may I introduce to you

So I have an introduction to make.

An introduction to my new baby.

And actually, I have been "carrying" this baby for about the normal amount of time:

9 months.

I guess you could say that I am currently in the labor stage, because she hasn't actually, officially and completely been born.

This is my baby:

It is actually a rough draft of her - I am hoping to have a little help in approving her appearance.

A little graphic cosmetic surgery, so to speak.

Okay, so who is she?

She is a business ministry venture.

She is a new business in school photography.

Two things that I am pretty passionate about, as far as Casa G. goes, are 1) Helping the guys prepare for their futures.... such as planning and preparing for independence; 2) Having Casa G. become a little more independent financially.

For the first passion, it seems to me that no matter how well many (certainly not all) people are discipled, if they aren't prepared for real life, they will fail... especially if their struggles are a combination of financial and self-esteem. So having a potential career in which they are trained, given experience, etc. is a good step in solidifying their futures.

The second passion is founded in ownership. Ownership for the people of Ecuador, for the guys themselves at Casa G. and the ministry as a whole. So many ministries are funded mostly or completely by people in North America. Not good in my estimation of things. If we can get funding through our own work, service and the people of the country in which we are in, I think we've done everyone a great service.

Enter two delightful former business partners* and current wonderful friends (who also happen to be sisters.... well, not my sisters, they are sisters to each other).

They have together and separately started school photography businesses themselves. And in watching and talking to them, I thought - Why not here? Why not me?

So, out of this Fotografía Pescador was born.

(or is being born?? hopefully??)

The name means "Fisherman Photography".

It came from two things:

First the old saying: "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime".

To me, that is a great statement of what a ministry should be. At Casa G. we seek to do both - feed them immediately while we are teaching them to feed themselves. Plus, that is what I hope this business will do - feed them currently, by raising money for the ministry and feed them for their lives, by providing a possible career for some of them.

Second, Casa G. is, in part, a discipleship ministry. Essentially, Casa G. seeks to take "fishermen" and make them "fishers of men", as with Christ and His disciples.

And what does this business do?

While school photography is common in North America, it is not prominent in Ecuador. So, we hope to bring that concept here.... You know, the mug-shot yearbook type pictures, where you can order a bunch of prints that you can trade with your friends, send to relatives, etc.? Only, like my two friends mentioned above, do it much better!

The big thing is, will it happen?

I don't know but I sure am praying.

I would like to start with the school our kids go to - and so far the response has been favorable. Everyone who has heard about it or that I have presented it to has been positive.

But that doesn't mean contracts are signed.

So, I'm just here praying that they will take it further, get more than just positive, and will commit to having us.

And I'm praying, for the future, that there will be more school that will jump on board too.

Who knows what God will do with it.

Maybe it should stay small, maybe it'll get huge, maybe it won't happen at all.

But if it is best, that is, if it is God's Will, it will happen.

A lot needs to happen first: The school has to say yes, sign a contract, and all that good stuff. Then we need to acquire the needed equipment. That is a big deal in and of itself. Here is what we are looking at:

General Equipment needed:

Lens: EF 50mm f/1.2L USM $1600

Camera Body: EOS 5D Mark II (Body) (full frame camera) $2500

Flash: Speedlite 430EX II $ 350

Filter: Filter PL-C B 72 $ 400

Battery: Battery Pack LP-E6 $ 100

Battery Charger: Battery Charger LC-E6 $ 80

Memory Cards $ 100

studio lights $ 300

backdrops $ 500

For editing and running the business:

Mac desktop computer New or Used

Adobe Photoshop "lightroom" - photo editing software $ 280

Photoshop softward for other related projects $ 200

For training and practice:

new or used digital SLR cameras

For training and assistance:

Air miles

(needed to fly a current school photography business owner to assist us in start up, as well as to fly one staff member to the US for training.)

So yup,..... choke,..... cough. That is a lot.

But if it is God's plan, this is peanuts.

I'm sooo excited about it.

I'll be very disappointed if God says no, or even wait.

But who wants to do it if He isn't in it?

Not me.

So, I'll wait and see if this baby is really born.

And if she is, we'll have another handful, I'm sure!

* while products have been narrowed down to a select few, they are still in business: here

The cute little baby on the home page holding the lollipop is our little Lucy. She was, for a few years, called "Lucy Lollipop".... therefore the name of the business.