World of Change

So... yeah...
A lot has happened since I posted last time. I haven't shot any assignments for Times Media Inc. in as long as I can remember. I was working nearly full time at Kiddie Kandids until just recently. My boss there, Lora, is great. I'm pretty sure we'll keep in touch for a long time. She has been so flexible in the process of us joining World Venture.
That's the biggest news. We just got back from Colorado where we went through numerous interviews, classes, and training sessions. We were appointed as missionaries to Mali, West Africa. We made some amazing friends while we were there. There were six other couples. Heidi was so completely in her element. She seemed to be more at home there than... when she's at home.
So now we are starting to invest a lot of time building the relationships that will make it possible for us to live and serve the church in Mali.
I have so much more to say, but I'll just leave you with this video. This is the first video I ever made. This family went to the finals in some TV talent show. Anyway, I figured if I am going to try to build a professional media endeavor in a third world I had better learn to post video on the web.
Don't forget to turn your sound on.

Hollister Corn Field Maze

_JEF0718w, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Hey folks,
Click on photo for more pictures. For those of you who don't know, I am working with high school students at BVBC, our church. So the other night I went on my first big outing. We went to the corn field maze in Hollister.
We were going to go surfing, but it was dark and it wasn't a big surf day in Hollister.
I would recommend a corn field maze. I mean you're just walking around a corn field, but it's amazing how much fun there is to be had in a corn field.
So I'm pretty much done with Times Media Inc., the newspapers I was working for. I am still shooting about one assignment a week, but I am not making it a priority like I was before. I am working a lot of hours at Kiddie Kandids. I really like it there. We have a new boss, and she is as good as Dustin was before her. I am good at what I do, and when I clock out, I can be totally focused on my family or my ministries.
Our heart is still in missions. We want to go over seas again soon. Heidi and I are teaching Bible in a local elementary school. It's really exciting. More and more kids come every week. They really love it. Heidi has a group of second grade boys, and I have fourth grade girls.
I just put my subsidized student loans in deferment for a second year. At this rate I am looking at paying them off in about 15 years. It is a constant reminder that God is my provider. He has plans for me and for my family. Money is such a small obstacle. I can't wait to see what He does to get us where He wants us.

Christians

This really surprised me. I'm an optimist. And when I don’t think about it too much, I assume that the Catholic Church is a strong body of believers in Jesus Christ. Something about this thing I stumbled across made me think of all the Catholics I know that don’t live like they have a relationship with Jesus. There is so much to be gained by treating Jesus like the Lord and brother He is, and it makes me sad when people miss out on that.
What I found was the proposed patron saint for Internet users. Here’s the picture, and here is the prayer you’re supposed to say before you get on the Internet.
Almighty and eternal God,
Who created us in Thy image
and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
bishop and doctor,
during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee and
treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen

_JEF0307w

_JEF0307w, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Of course I'll take any excuse to post a picture of my girl. I think she's just beautiful.
More than that, this picture was taken on a family camping trip that I wanted to let you all know about. Several older couples were giving Heidi advice on raising kids. The one thing they all agreed on was that we should go camping regularly. It's so good to just be us. No jobs, homework... just us.
But most of all, you've got to click on this picture and choose 'all sizes' so you can get a close-up look. It is the pinnacle for a professional photographer to capture the perfect droplets of a gleek.
Okay, maybe it’s not, but I think it should be. Have you ever seen it before?! It’s like catching a fly with chopsticks. No one really knows someone who has done it, but we all agree that if someone did they should be held in the highest regard.

drew_lulu_reading

drew_lulu_reading, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Okay, I've gotta run, cause Heidi wants to watch Survivor, but I had to put these shots up.
Drew is making such great progress in learning how to read. Everyday he has to bring home a new book from school. We read it to him until he's got it memorized, basically. Then the next day in class he has to read it to someone.
Lucky for him, he gets to read it to me and his mom and his Lulu and Pappy... every day.

Blossom Valley Bible Church

Blossom Valley Bible Church, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Drew's 1st Day of School

_JEF6427w, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

If you click on this picture, read the picture captions. Drew is doing so well in school. He loves it. It's short, and he's already reminding us to do stuff for his class. It reminds me that we need to be so much more purposeful in what we are teaching him from day to day.
Joseph is now benefitting from my mom's expert teaching experience. If you haven't seen Joe in the last month you would be amazed at how he is blossoming. I know it's a cliché, but that's just how it is. A few months a go his personality was wrinkly, scrunched up, and not nearly as nice as it could have been. He's still got his little devious streak, but he is communicating so well. He is happy, he loves people, and tells them often.
Harley has been sick. She hasn't nursed in two days. Heidi is a little scared. She's not ready to stop nursing. So we're hoping it's just congestion. Our boys both nursed until they were one, and they quit on their own.
I'm excited about the possibility of becoming a youth pastor at my parents church (our church too, but we haven't been there long.) I'm not giving up on my photojournalism dreams, but I am following where the Lord is leading.
We are also trying to get 100 people to give us $20 dollars a month for the next three year. That way would could pay off my student loans quickly and save well over $30,000 dollars. The ultimate goal is to get to Mali, start a media ministry over there, and serve a country of people who know what it means to suffer.
Call us!

_JEF5582cw

_JEF5582cw, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

This is Autumn Hodge. She belongs to Eric and Christine Hodge, two of our best friends. This blog entry concerns friends.
Spur-of-the-moment (that means we planned five days in advance in we-have-three-kids-under-five language) Heidi and I decided to go down to Ojai for the weekend. Our friends were totally accommodating, and we were able to see so many people. This was the first time I had been back since we moved.
It was so good for me. I never really missed any of our Ojai friends. I would ask Heidi, "Why don't I miss them like you do? They were my best friends too." I mean... I did miss them, but not the kind of 'miss' that moves from your chest to your throat and back. That’s how I used to feel when we had to leave Granny’s house and my cousins when we were little.
On our last night there four couples got together with our seven kids and one on the way. It was a zoo, a great zoo. These people really love us, and they love our children in the same way we do. We love them and their children.
As we were leaving I realized what good friends God has given us, and I said we should all pray before we left. Then I felt that kind of 'miss' that moves from your chest to your throat and back. I couldn’t, so I asked Eric to pray, and he did a wonderful job of giving God glory for all He has given us, just like I wanted to.
I want to honor these friends. They mean so much to us.

July 29, 2006 Self-Portrait

_JEF4383w, originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Hello FrazeeFamily Fans.
I've worked my tail off for the last three days, 37.5 hours. Sports isn't my passion to say the least, but I'm glad my editor made me stay and work all the angles. I met a lot of people, and I enjoyed being a part of such a big event. I love learning how to do new things, and shooting Champ Car racing is a new thing.
My parents are home from Kenya. It sounds like an amazing vacation. Africa is truly a land of contrasts. They ate amazing food, 60% of which was thrown away in some cases, at these amazing hotels and camps. A stones throw away, literally, was a village of 600 people who had to let their cattle go because they couldn't feed them. They hope the stock will find water and survive. Then they can collect them next year, when the rains come. People are living of the brink of starvation.
It seems to me that they could supply aid to the North... but they won't. God, move in that country and provide for your people.
It is hard to be a compassionate, giving believer in America. God, move in our lives too.

Heidi and I have always thought we would end up back on the mission field. Wanting to be humble and open to God's leading we tried not to put our own desires in the way. But you know what, God is so good. He is the good dad that we've always dreamed of. Tell Him what you want, and ask Him what He wants.
I would have to say that my daughter Harley was one of the clearest answers to prayer that I have experienced. I believe that is the way God always is. Usually, His timing isn't out timing. But, in general, God and man are on the same time schedule when it comes to the 9-month time span from when a baby is conceived to when he or she is born. So when I was talking to God and telling him that I really wanted a girl, I was pretty sure I was going to get a 'yes' or 'no' before the year was done.
Our underlying desire has been to return to Mali. We love the people and the life there. And it seems God is opening the doors for us. We have been talking with WorldVenture. (That’s the mission we went out with before, but they used to be called CBInternational.) As it stands now we are in contact with missionaries on the field, and we are building up a vision of the ministry we would be doing there. I would likely be doing photojournalism, possibly for the newspaper in the capitol city, Bamako. And I would be working on a documentary film. I have been encouraged to teach these skills too because up-to-date education is lacking limiting opportunities for young Malians.
First we need to pay off our school loans. If we were to pay them all off ourselves, it would take about 10 years. We want to move our children while they are still young because it is so much easier for them. So we are counting on God and his Body, the church, to help us get rid of our debt. The director for West Africa said that the mission would not accept gifts for student loans because they are considered personal gifts. So people wouldn’t be able to get tax deductions. If you really want to get me fired up you can ask me what I think about people who give to the work of God to get a tax benefit.
This picture is from a photo shoot I did in Coté d’Ivoire. It was a turning point for me, and it lead me to photojournalism instead of commercial photography. Click on the picture to see some pictures of Heidi and me when we first moved to Mali.
I’m going to try to put up a new post every Friday. So check back often.

IMGP1968_W

IMGP1968_W
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

This photo cracks me up. Harley is learning to communicate better, but at this point that only means that she now knows that if she screams in this really loud, angry way she gets attention more quickly. When she really means business she switches to this low growl that means, "I'd kick your *** if I had enough motor function to stops my hands from hitting me in the face."
So the newest news is that Heidi and I are seriously looking into moving back to Mali, West Africa. We lived there in '99 - '00, and Heidi lived there from when she was 8 until 18.
We would love to raise our children there. It's one of the last African nations where families can really feel safe. Of course we felt safe in Coté d'Ivoire, and that didn't turn out so well. More importantly, you can't be safer anywhere than where God wants you.
Don't forget to click on this picture to see more pictures. I know I've been stuck on Harley lately. Can you blame me? I'll have pictures of the boys up soon.

_JEF2124w

_JEF2124w
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Each year we watch the fireworks from the roof of Su Casa. That's what we call the studio that my family stays in. This was the first time that Drew and Joe joined us. Joe didn't last long, and Drew was afraid the close fireworks were going to land on us. Harley Joy didn't come up on the roof, but she watched wide-eyed with Lulu and Granny down below.
Oh yeah, Heidi made amazing burgers and an ice cream cake that I'd give my left two lug nuts for.

_JEF0874w

_JEF0874w
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

This shot just kind of grabbed me. It is unlike what I usually shoot, but I love it. Click on the photo to go to flickr. Then you can click on 'All Sizes' and really look around in the photograph.
I have a little more insight because I watched the whole thing happen, but I want to know what you think about the body language of the two people kissing.
Regarding the previous post, Heidi did kind of freak out when I said I was thinking about focusing more on our lives and ministries in San Jose instead of focusing on moving on. By the end of the conversation, she said she trusted me and that she go wherever I went or stay wherever I stayed. Guys, you can imagine how good it feels to hear stuff like that. God has blessed me with Heidi every day since the day we met. He's too good to us.
So I'm working at Kiddie Kandids in the mall. I just finished training, and I start work on Thursday. I thought, "If PF Bentley heard about this he would roll over in his grave... Well, he'd have a heart attack, die, and then roll over in his grave." He is my teacher that said, "If you turn in a picture of a cute kid, he better be holding a crack pipe or an AK-47." On the flip side, I don't think PF could do this job. We're each suited for different things, and I'm good with kids.
For those of you who pray for me and my family, keep praying that God would provide for our needs. He always has, but we would love to be making enough money to take care of our basic needs and support more missionaries and 3rd world kids. We'd love to adopt too. So you could start praying about that. Oh yeah, and pray for a sense of peace about where God has us.
Let us know how we can pray for you too. My e-mail address is on the contact page of my website, jefffrazee.com

_JEF1111_web

_JEF1111_web
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Hey! It's been a while. This is my old man. I made this picture for him to put into a frame that he gave to my mom. You push a button on the frame and it says 20 different things like, "I'm sorry we argued. I knew you were right all along... I just couldn't admit it." "Do want to go see that movie you wanted to see? There's nothing on TV but ball-games."
I'm still loving living with my parents. I think I'm going to try to stay there for a long time. Of course, I haven't sprung that on my wife or parents yet. So I'll keep you posted.
I really think we could have a good thing going here. What I really want is for us all to start being purposeful about the way we minister to the people around us. We have such a happy family. We have what so many people want, and if we opened our doors wider, I wouldn't be surprised to see people drawn in... and maybe even
healed from their hurts. Give me a call, and we'll talk about it more in depth.

Silver Creek Graduation

Silver Creek Graduation
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Hey photo fans,
Here are three assignments I shot in the past couple days. This guy's name is Chigozie Ndekwe. It's always exciting to talk to someone from West Africa, like my wife. Unfortunately, I knew more about W.A. He never lived there.
The other assignments in here are a portrait of high school sport award winners and the preliminary elections in San Jose. It's always nice when the guy you're assigned to wins.
I heard from a paper in Northern California the other day. It's the first time a paper called me. So it was pretty exciting. It was really vague, and the prospects didn't sound real good, but didn't care.
I'm so happy where I am, and I'm so excited to see where God is leading.

o_joe

o_joe
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

This is fun with a fisheye. I took a shot of each persons face on Easter morning. Actually, I forgot Harley Joy. It's already begun. I'll post a picture of her soon.
I got a call from a paper just south of here that wants me to start stringing for them. I haven't had a second call, but it gave me some hope.
I have a secret desire that I will always be able to work part time hours... well, as long as I can be such a constant influence in my children's lives. When they head of to school I'll have to reevaluate my priorities.
Heidi is off to Ojai tomorrow. She will be scrapbooking with some of her best friends for 12 hours a day. The boys and I will be lucky if we cross her mind twice in the next four days... other than how we fit into a layout. Ok, I'm lying. She's amazing, and she has the special lady ability to both be involved in an intense task and thinking about something else.
I think she's trying to talk to my while I'm typing, but I can't really tell. I better go.

almaden_06

almaden_06
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

I'm beginning to ad printed work to my portfolio. So I put it up here first. Hopefully, I'll ad some interesting interface on my other website.
Tell all your editor friends that they should take a look at my work. I'd love to get hired!
Maybe this will be the means through which God shows me where He wants me to go.

drew_puddle_splash_01

drew_puddle_splash_01
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

San Jose has had many rainy days. It hasn't bothered me a bit. I love it.
You can see that my boys love it too. I wish you could all see how wonderful my little family is.
My dad often asks me if I ever feel like my life is so good that it couldn't possibly get any better. I'm still his kid so I can't seem to give him a simple answer, but the simple answer is... Yes!

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_DSC8393
Originally uploaded by Jeff Frazee.

Joseph has these piercing blue eyes. He definitely gets them from me, but he has taken them to a whole new level. My kids have me wrapped around their fingers, and Joe's eyes are one of his main tools in bending me to his will.
I'm shooting regularly for the Almaden and Evergreen Times. Mostly I shoot sports, and I really need to invest myself in finding a photo story in this area. I've got some ideas, but I haven't made any of them happen. I really want to tell in-depth biographies that reveal something about mankind, what's important, and where our strengths or weaknesses lies.
I get to spend a lot of time with my family, like I always have. I often think that God is keeping me from what I'm pursuing (challenging/full-time work) so that He can bless me with constant interaction with my family. Everyday I sing and dance with my boys. I read to them and tuck them in nearly every night, and I pray with them at least once a day, often two or three times. Can you imagine?! Every day!
From the time I was 12 or so, I have been saying that I wanted to grow up to be a dad, and I am. God answered a prayer that I mostly prayed in jest. He's an amazing God, I haven't nearly got Him figured out.