Luka

    A one year old girl named Asha from the village of Mumba lost her parents to AIDs, she was left with only her grandmother who could not provide her with any nutrition what so ever. The Caraway's heard about an orphanage near by that might be able to help, so one day they drove to Sumbawanga in search of aid for Asha who was struggling for life. Once they arrived at the orphanage they saw that there were many more children struggling just like Asha, but one more than most. A little boy named Luka who was abandoned and left out in the wild to die because his gaurdians were no longer able to support him. Some travelers found him after days of being left alone and they brought Luka to St. Martin's Orphanage where they thought there was nothing they could do for him. Once again all any one could do was wait for this little boy to die.
     Unable to just let this innocent boy slip into darkness without every knowing what it felt like to be held by loving arms, Lynn and the Caraway family took Luka home to make his final days as comfortable as possible. Day after day the fed him, bathed him, played with him,  all in hope that they just might get one smile out of him before he takes his last breathes.
       5 years has passed since they discovered that little boy, and I'm happy to say that he's alive and well and hopes to be a race car driver when he grows up (his picture is included in this post). Growing up, something they never thought he'd get to experience.  Lucky for Lynn that one smile she asked God for turned into thousands. On my stay with the Caraways the kid couldn't stop smiling, between the love Mike and Lynn showed him, and his endless energy displayed by his constant running around the house naked with his cape on, I couldn't stop smiling either. Soon Luka's adoption will be final and he will becoming to America for school. How's that for a happy ending, that's one thing not common in the 3rd world.

      It's true, happy endings are scarce in these parts of the world, Unlike Luka, Asha wasn't so fortunate. Two months after she arrived at St. Martin's she was claimed by AID's. I hope that stories like Luka's wil start to be more common, but right now the story of Asha is more of the status quo. After visiting I didn't learn the value of life, I felt it, and people think that the little contributions they give from thousands of miles away won't make a difference, but there something as simple as milk can keep a child alive. Keep the Caraway's in your thoughts and prayers as they are in the final stages of a long adoption process so Luka can come join his Sister's and brother-in-law, who loves more than anything, here in America this coming spring.

And the editing begins.

I am now settled down in my new apartment down town Grand Rapids. I have the editing Suit at the GVSU GR campus reserved and I hope to have a few minute trailor to my documentary finished by the 10th of august. I still have some interviews to conduct but so far it is all coming along very well. For those who have not seen my facebook page I will continue to upload pictured ffom my trip in order to for you to have a distinct image to complement my stories I posted while I was a visiting East Africa. Thank yoou and I'll keep you updated.

The Long Journey Home.

Mike and I left Mumba yesterday after I said my goodbyes to Lynn, Luka, Lea, Brook, and some others. It Though I will be state side thursday the Journey I have had over the past day and the one I have ahead of me has been and will be restless. Tomorrow it is atleast a 13 hour bus ride over rough terrain. Just becuse I am leaving Africa does not mean I will be closing my blog, I still have a lot more shooting to do around Michigan as well as some presentation to AIDS groups. I hope you will still follow the progress of this project.

Better to have been loved and lost then never to have been loved at all.

It is approaching July 12th now as I am getting ready to head to bed after this long day. This morning I took a trip back to the orphanage. Once again I was greeted by a stampede of toddlers all anxious to slobber on me and everything I dared to bring along. A little side not, If you ever visit St. Martin's, which I hope you do, be sure to wear a raincoat because the forecast always is as follows.... Adorable....with a 100% chance of drool.
        I am making one more trip back to the orphanage to play with the kids and say my goodbyes before I make the two drive back to Dar Es Salaam at the beginning of next week. Now that you are up to date on me I have yet another story to tell.
      Today I was playing a board game with Luka and his mother(by adoption) and I was amazed at how full of life he was, he was constantly cracking jokes, climbing on me, and never without a smile on his face. This is the same kid who just a few years ago was a mal-nurished orphan in which all Lynn wanted was to see one smile out of him before he passed away. Now she gets to wake up to the little bundle of joy everyday.
       Here's another story. Josh and Stephanie were missionaries here in West Tanzania, they too went to help out at St. Martin's. After visiting there a few times they fell in love with this little orphan girl, Jennie.They took care of her for awhile and help nurse her to good health. After a little while they decided to adopt her and give her a chance to live life to it's fullest potential. Overwhelmed with excitement to start the process of making Jennie part of there family Josh and Steph headed back to the states for a couple of weeks to get paper work taking care of with Social Services. One after noon they were sitting in there Grand Rapids home looking over some of the adoption forms when they heard a knock on their door. It was Casey Caraway, Mike and Lynn's daughter. She came in and sat down with them, after a moment of silence she told them that Jennie had passed away.
       This story has bounced around in my head every night since I've heard it. As I drift to sleep I think of all those smiling faces that come waddling towards me every time I step through the gate of St.Martin's. While I'm there I take many pictures because I never know if I will see a certain one of those smiling faces again. When a new born loses his/her chance at experiencing life it always eats away at you more than just a person passing from old age. Here, a darker cloud hangs over you when one of these orphans is taken, and that is the grief that that child never got to feel truly loved or the warmth of caring arms exclusively meant to hold him or her.

Orphan's, Camera, Action.

     It is now Friday July 8th. The days fly by here. It's sad to think I make my journey home in 10 days already. I have accomplished a lot this week. I've interviewed two of the sisters, one German volunteer, and two of the orphan's who are about to finish up secondary school (ages 17). I have a few more to do here but developing stories have created more filming to do when I get back home. There are a few families who have worked in this area of Africa and have very stong stories to tell about there experiences here and with St. Martin's Orphanage, they are now back in West Michigan and I am already arranging meetings with them. I pray this documentary will make waves with those who view it, but in reality it will only be ripples compared to actually experiencing it here.
        Yesterday the The Caraway's brought another mal-nurished infant home to nurse to good health. It was a very heart-felt experience for me to hold him for a while on our way home. He was unable to cry but could go through the motions, as hard as it was to see this new life in such poor health it was the most uplifting moment when he smiled for his first time on our way back to Mumba, it was as if he knew that he was now going to have his chance at a healthy life. Not all of St. Martin's kids are as fortunate. Mike and Lynn have brought home nearly 30 babies and almost all of them are still alive. St.Martin's is doing a great thing for these kids, but there is only so much a few nuns with little funding can do. Though an orphanage does not sound like an ideal place for a child to be raised, here it is most often a blessing for these kids to be at St. Martin's, otherwise they would be on the streets or taken in by a distant relative and treated as a servant, A lot like the story of cinderella, but in these cases there is no glass slipper. Thats why me must be greatful for people like the Caraway's and pray that more just like them step forth. There is no such thing as a garuntee in this remote part of the world, the most we can give this kids is hope, and thats what I saw in the eyes and smile of this little boy who now stands a better chance of "being the captain of his fate" as said by Nelson Mandela.

Camera's Rolling

 Sorry that it has been a few days since my last post but internet is hard to find here in sumbawanga Tanzania. I have yet to upload any pictures to my blog because I still have yet to find a wireless connection that allows me to upload from my iphone, but there are many on my facebook wall and as soon as i get a wireless connection I will post them. I am currently sitting in a "internet Room" here in Sumbawanga with my assigned translator and new friend Joseph, he is the one that is making it possible for me to communicate with the orphans, the locals, and the Sister's. Joseph lives in Mumba and works at the Caraways house.
         I have lots of footage and the filming is going a lot faster than I expected. I have a few more interviews to conduct including two with german volunteers who have been living near the orphanage. The people of Sumbawanga are accustomed to seeing light skinned people roaming the streets due to the towns takeover by a Danish road crew who is paving the main street, finally. Driving on the roads here are equivalent to riding a washer machine.....down a staircase. Never thought I'd see a Hipo as road kill, but in Africa anything is possible, (take that worth a grain of salt). Joseph and Danny (neighbors) took me to a market yesterday, this market happens once a month on the 4th of each month. My presence there was welcomed but it was kind of like the people of west Michigan seeing a skateboarding elephant going down the highway. I have many pictures of these puzzled faces. It is time for us to load up the washer machine and head back up the staicase to Mumba, Now that I have found this little internet room (in which all the letters have warn off the keys) I will be updating you Thursday most likely. Keep us in your thoughts and I will update you soon.
     

Sending it to Sumbawanga

It's our last night in Dar Es Salaam, tomorrow we get up early for a 12 hour drive to Mbya where we will stay two nights. as I type this post I am currently being surrounded by 3 gecko's. the are eating all the malaria carrying fly's for me, hats off to them.  My first day at the orphange will probably be tuesday becasue monday, the 4th, is luka's half birthday and we are going to have a little celebration.