Photos for Maggie's room — please tell us your favorites

(By Erik)

As I’ve said many times, I’ve been incredibly blessed through my work with The Christian Chronicle to see life in several different countries. I want our little girl to know that she’s part of a much bigger world — a world filled with God’s children.

So, with Jeanie’s permission, I’m getting some prints made of photos I’ve taken over the years. We’re going with a “kids from around the world” theme.

We’re going to do about six 8x10s, with some small prints (5x7s and 4x6s) mixed in. Last night we looked through the candidates and came up with the following.

If you’ve got a minute, please look over these and let me know which ones you like best. (I’ve numbered them for your convenience.) Thanks!

Here are our personal favorites for 8x10s:


1. WAITING FOR CHURCH — I took this in, Paramakatoi, a tiny mountain village in southern Guyana (a nation on the northern tip of South America) back in 2003. Paul Brown, a longtime friend of my in-laws, took me along on his annual mission trip there. He really loves the people of this little village. Maggie, by virtue of being related to my wife, will most likely own a dress like this someday.


2. DECISIONS, DECISIONS — Here’s another shot from that same church building in Paramakatoi. All of us on the mission team filled the extra spaces in our bags with stuffed animals and gave them out to the children on our last day in the village. Each child got to pick one toy. It took this little girl about 30 minutes to make up her mind.


3. JOY IN A RAVAGED LAND — I took this at the construction site for a new building for the Smythe Road Church of Christ in Monrovia, Liberia. These kids followed us everywhere. After 14 years of civil war, the city was devastated. Poverty was everywhere. But someone forgot to tell these kids. The expression on the second boy from the left displays a universal truth. Around the world, children are almost exactly alike. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a photo of a kid named Stephen, who grew up across the street from me, making the same face when we were little.


4. ALL DRESSED UP — I took this photo outside the Obong Church of Christ in Obong Ntak, Nigeria, in January 2005. Everyone dressed up for church — whether it was traditional African clothing or Western-style suits. One little guy had a three-piece suit, complete with waistcoat, and no shoes.


5. ALL TIED UP — A boy in rural Zimbabwe gets his shoes on for church. The boy and his mother was part of a group of Christians from the Nhowe Mission school who go out into the villages each Sunday to worship with small church groups. A great minister named Peter coordinated the service. (Looking closely at this photo, I’m pretty sure he’s got the wrong shoe on the wrong foot.)


6. BIG SMILE — I took this photo earlier this year in rural Guatemala. I did a “ride along” with medical missionary Lisa Dunham. This is the granddaughter of a Guatemalan minister named Enrique Castro. Of all the photos so far, this one’s definitely got a spot Maggie’s wall. Why? Because I’ve already got a print of it.


7. MORE BIG SMILES — This is my hands-down favorite (or my hands-next-to-face favorite), taken just a few months ago in Sefwi-Debiso, Ghana. Still not sure why this little girl put her hands like that. I think she was trying to imitate me taking pictures of her.