Street Food Anyone?

Young Lady Roasting Corn, Sausage, and Potatoes. Bogota, Colombia.  

Fried Plantains and Potatoes Chips  

It seems there is no shortage of street food anywhere in the world I have traveled from Mexico, to China, to Argentina, to New York City. I guess the big question is would I eat any of it? Well, that depends on hungry I would have to be. I must admit there are times when I pass by one these vendors that their food really smells good. In Brazil, where I live, starting at about six o'clock every evening they begin to roast or barbecue a lot meat on the street filling the air with a very pleasant aroma that can be very temping when your walking home and your hungry.

Sugarcane

Raw Sugarcane fresh from the field

Unloading the stocks of cane at the mill.

Young Fernando, Collecting the Juice.

This family run Sugarcane business deep in the heart of formerly controlled Guerrilla countryside in Colombia, is probably using  the same method to process the Sugarcane the way it was process one hundred years ago. This family has no car or truck they just have one horse and a mule. They go out into the fields and cut the stocks of cane, load them onto their animals and then bring the sugarcane back to the mill. They then  squeeze the juice out of the stocks into a bucket, boil it and then sell it to locally buyers. All in a days work for this family that was nice enough to let me photography them.

Wild Kingdom

14,000 lb African Elephant

Curious Toucan Staring back at me

Grumpy Rhino

Beautiful White Bengal Tiger. I love kids there Delicious!! 

Yes, exotic animals are fun to look at and admire. They are a reminder to me of the handy work of God. His creation stands as evidence of a loving Creator who is the God of diversity by creating more than one kind of species.  Some of these animals will look back in curiosity and some will just ignore you while they wait for their next meal. Take the elephant at the top he seemed very happy to have people admiring him and from time to time would put on a little show for everyone shaking his head and rolling his trunk in and out. The Toucan, also seemed quiet happy to have visitors and he was trying to get a closer look at me. The rhinoceros never move a muscle and seem to be in a bad mood. But all rhinos are in a bad mood aren't they? And last, The White Bengal Tiger. Stunningly beautiful and equally as graceful as this huge cat would strut around showing off his beauty for all to see.  

Natural Light Portraits

Young boy eating bread

Woman begging for money Puerto Salgar, Colombia

Sometimes, you don't always have your trusty speed-light with you and just have to go with what you got. The young boy in the top photo is a perfect example. Had I filled in his shadow side with flash I would have change the mood and look of the photo. With the woman below had I used a little fill flash I believe she would of slapped me upside my head seeing how she was only three feet from me and not in a very good mood.

Year in Review

Salome Ponce, me and Shuyan Ponce  near the Equator.

Playing to a group of school kids in Quito, Ecuador 

Iglesia La Vina, Quito, Ecuador 

One of the highlights for me in 2012 was a mission trip that I was honored  to be a part of  to Quito, Ecuador,  back in April of 2012.  The days were full of playing music and ministering in local schools and teaching music lessons (Drums) in the evening. Our host was a wonderful missioner Oscar Palma, and his family who are from Chile, but have been living and working in Quito, for a good number of years now. I'm always humbled to be with people with who are so dedicated to sever the Lord and spread to Gospel of peace. Many people sadly, especially in the US, chase after the wrong things in life and make Idols out Rock Stars, Politicians and Athletics etc. So, when people ask me who my heroes are I respond by saying " My heroes have always been missionaries" and  I will make the godly my heroes in land. No government policy or religion can change a persons heart only the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, the creator of all things and ruler of the entire universe can do that. Amen.