India

The locomotive pulled into the station, stirring the dust and the hundreds of travelers sleeping on the concrete platform. It was early morning and we had once again beaten the sun out of bed. I threw my backpack over my shoulder, hopped off the train as it chugged to a stop, and followed our guide as he weaved his way through the hundreds of people struggling to get on and off the train. It’s a lot of chaos for that early in the morning. Even for India.

Somewhere between the overnight train rides, I had lost count of how many days we had been in India. But there I was, with three other team members, shooting a documentary for the MOVE 2011 tour. I was no longer interested in seeing this beautifully vast country through the window of a train. The only way to see the true India, as a romantic might say. I was done being romantic. The novelty had worn off. However, in spite of my exhaustion, the appreciation for the people we met had not. Three weeks later, it still hasn’t.

Naveen, a man who has lived more life than the wrinkles around his dark brown eyes suggest, is a perfect example. We met him early in our trip before a church service, one that meets in his house, began. Even though Naveen is the pastor of this small but growing church, his life used to look completely different.

You see, Naveen has always been a religious leader, just not always in the Christian circle. Years ago, he was a Hindu priest and a prominent leader in the community. He spent a lot of time persecuting Christians. He was good at it too. He told me, during our conversation while people poured into his house for worship, that he couldn’t estimate how many Christians he had persecuted.

Much like the apostle Paul, Naveen’s life changed when he encountered Jesus. No, there wasn’t a bright light on a deserted road. But the encounter spurred a change that was just as drastic. The God he previously hated, he now proclaims. His enemies, he now considers family. And, in an ironic twist, he too is now persecuted alongside the people he once hunted.

Naveen’s story is proof that the church is strong in regions of the world where Christianity is opposed. It is our desire that this film, which will premiere at MOVE 2011, will open people’s eyes to Christian persecution around the globe. Persecution didn’t die out with the close of the New Testament. It is just as much of a reality today in places like India, Colombia, and Egypt as it was during the reign of the Roman Empire.

Yet even in the face of severe threats, this is not a story of defeat. It is rather a story of perseverance and extreme faithfulness. It is a story of hope and commitment regardless of the costs. It is a reminder that following Jesus is worth it all. And perhaps most importantly for you and me, it is a call to live faithfully in our own context.

Victoria Falls Bungee

I was hoping to get at least 15 years out of this story. Posting it on my blog for the world to see will probably knock 2-3 years out of its run. Regardless, here it is.

The bungee jumping at Victoria Falls is the highest natural jump spot in the world. It measures at 111 meters (364 feet, I think). That translates to a 4 second free fall. It's a long way down.

Two answers. Yes, I kept my eyes open the entire time. No, the worst part wasn't the fall. The worst part was hanging upside down until the guy on the rope (you'll see him at the end of the video) could repel down to get me.

If you are ever in Zambia at Victoria Falls. You have to do this. Trust me.

Zambia Shorts

I'll continue to put clips from the Zambia trip up in the coming days. Here are a few of my favorites.

I guess a van full of white people with big cameras is not something the kids in Zambia see everyday. So every time we jumped out of the van, 50 kids would run up to us. This made it very difficult to get isolated shots. During one attempt, MD asked if I could distract the masses. Clapping seemed to be the international language.


This was one of the most difficult shots to manage but ended up being one of my favorites. We asked the teachers if we could listen to the children sing sometime before they ate lunch. The teachers took that to mean "right now!" Before we could finish getting set up, the teachers stopped their lessons and marched 150 kids out to the schoolyard. They lined up and started singing. We scrambled around to get the audio ready. They just continued to sing. This footage is probably 10 minutes into their singing when we finally got things set up.


We spent a lot of time with a young lady named Abigail and her family. They get water out of a well in their front yard. This is a shot of her little brother getting water.


More videos to come!

Zambia

A small team and I are leaving for Zambia this evening to film a documentary for CIY MOVE 2010. Stay tuned for upcoming details.