Athentikos, the film team I’m apart of just launched their “Support the Vision” campaign in an effort to raise funds to complete the film project Guatemala. Please consider contributing to this effort. Click the banner below to read more.

I recently joined a Pro-Life group on Facebook. I was really surprised how many people had signed up so then I looked up groups for pro-choice. I was amazed again by the number. So I looked up another subject like the Fairness Doctrine. Again, I was amazed at the numbers for both sides.

Take a look for yourself, I pulled the largest groups representing each view:
Abortion -
Pro Life: http://is.gd/Bq2D
Pro Choice: http://is.gd/Bq2X

Fairness Doctrine -
Against: http://is.gd/Bq3y
For: http://is.gd/Bq3P

If Facebook is a good judge of the American people, President Obama needs to seriously think about his position on many topics because if he gets his way, I have a feeling he will be voting himself out of office come 2012.

What do you think?

Here is my attempt at sharing some thoughts and insights with anyone who wants to read them. I went to a Sara Groves concert last night and was very moved by the beauty of her voice and the wisdom in her lyrics, but more than anything I was moved by how real and open she was up on that stage. She shared pieces of her story with us, from humorous conversations with her kids, to her life changing experiences in Rowanda…and I felt it all. For the encore she came back out and spoke through tears about how real the presence of God had been in her life this past month….how the anxiety and fear was still present but that God was so real to her in the midst of it. She sang a beautiful version of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” to end out the show.

But it wasn’t a show at all…it was a ministry of the heart and she left me wanting more. Wanting to be in the presence of God, wanting to reach out to hurting people, and wanting to somehow share pieces of my story too. It wasn’t long after the concert that the inspiration seemed to disappear. All day today I’ve been reminding myself of those things that I felt so passionately about in the midst of worship last night…I wanted to be more supportive and committed to prayer about Bobby and his team’s ministry to and for the people of Guatemala. (I have at times been less than supportive when it comes to sharing his time on this project.) I wanted to write to my sponsor children and pray for them more. I planned to write a letter to Aubrey in her baby book sharing with her the things I want her to always know about who she is and who God is. And I felt inspired to write a note on our blog, sharing whatever it is that God placed on my heart.

But even as I write now the inspiration is lacking. I’m left only with the discipline of carrying out what I felt God was speaking to me last night. But still, God meets me when I take a step towards Him, even if my heart is not in it at the time. Those mountain top moments may not last, but the wisdom in them is none the less true.  So, this entry is nothing profound, but it is a piece of my story this week, as I felt God may want me to share it.

And not to worry, pictures and updates on Aubrey’s first birthday party are coming soon!

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend any of the local TEA parties held in the Nashville area but I wish I could have. Here’s a recap:

http://is.gd/sKVl

We’re coming up on Aubrey’s first birthday and sometimes it feels like she’s already hitting the “terrible two’s”! She’s been pulling up some good stunts lately, one has boggled our minds so much that its baffled even Susan’s mom. Susan looked at me after getitng off the phone and said “if it has my mom stumped, we’re really in trouble”!

Every other week we have our small group meetings and we have been (for the last few months) taking Aubrey to one of the couple’s house before group starts and Susan puts her down in one of their rooms to sleep in a pack-n-play. The last three times we found vomit in her crib where she had up-chucked but still she managed to fall asleep. This past meeting, as Susan layed her down, she threw up right then and there. It has us baffled why she only does it at our friends house and only after we put her to bed. Susan doesn’t feed her anything different adn really nothing is different other than the house she’s in. It’s a mystery.

On another topic, we had ou taxes done back in February but I’m just now getting around to sending them in. However, the folder they were in up in my office has seemed to have vanished. I’m usually carefull about such things so I’m baffled on where it could be. Not to say I don’t have my moments but taxes are something I usually don’t mess with. Anyway, luckily our tax guy keeps copies of everything but I’m sure it’s another fee to pay if we have to have him put them toegther again. Ugh!

The Guatemala project is coming along. We’ve finally released our first trailer for the film. You can check it out here: http://vimeo.com/3856754 . We are planning another trip to gather more footage. Not sure if I’ll be going along again or not, definitely would like to go back. But it would be another 10-15 days and I hate being away from Susan and Aubrey that long. But, it’s an exciting opportunity and I guess if the funding comes in, I’d consider it. Other than that, the stories are taking shape and we’re all excited about this venture.

Ah! Warm, full pressured showers, my comfortable pillow, my lovely, very good looking wife to snuggle up with, being able to throw my toilet paper in the toilet, drinking tap water (our filter is broken), able to brush teeth using tap water, hearing my 9 month old daughter laugh until she’s out of breath…. these are some of the comforts of home that I’ve missed.

I’ve been back for a week now and starting to get use to my usually routine so I thought I’d pause a bit and go back through some of my memorable moments from Guatemala.

First and foremost, we were there to work and we did. Of the 15 days we were in country, we had 1 full day and 2 half days off. Getting started as early as 5am and getting back as late as 10pm. It’s amazing to think how much we got done but every person on the team worked hard and did their best, even if they’ve never been a part of a film group before… and most people had not. So I’m very impressed by the work ethic everyone put forward. Our team ranged from as little as 7 to as much as 20 throughout the 2 weeks we were there.

We landed in Guatemala City and from the get-go, we knew this would be a typical Central American busy city. It’s pretty dusty and instantly you can tell there are no emission laws in place, judging by the barrels of smoke coming out of the exhaust from every bus in town. We stayed at a local seminary that had camp-like dorm rooms fitted with bunk beds. I mistakenly chose a top bunk thinking I was back in elementary school and as limber as a 10 year old. WRONG! Since we were late at arriving in Guatemala, we didn’t have as much time to get situated, but our first day was spent getting to know each other and some of the people we would be interacting with and talking with throughout our time in country.

Our second day we used as a production day as most of us had not done any tests together, we set up some mock interview situations and let all the crew get acclimated with the gear and work flow of being on location and filming. The second half of the day we scouted an area we would be filming in called La Limonada and hung out with a woman, Tita, who runs a school there.

From our third day and throughout the week the team was split into two main teams and sometimes those two teams split up into micro teams of two to 4 members, all with specific goals for that day. My team was mainly team B and we were responsible for capturing all the b-roll, which doesn’t sound exciting but in fact, it is. We were responsible for capturing all the images that support the stories we were going to be capturing. So, in my eyes, we had the fun part. being able to be creative and traveling all over and grabbing footage, everything from tops of buildings, nature scenes, people, city life… but we also had to capture some of the most heart wrenching scenes, the slums, children with barely any clothes on them, living in shacks, no shoes, people who looked like they had no hope of getting out of the situation. But speaking to some of the people, you would never know it. The children were playing, laughing, very friendly. They not only loved the cameras, they loved us just spending time with them. Same with the adults, they didn’t really understand what we were doing but they were very gracious to invite us into their community and speak with us. On Wednesday, we picked up team members Mary and Amy, they became our private music group for the team.

We were in some of the most violent and dangerous areas of the city as well. Areas in which gangs rule the streets and crime is very high. Luckily we had people who lived there to watch over us, even some who were ex-gang members watching our back. I think our ignorance helped us along and not to be too worried about being ripped off or beat up. Some locals thought we were crazy but we were finding solace in the words of Joel who was one of our hosts in Guat. City. He has been there for seven years and knows the local area very well… and… he’s a gringo.

As I said in earlier posts, I was relieved most of the time that I had to be behind the camera as it allowed me to turn off my personal feelings and just concentrate on getting the shot. My team was headed by myself and Bengy DelVillar. We were able to work together well from the start which made both of our jobs easier. So I relied on him to get us where we needed to be (since he spoke fluent Spanish being Dominican) and I could take it from there as far as getting the shots. But we found ourselves filming in places I never thought I would be. Literally in dumps and near sewers. The smell of garbage was everywhere in some places. If I stopped long enough to look around, it was hard to find hope anywhere. Luckily we didn’t stop long enough for me to feel much of that.

As we approached our first weekend, that Friday, we wrapped up our primary filming in Guat. City and left that evening for Antigua. We drove an hour from the city and our first reaction to arriving in Antigua was, “WOW”. None of us expected Antigua to have so much of the old-world charm. We later found out that Antigua was the old capital of Guatemala till the 1770’s when earthquakes rocked the capital creating the ruins you see there today.

That evening we met up with Joel and his family and the entire team went out to dinner at an authentic Guatemalan restaurant and were treated to some native music and dancing (in which Amelia forced everyone into joining in) A little inside joke but did someone yell “Freebird”?

The following Saturday was our first and turned out to be our only full day off. The team broke up into small groups and toured the town, shopped, ate and just explored. I found the town very easy to get around and everyone was very nice. As long as you can get by the street vendors and little native women selling fabrics and jewelry on the street because they are everywhere. But the scenery and history of Antigua will keep you turning corners and exploring more. You can easily get lost as many streets look the same, kinda reminded me of Venice but like Venice, its fun to just get lost and explore. There are always surprises, whether its a kewl little shop or an old ruined church. If you go, definitely check out Hotel Casa Santo Domingo – definitely a place to just explore but if you can afford it, stay the night at least once. We didn’t have that opportunity but Scott and Amelia had and they said it’s worth the dough!

That night we all hung out and went to Fridas where Bengy and Cesar attempted to teach us gringos how to salsa…. that was too funny. Good thing we didn’t have cameras rolling then.

Sunday we were able to sleep in but we said goodbye to team members Matt, Joe, Kayla, Ericha and David. After breakfast we went to Hermano Pedro hospital and orphanage and scouted the facility to know what how we were going to shoot when we would go back the following Wednesday. I don’t think any of us were prepared for what we saw. Its hard to see up front and in person what neglect and ignorance can do. And as much sadness as there was in that place, it was encouraging to see the staff and volunteers working so hard and giving of themselves to the men, women and children who would otherwise be left to die in their home or village or even worse, in the streets. We saw many with diseases and disabilities who would spend the rest of their lives in a caged bed or wheelchair. But we were also encouraged to see many of the patience with disabilities being able to somehow communicate or at least understand. I’m reminded of Pedro (I think thats his name), he has Cerebral Palsy. He has a motorized wheelchair that he navigates with his feet and can also perform a multitude of tasks. This young man can operate a computer, type, even write computer code, all with his feet and toes. He also has taught himself English and is completing his high school education, all the while not being able to speak very well and restricted to a wheelchair. Now I don’t know about anyone else but if this young man can do all of this and not be able to have good speech and be confined to a wheelchair, no one can have an excuse not to learn another language or a new skill!

We were also able to view some of the other wards but some of the areas were closed off until the day we were going to film. The hardest part was viewing the childrens ward where many of the children are kept in cribs (actually they are large cribs with metal bars) and it was very hard emotionally to see all these children, kept in what looked liked cages, and just helpless. I did not expect the impact it would have on me. I knew these kids were getting care but to see this many kids in one area with the disabilities and handicaps just sucked the life out of me. All I could think of was Aubrey back home and what would it be like if she was in this same condition, how would I deal with that. I have to thank some of the other guys who I was standing near because if they weren’t, I think I would have been pouring a river from my eyes.

We spent Monday shooting b-roll and interviewing Myra. She is opening a school and runs a feeding program outside of Antigua in Cuidad Vieja, which was the capital of Guatemala before Antigua. Myra and her family are very special. The hard work and love they pour into the programs comes out so much in their stories. We would later in the week actually be able to witness the feeding program with the kids they host every week.

Tuesday we drove back to Guatemala City and on the other side of the city was Casa Barnabe, an orphanage totally supported by volunteers and donors. They have a staff of about 20 and about 160 kids. These people have great faith in running this school because they would tell stories of serving dinner with not enough food for the next day. But somehow, God would provide. I spent the whole day getting the b-roll while Bengy and Scott ran interviews.

Wednesday morning was lite but we had to say bye to team members Amelia and her mom, J.Mac and Kristin. After breakfast we went back to Hermano Pedro and was able to meet Dick for the first time. He started going to Hermano Pedro to supply the patience with wheel chairs and found himself going back more and more to see how else he could serve the hospital. He’s become one of the main advocates for the patience and has done so much for the organization. Out of all the stories I knew we were going to capture on this entire trip, his was my biggest surprise. I was not expecting his story to be so powerful and his presence to be such a big deal to the patients. He connects with the people there with such sincerity and authenticity.

Thursday was an adventure! Ramiro, Major and I needed to go back to Guatemala City to get some b-roll of an earlier story Scott captured but the only 2 methods were a shuttle bus which would cost about $30 per person or the chicken bus for $1 per person…. hmmm…. we decided on the chicken bus. Now, it’s not a bus full of chickens in which we have to hitch a ride with. They are old school buses converted into passenger buses, custom painted, tricked out with stereo systems and O-S bars on every seat. And they are there for a good reason! We were told if we’re going to ride them to guard your possessions and we shouldn’t film anything unless we wanted someone to steel our gear. So we took as little gear as we needed and hoped on the first one we saw sitting waiting and ready to go from Antigua. It was one of those times where you ahd to have been there but I swore that buss was on two wheels a couple of times!

We met up with Shorty and his posse who were ex-gang members and proceeded to shoot them as they hung out in one of the local parks. Then, all of a sudden, several people, some homeless, some on drugs, just started coming up to Shorty and talking with him. Shorty is an ex-gang member who has become a pastor and heads a rehabilitation center there in Guatemala City. I found it amazing how these people who were basically rejects from society just gravitate towards him and his compassion for these people shows in how he speaks to them, spends time with them and we witnessed during filming how he reaches out to these people, it was a bonus to capture that on film.

We met up with our local friend Cesar and he was gracious enough to give us a ride back to Antigua where we met up with the rest of the team and headed back to Cuidad Vieja and the surrounding villages to catch b-roll of a ministry that builds water filtration systems and purchased stoves for families.

That Friday started out rough as I get a dose of diarrhea right before were leaving on a 3 hour bus ride through the mountains onto Chichicastenango… or Chichi for short. I wasn’t sure if I should go or not but at a break in the action I decided to take a chance, I didn’t want to pass this day up to shoot. And even though we had to make an emergency stop at a local gas station (even the worse gas station bathrooms here in states have nothing on Guatemalan gas station bathroom, if you want to call them that) and I didn’t throw up, I made it to Chichi ok. And what a great day that was too. We met up with Ron who told us about Pray America and shared his vision for the ministry. He took us to the House of Prayer in down town Chichi and then he took us into the outskirts to see the Widow Housing program where they build small houses for widows who could not normally afford a house of their own. They are not extravagant, pretty small in fact, just 12X12 or 12X16 but that’s larger than what they’re use to and much sturdier build.

Ron then took us to the Monte Flor family center which is a track of land that was purchased to be able to temporarily house families in need. He also shared with us the plan to build a school, a hospital, a special needs center and more on that property. It was a beautiful house and location, overlooking Chichi. After having lunch, shooting an interview with Ron and catching some b-roll or the property, we loaded back up into his pickup (which 7 guys rode in the back, hanging on to the roll bars with all the gear in the back as well, the ladies rode up in the cab of course) and drove out to the feeding program where we captured more b-roll. The kids were a delight to film and were very interested in our gear. We had a great time showing themselves on camera, they were thrilled. Most of these kids had never seen themselves before because their families don’t own mirrors.

We wrapped up Friday with getting back into Antigua late that night, going to a local bar, having a little night cap and turning in.

Saturday was our last full day in Guatemala and we still needed to film Myra and her feeding program. Me and Ramiro followed her through the market Saturday which was very crazy and very busy. Plus, we were running late and Myra was in a hurry. Plus she’s small so she can whip through the crown much easier than I and my camera and gear. Luckily we were running wireless audio so we didn’t have to be right next to her. After the market, we went back to our hotel, got dropped off, Bengy got picked up and we waited for the bus to come pick us up and take the rest of the team to the Cuidad Vieja.

We wrapped up primary filming in Cuidad Vieja and the rest of the team that was left, Scott, myself, Bengy, Justin, Ramiro, Mary and Amy felt a bit of accomplishment and relief. We had a quick “yahoo” and then got back on the bus and headed back to Antigua. Mary, Amy and I went to a local salon where we got messages and then shopped around and got last minute gifts for family and friends. We all then went out to dinner at the Sky Cafe.

Well, this was a long post but I thought it was worth posting. There was allot more to share but I would be writing this for a month before publishing it, its already taken me 3 days to get this far! But I hope it wasn’t too boring. I would highly recommend looking into some of the ministries because like we are trying to portray in this documentary, these people are doing extraordinary work with very little means and resources and I think these are stories worth telling and need to be heard. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me.

I was hoping to have written more while I have been here in Guatemala but we have been so busy and any chance of downtime has been used up trying to either talk with Susan over Skype or relax and sleep. So I apologize for not keeping everyone in the loop. It’s 6:45am right now and I’m on the balcony of our hotel here in Antigua shooting a timelapse of an old church bell tower with one of the 4 volcanoes surrounding us. So I’m using the next 15 minutes I have to catch up.

My trip here has been both amazing and very heart wrenching. I’m almost glad I’m behind the camera as that allows me to kinda shut off the emotion for a bit and just concentrate on getting the shot but at the end of the day, there’s always time to reflect on what we filmed. I’ve seen poverty that would rival any third world country and certainly shock 99% of the people in the U.S. I’ve seen medical and nutritional needs that would amaze any social organization in America or any developing country. But I’ve seen people make astounding accomplishments with very little money and/or resources thats only explained by recognizing God’s grace, love and mercy. Even if you’re not a believer, you have to look at these stories that we’re capturing and recognize there is a higher power here at work that goes beyond mankind’s ability.

I would love to have the time to give examples or just briefly go through some examples but I’m going to wait till I get back so I can sift through all of what we captured. Right now, I have to concentrate on what we’re doing today and kinda put off what we’ve done and what we’re doing tomorrow. It’s hard to explain but this is a technique that I’ve found that works for me so I’m able to do my best out here.

I want to just thank everyone who have supported this effort both financially and in prayer. I hope you will get to see and understand what all you’ve helped us accomplish. Also I want to thank Susan who has let me go 2 weeks to be here and who I miss so much along with Aubrey, both of them I can’t wait to see in 4 days!

Just wanted to drop a few quick lines and let everyone know I made it with our team to Guatemala. We had a few hiccups on the way. Both flights were delayed, out of Nashville and out of Atlanta. One of the girls had her camera stolen out of her bag she had checked. My main camera bag had one of its straps mauled so not sure how well thats going to hold on for the rest of the trip. But if anything, its got wheels so I just may have to wheel it around instead of carrying it backpack style.

Anyway, its expected to have some bumps in the road, especially traveling internationally and with a large group. I’m just glad we made our flights and all our baggage arrived. As I’m laying here listening to what sounds like a police siren and large trucks on the highway, I’m curious to diving in and seeing the city and its people. We’ve been told it can be very rough but at the same time, very beautiful and its people very warm and inviting. We hope to see some of that tomorrow.

I was glad to have been able to Skype Susan a little tonight but missed seeing Aubrey as she was already in bed but I’m sure one of these days I’ll be able to Skype when she’s awake. I miss them both already.

Gonna watch a little Hulu and get some shut eye. Night.

Here we go again! Another year, another time to reflect on the previous year, another moment to think about resolutions for the new year and another second to think about the ones you didn’t accomplish from the previous year. Well, if you’re like me, the later is not such a bid deal because I don’t like making resolutions. To me, it just sets you up for disappointment but no worries, Susan makes new year resolutions so I can’t come down on those who do.

Well, Susan and I rang in the new year by spending some time with friends, then headed home around 11, had to put Aubrey down again but about 15 minutes till 12, we had a little peace to just snuggle up on the couch, watch the crazies in New York City freeze their butts off and grab some smooches after the clock hit midnight. Nothing exciting but still very nice.

So here we are, January 1st and I’ve got 2 full days to get ready for Guatemala. I don’t feel very ready but I think because of so much going on with the holidays, I really haven’t had much time to think about it all. I’m going to try and post every now and then on how things are going from my perspective. The group itself will have its own blog giving updates on the entire group, the production and the trip itself so feel free to stop on over there and check that out as well.

Susan and I wish you all the best and a joyful and prosperous new year!

We’re in full swing of the Holiday season at Casa de Marko. Last night Susan and I decorated our Christmas tree. Was interesting to pull out all the decorations and see the plethora of items we’re not going to use. Some reasons were because we didn’t want those items to become new chew toys for our teething 8 month old Aubrey but other reasons were, too large, too tacky, outdated, wouldn’t fit or just plain ugly.

We did have a tragedy. As we were sifting through all the ornaments, there lied, wrapped in a single paper towel (hmmm, wonder who packed that one up??) were the shattered remains for my Florida Gators ornament I’ve had for years. I knew Susan dispised the Gators but I didn’t think enough to take her hatred out on a defenseless piece of Christmas history in my family…..

Ok, ok, in all fairness, Susan did apologize and I know she didn’t mean it. But it wouldn’t surprise me if her UT ornamnent goes missing sometime this Christmas season!

In other news, just getting ready for Guatemala. I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who gave. I was totally shocked by the amount of generosity and especially during this economic downturn in the country today. I’m praying that those funds will return to you 10 fold. Susan and I are making lists and I’m readying my gear for the trip. I’m excited and a little nervous at the same time. This will be my first time working in another country, and a third-world (developing country, to be politically correct) at that.

well, this waqs suppose to be a quick update so I’ll close out for now.

Caio