agony, and most important; he didn’t want to remember the fear.

He finished what he had planned to say, but they began asking him questions, he had to remember.

He heard the sound of the planes in the distances, and then the explosions as building were blown into pieces. He heard the screams filled with panic and fear from his friends mixed with his own screams. He remembered how he hid under the beds with his friends hoping and praying that the bombs would not fall on his dorm. He remembered that just when he thought everything was going to be alright the soldiers came into his dorm pointing their guns at him, hurting anyone that would resist them. His mind flashed to terrifying moment when they handcuffed him and put him in the middle of an asphalt parking lot under the Panamanian sun with out food or water for 4 days, unable to take the handcuffs off his hands. He remembered the hate that he felt for these soldiers that spoke a different language, had a different color skin than him, that had mistaken his high school for an army base because it was run by the army, and that had mistaken him and his friends for soldiers when they were only boys of 16 or 17 years old.

The questions were over as the story had come out. It had been the first time that he had told the story to anyone since the 20 years it had happened.

One of the foreigners asked him if she could ask one last question. She had the same color eyes, the same paleness in her skin, and spoke the same language as the people that had hurt him and thousands of other Panamanians like him.

He said yes.

She asked him if anyone from her country had ever asked him for forgiveness for everything that they had done to him.

He didn’t expect that question.

He looked around the table at the people with teary eyes that had been listening to his story as the knot in his throat was dissipating.

He answered no, no one had. But he proceed to say that she wasn’t like them; she was not a politician that had ordered all the army bases be destroyed causing an innocent high school to be destroyed in the process. Or like the soldier that had physically and mentally abused him.

He said this because he wasn’t sure that he could do the one thing that he needed the most; to forgive.

In the past he had said that he had forgiven when being asked, but the way that he had abused alcohol, and the way he had lost his wife and kids reflected other wise.

The girl started talking again, she told him that even though she was not a politician or a soldier, on behalf of her country she wanted to ask forgiveness for what her country had done to him.

He looked at her and saw that in her eyes there was sincerity, and he had heard the emotion in her voice when she talked to him. He knew that she meant what she had said.

He was left with two options, to forgive or to keep living the way he had.

He accepted the apology and said thank you, but the decision to forgive was something that he was still debating.

Time was getting late and he needed to go. He told the foreigners that it was nice to meet them and said good bye to his friends.

He walked to the door and left.

2010-10-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

This is probably my favorite photo anyone has taken of me. While it was taken, I was taking the photo underneath of Emanuel and his friend. The two photos basically show the process of photography: You visualize the image, point your camera to the subject, press the shutter and there you go, you have a photo, some times is good and others times not so good. You can apply the same principle to life as well; you have an idea, you take action, and then there are consequences for your actions... some good, and some not so good.

I write this kind of as confession that I don't like having not so good consequences.... To rephrase this a bit, some times I like having more fun that I should, and think that my actions wont affect or hurt anyone, but at the end the one that gets hurt the most is myself. That is why I say I don't like not so good consequences.

Thank u Joel for an amazing photo!

Selena

2010-10-06T11:14:00.001-07:00

I met Selena about a week ago at the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I had heard a lot of rumors of child prostitution in the border and wanted to go with my friend that is working helping prostitutes to see if it was true or not.
The experience of walking around looking for child prostitution late at night, in the dark border of Nicaragua, when it was full of truck drivers that for the most part are bigger than me, when even the security officers tell us not to go in because it is too dangerous is another story.
After a while of talking to people, asking questions, and walking around we found Selena; we started talking to him a 17 year old boy that has been selling his body for around 10 US dollars a night since he was 12 years old.
While my friend and I kept talking to him I felt like something deep inside of me was screaming: Fuu#$@#$*%#@)%(...... These shouldn't be happening. Life shouldn't be this way. But in front of me a had a living proof of how messed up the world is.

Right now I am trying to figure out what is my part, what I am supposed to do to help people like Selena, but I don't know.... I honestly feel like these is just way to big for me, but...

Chove

2010-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

I was sitting besides him while he was playing his heart away. After some time of listening I went to grab my camera and shot my heart away to have the image of Chove from above.

Recently I read the following: "Surround yourself with people whose definition of you is not based on your history, but your destiny." When I see Chove I can picture him with a blond wife by his sides and kids, lol, having the guitar he always dreamed of, and performing the job he loves to do. I know that when he sees me, he can picture the man that I am going to become.

I write this post for the sake of friendship, and for all the people that chose to see me for my destiny and not my past.

Emanuel

2010-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

The first time I met Emanuel he told me that I didn't belong there, and that I needed to leave. I did not obey him so he started throwing rocks at me, and I left the area where he was hanging out at. After days of him getting used to my presence we started playing together, and soon we became buddies.

I wanted to share this with you to portray to you how my relationship with God usually is. He comes to me with the intention of loving me, and I usually tell Him that He doesn't belong here and that He needs to leaves. Eventually I understand that He does want what is best for me, and that I am an idiot and I let Him in. Is the cycle I am at.

Davi

2010-08-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

His name is David, and illegal immigrant from Nicaragua. I met him while I was working with an immigrant community in the pacific coast of Costa Rica, called Jaco.
In the weeks I was there he became my friend. Davi is a fun guy to hang around with; he is funny, likes the same sports as me, and for the most part is good guy. But the one problem ha and most of the people that live in this community have is the lack of desire for education and work.
Since I met Davi and the community he lives in a couple months ago, I have been asking myself: what do I need to do to help people change their way of thinking and their world view. And how can I help people understand that education and work are not a punishment, but a way to express yourself and understand the world, your self and God.
I still haven't been able to answer that question but I hope I do soon.

2010-08-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

The Silent Revolution

2010-05-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

In a place where parents have little money to feed their families, books for pleasure or story time are unheard of. When facing generational cycles of poverty, children need to be informed that there is a better life than what they are living. They need to dream. Kids learn how to dream through reading. Once children start dreaming they need to know that their dreams can become their realities.

Some time ago, my friend Mynor Cordon had a vision that he would teach the kids of Diriamba, Nicaragua how to dream. In February 1st. 2010 he started Semillas Biblioteca (Seeds Library), a place where kids and adolescents can come and read, play board games, do homework, learn painting and to speak English. The kids get to learn the joy of reading, see different worlds through books, learn different languages, explore their talents and meet people that genuinely care for them. Through these programs and the staff’s dedication, children learn to dream and rise above hopelessness.

I went to visit Mynor and the library in the beginning of May. Maynor asked me to take some photos of the library for promotion. Throughout my visit, Mynor and I became driven with the idea to purchase cameras and teach photography to some of the kids. It would help us to visualize and understand the world through the children’s eyes, and show the kids that we care about the way they see their world. The photos could then be placed in an online gallery and the library to raise funds for the student’s scholastic supplies.

Mynor and my vision now is that in a couple of months I am going to be traveling to Diriamba, Nicaragua to teach the skills and concepts of photography to the children. After the first month, another photographer would then continue the program. Mynor and his staff have already picked out the kids that could receive the photography classes but now we just need the resources to obtain the cameras and a digital printer.

The kids in the library are already dreaming, now they need people that believe in them and want to help them accomplish their dreams. Please help Semillas Biblioteca and myself provide the education and resources needed for the children to realize these hopeful dreams.

If you have and old digital camera or want to make a donation contact me via email at…

pablojimenezphotography@gmail.com

Also check out Semillas Biblioteca facebook page in this link: Semilla Biblioteca.

The Braidsmaid

2010-05-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

He came into the room and looked at her. He put his hands in his mouth in disbelief, and his eyes filled with tears. He was looking at his two little girls, one about to get married and the other one a bridesmaid. The two of them were looking so beautiful to him that he wasn’t able to control his emotions and the tears fell to the ground.

He walked to the bride, hugged her, and told her how beautiful she looked and, how much he loves her. He then walked towards his other little girl, hugged her, and told her how beautiful she looked and, how much he loves her. But there was something in the bridesmaid expression, something that made me ashamed of taking pictures.

In that moment I felt like she understood that she is beautiful and that she is loved.

She wiped her tears away and fixed her make up and dress.

He went around greeting the rest of the bridesmaids, and after a few minutes left. The girls finished getting ready and left for the wedding.

It just took one moment for the father to come and tell her daughter how he felt about her, and it is something that if the daughter believes her with her heart and mind is going to change her life.

and yet those few simple words are the key to something capable of changing her life as long as she believe it with her heart.

Reality is that a lot of times I don't feel love or beautiful, lol.... but non the less, I am grateful that I have someone that loves me no matter how dirty or ugly I feel.

love...

2010-02-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

I sit and listen to Tiny Vessels by Death Cab For Cutie, the chorus says "you are beautiful but you don't mean a thing to me".It makes me think about my life, and all the times I have told a girl that she is beautiful knowing in my heart that I am not supposed to be the one telling her that.

Someday I hope to find someone that with out shame I will be able to tell her how beautiful she is.

until then....

( ;

A gift...

2010-01-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

Picture This

"Her sad eyes lit up by your flash penetrate to the soul,
she's waiting,
lacking,
quivering,

Remember how it felt?
To be alone and uncertain.

Her reality is hollow, filled with lack and need.

And you...
You have risen up from "should have never gotten up."
Now you stand on platforms of "greater are yet to come."

Hold high the arms of justice,
Across your heart inscribe words of rescuing redemption,
Take hold of a glimpse into another life.

Give voice to the voiceless.
Bleed them onto glossy pages for all the world to see,
In tiny frame of day, focus in on grace.

And when you walk away, you'll know,
You've fought harder than you ever thought you'd fight"

by Dani Templen

One of my amazing, talented friends gave me this today. She wrote it for me.
I am in a place in my life that I am learning and realizing how much CRAP there is in this world. And is overwhelming. There is injustice all around me and it seems that can only do so little.

Thank you so much Dani, it means so much!

Stolen

2010-01-05T17:34:00.001-08:00

I need you to imagine another story…
Imagine that you were with me in the province of Los Chiles, Costa Rica. We had come to a village called La Virgen, border with Nicaragua to give presents to kids that live in extreme poverty. We are playing and taking pictures with the kids when we see Rosita; a lady we have been working with. She is walking towards us besides a little girl of about 6, when she meets us she asks us to go to this little girl house. We agree. We start walking with them through a dirt road when it starts raining. The rain feels good and helps us cool down from the heat from Los Chiles. As we walk through the now muddy road we can see the poverty in the houses that we pass by; the almost naked kids playing with the chickens and the men sitting in the verandas of their houses doing nothing… poverty. We finally arrive to the little girls house; a one room wooden home, with a couple of windows and dirt floor where 9 people live. There were several kids laughing and playing around in the yard of the house and their laughter makes us smile. Rostita introduces us to her and after a bit of small talk she starts telling us her story. As she was telling us about how one of her twin babies got stolen at birth, about how the doctor told her that one of them was dead, about how she found out a year and a half later that it was a lie, about how people would come to her house threatening her that they were going to steal the rest of her kids if she went to the police, about how she finally found the courage a year and a half later after she found out the baby was alive to finally go to the police. As she kept talking I knew that you were feeling the pain and sadness this lady was feeling, and the anger I was feeling about this baby being stolen. I looked at her and saw the helplessness and despair that she was feeling from loosing a piece of her.
After she finished telling the story we played around with the kids, took some photos and then we went back.

But sadly you weren’t there when she told me her story; you didn’t see her pain or hold in your arms the other twin. But like the stolen boy there are around 8.4 million children who are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other cases of human traffic in the world. This is an overwhelming evil, and there is so much to be done.

I hope one day you do come with me and experience and feel what I felt. I hope one day we work together to free the kids and bring justice to the perpetrators. Until then I will pray and wait for you.

helping....

2009-11-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

I try not to watch the news of my country; they depress me. Too much violence, insecurity, and corruption. So I try to live in my own bubble pretending that life is what I want it to be. But recently, reading the paper of Costa Rica there was a segment of Guatemala, my home; it talked about how because of a draught all the crops had been lost, and now there are people dying from starvation. Some times I prefer to live in ignorance, it’s easier, it doesn’t hurt. I had just finished eating breakfast when I started reading the paper and was still sitting at the table. Once I finish reading I went outside, sat on the ground and felt guilty. Guilty that I am living in Costa Rica trying to help while in my country there is people dying from hunger. Guilty of the breakfast I ate. Guilty that I didn’t know what was going on in Guatemala. Guilty that I wasn’t doing anything.
I want to do something. I need to do something. It’s my right. It’s my obligation.

The photos you see above are going to be sold as postcards. All the money, all, is going to be sent to Guatemala to help families that don’t have anything to eat.

Can you help me?

It is crazy for me to think how much my actions can impact a person life, or a family. If we work together we can feed families that don’t have anything to eat.

If you wish to help me, send me an email to pablojimenezphotography@gmail.com

Ella

2009-11-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

I was in the hospital taking photos for a couple of projects. It involved kids going through cancer treatment and people infected with HIV virus, and now I had to go to the ER. Even though I was curious about going to the ER, I was feeling sad because of the people I had met and the direction their live could turn. I entered the ail; it was well illuminated with the typical smell of disinfectant mixed with sickness. A nurse explain to me that the rooms were completely fulll and that’s why there were people laying in the ail instead than in a room. She asked me to ask permission to the patient before talking pictures, I agreed. I started walking, talking to injured, sick people, or their relatives. If it was okay with them I would take a picture. After a while of being there I was getting depressed; all the sickness, the consequences of violence or human stupidity, plus the sadness were getting to me. I decided to talk to a couple of more people then leave. I walked to this lady, grabbed a chair and sat with her. I explained who I was and what I was doing, and then I started asking her questions; the usual stuff. “What’s your name?” “Maria.” –“Where are you from?” -“Escuintla.” -“What happened to you?”….. After some small talk I asked her if I could take her picture, and she agreed. There was something in her eyes, a sadness so overwhelming, but she smiled for me when I was taking her picture. I sat down again. She said to me –“Can I tell you something?” “Sure.” I said. “Today is my birthday. My family knows where I am at but I don’t think they are going to visit”. There were tears in her eyes. I grabbed her hand, and felt a knot in my throat, I wanted to cry too. I said to her “I know you don’t know me, and I don’t know if you care, but I am here for you. Happy Birthday!” In that moment, in the mix of death and hopelessness I felt useful, I felt that the place I was in was the exact place where I was supposed to be at, I felt that my life had a meaning.
I kept talking to the lady for a while, she needed someone to talk to. After a while I left, and even though I was still sad for people I had met I knew that my life could bring hope in the mix of darkness even if I am a no one.

My Family

2009-10-21T11:19:00.001-07:00

This is/ was my family. The photo was taken around 20 years ago. I chose this photo to share them to you; first because I think I kind of look cute in the picture, lol. And second because it is such a contrast to what my life is now.
I had a good childhood, amazing parents, and a good sister. But as time went on we all went on different directions. My mom went to heaven, my dad moved to El Salvador, my sister stayed in Guatemala, and I live now in Costa Rica with the aspiration of some day going to some of the most hopeless places in the world to help the people there….
We all changed.
I see this photo and I am reminded to be grateful for what I have now and not take anything for granted because I’ll never know what tomorrow is going to be bring.

An Old Story…

2009-10-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

I was only 7 years old; I had my soccer ball, lunch box, sweater and bag pack. The bell rang and I was excited to go home after a long day at school. My friends and I went to the parking lot to wait to our parents to pick us up. One by one my friends started leaving until there were only a couple of us. We started playing soccer, trying to kill time, but soon enough I was by myself playing with the ball. I went to the payphone to try to call home, maybe someone had left a coin around, or maybe by miracle the payphone was going to let me call for free! It didn’t.
I was worried and scared; my parents were always on time to pick me up, and now I was alone and had been waiting for them for hours. A lot of thoughts started running through my head like: what if something happened to them, what if they forgot about me...
I grabbed my soccer ball, lunch box, sweater, and bag pack, made sure that the janitor and teachers weren’t looking and headed to the door. I had decided to find my way home. It was like 8 miles from my school to my home, but you need to understand that Guatemala City is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I started walking to where I though home was, it was the first time I was going to walk home caz my parents always drove me. Everything looked different and bigger, and I walked and walked. I was happy and felt free and mature, and for the most part I was walking in the right direction.
After a long while of walking I saw my dad in the car. I waved my sweater at him until he saw me. He then came, gave me a huge hug and took me home.

I love this story. I don’t know why I felt the need to share it with you. I guess that the picture of a 7 yearl old me, walking by himself in Guatemala City makes me smile. In that time I was really short and weak, I would have been completely helpless if someone had chosen to do something against me.

There is another part of this story. My parents side of the story. My dad thought my mom was going to pick me up, and my mom thought that my dad was going to pick me up. When my dad came from work at 4 pm and saw that I wasn’t there, and my mom saw that I wasn’t with my dad, when they were supposed to pick me up at 1 pm they immediately rushed to get me at school. Once in school everybody started looking for me, but I wasn’t there anymore. They were worried. In a place like Guatemala City where kidnapping and child stealing is something you hear about everyday, you can imagine the fear and anguish that my parents where suffering. They called the police, and my dad decided to drive back and forth from the school to my house to see if he could find me. I can only imagine the relief my dad felt when he saw me walking. To know that I was okay, that he would be able to hug me and hold me in his arms, and play soccer with me every afternoon ….

In my life I have gotten lost many times, and most of those times I haven’t realized the anguish I have made my Dad go through. I though I was free when in reality I was lost and helpless. It is something I need to grasp in my life, that there is no better place for me than in my Dads presence.

2009-10-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

You could tell by the way he treated her, the way he saw her, and the bond that they have that he loves her. She is all he has left…
He has a sad story like many of us; his wife left him for another man; a man that would abuse her to the degree that she tried to kill her self to be able to escape. The anguish and the stress of knowing that the person he loved choose an abusive man instead of him, and the responsibility of being a good single father affected him so much that he grew sick, and lost the ability to control his hands, and with that his job and part of his life.
But he has her….

There are moments in life where despair overwhelms us, where the valley of the shadow of death is more than a quote….
But he sees her and she smiles, and she tells him she loves him, and there is hope….and the cheating suicidal wife, the stroke that cause the lack of control of his hands, the lack of food, money, and a job become secondary. And he knows that some how they are going to be alright, and that as long as he has her and she has him they are going to be ok.

Choices....

2009-09-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

Sadly I don’t know their stories. I met them once, maybe twice.
All I know about them is that they are homeless and everytime my friends go to the streets to feed the homeless they show up.
I see them and I ask myself, “What does it take to become like them?” The only answer I can think of is “ordinary everyday choices." They are the best example of small, bad choices that became so great that they lost everything. They ended up living on the streets with no better place to sleep than some newspapers on the ground and a cardboard box as a blanket.
I see them and I ask myself, “What type of everyday choices am I making?” and “How are these choices going to affect my tomorrow?”
It's not that I worry that one day I'm going to be homeless, but I know that the choices I make today are going to shape my tomorrow.
The two guys in the pictures had and still have the potential to become great people; they could have shaped society, they could have had a home with a family to love and cherish and everything and anything they dream of, but instead they have nothing.
I also have this potential as well as you, and like I said, its not that I worry that I am going to loose everything I own to the degree that I am going to be living on the streets. But I do worry that I am going to waste my time doing selfish things and loose the potential I have to shape the society I live in.
Every day I make choices, some good and some bad. Every day I shape my tomorrow. It is up to me to make “good everyday choices”. It is up to me if I want to become someone that is going to shape society.

Returning to Costa Rica!

2009-07-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

I ask myself once in a while: how much can a man do to change this messed up world we live in? Sometimes I am scared to answer my own question, other times I am hopeful. But I am decided to make a difference in this world, small as it might be.
...
2 billion children in the world...
1/2, 1 billion live in poverty.
Over half a billion kids are struggling to survive under $1 a day.
Every three seconds a child dies because of poverty.
246 million children are child laborers.
One in every 5 people in the world is a suffering child.
Every Day, almost 26,000 children die from preventable diseases.
130 million children lack access to education.
40 million street kids in Latin America.
Abuse...
Every year, around one million children are recruited into commercial sexual exploitation.
8.4 million children are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities.
Every month, 250,000 children are infected by HIV.
It is estimated that 1 of 3 girls have been sexually abused, 38% before the age of 18, 89% of victims know their abuser.
Every 2-5 minutes in some place in america someone is sexually assaulted.
Costa Rica is the #1 hotspot in Central America for sex tourism.
"A week doesn't go by, where an American man asks to be taken were the youngest girls are" San Jose taxi driver.
3 children are treated per day due to physical abuse in the National Children's Hospital in San Jose CR.
La Nacion, Sunday march 29 2009.
...

...
I am going back to Costa Rica in a couple of weeks. I hope my life will impact society and people in need.
I am scared because I don’t know what is going to happen in the future, and being a missionary is not as glamorous as you might think. But I feel that helping people and sharing their stories is my calling.
...
I have been thinking a lot, trying to figure out what is the reason I want to do this so much. To make sure I am doing this for the right reasons, because I know that if I am not the hopelessness and the failure is going to overwhelm me.
Something I have been learning is the value of people; it’s amazing to think that we are so valuable that God was willing to come as a man to this earth and die for us, so we could have a relationship with Him. And the relationship he wants is so personal that he wants to be my friend. And he wants me to love him as much as he loves me, and to love other people as I love myself. So at the end it all comes down to loving God with everything I have and loving others as I love myself. I want that to be the reason why I am going to Costa Rica, to love God every day a little bit more, and to learn how to love people as I love myself.
I hope to someday reach that level of loving God, and I hope that love to make a difference in this messed up world.
.
.
I need your prayers and support in this journey that I am starting, let me know if you want to be a part of it!

Anelka

2009-06-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

It was one of my first days as a teacher at a primary school for children at risk in Diriamba, Nicaragua. I had just finished teaching Moral and it was time for me and my third grade kids to have some fun at Gym class. I took my sandals off and the kids and I went out of the class room and walked to the yard to play futbol. Once in there I told them to start running some laps to warm up before playing anything else. I sat on the grass and started watching them as they started running around in all directions. After a couple of minutes of this the kids started to make a circle around a little girl that was laying on the floor. I stood up. A kid started yelling at me that something had happened to Anelka. I started walking towards her while thinking “they are probably making a prank on the new teacher”. I knelt besides her and smiled while the kids where all around Anelka and me. I started tickling her so she would have to move the kids would see that I had out smarted their prank, but she wouldn’t move. I started to worry. I looked at her face more closely and it didn’t seem like the face of a kid that was making a prank. Something had happened to her. I opened her eyes to see if she would react or see me, but there was only whiteness in them. I started to panic. I looked around to see if there was anyone that could help me, but there was no one, I was alone. I started thinking; “what if something really bad is happening to her, right now, I am responsible for her”. I took Anelka in my arms and walked her to the classroom. Once inside I told the kids to make a little bed on the floor with the sweaters while I told another kid to go find another teacher to help her. I lay her on the little sweater bed, while praying that she would revive. After what felt like a really long time she gasped for air and opened her eyes. She looked at me; she was scared, I was scared too.

Some time before I started teaching my friend was telling me that some of the kids parents are so poor that they can not afford more than a cup of coffee for them at breakfast. A lot of the kids in the school suffer from malnutrition and anemia, and it’s common for them to have bloody noses and to pass out when they do too much physical activity. Sadly Anelka doesn’t suffer from any of this things, she has epilepsy. It is hard to know that this pretty girl with the wide smile and shinning eyes that you see in the picture above suffers from epilepsy, while at home she suffers the consequences of living in extreme poverty.

Mi Abuelita

2009-06-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was coming from Costa Rica to Guatemala, my home country, and decided to make stops in Nicaragua, Honduras and el Salvador to visit friends while making the bus ride to Guatemala. But when I was in Nicaragua I called home to my grandma to find out that she was in the hospital. Spending time on the bus while I was rushing to come home I started thinking how much she means to me. She has been the one that has always been there for me in the good, the bad, and the ugly. She is my constant. And in this few words I want to express to you how much she means to me, and how much I love her.
She is doing better now. She is the strongest woman I have ever met, and I am so thankful to have the grandma that I have.

A Place Called “La Chureca”

2009-05-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

Before I went there he told me “this is the closest thing to hell you will ever see”. It was true.
As soon as I started walking through it my eyes started to water and hurt because of the fumes of the burned trash. I could barely breathe, the stench of human and animal excrement mixed with the trash of millions of people being burned was unbearable. Every step was a struggle, I had to make sure I was not going to stab myself with a used needle or step on crap. In top of that I had to walk fast to stay with the group I was walking with otherwise I could have been the victim of a robbery or something worst.
I wish you could have seen, smelled and felt what I felt that day. It has been one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had; to see people live in such inhumane conditions. It made me feel so lucky for the few things that I own, the place where I live, and the life I have.
When I went back I told him that I agree with him, “La Chureca” is hell on earth.

Costa RIca!!!!!

2009-05-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

The 5th of May I came to Costa Rica, a beautiful country three countries south from my beloved Guatemala. It has been an interesting transition after coming from Guatemala and Nicaragua to come to such an americanized Latin country. I miss playing soccer barefoot in the streets of Nicaragua, or riding the chicken bus in Guatemala City, but living here has is benefits as well, like being able to walk alone at night with out looking over my shoulders and meeting new and exciting people.
I came to Costa Rica to check it out; I am being invited to stay here in Youth With a Mission, San Jose and I want to see what I am getting myself into before I make a commitment. I want to make an impact in society. I want to change people worldviews. I want to see change in Latino America, and I hope that here is going to be a place where I am going to be able to use my talents; like my photography and writing to see that change come about.
Dream and Pray with me that I won’t waste my time and life here, and that I will do something way bigger than myself or anything I can imagine here in Costa Rica and the rest of Latin America.

El Refugio

2009-05-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

He walked towards me as I was standing in a homeless shelter called “El Refugio”, after helping translate a Bible study for some of the homeless and drug addicts that go there for a plate of food and a warm bed. He asked me if I could give him a Bible and told me that he had been looking for one since months ago. I walked towards some of the people that I was helping translate from and asked them if I could take a Bible that they had brought to give it to him, and they told me to take it.
He didn’t seem like the Bible reader type of person, and to tell you the truth when he was walking towards me I was uneasy and getting ready in case things went a different way. But once again people are not what they seem. And this goes for the best and the worst of people.
When I gave him the Bible we started talking; he told me that he has been sober for 5 months after years of heavy drinking and drug abuse. He said he is planning to start a ministry to help the type of people he used to be like.
For years people told me “A tiger never changes it’s strips” and I believed it, but he is the living example that miracles do happen once in a while.
I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks but I am confident that he is staying strong and that the Bible I gave him is being used.

Marriage

2009-05-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if they are married or not, but as soon as I saw the picture I knew that “Marriage” was supposed to be the title. It is probably because of my personal failures with the opposite sex that I see this picture as the representation of marriage but I can not help to laugh every time I see it and thank God for my happy singleness, lol. And maybe someday I’ll find someone and I hope to prove myself that not all married man have the same face as him ( :

Sorry for the Irony, lol.

A Sad Story

2009-05-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

I was at a day care in one of the many slums of Guatemala, taking pictures and playing with the kids. Suddenly one kid came next to me, looked up to my eyes and said "my dad is dead". I answered "my mom is dead". He said "mine hanged himself in the house and died". I said "My mom had a heart attack and died" He kept staring at me for a minute. He was probably 4 or 5 years old and knew already what suffering really is. He knew how cruel the world can be.
He then turned around and went to play soccer, while I stood there watching him and hoping that one day he becomes a greater man than his dad

The Two Kids

2009-02-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

This is my first good portrait in Nicaragua.It's about two boys; one is in pain, sick, and sad. The other one is healthy and happy. They are not just two regular boys, they are family; they share the same blood, and live under the same roof.
I met them while I was translating for a medical team from the US that was going to different villages in Nicaragua to help people.
The difference in their eyes as they looked at the camera is evident. You can see the sickness and sadness in the kid's face, while the other one looks happy and healthy. But even though the one wasn't sick he was still with his friend. A kid helping another kid.

I sometimes share my photos and experiences to people I meet and I tell them the need that there is in places like Nicaragua. How there is families with out any food to eat, and even less money for the kids to go to school. And people get touched by these stories, but usually the answer they give me when I tell them that they can make a difference is that they wish they could help but right now they don’t have enough money. One of the things I recently learned is that there is no help without sacrifice and that I am not going to be able to change people lives or worldviews unless I change mine first.

If a kid can help another kid, how much more am I able to do?

La Abuelita

2009-02-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

My friend asked me if I wanted to walk with him and his brother to visit this old lady that comes to his church. I said yes; I wanted to do a photographic series of old people and I always enjoy a nice walk. He said it was just a 15 min. walk. 45 Minutes later after we started walking we had walked through some steep hills and a couple of rivers and we were finally arriving to this old lady's house. Once there the lady offered us some coffee and a place to sit. I wasn't able to talk to her that much because she didn't speak much Spanish, just a Mayan language, and she couldn't hear that well anymore. For what I gathered from the conversation she had told me she was sick, and was having some strange dreams where she would be in a field full of flowers; she thought that the dream meant that she was going to die soon, that was one of the main reason she wanted someone from the church to visit her.
I was so impressed by her, every Sunday she would walk a walk that took us 45 minutes. Thinking about it now I can think of only two reasons why she would put so much effort to walk all the way to church. One is that she was so bored of just staying at her house and looking at the same people every day that she thought that the effort and the pain that took her to walk to church was better than staying at home. And the other reason that I thought of is that she was so in love with Jesus and cared so much about the fellowship that she received in church that she went through all the trouble it took her to walk that trail to be able to receive it. I hope its the second one.
Personally I haven't been going to church as much as I should. And I know that if going to church meant effort or pain I would probably stop going. She was an inspiration to me, and example.

Memories in the Wall

2009-01-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

As soon as I entered his house I notice all the photographs he had in the walls, I walked towards them and he came next to me, and started to explain each one of them. He was so proud of his family and friends.For the most part I am afraid of growing old, of having to depend on other people to live, of loosing control of my body or mind. But looking at him made me wish to grow old like him, and to be proud of my own children and grandsons. Made me wish that someday I am going to be the one showing the pictures in the walls of my house; telling a kid all about it, and to feel accomplished for the life I lived.I am still afraid of growing old, but I do hope that one day I am going to be able to show my memories in the wall of my house.

2009-01-31T10:58:00.000-08:00

I don't remember her name, or her story. But still there is something about her in this picture that breaks my heart. I took the picture in a day care in one of the many slums in Guatemala. The area were she lives is known by its violence, gang activity, prostitution, poverty, drug abuse and many other things that I wish she wasn't in contact with. But even though her surroundings I see hope in her eyes, and a trace of a smile in her sick face. Like her there is hundreds of thousands of kids that live in similar conditions, and like her there is hope for each one of them.