“Hearts full, missions accomplished and stories of Your victories “

as ratatat – el pico plays

The sun has set over the Marmaria Sea.

The sea gulls have finally sought rest.

Laundry creaks softly drying in the breeze.

-

I disassemble for the last time on this journey

Disconnecting wires, arranging, rearranging, settling parts and pieces into their niches in my bag.

I remember the moments all these connections allowed me to capture.

Power cables and batteries.

The fear, the hope, the smiles, the tears.

RCA cables and XLR’s.

The gear was heavy and the story was heavy.

-

I pull tape off equipment that’s been there for three weeks. Some residue is left behind.
Like the story left behind on me far after this project is over and done with.

-

I gained family.
I witnessed love destroy barriers of culture and religion.
I cried tears of joy with families who two weeks prior had been strangers in a land I knew nothing about.

United by love. By passion. By hope.

-

I slept on floors, in chairs, on buses, planes and beds.
6 flights, some buses, a few boats and 3 continents.
3 different types of money.
42 sunrises and sunsets.

Now, we head home to keep telling this story to all who will listen.

“Hearts full, missions accomplished and stories of Your victories “

Iraq Doc. Teaser Number 2

music by A Slight Breeze

Let me know what you think!

We have to keep uploads really short here because that took about 2 hours to upload after the internet started working.

Ooooo Broadband!

Heading to Istanbul tonight with the kids to get surgeries. It already is/will only continue to get more intense.

Said goodbye to some Kurdish friends today.
I hate goodbyes…

Randomized Current Thoughts

I just took the first real shower I’ve had in two weeks here in Iraq/Kurdistan.

I’m not sure if using the two names independently helps or hurts the two “different” countries.

I want to be able to tell an eye opening story of someone getting to become/be treated as a real person, that isn’t Pinocchio.

I’m uncertain of how the last leg of this journey is going to go emotionally.
But I’m certainly up for it.

I love Sprite advertisements, and hate axe ads.

Our website, Toopenyoureyes.com, was named for our intent to open other people’s eyes, little did I know it would be mine that would be opened.

Why are perfume commercials so good? How do I break into that market?

I have seen an incredible picture of Christ, and holistic formation in the people here at PLC. They aren’t throwing money at a problem, or just selling shoes to make money. They are investing in people’s lives, visiting them on a weekly basis and hanging out with them.
Love wins.

We walked through Sadaam’s old prison today, that is now a museum to the suffering he inflicted on the Kurdish people. I was filled with a mix of emotions that ranged from questions of God’s overwhelming love for someone so evil, to hurt for the Kurdish people, pride in their fight and hope, and an even stranger mix at the fact that their tormentor was executed and they were allowed to watch.

Life’s ups and down’s keeps it interesting. I’m incredibly thankful for it.

“Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.”

I’m going to give it all I’ve got.

Look at some of our progress at FosterAddingtonblog.com and Toopenyoureyes.com.

From the Ashti Hotel / Kurdistan (Iraq)

Yesterday at about 6pm, Jeremy Courtney of PLC received a phone call from Lawen of Soma. That the 1st Lady of Iraq would meet with us to do an interview at 7:30pm.

We were about 4 blocks from the house at the PLC office, and had to hustle back to the house and change into way nicer clothes.

Someone had told Jeremy we needed flowers, so he walked up the street while I searched frantically for my socks because here, you take your shoes off before you enter someones home.

I finally found my socks and we met Jeremy up the street a flower shop to figure out which flowers you give the 1st Lady of an entire nation. I said something exotic and white, but he ended up going for an arrangement which looks oddly like a smile.

So we got a taxi. Which is a a 4 door sedan, and 3 Americans and equipment piled into the car. I quickly tried to get gear arranged as we drove over to soma. This included pulling batteries out of my Kata bag, and getting my wireless mic kit together.

We got to Soma, and Lawen came out to meet us, as well as Scott from PLC. A small 4 door red BMW pulled up and Lawen climbed into the front seat. So then Matt, myself, Jeremy, and Scott and our gear had to fit in the backseat that’s really only made to comfortably seat 2. We’re all Americans mind you.

On this drive I did mic checks with Jeremy to make sure my signal flow was straight as the driver did about 110mph down two lane mountain roads, around cars and dodging people.

We were waved passed countless guards armed with AK’s, and sat to have chai and dessert with the 1st Lady.

All of this is on video. However my favorite quote from her for the night is not.

“I was always afraid the people of Kurdistan would give up. They had so much trouble with Iran, and then Sadaam, and then another war. I wad afraid they would quit. But the didn’t. They still have hope. They have strong hearts.”

I had to keep a “HELL YEAH!” to myself. Apparently that wouldn’t have been appropriate.

Suly REM

Here is a short sample of the work we’ve been doing here.
Tomorrow we interview the 1st Lady of Iraq.
SCORE!

May God’s peace be with you.

Xwa La Balalada

I woke up in Tatooine again this morning.

The curtain next to my bed moves in the morning sometime, and the sunlight shines over equipment to reveal what might as well be the moon to me.

We are at the office right now, and the families are coming in this morning for their pre-turkey info checks. Making sure they have all of their info and what not. So we’re filming a bit as all of that is happening.

I think we’re shooting a PSA later in the week, pretty excited about that. Matt and I sat up for a while last night and talking about how we wanted the documentary to work. I think we have a pretty decent idea of all of it, and some really solid questions.

One of the dad’s of the children is what they call Peshmerga. It means “One who faces death.” They are the geurilla military here in Kurdistan. He is a general and worked on the Irani border and recently his area was shelled.

This whole project just got way more intense.

The families have to front about 25% of the money, which means they take loans from their families and get their salaries up front for 6 months.
That covers the travel costs into Turkey. Then they get another 25% from non profits in town. I almost cried today watching their parents look at the money and some of the kids talking, because they were incredibly cute.
If they are accepted for surgery PLC pays for the rest of the cost of surgery.

Please pray for these kids, and for Matt and I to be strong and tell the story the best we can.

Xwa La Balalada – God keep you out of trouble
I’m asking for translations of comforting words to speak to the families.

I miss my friends and family, and America. But I know this is where I need to be right now.

Xwa Hafis – Go with God.

The internet is incredible today.

I’m in the Istanbul airport where the internet has been terrible all day. But right now, it’s better than terrible. So here are some pictures from my Pentax, with the Velvia 100 stock.
They were shot in Orlando,Virginia, and South Carolina.
Friend and travel. Two things I love.
I tried some color correction for the first time.
Featuring Ryan Alexander and The Lilies and Sparrows.

What do you think?

“Lord, You establish peace for us. Everything that we have accomplished You have done for us.”
I love that so much.

Assalaam ‘alaykum

I leave in the morning for 3 weeks of Iraq by way of Istanbul.

I hope to get something fresh posted here soon, even if it’s just links to other work.

Keep your eyes on Toopenyoureyes.com for updates on the documentary and what we’re doing there.

Oh man

So I’ve been lazy. No, busy actually.

Weddings and weddings, and Big Wheel Provisions.

Iraq trip is in less than a week.

I’ll get you a proper update before that happens.

GET IT!