If you are a girl (and I’m assuming some of you are), you probably have experienced those glorious moments in your life where you get dressed up, look your best, and actually feel… dare I say it?…. pretty.

I’m not sure if we always realize the significance of those “pretty” moments, until we don’t have any for awhile… especially when it’s been a LONG while!

I (Breanna) recently got to spend time with a group of girls that have quite possibly never, ever had a “pretty moment” before.

These girls are all foster children between the ages of 12-15 and some of them have never even worn a dress before.

(I love this one of a girl in her fancy dress getting ready to trade in her Nike’s for a pair of heels).

I met this bunch at a camp called Teen Reach Adventure Camp or TRAC (sponsored by the amazing group Hope & a Future). Scottie and I were headed up there to take pictures for their special event called The Princess Program.

The goal of the Princess Program is to help these girls feel beautiful both inside and out.

The Princess Program happens on a special night of camp when the girls get all dolled up just like they would for prom (which most of these girls will never get to go to) …

…then they head over to eat a fancy meal prepared just for them…

…followed by a night of carefree dancing and fun (definitely not the norm for any of these girls).

(Aside from volunteers, we can’t legally show the faces of any of the girls involved.  It was quite a challenge to tell the story without using faces!).

Dolce Salon and Spa collects used prom dresses and bridesmaid dresses at various points throughout the year to save up quite a selection for these girls to choose from when their special night comes.

When the time comes, they put on the dress…

…get their hair and make up done courtesy of Dolce…

(or courtesy of the camp counselors if there’s a mudslide that shuts down the highway so that most of the Dolce crew isn’t able to make it… as was the case this year!).

(If you happen to be one of the people helping out in some of these photos, you can tag yourself in them on our Facebook page).

…add in some accessories…

…and prepare to be treated like royalty for the rest of night!

When I say royalty, I mean it!  I’m talking red carpet, paparazzi, and glittering everything!

Not to mention a group of studs who volunteer to escort the girls down the carpet and spend the rest of the night serving them!

They’re older guys of course, because lets face it, they’re the hottest (ha ha I’m just saying that because I always joke with Scottie about being 6 years older than me)!

In the past, we have promoted the dress drive so that all of our brides know where to send their bridesmaids to donate their dresses once the wedding’s over.  However, this year we were asked to volunteer our time to take photos for the actual Princess dinner and we couldn’t have been more honored.

Since it was our first time at this camp, we didn’t quite know what to expect so we were a little nervous.  And when we showed up at the camp, we found we weren’t the only ones who were nervous.

The girls there were dressed in old jeans, sweats, and tennis shoes and were struggling to balance both their excitement and their nerves as they anticipated the events that were to come that night!

For a girl who is more used to rejection than loving affection, it can be a very scary thing to have that much positive attention thrust on her all at once!

It was so fun to watch them go through their big transformation. They’d get their hair done and would feign indifference by saying “yeah, it looks OK I guess”, then as they put on their necklaces on they’d try to hide the smiles that were creeping out, and by the time the entire process was done, they were absolutely beaming.

I saw one girl who hadn’t even begun the hair and makeup process, but as soon as she saw herself in the dress she broke down crying.

Of course she had her “cousin” (camp counselors) right there next to her to hold her and encourage the experience she was going through as she finally felt beautiful for the first time ever.

I really loved watching the girls walking down the red carpet arm in arm with their male escorts.

As girls will do, they were all giggly about the guys who were all dressed up and about to… touch their arm (gasp)!!  It’s funny how teenage girls never change! ;-)  Aside from the shy smiles and darting glances up at the guys’ faces, my favorite part about watching this was how the guys treated them.

I know they had some coaching, but man, the guys took this and ran with it!  They only had a runways length to talk to the girl on their arm and in that time they managed to help the girls forget the awkwardness of so many eyes on them and start laughing and… well, feeling beautiful.

You could just see it happening, if there was a confidence meter that you could actually see that day, it would have started at the bottom, climbed slowly up with each “beauty station” the girls passed through, and then shot through the top as they walked down that red carpet with the guys.  SO awesome!

After their grand entrances, the girls sat down to a fabulous meal, at an equally stunning table.

I have to say, my jaw completely dropped when I saw the “ballroom”.  I mean, they had this place decked out!

I’d be surprised if there was a single piece of hot pink anything left in the state of Arizona that was not in that room once they were done decorating.

No bling, no expense, and definitely no pink was spared as this Princess dinner was created.  Just as it should be for a princess.

Props to Margie at Party Presentations for making all the shinyness happen!

The girls proceeded to sit through what was probably the first fancy meal they’ve ever had in their lives, complete with place cards, corsages, crabcakes, and cute waitors who filled up their glasses before they even got half empty.

They were living the high life… and loving every second of it.  After dinner came the dancing.  The girls learned a few dances and then got to let loose and have a little fun.

I can’t even imagine what a night like this would mean to girls who are so used to being treated the exact opposite of a princess.  I know that they will absolutely never forget it.

The best part is that this was just the first night of the TRAC camp!  When we left, they still had a couple more days to go where they had people all around them loving on them and trying to reinforce in everyway that they are each just as special as a princess.

P.S. Since one of our goals with our Radiant Love program is to spread the word about different ways to help others in your community, I couldn’t possibly end this without telling you how to get involved (fan us on Facebook to stay updated with our Radiant Love activities along with all our recent photo sessions)! There are so many ways for you to help out with this!  You can donate money (and get tax credits!), volunteer time, give your old dresses, etc, etc.  And the Princess Program is only one piece of the puzzle.  They also have TRAC camps for boys where they have an “All-Star Program“.  If you’re looking for a place to invest your time, money, or heart, I highly recommend you check out Hope & a Future because after doing it personally, I’d say it’s a VERY worthwhile investment!

Do you ever have those experiences that completely transform the tone of your entire day within an instant?  That’s how I feel every single time I read my friend Abby’s blog.  Now you might be thinking “wow, she must have some really hilarious kids, a very intense home improvement project, or an especially cute little puppy to have the ability to affect you that much”.  Umm, not so much.  Abby lives in Africa in a home for street kids.  She takes care of these kids like they are her own and she deals with situations, emotions, and tragedy that is beyond my comprehension… and way above the abilities of most 20 somethings I know, and of most 60 somethings I know actually!

(so… she’s the white one! Abby or the people on her team took all of these photos.  These are not Radiant Photos.)

The lives of street kids in Africa is something so difficult to hear about, that most people would rather not know about it.  As a result of war, the HIV/AIDS virus, and severe poverty; 13% of all children under the age of 18 in Uganda have been orphaned. Once on the streets, these children experience significant levels of all kinds of abuse and mistreatment. They are hated and feared by the rest of the community, even though they are only children.

The kids are forced to sleep wherever they can.  Since they are in danger of being taken by the corrupt police force, being kidnapped to be sold into slavery, or just receiving random beatings while sleeping, they never get to feel “safe”.

(This is where one kid chose to sleep so that it would be harder for people to get to him).

Here’s where some of the other street kids sleep.

These children, who are left to fend for themselves in a community that is out to destroy them, are the children that Abby provides shelter, food, medical care, education, counseling, friendship, and family to.

She has 14 of these children in her home in Kivulu and she (along with others in her organization, “A Perfect Injustice“) support another 100 street kids through a program that meets 3 times a week that provides many of the same things that the children who live in the home receive.

(Here’s Abby, providing medical care at the clinic.)

(There are much more graphic photos of her doing this on her blog, but I figured there were some people who wouldn’t appreciate seeing those!)

“A Perfect Injustice” also financially supports other street kids who have been sent to boarding schools where they receive the care, attention, and education they need.  Thanks to the commitment and love that Abby and others have shown towards these kids, all these children are now being healed (medically, emotionally, and relationally).  They now stand a chance for the kind of life that every child deserves to experience.

(birthday party!)

(They love soccer)!

(I think this photo is my personal favorite.  This pictures just says “family” to me).

Now that we’ve been exposed to what she’s doing over there, we couldn’t help but participate!  We support various non-profit organizations through our “Radiant Love” program so we’ve supported Abby in the past… and we can’t help but support her again now.  So for every wedding we book from now until we change organizations (at an undetermined date), 10% of our shooting fees are going towards supporting these kids and the changes they are working so hard to make in their lives. (Click to read more about our Radiant Love Program and click here to see organizations we’ve supported in the past).

Nothing I can say could ever communicate what’s really going on with Abby and these kids in Africa.  Luckily, Abby has an extraordinary talent for writing (and photography!) and uses these skills to reveal her heart and explain her world to everyone who takes the time to read about it.

So please, PLEASE take the time to read at least this one blog post from her regular blog that we believe is life changing.  If you don’t love it, then you never have to read another blog by her again (even though we might still share her posts on our blog from time to time)… but I think you’ll be hooked!

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Danger! Hatari!

Posted on Jul. 12th, 2009 at 10:11 am

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Of course Abby has many more AMAZING pics on her blog and also some videos that help you really connect to the kids that she’s dedicated her lives to.  Here are some of my favorite cute kid pics of hers!

(Abby has stories about all these kids on her blog).

(Abby said that he carries his little brother rain or shine, even when he’s stuck wearing snow bibs (and sweating profusely because of it). She said it took so many shots to get this picture because he would never push back when all of the other kids crowded as close as possible for the picture).

(She said it was really hot out this day, but he loved the jacket so much, he wouldn’t take it off)!

Scottie and I have committed to reading at least 1 blog post from Abby every day for the next 2 weeks.  We want to be reminded every morning that there are bigger things going on in the world than we see every day in our tiny little lives.  We hope you will join us in this commitment to be inspired every day by how love can change everything.

Stepping Stones of Hope is an organization that assists families in the grieving process after the loss of a loved one.  They provide a first steps program in the initial months following the loss and then encourage members to attend Camp Paz (Peace) about 5-6 months later.  Camp Paz attendees are then offered the opportunity to attend After Camp Family Support Groups to help them continue in their journey of healing.

The First Steps Program….
provides grieving families support during the early months of the grief process when the death may not yet seem real. Support at this stage is very important and can be very different from what is needed several months later. The First Steps program closes the gap between the time of the actual loss and the time that has been identified as the most beneficial period to address an individual’s thoughts and feelings as the adjustment to the loss takes place.

Camp Paz for Kids….
is a program designed to give children whose lives have been interrupted by the death of a loved one, who may be struggling with their feelings, an opportunity to be around others who are living the same experience. Camp Paz helps participants build self esteem, reduce feelings of guilt, reduce anxiety about showing feelings of grief, diminish the profound sense of isolation and loneliness, decrease fear by understanding the causes of death, diminish fears that loved ones will be forgotten, teach healthy coping skills, help them to understand that everyone grieves differently and to increase friendships with peers who share the common experience of the death of a loved one.
Camp Paz for Kids provide a safe place for these children to express themselves. Through art, equestrienne therapy, music, role-playing, and a lot of talking and laughing, kids learn about death and dying. And, they learn how to begin to cope. At the same time nearby, adult family members are learning too, exploring their grief through journaling, music, art, self-care, relaxation and dialogue. And they discover ways they can best support the children who share their loss.

Camp Paz for Grown ups….
is similar to Camp Paz for kids in that adults focus on their own grief journey. After working on their own needs, they then transition into how to best help the grieving children in their life. For many adults, this program provides the first opportunity to focus on there unique feelings without worrying about their children, or worrying about how children may respond to a display of emotions. The majority of adult participants forge indescribable bonds with other participants, and many have formed significant friendships.

After Camp Family Support Groups….
follow Camp Paz to help continue the healing. Groups are open to any family who participated in the previous weekend program, and they are facilitated as a family unit. Each session builds upon the other, and each are designed to build family cohesion, promote mutual respect, and encourage open and honest dialogue all which ultimately strengthen the family unit.

Community action…
is very important to Stepping Stones of Hope.  They partners with other organizations to create the Grief at School & Grief at Work programs to educate personnel on how to help grieving individuals.  Stepping Stones of Hope also puts on a grief & bereavement conference for 2,000 members of the Arizona community annually.  In addition to all of that, Stepping Stones of Hope also partners with schools in the Maricopa County School district to offer mini grief camps on participating school campuses for both adults and children.

Goals of Stepping Stones of Hope programs include:
1. Teach about four dimensions of grief: physical, spiritual, mental and emotional.
2. Help participants build self-esteem.
3. Reduce feelings of guilt and anxiety about showing feelings of grief.
4. Teach skills to help diminish profound sense of isolation and loneliness.
5. Introduce healthy coping skills and appropriate ways to cope with anger.
6. Increase participant’s understanding about causes of death.
7. Eliminate fears that loved ones will be forgotten.
8. Help participants understand that everyone’s grief is unique.
9. Increase friendships with peers who share a common experience.
10. Introduce Worden’s Four Tasks of Grief for adults, and Goldman’s Four Psychological Tasks for children.

Visit Stepping Stone of Hope’s website to learn more about the organization.

To find out more about Radiant Love Supports click here.

Branded is a collaboration of Government, Business, Church, and University leaders who have come together to eradicate sexual exploitation of children in Phoenix.

Attacking the Problem

Churches, law enforcement, government officials, market place leaders, non-profit organizations and passionate individuals have joined forces to fight against the sexual exploitation of children. They have come together to raise advocacy, develop preventative programs, and build a holistic secure community for rehabilitation of those coming out of the darkness of that world. The ultimate desire is to meet the physical, spiritual, and social needs of children affected by sex slavery, being committed to the rescue and renewal of the “one”.

Awareness

When people think of Human Trafficking or Sex Slavery most would consider it an issue elsewhere. Thailand… China… Eastern Europe… We need to let people know that it happens in Phoenix, and it happens frequently! The average age of entry into prostitution in the city of Phoenix is 13 years old. A 7th grade girl. In NO way is this acceptable. Therefore, one way that the public can act to prevent this issue from occuring is by raising awareness. Simply by getting the word out, educating others on the issue, and making potential-victims aware of these dangers, we will prevent girls from falling prey. If our city is to rid itself from this evil, the general public most be made aware of its existence.

Legislation

There is a great need to revise and submit key legislation that will protect girls that are victims, and prosecute those who gain from child rape for profit. Based on provisions and loop-holes in the current laws, Johns are able to walk away from their crimes with not much more than a small fine. This, while under-age girls are charged as criminals instead of treated as victims. The BRANDED movement is poised to confront our lawmakers about this injustice, and encourage them to make a change in the law.

Aftercare

As of now, the only option available options for a charged prostitute that is a minor, is to either be sent to a Juvenile Detention Center, be admitted into Child Protective Services, or return home. Victims of sexual abuse, and particularly sex trafficking, suffer from a variety of psychological, physical and social wounds that must be treated within a controlled and supportive setting. We see the need to provide an alternative to the punitive options currently available. One that openly accepts these girls as victims to be treated, and not criminals to be penalized. Please visit our partner organization - StreetLight – to embrace the vision of a village of hope.

Branded Website |    Branded Facebook |    Branded Twitter

Living Water International is an organization dedicated to providing clean and safe water to people around the world.

LWI is an implementer of participatory, community-based water solutions in developing nations. In its 18-year history, LWI has completed nearly 7,000 community water projects in 26 countries, which provide safe, clean water to 9.5 million people every day.

It all began in 1990, when a group from Houston, Texas traveled to Kenya and saw the desperate need for clean drinking water. They returned to Houston and founded a 501(c)3 non-profit. The fledgling organization equipped and trained a team of Kenyan drillers, and LWI Kenya began operations the next year under the direction of a national board.

That pattern continues today in LWI’s 26 countries of operation; LWI trains, consults, and equips, empowering local people to implement solutions in their own countries.

Remembering the life-changing nature of that first trip in 1990, LWI also leads hundreds of volunteers on trips each year, working with local communities, under the leadership of nationals, to implement water projects. It’s hard to know which lives are changed more—those “serving” or those “being served.”

LWI’s world-class training programs in shallow well drilling, pump repair, and hygiene education have equipped thousands of volunteers and professionals in the basics of integrated water solutions since 1997.

For more information visit their website:
www.water.cc

Do you ever see those people who just make you think, “wow, they deserve some kind of reward”.  Well, we do.  That’s why we accept nominations (from anyone!) for our once a month, Radiant Love Honors award!  This award is for anyone you know who is showing Radiant Love to the community around them.

Kiara and Andy were nominated by Kiara’s brother and sister-in-law for the love they show to the abuse victims they work with and to the children they open up their home to. Click to see all the photos from Kiara and Andy’s free family photo session.  Here’s their story (and of course photos to go along with it!)….

1.  Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Our family doesn’t have the option of blending into a crowd, and we have come to see that as a blessing. God has taken us down a road less traveled as we grow our family, and that has provided many opportunities to bring glory to Him and serve Him in our daily life. What a privilege!

Andy is a licensed architect. His eye for design, creativity, and ability to imagine a project from start to finish makes him a natural in the field. Andy has been unemployed since November, and although that has been challenging for us, God never ceases to amaze us through the ways He provides.

I  (Kiara) am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom right now, and find that I thrive on the flexibility in my schedule, even if the demands of raising our children, homeschooling, and keeping up with the various ministries God brings our way keeps me very busy!

Lucas is six, and he is enjoying Kindergarten at home. He loves to study bugs, plants, and animals, and would spend the whole day outdoors if we let him! He is a very creative little boy.

Destany is four, and she is our sweet little social butterfly. She loves to work in the sandbox with her brothers, play dress-up, and take her friends on pretend journeys to California.

Keandre, ever the class clown, just turned two. He is out-going and cuddly, and takes life in stride whether we are having a quiet afternoon, or the house is teeming with noisy children. He thinks life is just one big adventure!

Until very recently, we were also fostering two of Keandre’s biological siblings, Niko and Mya. Niko is seven years old, and he lived with us for one year. Mya is four and was here for nine months. They just moved in with their foster-adoptive family, and we are very thankful that they will continue to be a part of our lives.

2. Please share a few of your favorite ways to show Radiant love to the people and community around you.

We love children, and I suppose there is a side of us that must like chaos, too. We seem to have enough of it in our lives, anyway! Life is always an adventure, and usually that adventure includes welcoming extra children into our home.

In the last few months we have had as many as 8 children staying with us, ages 20 months to 7 years old. We are thankful we can be available to care for these little ones, and we love seeing our children learning to share their blessings as well.

Our passion for adoption began long before we were married. I learned early in life that not all children have parents who are able to care for them, and that grew in me a desire to be available as an adoptive parent. Andy, brave man that he is, agreed even before we were married that he was open to wherever God would lead us. Growing our family through adoption does not seem unusual to us. God adopted each of us into His family, and calls us His own. It only feels natural to love in that same way.

We adopted Destany through Christian Family Care Agency when she was just 3 days old, and it was a wonderful, if bittersweet experience. Our hearts broke for Destany’s birthmother, who loves her very much but was not in the position to parent her. We have been very thankful for the opportunity to maintain contact with her, and she and her two sons have become our extended family and a special part of our lives.

After we adopted Destany, we felt the need to connect with other adoptive families. This led us to start a local group for adoptive and foster families, called Arizona Transracial Adoptive Families. Over 130 local families are involved, all who have adopted their children domestically, from Haiti, or from various parts of Africa. We love to sit back and watch the children run and play together, relaxing in the knowledge that in this community they will never feel alone in their life experiences.

Another passion of ours is abuse recovery ministry. I had some very difficult experiences as a young teen that propelled me into a dark and painful time in life. When I was 17, one of my abusers was arrested and I had the opportunity to begin my journey to healing with a wonderful Christian counselor. Through her I learned what God has to say about abuse, betrayal, and brokenness, and it was a relief to know God wants me to come to Him with my pain and anger. Today I am involved with Mending the Soul Ministries, and lead abuse recovery groups for women. It is a blessing to walk alongside women who are courageously facing their painful pasts and discovering hope and healing.

Click to see the rest of the photos from this family portrait session.

Destany actually took this one of her mom and Keandre.  I held the camera and she pushed the button (so technically she owns this picture!).

Click to find out more about our Radiant Love program or to nominate someone for a Radiant Love Honor.

And I had to add this pic of Scottie teaching Destany how to use the camera!!  She did a pretty good job too!

Founded in 1982, Christian Family Care Agency is a private nonprofit, 501(c)(3) social services agency that provides adoption, foster care, and counseling programs focused on meeting the needs of children and families. CFCA’s fundamental belief is that a nurturing family is essential to every child’s success and as a result, hundreds of children who were in crisis situations are now part of loving and caring families.

Christian Family Care Agency offers:

Foster Care
* Providing children with temporary, loving and nurturing homes.
* Helping potential foster parents receive guidance, training, and licensing.

Counseling
* Offering individual, child, and family counseling from trained and licensed Masters-level therapists.
* Providing specialized counseling for children who have been abused and neglected or have suffered other severe childhood trauma.
* Helping women with an unplanned pregnancy think through the choices they face.

Adoption

* Helping prospective adoptive parents find everything they need to know about adoption…how the adoption process works, what open adoption is, educational resources, and more.
* Assisting with matching children and adoptive families.
* Confidential Intermediary – working with adopted individuals to locate their birth family.

Christian Family Care Agency is licensed by the State of Arizona, accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), and has offices in both Phoenix and Tucson ready to serve you. For more information please visit their website at:

http://www.cfcare.org

To find out more about Radiant Love supports click here.