when we were in the philippines this last month, you might remember booking some sessions with the proceeds going to GENTLE HANDS, the humanitarian organization jonathan's sister, charity, and her husband evan run in metro manila.
one of my sessions was such a blessing to me..and i would hope the family.
andrea was jonathan's secretary when we lived in the philippines. she is also one of the most talented graphic design artists i have EVER met. i had chatted with her before we went to the philippines, to see if she would be able to help me with some of my branding projects i was going to have printed while there. she graciously said yes. :)
little did i know until a day or so before i got there, that andrea's family (her hubby sonny and their 3 kids) were cruelly affected by the flooding in manila; their entire home was devastated from the floods. i was absolutely speechless.
we had a bunch of kids clothes and games and toys that we brought over specifically for their family. and then something incredible happened.
an anonymous giver gave the session portrait fee for me to use for a family that may want family photos. i knew EXACTLY who i was going to give it to... andrea and her family.
when we arrived in manila and i saw andrea for the first time to talk about my projects, she so graciously said, "you know trace, its a good thing we didn't end up buying that house. i know it's just our things. i'm so thankful we still have our lives."
not gonna lie..it stopped me for a moment, because i knew that if that happened to ME, i may not have such a POSITIVE outlook on it. and here sat my dear friend andrea, who lost everything, thankful. WOW. i could barely hold back the tears.
one of the best things for me was when i got to tell her that someone had paid for them to get their family portraits. she was thrilled. i was MORE thrilled. :)
andrea..you are truly an amazing woman...a faithful wife...a dedicated mother...a woman of grace, faith and strength. thank you for allowing me to photograph your beautiful family (even tho your littlest was shy!) and for doing such amazing things with my branding projects. you rock.
much love,
trace
xoxo
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