Monday, April 26, 2010

Pie Someone for $2

For those of you who have been following me for the past couple months, you will know that I had recently participated in something called The 30-Hour Famine. The 30-Hour Famine is an international youth movement to fight hunger and poverty. As our church's last time to try and collect donations, we had two groups come up with their own fundraiser.

Group #1 - Pay for Hong to Grow His Beard.
     Basically, there are 4 different areas, mustache, chin, cheeks, and neck. For every dollar donated, Hong is required to grow his beard out in the selected region for one day. So far, they raised over $110, around $70 of which is dedicated to his mustache.

Group #2 - Pie Someone for $2
     This was my group. We decided that student/adults could pay $2 and pie one of the contestants. For 50 cents extra, they could add on a topping i.e. chocolate syrup, caramel, etc. We raised $102. The kids really enjoyed it, the contestants loved the whipped cream and syrups, and it was just an awesome way to raise some funds for a good cause and have some fun. Thank you to Seho Hong, Albert Kang, Pastor Albert Young, Pastor Martin "Goose" Chang, and David "Biggie" Kim.

If you would still like to help fight hunger and poverty, please click here for more information (below the photographs) or feel free to contact me.





 

Saturday, April 24, 2010

2010 Relay for Life

For those of you who have been following me for about the past 9-10 months, you will know about my friend Victor who had passed away back in July of 2009. Victor was a warrior who had fought cancer for 10 months when doctors only gave him 3. Victor was diagnosed in September of 2008, fought cancer for the next 10 months, and went home to be with the Lord in July of 2009. This year, I helped remember Victor by participating in the 2010 Relay for Life

At first, I was planning on participating in the Relay for Life just to take pictures but when I got there, I changed my mind and went from a mindset of "this is for your photography," to "this is for Victor and others out there suffering from cancer."

Relay for Life "is a  life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length." This year, Relay for Life was held at Dr. Phillips High School.

Unfortunately, I was not able to take many pictures but I was however reminded of how much Victor trusted Christ with his life, what Victor did with those last 10 months of his life, and how I should reflect the love Victor had for Christ. For more information on how you can get involved, click here.

 Just a couple of the signs posted around the track field.
 At my school, Cypress Creek High School, we were represented by our "Alleviate International Distress (AID)" club

 Bag were set up on the bleachers with candles lit inside to spell out "cure" and "hope". 
Along the floor of the track field were commemorating bags for those who are fighting/fought cancer.

A friend of mine and some of her friends who participated in Relay for Life.
***30-Hour Famine***

I would also to take this time to remind some people that cancer is not the only disease that continues to prevail in every society. Hunger is a disease that claims the life of one child every 7 seconds somewhere around the world. Hunger is not just a problem after earthquakes, storms, etc. but hunger is a something that continues to claim the lives of thousands of people every day.

If you would like to help out, please click here (Please read after the photos).
*$1 = food for a child for ONE day.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The 30-Hour Famine

The 30-Hour Famine is an international youth movement to fight hunger and poverty. This past weekend, our Harvest Congregation was able to partake in this movement and help raise awareness and donations to help fight this cause.

From April 9-10, over 30 youth participated in 30 hours of fasting, supplying their needs with only water and juices. Within those 30 hours, the youth played multiple games that helped simulate a mild version of what life is like for those who suffer poverty and hunger in Ethiopia. When the youth were not playing games, they spent about 2 hours around the neighborhood raising awareness and collecting monetary donations and/or non-perishable canned goods.

Hunger and poverty does not only occur after natural disasters such as those in Haiti, Chile, Japan, China, etc. but these injustices continue to prevail all throughout the world; even in local cities such as Orlando and Tampa.

Overall, the event was an extreme blessing to everybody who helped out. Eyes were opened and hearts were touched. Let us not go back to our normal lifestyles but may our hearts be changed so that we can shine Christ's light among the nations. Like Brooke Fraser states in the song Hosanna, may we be a "generation rising up to take our place."

Of the 30+ plus youth/helpers, there were 5 groups all named after a real tribe in Ethipoia.


A game meant to simulate the difficulties that tribes would experience when harvesting food.

And yet another simulation.

In Ethiopia and other third-world countries, tribes/ people who suffer from injustices also suffer from major diseases such as cholera, vitamin A deficiency, etc. As you can see here, a big obstacle is retrieving clean water. As a way to help simulate MORE difficulties, everybody has some sort of disability whether it be the loss of one arm, not able to speak, etc.

Some things from the donations/ some objects that relate to The 30-Hour Famine

Praise and worship

Some fun during some down time.

***So How Can YOU Help?!?!?***

If you've read my previous posts, you will know that I am selling photographs in attempts to help raise funds for WorldVision. $1 is enough to feed a person for ONE WHOLE DAY! While one chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A can barely suffice for our needs, it can be enough to feed a person for 5 days in areas of need such as Niger, Ethiopia, etc.

If you would like to help out, please feel free to contact me or email me. For more information as to how you can purchase photographs to help support this cause, please click here (information begins below photograph).

Monday, April 5, 2010

Shuttle Launch and Change in Plans


So this morning, I woke up and looked out my window when I saw a rather strange arrangement of clouds and realized, "IT'S FROM THE SHUTTLE LAUNCH!!!" Being the photographer that I am, even many of my friends predicted that I would be outside taking pictures of the clouds (if that's what you'll call them) and very well, I did. Enjoy the pictures and please read the information below due to a change in ways that YOU can get involved with fighting world hunger. You benefit from it to, not just in a moral sense.  


    In my previous post, I briefly explained my change in plans as to how I was planning on raising support for the 30-Hour Famine. A couple posts ago, I initially introduced and explained what I hoped to do in regards to using my photography to help benefit this cause. For more information regarding what I am raising donations for, please visit the introductory post for this "project."

     Initially, I planned on selling prints of pictures that people could order/purchase and cherish. As I reviewed this plan, I realized that many people who would like to purchase photographs are more interested in digital copies rather than actual photographic prints. And so, here is new plan! A lot of the information is a repeat of what was said in the first post.

     Instead of selling individual prints of variable sizes, I am now selling digital copies. This will be the process as to how you can access that Photobucket account and purchase any digital copies you desire.
  1. If you are interested in viewing/purchasing photographs, email me and ask for the account information.
  2. Browse around the MANY albums (click "View all albums" under recent albums) and if you find a photo you would like to purchase, email me back with the following information.
  3. Name, email address, and then the album name/picture #/image description.
  4. I will then email you back confirming your "order" with the total number of digital copies/price and from there, once I receive the "payment," I will then send the digital copy via email.
*****EXAMPLE EMAIL WILL BE SHOWN BELOW***** 
    The view the picture number, simply click on the photo and near the top left hand corner of the photobucket.com website there state, "viewing __ of __." Please use THAT number for your order. Many of the albums coincide with the albums on my Facebook. If you are tagged in a photo via Facebook, look for the album/album creating date and look at the albums around that date and/or albums with photos from the same folder. If you are not sure what folder it is in, email me the description of the photo with your name and I will try and locate the folder for you.
      Now how come you can't just go into my Photobucket and right-click, save image as??? All of my photos have either my banner or my name across the photograph so unless you want a photograph with my name across the whole thing, you might not want to "steal" the photograph. 
I don't do this to be mean or picky but I do this to ensure the respect of my photography along with others. There's no point for you to want to help these kids and then go and steal my images or anybody else's for that matter. Same reason as to why it is illegal to download/pirate movies and music. I hope you guys understand.

 The prices are now one price.
  • 1 digital copy - $2
     According to The 30-Hour Famine, $1 is enough to feed a person for a whole day; so why not help out and make one photo enough to feed a person for two whole days. All though these are the prices, you DO NOT have to purchase a photo to help out. Donations are always welcome. To donate, email me for more information. 
     Also, PLEASE do not have one person purchase one photo and forward that photo to everybody else. Obviously there's no way for me to monitor that, but please just be honest and purchase digital prints for yourself and do not pass them along unless another copy is paid for. For most of us, $2 isn't much so why don't we help implement hope into others through a simple, generous act of kindness and purchase another print to give to a friend of family member. Honesty is what will help make this work.

     Also, if you know that I have a photograph of you but don't see it in any of the albums, please email me and inform me and I will try and allow that photo available for purchase. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or contact me through any other means of communication. 

*****PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO ANYBODY YOU KNOW. REFER THEM TO THIS BLOG POST OR GIVE THEM MY EMAIL OR  SOMEHOW REFER THEM TO ME. THIS IS ONLY A SMALL WAY THAT BOTH YOU AND I CAN HELP THOSE SUFFERING FROM HUNGER. SO PLEASE, SPREAD TO WORD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.*****

All orders should be sent to jakleephotography@gmail.com. For more information/direction please visit my previous post. Feel free to email me with any questions.

This is what your email should roughly look like.

 This is where you can find the photo number.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Egg Hunts, Peeps, and Christ's Amazing Grace

2000 years ago, as I mentioned in my last post, Christ sacrificed His own life, that we may come to know of Christ, who He is, be His disciples, and so that we may understand what it means to be loved. It's been taught for many years that on Good Friday, Christ hung up on the cross and sacrificed His own life to wipe clean OUR sins that we may be free from the chains of Hell. It's also been taught that Christ promised to his disciples that He would resurrect from the dead three days later and ascend into heaven, this day known as Easter Sunday.

This past weekend, we have indeed experienced renewal and witnessed something beautiful. For Good Friday, both the English speaking congregation, Harvest, and the Korean speaking congregation, Vision Church, held a joint service to praise and thank Christ for His great sacrifice. Today, Easter Sunday, as a church, we had a church wide picnic where both young and old could gather and fellowship, dine on amazing food, and play a variety of sports as a way of bonding and fellowship; but that's not all.

In Harvest, on the first Sunday of every month, we partake in communion as a sign/reminder of what Christ did for us. Along with communion this Sunday, we were also able to experience something more beautiful. Today, April 4, 2010, four of our members of Harvest, Jiyoung Ko, Kyoko Masuda, Evelyn Kwak, and Emmanuelle Kim, were baptized. It was indeed a beautiful thing.

Even as Easter comes to an end, I ask that we not forget how much we are loved. It is through Christ that we are able to worship freely. Our chains are gone, we've been set free, Satan has no grip us, so let us worship Christ with all that we are, day in and day out, even after Easter.




Evelyn Kwak (left; baby), Kyoko Masuda (center left), 
Jiyoung Ko (center right) and Emmanuelle Kim (right; baby) 


At Harvest, we are extremely blessed to have three pastors, two of whom are married, who love us with all their heart and constantly want to invest in our lives that we may know what it means to truly be loved. Both the pastors and their wives are a true blessing to Harvest and to KPCO.
Pastor David Larry Kim (DL), Olivia Kim, and Emmanuelle Kim (left)
Pastor Albert Young (center)
Pastor Martin "Goose" Chang and Julee Chang (right)




************* 30 Hour Famine*************
A couple posts ago, I mentioned that I would be selling photographs as a way to raise funds for a youth organization known as The 30-Hour Famine. After not getting any orders at all, I decided to make some changes.

Instead of purchasing prints, im now selling digital copies. Each copy is $7 and once the order has been placed, it will be sent via email. According to The 30-Hour Famine, $1 is enough to feed a person for one day. So, with your purchase on ONE photo, you can feed a person for one whole week. Please view the photos below for changes in directions as to how you can order.

PLEASE do not have one person purchase one photo and forward that photo to everybody else. Obivously there's no way for me to monitor that, but please just be honest and purchase digital prints for yourself and do not pass them along unless another copy is paid for. For many of us, $7 isn't much so why don't we help implement hope into others through a simple, generous act of kindness and purchase another print to give to a friend of family member. Honesty is what will help make this work.

All orders should be sent to jakleephotography@gmail.com. For more information/direction please visit my previous post. Feel free to email me with any questions.

*****PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO ANYBODY YOU KNOW. REFER THEM TO THIS BLOG POST OR GIVE THEM MY EMAIL OR SOMEHOW REFER THEM TO ME. THIS IS ONLY A SMALL WAY THAT BOTH YOU AND I CAN HELP THOSE SUFFERING FROM HUNGER. SO PLEASE, SPREAD TO WORD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.*****

This is what your email should roughly look like.

This is where you can find the photo number.