Jaime. Travels. Photography. Fundraiser.

Jaime is an amazing wedding photographer. She is originally from BC, Canada. She now lives in California with her husband Will. Jaime is as beautiful and inspiring as her pictures are!
Please visit her web site to take a look!

A few years ago Jaime was on a Trans-Siberian Road adventure with her friend Allison. A common friend of ours connected us so that the girls could stay with me in Mongolia where I was living at the time. I fell in love with Jaime's beautiful, inspired and inspiring pictures. I made a promise to myself that if at all possible, if I ever were to get married, this would be the person I'd love to be there to take pictures for us...

Jaime wasn't able to be there for our wedding because she was a Middle-Eastern adventure with her husband... While in Jordan, Jaime got thrown off a camel and broke her pelvis. It was painful time and there was a lot of virtual hugs and real time prayers going for Jaime... Praise the Lord she is on the mend! God's hand has been upon this beautiful couple and now their family is growing as Jaime and Will are going to become parents in September!

My dream of Jaime's photography being involved in our wedding is coming true in quite an unexpected way.  Jaime's donating her skills and time to raise funds for our medical bill... All I can say, girl you are amazing. We're humbled and touched. Hope we can exchange some BIG Russian-Canadian hugs some time soon!

We've survived the Winter

We've survived the winter. Winter of incredible blessings and deep losses. 

We got married. It was a day when our dreams came true.

We got broken.  I sustained 12 breaks in both legs.

We got broke. Our insurance dropped us with a year income medical bill. 

We got heart broken. Tim's Dad and my Grandpa who raised me lost their battle to cancer.

 

It has been hard and definitely not the way we would have chosen to start our married life.  The Lord has showered us with the blessings of His love and peace. We have held on to Him and each other, surrounded by loving family, friends and church family. We've felt His love shielding us from the heavy weight of the medical debt and physical pain, giving us strength for each day. 

 

There have been ups and downs. We had to keep going. Giving up emotionally would've cost us too much time and energy.  But also how could we?! Having Jesus on our side and having the hope in Him, knowing that my body will be healed, we've been thankful... 

If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  ^{(Romans 8)} 

Spring is coming!!

Spring is Coming!...  
(Steven Curtis Chapman)
We planted the seed 
while the tears of our grief
soaked the ground  
The sky lost its sun, 
and the world lost its green
to lifeless brown 
Now the chilling wind 
has turned the earth hard as stone 
And silently seed rise beneath ice and snow
And my heart's heavy now  
But I'm not letting go of this hope I have 
that tells me  

Spring is coming, 
Spring is coming 
And all we've been hoping 
and longing for 
soon will appear  
Spring is coming, Spring is coming 
It won't be long now, it's just about here
 
Hear the birds start to sing  
Feel the life in the breeze  
Watch the ice melt away  
The kids are coming out to play
Feel the sun on your skin  
Growing strong and warm again 
Watch the ground: there's something moving  
Something is breaking through  
New life is breaking through

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 
Out of these ashes, beauty will rise
And all we've been hoping and longing for soon will appear  
Sorrow will be turned to joy
Spring is coming, Spring is coming  
All we hoped for soon will appear
It won't be long now, it's just about here  
Out of the dark clouds, beauty will shine
All above in heaven, rejoice
Spring is coming soon
Spring is coming soon

Papa

You welcomed me

into your home and your heart

you gave me the love of a father.

The tears I shed as a fatherless child

have been wiped away.

You're my Papa.

I miss you so much, Dad!--your beautiful smile,

your wisdom, your patience, your presence.

My Heavenly Dad walked me down the aisle

And you gave me the best wedding present:

You shared your heart

and you gave me your hug

you cheered for us from your chair.

And when a week later

we were wounded and struck

you came all the way, you were there.

The present of you being there for me

I cherish... You're far and so near.

You're Home and you're whole.

On your Home coming party

I'll be there for you in my chair.

Dad- safely Home...

Right through the final hours before going Home, he continued loving, caring for and serving: his wife Mary, sons Matthew, Nathan, Timothy (Galina), and daughters Amy Jo, and Marita along with many others, most specially his brother Clifford (Teri) Smith, their children Thomas, Danny and Sarah, and the underprivileged children he serves in Mexico. Many knew him as professor or colleague during his 29 years teaching at Algonquin College. Almost everyone knew him as a teacher of God's word whether at home, college, in children's programs, with his church family or wherever God allowed him to be each day. He was a father to many more than his birth children... a mentor, instructor, traveller, canoeist, hiker, , , lover of God's creation, lover of people and most of all a lover of God his Father. Harold will be lovingly remembered and missed dearly by the countless people Jesus touched through Him both in Ottawa where he lived and in many other places and even nations. His greatest desire was to see God his Perfect Father glorified through his every word and action, to communicate God’s grace and forgiveness of sins and desire that all would ‘Taste and see that the Lord IS good!’ and ‘Trust in Him’.
Harold Smith ..safely Home with Jesus on February 20th, 2013, after 33 faithful years of marriage, victoriously facing cancer twice, raising 5 children, and persevering courageously through 3 years of leukaemia. 

Post from October. /Homeless and Happy. Leaving and cleaving./

Summer in Siberia has come and gone. This short cold summer felt so long because once again Tim and I didn't know when we would see each other again. As I was waiting for my visa I had a chance to spend some quality time with my grandparents in a little village type community on an island where people come to their “dacha” - summer houses and spend the summer tending their vegetable gardens, visiting each other, making wonderful hearty meals and drinking countless cups of tea during the day. It was beautiful. 

On the last day of the summer my visa was ready, and the time to say goodbye came. I took another month to have a closure. Intentional goodbyes with my family and friends. As we were saying our goodbyes, Grandpa cried, Grandma cried, Mom cried, my sister cried. And I cried, too. Those were tears of love for each other and sadness of separation. I left home five years ago, but this time it was different- I was crossing the ocean, for the first time, and I was going to get married.

I am thankful to God for my family. Imperfect and somewhat broken family. A family that stayed together in the face of so many difficulties in our lives. I am thankful... As I was leaving Russia I felt it so strongly that I was “homeless” in a good kind of way- having a home in the hearts of so many dear people-- in Russia, Thailand and Ukraine, but at the same time being detached from a certain place.

And as I arrived in Canada on October, 1, I found a home in the heart of a man who had been faithfully waiting for me. And again, I am thankful...

Dad

Tim's family is coming together in a very special way right now as well. His dad has had cancer for about 3 years, and God has miraculously given him strength and endurance to keep pushing on and encouraging so many around him. In the last few weeks it has seemed more and more likely that treatment is not working to abate the advance of cancer and with a flare up of symptoms in the last few days his physical strength is waning. Please continue to pray for his heart and testimony that God would continue to encourage others through him as he himself is encouraged by his Father!