I met Dan and Becke a year ago through, what we believe, was Divine Intervention. Before I met them, I was into my 3rd month of single parenting thanks to my husband’s deployment. While I loved my son and loved spending my days with him, I longed for something else to occupy my time. I needed something that was for me, but also something that would be for the good of the community. I found myself praying to God about this before PWOC one day, and my prayer was answered when a mutual friend announced they were looking for volunteers for a Youth Coffee Shop. Dan and Becke, Youth Ministers in our community, had a brilliant idea to establish a place for teens to come during the week get a free drink, relax in a safe environment, and in turn, would branch out to more teenagers looking to connect with God. As a former Barista and management focused college courses, it was a wonderful opportunity. I love how God brings people together.
Quickly, I learned that these are two of the least selfish people in the world. They spend their life spreading the word of God to some of the most difficult people to reach; teenagers. It was so neat to see how their different personalities were able to connect to the youth. Dan has a relatively calm personality but is always saying something incredibly insightful. It's a gift of his to be able to have a collected conversation with an adult and then be able to relate to any teenager like he's the fun big brother. Becke, is full of artistic energy and the sweetest person ever. I love how she uses art as an outlet to understand God and His teachings. Both are amazing inspirations.
Today, Dan and Becke are in the process of adopting siblings from Ethiopia. They are preparing a package to send to the orphanage to show the kids who they are. I was flattered when they asked if I could take pictures of them. I didn’t feel comfortable charging them since I still have a long ways to go for that, I thought it was time to take what I had learned through my few workshops and classes and put it to the test.
I am thankful I had them as my first clients as they were so easy to work with and extremely patient with me. They both lit up in front of the camera and were naturals. Their love and affection for one another was apparent as they laughed, joked around, and shared many kisses. Even though our session was cut short due to a downpour of rain, I am very happy with the results and hope they can use a picture or two for their journal.
If asking for photos wasn't a gift in itself, a fun thing happened after Becke contacted me for portraits. I found God working through them again as I began to receive more emails for photos sessions, more creative opportunities presented, and a new artistic endeavor that I so badly needed. Thank you, Dan and Becke, for everything. You two are going to make wonderful parents and I wish you nothing but the best.
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