Natural Light: Silhouette of my friend Anna in the hostel window.
The past few weeks have gone by quickly. Our two weeks in down town Cairo where spent practicing different ways of using light in our photography and hours in various coffee shops doing homework assignments. Our first week back in Cairo was spent with Wally Nell a returning teacher from last fall. He taught us on a number of different ways we can use different light sources in our photography. Wally is a brilliant photographer and he taught and inspired us that week. We practiced using natural light, night photography, and painting with light as well as studio work. That week was stretching and fun at the same time, it really opened up my eyes to so many more exciting ways of photography. One night we where able to view real “Sufi” dancing, a practice by Muslims that is a act of worship and the closest they come to having intimacy or a spiritual experience with God. We also spent that week finishing up homework for our biblical studies core course we have just completed.
Sufi dancing continues, it is amazing how long they are able to spin with out throwing up. Last week we opened up our next course that we have just begun and that is “Humanities and Science.” We began a look at the various worldviews as an introduction. We spent the week glancing at Theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, monism and so on and so forth. We have begun by reading “The Universe Next Door” by James W. Sire to begin to more widely understand these world views and to help us better understand exactly what our personal worldview is and why. I feel there is so much I have yet to learn and understand regarding these issues, it a good thing the next four months will be spent studying exactly these things.
Light Painting: Putting my camera on a tripod and opening the shutter, my friend Autumn poses for 30 secs as I painted her with a flashlight.
We have now safely arrived in Ethiopia. Here we will be studying ‘African Worldview.’ And out last week here will be spent using our newly acquired knowledge to outreach in the community. Our School leader has come to visit us this week; it is very encouraging to have him among us for a few days since we have not seen him since early November. Along with him he has brought his friend Andrew Byrd. This week Andrew will be guiding us in a much-needed refreshment with the Lord. We are all very excited for this opportunity, after months of traveling we are all very warn out and our excited to be given a new perspective.
Two Sufi dancers take off their layers of skirts, after spinning for a good ten minutes.
Lately routine and community living has been wearing on us and we are all getting under each other’s skin. Prayer for our month in Ethiopia is much needed. We are all tough but our living situations are not as privileged as we have been in previous places. Understandably in Africa we have a shortage of water with twenty-five people using it and our food nutrition is not what we are used to as all. I ask that you pray for strength and unity of our school this month, as well as new revelations and deep times with the Lord. Our Internet is limited, and extremely expensive for the Internet that actually works. So I will not be able to update until the end of this month, the 26 we leave Ethiopia and begin spring break. Which I am very excited for, I will be going to Sweden to visit one of my friends. Once again your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Sufi dancer twirling his "skirts."
Night Photography: My attempt at a panning shot.
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