I just got back this morning from my week in Florida! It was so wonderful to spend an entire week with my family! I didn't realize how much I missed them all until I found myself unable to say goodbye!
Yesterday however was a wonderful day for me! I received a letter from Alvero, one of the orphans. It was so unexpected, that I jumped and squealed like a child on Christmas when I got it.
"What have you been?
What have you done?
I know, you won't come to tierra de juda, I'll miss you so much, because you are the only person with whom I can practice my speech in english.
Today was awful to me, because my teacher told me, I have to talk in class, I must say my ideas, but it's difficult, all my life I've been quit and shy; I know, scared is not an option, it's a wall that cause big problems.
Well, now tell me how about you?
I hope you improve your spanish class, in the next month you will be able to communicate with all children and employees in land of Juda.
I'm teaching numbers from 11 to 20 at the children, It's has been difficult, but I'm sure they will be able to learn.
Alvaro"
Alvero is about 11. His English is good but his older brother Juan's English is the best. They look identical, only Alvero is a bit smaller than Juan! I think these two boys are the purest, sweetest, most loving boys on earth! They are both so fun...typical boys in every way, yet they are so full of love and compassion that it makes me stop and realize how different they are from most American teenagers.
I replied...
"Alvaro!!! I was so happy to get your email! Thank you so much for writing! It was wonderful of Silvia to let you use her email.
I'm really looking forward to seeing you all again! I will fly into Nicaragua on Saturday, May 1st, but may not get to the Land of Judah until Sunday. I can't wait to be back!
I'm sorry to hear you had a tough day in school! I know how scary it can be to talk in front of a crowd! It's a very normal fear and it's okay that you feel that way. I'm proud of you for doing it though....even though it was difficult! That is the only way to overcome your fears! You have to just face them! I know it's not easy, but the more you do it, the easier it will get!
I admire you and your brother for learning English. It's very difficult to learn a second language. I'm studying Spanish a little every day, but it's not easy. It may take a long time before I am able to communicate the way I want to, but I know if I keep trying, I'll eventually be able to! If you help me with Spanish, I will always help you with English! Sound good??? ;-)
Well, I can't wait to see you and everyone else next weekend! Thank you again for writing! Please say hello to Estella and Joan! See you soon!
Julie"
I really can't wait to see them!!!
Even with the clouds, even with the light rain, Sarasota is BEAUTIFUL! The white sand beaches are amazing. They are as soft as silk! I have never felt sand so soft!
Friday afternoon I flew into Austin and got to spend the night with Mom. She brought a treasure box with her for me to look through. Inside this box she has stored years worth of journals, photographs, and videos from her trips to Sri Lanka! It contained gifts, and letters from the Sri Lankan people. It was amazing to go through! It will be so useful for me, in making this documentary! I can't wait to read everything she wrote in depth! I set up my camera on a tri-pod and tried to capture it all....but I'm not sure how successful I was. After an hour, I noticed my camera had shut itself off, and I have no clue how soon it decided to do that! Sooooo....I could have a 30 second conversation and I could have an hour. Hmmmm Either way, it was so nice to have that time with Mom and learn more about Sri Lanka!
Then yesterday I met my Dad's side of the family at the airport, where we all flew to Sarasota! We'll be here for a week. Our fist family vacation in a long time! Bring on the sun though! Bring it on!
Peace out! xoxo
I put this together from my last 2 trips to Nicaragua. It's not great because most of it was shot with a flip phone and my iPhone, but I love it. Some of the pics I took and some were shot by my friend Lacy Voight! Thanks Lacy for letting me use them! xoxoxo
I can't believe I'm a blogger! Ha! I'm so excited! I feel as if the whole world has just opened to me! Has it???
WOW, I'm a blogger!
So what should I blog about? Me? You? My Chihuahua Cowboy who is snoring next to me? (yes...he's snoring!)
I will blog about the only thing I can think about, and that's this documentary I am embarking upon! I can't believe how many amazing stories are making their way to me now that I've put my focus on gathering them.
Here's what I'm up to...
A few months ago I went to visit my dad in Nicaragua for the first time. He has an orphanage there and has for some time. I knew he did amazing work there, giving back to the people of Nicaragua, but honestly until I saw it for myself, I had no idea to what extent! He really is an amazing man and I am so proud of him. The children at the Land of Judah Orphanage are the most amazing children I have met. They are so happy! It's amazing to me how happy they are! They love to smile, play, hug, pick coconuts and bash them on the ground until they can drink the water, touch my eyelashes (mascara) and fingernails (I have french tips....ha!); they sing me songs in English to show me they know some English and they laugh and laugh and laugh when I try to say words in Spainish! (I'm working on that! Rosetta Stone is my partner now!)
Anyway, Wild Horses literally could not drag me away from these children now! I feel alive when I'm there! I never seem to want to leave and yet the time goes by so fast. It always leaves me thinking....I want to DO MORE, BE MORE, HELP MORE, GIVE MORE! The truth is, ever since my first trip, it's all I can think about.
....Which left me thinking.....I can't be the only one who feels this way! I am INSPIRED by these children and INSPIRED by my father's story and journey and INSPIRED by my Mother, whose work I still have not seen, but whose story is also amazing! If I'm inspired in this way, in seeing all of this and hearing these stories, wouldn't other people be inspired??? Would other people feel that deep burning desire in the deepest parts of their soul, to DO MORE, BE MORE, HELP MORE, GIVE MORE???
So, I am going to find a way to tell these stories. I came back from my first trip with the idea to shoot a documentary film. When I mentioned it to a dear friend, who happens to be an award winning Director of Photography, he said he would join the cause and help me. Then I mentioned it to another dear friend who happens to be a fabulous documentary film Producer, and she has also joined the cause! We are SHOOTING A DOCUMENTARY!!!
Sooooo, THAT, my friends, is all I can think about!
So why am I doing this blog? I just came across a girl named Maggie Doyne, who was mentioned to me by a friend. She is a 23 year old girl who after high school at the age of around 18ish, went backpacking through Nepal, saw an abundance of homeless refugee children and decided to start an orphanage. Check out her blog! It's amazing!
http://maggiedoyne.squarespace.com/about-maggie-doyne/
She is everything this documentary is about. I want to call it "When No One's Looking". It's about people who do great things in the world to make a difference for others, and they do it "when no one is looking". People who just feel a deep burning desire to help! People who don't let anything hold them back! People who INSPIRE OTHERS, to just be BETTER! My Dad does that for me, so does my Mom and So does Maggie!
Anyway, after seeing her blog, I decided to start my own. See....already inspired!
Well, that's all for now. We start shooting in July in SRI LANKA!!!! That where 2 villages will come together to celebrate my Mother!!!! She restored 2 villages just outside of Hikkaduwa after the Tsunami and in July she will be there to hand over the deeds to the homes once and for all! It will be an amazing journey for me, to see what my mother has done! I can hardly wait to be a part of it, and we will be there to shoot every step of the way! I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Signing off for now....
Goodnight all!
xo Jules ;-)
