The Party is Over!

In my last post I wrote about the 50th anniversary celebration of YWAM and how it was fast approaching. It seems that as fast as it came, it has now gone, and we are all now recovering from the craziness that was the 50th.

Don’t get me wrong, it was an incredible time. The very first night we looked back on the mission and all that God has done through the obedience of the pioneers who have gone before us. The theme the entire year was “The Flame Goes Forward.” Rather then spend all of our time looking back, we wanted to look ahead and say, “Okay Lord, what do the next 50 years look like?” Throughout the week we had teaching and opportunity to connect and celebrate all that God has done.

I also helped run a film festival.

Yep, complete with discussions and Q and A’s with the filmmakers. We held it in our brand new theater which by the grace of God we were able to complete before the event kicked off. It was a lot of fun to watch films in our venue, on our campus. I came home one night and told Amanda, “I like running my own film festival!” We had a wide array of films being shown, from documentaries and shorts, to full-length features. Our main emphasis was celebrating all that God has done through arts and entertainment with the involvement of YWAMers. We had quite a few regulars attending each screening, and all in all it was a blast.

I also built a volleyball court.

That one was a last-minute curveball, but after we cleared the land behind the theater, a few of the leaders thought, hey let’s use that pile of sand that was meant for a volleyball court to make a volleyball court. I was in charge of ordering the other supplies we needed and making sure it actually got used. I was thrilled to walk out of the theater and see a bunch of people playing beach volleyball. Random? Absolutely.

And this was all on my little corner of the 50th, and that’s one of the things that I loved about this event. All across the campus, people were connecting, reminiscing and being challenged. I’m glad that I got to take part in a very unique way.

Check out the pictures of the theater and volleyball court below.

Celebrating 50 years . . .

Of what you might ask? “You’re only 26, it can’t be your birthday, or wedding anniversary, or any other occasion like that.” And you’re correct, but Youth With A Mission however is fifty years old, and this year has been one of celebration for the mission.

Loren and Darlene, the founders of YWAM, have gone on four seperate journies over the past 11 months visiting YWAM centers around the world, from Costa Rica to Reykjavik, Tauranga to Mongolia. In less than one week we will have our final celebration here in Kona, and let me tell you it is going to be massive. A few thousand YWAMers from all across the globe will be coming to celebrate this year of Jubilee.

Over the past few months things have been renovated and prepared, but this last week has been full of even more activity. Final work is being done on several venues, a treehouse is being built, and a theater is being constructed in an old shed. That’s where I have been involved.

Our team has helped in several areas for the 50th, and I am helping plan our film festival that is running alongside the 5 days of celebrating. Each afternoon and night we are going to screen films that YWAMers have made or been involved in and it should be a lot of fun. We’ll do documentaries, full-length features, and a host of shorts. And this will happen in our newly constructed theater. It’s been so cool to see how God has provided to make this happen. It’s a legit theater. 88 seats (actual theater seats, with cupholders) surround sound, HD projector, it’s awesome! I’ve gotten to help manage this project. I’ve learned so much, and to be able to oversee the film festival with it has been a blast. And it’s been a unique opportunity to engage in other aspects of film while still moving forward with the other projects that we have been involved in.

One of my prayers as we complete this theater is that it too will be a place of worship. Not that we would worship films but that as we show movies, people’s hearts would be touched. That God would grab a hold of them and speak to them in a new way, and that people would even find healing as they sit in the theater. My personal vision for filmmaking is for people to walk out of a film saying “Wow I experienced God.” My hope is that it happens in our theater.

And it’s a lot of fun to say, “Our theater.”

If you’re coming for the 50th we’ll see you here! Come catch a movie with us!

A Year and a Half

Our sweet adorable Mia has turned a year and a half this past month! Oh, break a momma’s heart! In just six more months she will be…gulp…TWO! Who ever would have thought simple arithmetic would be this hard?!!?

Besides the sheer agony of watching Mia grow so fast, she is a joy. We said it when she was born and over and over again, a joy. Her sense of humor is quickly morphing into the same as her daddy’s and loves making us laugh and putting on a show. She is momma’s little helper and never misses an opportunity to help with laundry or any other sort of cleaning project. She loves the park, animals, any sort of sweet food(sigh), playing with playdo, coloring, and other kids her age or older.

I have been going with Mia to a two years and up group here on the campus and it is probably her very favorite thing to do right now. They have circle time and each kid sits on their own mat. They sing bible songs, and do some sort of craft and lesson. Mia does so well and I shutter to think how soon kindergarten will come and I will actually have to leave her there. For now, we are quite content going together and I love watching her play and interact with the other kids.

Of course it is not all perfect, the season of fit throwing is upon us and in full force! Justin and I have had our share of battles already and are trying our best to have patience, consistency and asking God for wisdom in how to best treat our sweet individual girl.  I am learning how different and unique each child is and how what will work for one may not necessarily work for another. In the meantime I am feeling quite sorry for our neighbours…the girl has some lungs!

Overall it has been an incredible year and a half, we feel so blessed to be the parents of strong, smart, loving sweet Mia Caroline…and did I mention cute? Oh, so CUTE! In case you don’t believe me, here is a video taken of Mia as she tells us the sounds that animals make!

New School, New Season

What an incredible quarter it has been here at the University of the Nations! We have enrolled more students this October than any other in the history of the campus! There are currently over 600 students and almost 1100 people on campus any given day. The campus is buzzing and while it takes quite a bit longer then usual to get through the lunch line we are loving it!

It is incredible to see so many selfless young people desperate to make a difference in the world and encounter Jesus. They not only pay to be here but are then willingly sent out around the globe to some of the most poverty stricken, desolate and isolated parts of the world. They bandage wounds, they help build homes, they pray, they witness, they visit orphanages and hospitals, they scrub floors and do yard work…all in the name of a man named Jesus.

I watch these same young students come back from their two months of service. Where they had once complained about how long the lunch line was, they now praise God for food so readily available. Instead of grumbling over cold showers they rejoice in running water and electricity to see at night. But it is more than just being grateful for things they had gone without. Their heads are held a little higher and there is so much life in their eyes. As they come back they have given so deeply of themselves…to strangers. They have shared the good news that Jesus desires a relationship with each and every person he has placed on this earth. And as they share the good news of the gift of eternal life something in them will never be the same.

It is an honor to be part of it all and even though we are not “going out” in this season, we are loving serving on the back lines here in Kona. This upcoming January quarter I will have the exciting opportunity to be a little more directly involved in the student’s lives. As many of you know I have been working in the Training Department serving under Andrew Dutton, who is a part of the “team three” leadership of the campus, and it has been an incredible season working with him and his wife Faith. This January they will be leading one of our schools, the Discipleship Training School, and have asked me to be a part of the staff team. I am beyond excited to work in the school and while I am not sure how much I will be able to do (motherhood takes priority) I know there will be plenty of opportunities to invest in the student’s lives, which is my favorite part  For three months the students will attend lectures and serve here on the campus and afterwards they will be sent out for two months, to love and serve and tell people about Jesus all around the world.

Interested? Know somebody who would be? Here is a link that will take you to more information about our specific school we will be running in January. The average age of the students is between 18 and 25 but it is not uncommon to have people much older as well. The school runs for a total of six months and is starting in January. Come and be changed. 

Making the News

A new initiative that is being launched is Grassroots News, and since GVS is a partner, I get the privelege of seeing this idea take shape firsthand. Every international news story starts locally, making every bystander a witness, and every witness has a story to tell. Grassroots News is enabling these stories to be heard. With today’s technology as mobile and advanced as it is, people are able to shoot, edit, and upload a story all from their iPod, and we want those stories to be told. It’s exciting to me because there are so many things happening around the world that we just don’t hear about. With Grassroots News reporters on the ground immediately it allows a fresh, real perspective to the global events.

And the cool thing is that it’s already started to take off. It won’t officially launch until the end of November, but one of the Grassroots News reporters is already covering the Cholera outbreak in Haiti. He was able to tell the story right away, and as Grassroots News builds, think of the effect it can have in other situations where it may take days for reporters and international press to arrive. Or better yet, think of the countless untold stories that are missed by the press because it isn’t worth the airtime. That’s where we get to make the news!

View the latest report from Haiti:

No Longer an Intern

I’ve officially finished my internship and am now full-time staff with Global Virtual Studio. Amanda and I spent a chunk of time praying about what would come after the internship, and the conclusion we came to was that this is an incredible opportunity to continue into the film industry. It’s a rare opportunity to work alongside a director on a project this early on, so I’m really relishing the time I have to learn and grow and just sort of soak it all in.

I’ve never had to be so acutely aware of time zones like I have working here. GVS aims to engage with artists and professionals from all around the globe and access talent worldwide. Often times we’re starting our day communicating with artists as they’re winding down for the night. One of my main responsibilities is taking notes from these sessions and managing the artwork that comes in. It’s cool to hear David describe a character or a piece of artwork needed only to hours later see a visual representation of it. I can’t wait to see how this stuff ends up looking on screen!

We decided to commit to working with David through the process of Day of War, the film he is currently working on about the life of David. We’re excited to see where this takes us, and as a young aspiring filmmaker I am loving it! There are many more stories to share, and I look forward to doing that in blogs to come.

A Very Happy Fourth

Happy Forth of July!

It was Mia’s very first Fourth of July in her home country and Justin’s first Fourth in seven years! Yes, the Claypool house was buzzing with excitement!

As we sat on the curb of the sidewalk and watched the local parade go by Justin and I both found ourselves getting emotional.

We truly do love America.

We watched our daughter waving her American flag with glee on her face as the marching band and veterans passed by. We sang along with pride as the National Anthem and other patriotic songs were blasted for all to hear. And as Mia slept on my chest while Justin and I watched the fireworks that filled the nights sky, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for this country I am privileged to call home.

We celebrate our freedom, acknowledge it comes at a price, and hope we will never take this precious gift for granted.

Our family has traveled to many countries that will always have a piece of our hearts but….there really is no place like home.

Mia Caroline celebrating the Fourth of July:

King of the Lane

And this is the final project! Mitchell William Williams is the best bowler in town and he knows it. What happens when changes at the lanes threaten his game?

Please click the HD option as it will be much better to watch.

Four pitches got chosen out of the students, and mine was one that got selected. I wrote, produced, and directed this one and shot it with the help of my crew. It was a very tiring shoot, and again, this taught me a lot about filmmaking. I hope you enjoy it.

Picture Yourself Here

Here it is, the first film I did on the school. A travel agent must decide between keeping the job he hates or following his dreams. I hope you enjoy it, and I would love your comments and feedback. If you can please click to watch it in HD as it is much better that way.

A little behind the scenes, I actually lost all of the footage on this film, and had to do a full reshoot except for the final scene. So essentially I made this movie twice, but what you’ll see is much better then the first shoot we did. I definitely learned a lot through this journey! Hope you like it.

Faith and Film

Often times when we talk about faith and film it usually has to do with the subject of faith being portrayed in films that are created. But what about having faith in the process of making films? You know, believing that God will provide for you and trusting that he has plans for you, even if it’s a small 5 minute short film?

Well earlier this week we were beginning the pre-production process of our films. In the way the school is set up, our short films go through a similar process of any other independent or even studio film. We had to make sure that everything was as planned as could be. Drawing storyboards for every shot, knowing in advance where you wanted lights and cameras, what sort of angles you would need, but also the logistical side as well. Budget, talent release, call sheets and location releases. It was a whirlwind of paperwork that we needed to say we we ready to actually make our films.

My biggest hiccup was location. I needed to find a travel agency as my story took place there. I had seen a few around Kona but hadn’t gone into any. Then, I took a drive around town and stopped at each travel agency Google listed. Most of them were closed or out of business but I could peer into windows. One looked fantastic and the other was too small. So the next day I called the one I liked and they told me to call the next Monday. Knowing that I was going to be busy and needing a location as soon as possible, I was nervous. When I called them again, they politely declined letting me use their office for an entire day.

I then resorted to door to door in office complexes seeing if a location would come up. I could use any office and just hang some posters and try to make it look like an office. The first place I went had a good setup, so I asked the owner. Yes, random and kind of awkward asking to use someone’s office you’ve never meant before, but he was open to it. He had to talk with his co-worker but it seemed promising. The next day I rang him, and he said that it wasn’t going to work out.

I prayed the next morning and asked the Lord to give me a location. There was one travel agency I was going to visit but it was about 20 minutes away. Generally that’s a short distance but on an island and with a busy shooting schedule the closer the better. I called them but I had accidentally grabbed the wrong number. I ended up calling the travel agency that I thought was too small. I didn’t connect the dots until after the owner said I could use their store for the whole day. I was a little mad at myself for calling and asking for the wrong place. But then I thought about it, and realized that hey, maybe this will work, and maybe God is providing me a location that will make my film more dynamic.

And that was exactly it. As I drew my storyboards and imagined the film, it got a whole new dimension to it because of this location, and all I could do was thank God for guiding my steps, and helping me bring this story to life.

Stay tuned for more progress on the film! Hopefully you’ll like it!