celeb photo shoot

Foreigners kinda have celebrity status here. Everyone wants to talk and be friends with the bule (boo-lay). An example from last week: I went to the cell phone booth to add minutes to my phone. The way they usually do it is use one of their phones to add the minutes, so it's normal for them to ask for your number. It is not normal - nor okay, in my book - for the person to keep your number and call you repeatedly later, asking, "Can I be your friend?" Not cool, boy. Not cool.

They also love to take photos with the bule. And we're not talking just one photo with one camera. I'm meaning dozens with many different cameras (phones, really). "Just one!" "One more!" "One more, one more!" It's very weird thinking about how many random people have my photo... and about how many of those photos are on Facebook..

It's not uncommon, then, to have a friend want to hang out for the sole purpose of taking pictures together. So when I was asked if I wanted to go to the beach and take photos, I thought nothing of it. Sure, why not? I like the beach. What I didn't realize until we got there is that she had actually asked a professional photographer to come and take our photos.

To ease the awkwardness of having my photo being taken as if I were a model, I whipped out my camera and took some photos of my own. I know you're dying to see how uncomfortable I look with this random guy taking my photo, saying, "So beautiful! Like model!" (it's only because I'm an American), but these will have to do for now:

 

Awkward..

Some days, living here feels like the most natural thing in the world. Other days - okay, most days - I'm nowhere near my comfort zone. But we serve a great and gracious God. He is the one who does the work. We are merely instruments. Our job? Love Him. Die to self. Walk in his ways. Trust.

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone and live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.

Oh Father, use my ransomed life in any way You choose.

And let my song forever be my only boast is You.

"Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among your peoples." - Ps 77:13-14