Around the World

Last days in Hawaii

2008-11-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Well my time has come to an end in YWAM Kona, Hawaii...for now.

A couple weeks ago I made the decision to move back to Canada for a while. I am still committed to YWAM, Kona until March but I will be helping with some office work for the photogenX ministry via Canada. So this coming December, the 17th to be exact, I arrive in Toronto and will spend about a month at home with my family and friends processing the last couple years, working on photography and maybe taking the odd shift at Groundswell! I am really looking forward to this time to spend not only with those closest to me but also the Lord in seeking the next steps. I already have the idea that I will be moving to Toronto and working there but nothing specific yet. My desire is that God will continue to use me and my gifts wherever I am.

The last couple years has been such an incredible journey for me. It has been full of adventure, growth in leadership, learning the Bible, world view and photography, deeper relationship with the Lord, challenges of many kinds, friendships, lots of good byes and traveling the world that God has so wonderfully created. To experience culture with the people, get to know their traditions and ways of life, their food and beautiful country has been a priceless blessing. I pray that God will allow me to continue you this in the years to come. I also pray that God will continue to use my gifts in photography to capture beauty and pain and to raise up a voice that will reach the nations about what is happening in our world. We live in a time where there is almost no limit to where we can go or what we can see but we also live in a time of great pain, sin and ugliness. To see this pain and hear about these injustices deeply impacted me to level where I can never say I am finished. I hope to continue to connect and join with the photogenX ministry in their mission to put an end to these injustices and see transformation happen around the world. That people would not only have a revelation of the evil that is occurring but they would come to know of the loving and forgiving Father that we have. That would be see that we are called to administer justice or all kinds whether that be in our own home, our communities, our nations or around the world. We can all play apart, which is so beautiful.

Speaking of playing apart I want to thank you all for partnering with me in seeing that I continued working with YWAM. Whether you were able to give financially or praying for me, it made the biggest difference! Without either of these two things I would not have been able to carry on. Your friendship and belief in what I do has also been an amazing blessing. To know that you support what I do and who I work for. Thank you to the YWAM community that has been a great encouragement spiritually, in friendships, growth and starting to find my calling. Thank you to all those in YWAM who have stood with me the last couple years (Paul and Susi, Dawn and Peter, Deni, Anna, Carla, Simon).

I am so excited for this next season and can't wait to connect with many of you over the Christmas season. If you would like to get a hold of me you can contact me via email (kiwana5@gmail.com) or phone (705)435-4530. Or you can just drop by my house!

I have included a summary of the last two and half years through photos. I hope you enjoy!

Much love from Hawaii,

Aaron

Last two and a half years...in photos!

2008-11-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

YWAM, Prince Edward Island

YWAM, Kona, Hawaii

Outreach, Cambodia

Outreach Costa Rica and Panama

Staffing Discipleship Training School

DTS Outreach, Columbia

Staffing Round the World Track

Greece

Turkey

Christmas in Bulgaria

Egypt

Jordan

Israel

Ethiopia

Spring Break, Ireland

Amsterdam

England

Spain

Morocco

Costa Rica

Kona, Hawaii and beyond

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

2008-10-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Another quarter just flew by as time seems to be in warp speed out in the Pacific. I know this year I was hoping around but believe it or not I am still here on the Big Island of Hawaii and I haven’t gone anywhere. As much as it is such a blessing to live on this tropical island I do miss traveling and seeing God’s world. I guess I am having a bit of “cabin fever” which I like to call “island fever”. Fact, Hawaii is 4105km from Los Angeles, which is another 5 ½ hours in a plane from my home in Toronto. So you can imagine how I feel sometimes being on the most isolated islands in the world. Ok, don't feel to bad for me.

On another note, the quarter ended with little time and much stress as we finished off the publication. If you don’t remember my team is designing a book that will raise awareness about various injustice issues around the world such as prostitution, aids, rape, poverty and trafficking. We also want this book to be an avenue for people to get connected with ministries that reach out to these issues and get involved, whether that is financially, prayerfully or physically. It was a crunch at the end but the final product is full of powerful and beautiful stories and photographs. I am really looking forward to sharing this book with you in the coming months!

One more exciting piece of information is that my parents came to visit me for two weeks. It was my Mom’s 50^th birthday in September and also my parents 30^th anniversary this coming December. This time away was there way of celebrating these occasions as well as seeing what I do and where I live. We had such an adventure together as I took them to coffee shacks, hot springs, mountains, jungles, a black sand beach, snorkeling, a lava plume spurting into the ocean, natural steam vents and loads more. Thanks Mom and Dad for coming out!

As for the future…I am continuing to staff here in Hawaii until the end of December. I have currently stepped away from the photogenX track program that I was previously staffing to give my self a break. I am still fully connected with the students and love them all very much. This next three months I am working in the photogenX office in the morning and working in an area called the ATV in the afternoon. The ATV (Appropriate Technology Village) is basically a garden area that tests different growing methods, toilet systems, wells, fish ponds and more and then brings them out to developing nations. All I want to say is that I love it!

In December I will be making a trip home to Canada for a couple weeks and then off to Hawaii again to do another school, the SOP (School of Photography). I actually applied last year and was accepted so have been preparing for this time for a while. I feel that God has called me to pursue excellence in my gifts, this being photography. Although I have a lot of experience having been able to travel and use photography in photogenX and various projects, I am doing this school to get the further training. I know that this school is an investment in my career as a photographer and missionary together. I hope to continue to use photography throughout my life to serve others.

Well, I send my love, Mahalo (thanks) and blessings from the jewels of the Pacific, yes that’s Hawaii.

Oh and also check out my website, I have new photos and you can now purchase on line!

www.aaronharcourt.com

Oh and, “Happy Thanksgiving Canada!”

Photos of Hawaii underneath! Please do not copy/save/paste photographs. Thank You.

Lam. 3:22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail!

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

The Big Island

2008-10-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

(Above) Volcano Plume and a
friends tree house.
(Left) Evening light on some
local fruit (papaya and mango).

Star Observatory on
Mauna Kea

Palm Tree Forest

Hawaiian Shrine on top
Mauna Kea

Puna District

Aaron at the Light House
lookout

Pololu Valley, North Kohala

Locals at a fresh water spring
(so cold)

Dad, Mom and me on
Mauna Kea

Hawaiian Gecko

Local Diner

Local man at Pololu Valley

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Costa Rica and Home

2008-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I could say that my computer was broken for a month, and I went home for two weeks and I am extremely busy right now, and they would all be true but lame excuses. So despite working on my computer all day I thought I would just go for it and let you know how I am and where I am.

Well, I’m in Kona, Hawaii again. I am continuing to working with the photogenX ministry, specifically with the around the world track and in the office. So I’ll back up a little and catch you up to speed, oh and of course add some more photos. I left off leaving Morocco and touching down in San Jose, Costa Rica. To get a visual, think about where Mexico is and South America, Costa Rica is in between.

Our reason for being in Costa Rica was primarily study. We had the chance to look at Central American world view and the worlds impact on it’s people. Central America is a very diverse people and mix of history and religion. Not only are there the obvious Indigenous peoples and Spanish colonization, but there are also other European nations and Islam mixed in. I was surprised to hear about Islam’s influence in Central America but the more I learned and observed the more I understood.

Along with our studies came opportunities to serve the base and serve the community around us. The last week in Costa Rica was designed specifically to focus outwards in an area of your choice, well God’s choice. Some teams went to Panama, some to Cuba and others stayed in the area. After praying for a couple weeks I still did not have an area laid on my heart and God showed me that I should spend time with my leaders who were coming to visit after many months. It was a wonderful time to bond with them after so long, speak about the future and reflect on the past year of staffing a school. I also got to do some photography with Susi again in a slum area as well as at a day care centre. Although it wasn’t a very "deep" time, sometimes it just awesome being out there amongst the people, taking photos, hanging with friends and being creative with God in your work.

At the end of the week the teams came back and we had a time of debrief, not only for the past weeks adventure but also for the school. It was great to spend time processing what we had seen, experienced and learned from the past year of travel, study and outreach. Like I haven’t done it a million times before, I once again packed my bags at the end of the week and headed for home…real home.

Canada was such a blessing. Every time I go home I thank God for what a wonderful, beautiful and peaceful nation I live in. However we could be passionate about something other than hockey and maple syrup for a change. I don’t want to go into detail about my time at home but I want to say it was great! I was able to visit many friends and family members, my home church and camping night, spend some great time with my immediate family and even have a BBQ for one hundred people. Thanks to Dad and Mom and everyone else who helped bring the event together. And yes that does include those who brought pie and beer. The apple rhubarb was especially tasty! During the two weeks I even had time to fly out to Prince Edward Island (PEI for Canadians) and visit some good friends. Thanks Bill and Rinda for housing me and digging clams with me!

All in all it was a refreshing time for me. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to work on photos but wait….I finally have a website up and running. And yes photos are for sale, but I have to get that part of the website operating still. I have most of my travel section up and in the next couple weeks should have some of Canada, PEI and of course Hawaii. Go to www.aaronharcourt.com to check it out!

So I am here in Kona, Hawaii again. Each day I hope that this awful vog will clear. For those who haven’t heard there is a large plume in the south part of the island that creates a fog looking stuff (vog = volcanic fog) which dims the sun, kills plants and isn’t that great for breathing either. Anyways, I am staffing the school still and the making of our publication is slowly coming together! I am stoked to see what comes out over the next couple months and be sure I will keep you posted. For another impacting project that our ministry is taking part of and some may have see the booklet called, Hakani when I was home. Check out www.hakani.org. This is serious stuff that’s happening!

Well I want to leave you with some prayer requests.

1) Finances
2) Continued growth in my relationship with the Lord
3) Direction for this January
4) Further healing in my life
5) Growth as a leader
6) Ways that I can get involved within our community

Thank you everyone for your continued interest, prayer and financial help for the last couple years. You are all a blessing to my heart and would love to hear from you anytime. kiwana5@gmail.com

Donations:

Cheques/Cash:

Aaron Harcourt
156 Victoria St. W.
Alliston, ON.
L9R 1L7
Canada

Peace,

Aaron Harcourt

Morocco

2008-08-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Aaron, Anna, John

Costa del Sol y N. Africa

2008-06-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

it’s Aaron again, the one who you can never keep up with and the one who you don’t ever fully understand what he’s doing. Well, most of the time I can’t even understand what I’m doing!

Just to catch you up to speed, I’m in San Jose, Costa Rica in Central America. In the last week I have traveled twenty four hours from the middle of Morocco to Spain, spent four days in Malaga, took a seven hour bus from Malaga to Madrid, ran across the Madrid underground, spent eight hours in the airport, flew nine hours across the Atlantic Ocean, got an x-ray for drugs in Bogota, Columbia, spent twenty more hours in an airport and lastly took my final one and a half hour flight to arrive in San Jose. Worryingly this is becoming more and more normal for me.

After a week spent in England visiting a friend I flew down to Malaga, Spain to meet up with my team. Spain was an amazing time for me and my group. We stayed in a beautiful old villa, owned by a YWAM base that was so refreshing after months of hostels, apartments, and squishy rooms. We as a team had an incredible time of teaching and bonding with each other. It was also a time of reflection of the last eight months and growing in our relationship with God. We had a chance to share with each other our burdens, lives, hurts and joys. We spent three days praying, on our faces, worshipping and the Lord ministering to us. I believe it was a blessing and significant moment for us as a team to really bond and know each other before we head back to Kona.

Having our teaching on Islamic worldview, we put our knowledge into practice, split into small teams and traveled to North Africa. Surprisingly it only takes a couple hours by bus and ferry before you land yourself in Tangier, Morocco, the place that part of the Borne Ultimatum was filmed. Fortunately and unfortunately we didn’t hang around and headed straight down to a city called Marrakech, twelve hours by train. What an incredible city! Even though it is “infested” with tourist, us being some of them, it still holds onto its old Moroccan roots and traditions. There were kilometers of markets, strewn with died leather, spice shops and jewelry, wonderful foods, including tajine, dried fruit stands and fresh orange juice, monkey’s, henna painters and snake charmers…it was quite an experience!.

We didn’t waste time however and found a guide who would take us to the desert. Things fell together quickly and we were off early the next morning. Driving through the Atlas mountains was a breathtaking experience but it was not our main goal so we moved on through long plains, steep gorges, dry desert and twelve hours later finally made it to a town on the foot hills of the Sahara called, M’hamed. We had a wonderful night with cultural music (even though I wouldn’t consider them talented), Moroccan food and chatting with our hosts.

The next morning we took camels to a Kasbah a couple hours away, meet some people and visited with a family. After lunch we took off by four wheel drive into the desert where the paved road literally stops and dry, rocky ground begins. It was a rough two hours across deep ruts, carved out by many others desert hungry tourists. Stopping at an oasis outfitted with beer and snacks (LOL) was an odd experience but we finally made it to the towering sand dunes. Presumably, the three of us climbed the tallest dune in Morocco, three hundred meters high and left a gift for the rest of the guests, footprints all the way up. After a long dehydrating afternoon we stepped back into camp for a wonderful dinner and met some great people. I had the chance to chat with out guide, Hussein about his faith but he wasn’t that interested, a bit of a desert hippie.

Well after a twelve hour journey back to Marrakech, a day trip to the windy city and twenty fours hours back to Spain, we met up with the rest of our group for a nice debrief of the last week. Spain and Morocco was such a diverse time for me personally. I had a time of deep brokenness, extreme relaxation, bonding with the team, a birthday celebration, intense travel, wild Moroccan life, meeting other back packers, desert dwelling in sand dunes and dry camel hair tents, Mediterranean fisherman, more travel and finally making it to Costa Rica. God has done brilliant things in the last month and answered several prayers.

If you remember, please continue to pray for my team. Two of our international students, both from Korea, did not make it to Costa Rica due to visa problems coming through the United States. Pray that they will be able to return safely to Korea and get student visas as soon as possible to meet us back in Kona for the rest of the program. Pray that God will use our team to speak into the lives of those around use, including our team and the locals that we meet. Please also pray for a peace as I go back to Kona and preparation as I go back home for a couple weeks to visit family and friends. Thank you for continuing to partner with me throughout this program. It has been a wonderful year full of adventure, growth, hardship, joy, fulfillment and much more.

Amsterdam

2008-05-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

I can tell you at this point I am so tired of packing my bag, learning the next hello and thank you in the local language and working in my next springy bed, but the adventure of seeing the world, experiencing a new culture and sharing God’s love for others continues to burn in my heart.

Amsterdam was an interesting place on many levels. It is a city of such history and beauty but also one of sin and addiction. For those who don’t know and that is probably few, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s hubs for legal prostitution and drug use. Coffee Shops, which stand on nearly every corner, host a place for people to come and smoke weed and drink. The city is also a major industry for fashion, creating a sense of materialism and image. It is however also a city with such awesome creativity from music to art to the fashion industry, a gift that God longs to use.

My experience in Amsterdam was hard as I faced some depression, lack of motivation and pasty white skin again but my team and I were given with some really special moments during our time. I got together with a friend from my town (potato town for those of you who know) and invited a couple people from my school. We had a mean curry and got presented with an idea of helping with a magazine for young people. The goal for the magazine is to be relevant and creative but not Christianese and we were asked if we would like to be a part of the creative side using photography. I am feeling that this will be an incredible opportunity for our school to start using their photographs.

Another amazing opportunity that we had as a school was to give flowers to the prostitutes in the red light district. We bought white flowers and attached small notes of encouragement on them, speaking of their beauty and the love that God has for them, we wanted it to be simple. I was really nervous as I expected to be rejected but I was faced with a very different response. The first woman to receive my flower took it with a huge smile and thank you! Each window I knocked at the woman behind the glass gladly took the flower and placed it in any vase available. One woman, quite young, took her flower and smelled it. A couple minutes later after returning to the same area she was still standing in the window smelling the flower. Now, daisies don’t even have a smell but the women took it as if she was a little girl picking flowers from the garden. It was beautiful! Many asked why we were giving them away and we simply said that we wanted them to know that they were loved. It was a special night for our group and we were all greatly blessed by the way the Holy Spirit was ministering to those women.

Despite our challenges in Amsterdam, God did some great things! After a short travel week in the UK, I am in Malaga, Spain studying Islam and Muslim culture. I will tell you more but until then I will let you know that I am really enjoying my time here. God is doing some radical things in our team, bringing us together, debriefing, healing, etc. We will also be going to Morocco for a week to do ministry and photography. Pray that God would use our team in the little time we have there.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Bicycles of Amsterdam

Dam Square

Country Castle

Traditional Amsterdam House

Night Photography

Carnival in Dam Square

Red Light District

Giving Flowers

The Horn of Africa

2008-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Six weeks have blown by and you probably know little of what’s happened. I ended my last blog by telling you that our team was off to Ethiopia.

It was not what I expected and I blame World Vision for this, as they always portray the Horn of Africa as dry, dusty, mud huts and bloated bellied children. Although I am sure this exists, we were met with a very different Ethiopia, forest, green rolling hills and beautiful people. Yes the poverty and pain was still there but there wasn’t much than that!

Our first week we dove into a time of spiritual awakening, getting back to intimacy with God. A man named Andy Bird came and the Lord used his teaching to bring refreshing to us as a team. Worship, intercession, fellowship, prayer and hanging out with Jesus, it was all there.

Moving on to our second week, we had a wonderful couple from South Africa come and teach on African worldview and photojournalism. It was a fantastic week in beginning to understand the African culture, a beautiful and vibrant people! They have a word in Africa, “Ubuntu” which means; well it’s hard to put one definition to it. Its family, care, togetherness, selflessness, love, community, unity and it’s Christ like. I want more of Ubuntu in my life and culture.

Our last week in Ethiopia, we incorporated our teaching in African worldview and photography to create a photography story on an issue or topic existing in Ethiopia. I planned to work with street children but was faced with many different issues throughout the week, including vomiting my guts out the day before I flew to Amsterdam. During the week I had the opportunity to speak with men at the bar, feed seven hundred homeless at the feeding centre, interview women from the villages and talk with teens living on the street. Here are two of the stories that really touched me.

On one of our first days in the outreach week I met some women coming down the hills with large bundles of wood on their backs. They told me that they have to walk up to twenty five kilometers, from their homes to the city, and back to the village for night fall. After carrying these heavy loads all day and risking their lives coming down the mountain roads, they only get 10 Birr, which is the equivalent to about one dollar a day. One women has been doing this job for thirty years and is now sixty, another was fifteen. The saying that most of the world lives on a dollar a day is very true for these women.

On another day me and a student were walking to the feeding centre and were asked for money by a teen. We stopped and chatted with him for a bit and got to visit his friends and home. His home was actually a grassy medium shared by about ten others, including a teen family with a child. We interviewed several of them and got their photos. One boy named Kiflom, left his mothers house because she is very sick and doesn’t have money to support the family, his father already died. He came to Addis to make money but is now living on the streets with others in similar situations. He can longer go to school because he needs money for school supplies and a uniform. All the money that he gets is spent on food for himself and his friends. I asked one boy why one of the girls couldn’t get a job to make money to go to school, these are his words, “She is not pure, she is living on the streets”.

In this time I really questioned how I could help these people. Will money fix their problems? I believe it will help some of their problems but not fix them. What they need more than this, and is a common hunger in all of Africa, is Christ. We were taught during our week in African worldview that more than a trillion dollars has been poured into Africa over the last one hundred years (that’s $1,000,000,000). How much has changed? Africa is still the poorest continent on this planet.

Ethiopia was an incredible time for our team. We learned a lot, experienced a lot, did a lot. Like every nation I have been to, I hope to return. I am currently in Amsterdam after a week break in Ireland and continuing on with the Humanities and Science course, looking at European worldview. If you are interested in supporting my finacially you can click on the Paypal link, sign up for a Paypal account (quick and easy) and donate using credit card.

Thanks again for reading and viewing.

Aaron Harcourt

Ethiopia

2008-04-10T13:31:00.001-07:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Mango

Coffee

Feeding Centre

Markato (Market)

Village

Women Carrying Wood
25 Kilometres/Day
10 Birr = 1 Dollar
15 yrs. old

Thirty Years of Labor
Sixty Years Old

Kiflom
Living on the streets of Addis Ababa
Father Died, Mother Ill
No Job, No Money, No School
17 yrs. old

There will always be hope!

Egypt 2

2008-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Sufi Dancing

City Life

Mosque

One month in the Holy Land

2008-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Across the Sinai and into the Promised Land.

It was fascinating to see the land change from dry rocks and sand into a land of oasis, green fields and forest. After a long six hours through intense boarder crossing we arrived in the Holy City, Jerusalem. During one of our Biblical Studies week we learned that in Biblical times, no matter which direction you were coming from Jerusalem was up, signifying the Holiness of the city.

I was shocked as we arrived in our little Palm Hostel, right in the heart of the Muslim community. Although the area was so different in many ways to the Jewish side of town, I took the time as a blessing. It was a blessing to live with these people, so broken and hurt from their past and future, yet carrying on with life. The division between the Jewish and Muslim is particularly intense as the city is divided into sections. Not only is the old city of Jerusalem divided into Jewish, Muslim, Armenian and Christian but the entire city itself. For an Arab person to cross into the Jewish area they have to carry identity papers. Those without get hassled and sent away from entering. I feel very uninformed to talk about such an intense and historic problem…the clash of two civilizations.

Our time in Jerusalem consisted of finishing the Biblical course and a field trip throughout Israel to visit the places that Jesus walked. It was a great finish to our course as we studied Old Testament Early and Late History as well as having a week on The Heart of an Artist. This was especially an impacting week as I desire so much to use the arts for God’s glory but I am finding it challenging to figure out how I can do that effectively. Although I am using photography my area of interest is in many different mediums. The week on the arts was so inspiring and allowed me to get to my creative roots again. I was able to ask myself what was holding me back and what I needed to do to allow the Lord to use my gift to its full potential. At the end of the week I was asked by our speaker to come and visit one of his ministries in Norway this spring. If time allows and God calls I am hoping to make a short visit to see what God is doing in other areas of YWAM in the arts movement.

For the field trip week the students split into small teams and headed to different areas of the country. They had an amazing time but it came with challenges as one team had much other their equipment stolen and another was greatly discriminated against for being American. In the end God taught them a lot and allowed them to bond together and trust him to forgive those who had wronged them during this time. They all came back with incredible stories of God’s blessing and answered prayers. Personally this week was great and more restful. The staff stayed back due to finances but it was well needed as things have been so busy with travel, preparations, teaching, discipling and everything else that goes along with leading twenty two young people around the world. My father was also able to come and visit and that was an incredible blessing. My team absolutely loved his fun and inviting character and he even had the chance to do communion with our speaker and also speak into many lives. I think he will have many visitors to Alliston in the coming years. Thanks for being available to come Dad and for spending time with me!

Sorry about the length…I will try to write more often so the updates aren’t so long. Blessings to everyone and don’t forget to drop me a message when you get the chance. I have also included some pictures. Oh and just so that you can keep up with me I am currently in Cairo, Egypt. We’ll have been here for another two weeks and this Friday we, as a team fly down to Ethiopia for a month to begin our study on African Worldview…I’m stoked!!

2008-02-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS. THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON.

Dead Sea

After Bomb Suspicion

Wailing Wall

Rabbi Speaks

Dome of the Rock

The Wall ~ Palestine

Church

Dad and Me

Across the Middle East

2008-01-26T07:39:00.001-08:00

This is such an incredible mission that God is taking me on. From the land where Communism once ruled, to beautiful Athens and onto the city of one thousand mosques. Our flight over the Mediterranean landed us in Cairo, Egypt. It was a short visit, twelve days, but it was a new flavor, exciting, full of life.

We kicked off our week studying the Pentateuch, specifically Genesis 1-11. It opened my eyes, to see these books with a clear perspective. We were able to coincide our teaching with a visit to the Cairo National Museum. To see what the Israelites were living in, the belief systems, culture and religion of the Ancient Egyptians. To understand why it was so hard for the Israelites to trust and believe in God after four hundred years of slavery and oppression, under a culture that was so contradictory to their ancestors.

Our living circumstances didn’t last long as we headed off on the weekend for the Sinai. As we left Cairo it was incredible to see the landscape change into a barren wilderness hundreds of miles long and deep. It gave me more of a realization of the hardship that the Israelites faced by walking in a desolate land for forty years, where coming across an oasis and the shade of a tree is rare. Where little grows in this vast land, as rocks and sand cover the earth. We finally made it to Dahab, Sinai, Egypt. Situated on the Red Sea, within seeing distance of a land that we cannot enter, Saudi Arabia. Full of shops and tourists it was a so foreign to what we had just experienced.

This week was going to be about tasting just a little of what the Israelites ate for so long. We began the week with a hike up Mt. Sinai, well it was more like a trek! We set off at 11PM and made it to base camp at about one, where our three hour climb started. It was one of the most exhausting hikes I have ever experienced as your body is screaming at you to sleep but you refuse and continue to stumble over rocks and ache all over. But it was worth it!!

We finally made it to the top at about 4:30AM and laid out our sleeping bags out on some rented mattresses. I was so cold but the blanket of stars was enough to keep you ignoring your body. At 6 o’clock I was woken up by a beautiful deep blue sky and just on the horizon the colour of blood. As the minutes past, the sky was the colour of a rainbow. From deep red like lava, to orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. As the sun peeked its warm face out, the mountains lit up and the land was more than just barren, it was beautiful, it was creative, and it was God’s creation. I have come to learn of God’s beauty in all things, you just have to look hard enough and see with God’s eyes to see it was created for us, by Him.

After hiking down three thousand stairs we came to the monastery that the burning bush supposedly was. I touched it just for the sake of it but I was not convinced this was the genuine deal. After another bus ride we were met at the side of the road by thirty camels that would take us into the desert. So me ‘climbed’ aboard and set off into an unknown world, at least to me. After an hour of rocking back and forth, getting ‘crushed’ and climbing down another mountain, we arrived in our little oasis. Even though this was a little touristy, it was beautiful. Bedouin tents, men in long dust robes, women in black head coverings and a fresh pot of tea waiting for us over an open fire. We all plopped on the ground covered in colourful cushions and basked in the sun after our twelve hour journey. After a wonderful Bedouin lunch we got back up on our new form of transportation and headed further into the desert, past sand dunes and rocky cliffs to a set of canyons. That night was the coldest I have ever been and I knew why when we woke up to see that the tea pot was frozen solid. I said to myself that I would do it again, but with a proper sleeping bag next time!

After our adventure in the desert it felt like it had already been a week but only three days had gone by and we continued on to cross the Gulf of Aqaba and into Jordan (yes Jordan is a country). Our time in Jordan was also very short but exciting, as we visited Mt. Nebo (the death place of Moses) and Petra (city built into the rocks and filming of one of the ‘Indiana Jones’ movies). Two days later we landed in Jerusalem, Israel.

It is so exciting to be here as so much of what we know and learn in the Bible took place in this very land. Things have changed a lot since then but it is still wonderful to dig deep into your roots and experience the land that Christ was born, lived and died on the cross for man kind. What a privilege and blessing it is so be here and I hope God opens my eyes a lot more!

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers over the last several months. Things have been so amazing, but it always comes with challenges. Heck, life for anyone comes with challenges and everyone needs prayer. So please continue to pray for me and especially for my team. It is exhausting sometimes for four staff to organize and lead twenty two young people around the world. As well, if you have any prayer needs I would love to be a part of that process, so let me know. Another exciting thing coming up is that my Dad is coming to visit me for ten days during my time in Jerusalem…excited to see you Dad!

Blessings,

Aaron Harcourt

Jordan

2008-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Sinai, Egypt

2008-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Egypt

2008-01-26T07:19:00.001-08:00

Bulgaria

2008-01-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

This year my Christmas is looking a little different than usual. Myself and three others from the track left on Wednesday night for Istanbul by bus. Twelve hours in an upright seat is not always suiting your sleeping needs so we were all pretty tired when we arrived in Istanbul. Our first morning consisted of finding a great bakery, me chilling at Starbucks for a couple hours and the rest sleeping away the afternoon. I eventually made it back to the hostel and fell asleep myself waking up at 4:30 just in time to get ready for supper. The rest of the day mostly consisted of resting.

On Friday we visited the famous Agiya Sofia. What an incredible building with so much history and significance. At one time Istanbul was named Constantinople and the Agiya Sofia was built in honor of Constantine in about 300ad. The Agiya Sofia was burnt down twice and the third building was constructed about 400ad, complete with domes, whereas the other building was more of a rectangular shape. This church was one of the largest churches in all the world and had great importance, being the capital of the Roman Empire

In the 1400’s Istanbul was conquered by an Islamic group and the Agiya Sofia was tuned into a Mosque until the 1800’s. During the mid 1900’s the plaster in the Mosque was stripped away to reveal the beautifully handcrafted mosaics from the previous church. The Agiya Sofia is now a museum in itself. It is quite incredible to stand under eight story domes, decorated with mosaics, paintings and ornaments and to think that ten thousand human hands once crafted this building.

Anyways enough about this building just thought you might be interested. Three days we spent in Istanbul and then took off to visit some people in Bulgaria for Christmas. I was quite shocked at how I pictured Bulgaria to be and how similar it was when we arrived. A fog filled land and quite cold, the snow just disappearing. Looks like I won’t be having a white Christmas for the fifth year. The town we are staying in called, Pazerdjik, has many apartment buildings remaining from the Communist era but lying just outside the city is beautiful snowy mountains. We hope to go skiing later this week!

I also wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and New Year wherever that may be this year! I hope that Jesus is close to your hearts and becomes real in this time. Thank you also for your support through this incredible journey God has been taking me on this year. It has been a wild year with many unexpected situations. For example, deciding to go to Costa Rica with my leaders Paul and Susi Childers one week before we left.
To sum up this year; I have been to seven new countries (one of those being painted in a tribe), staffed a Discipleship Training School, lead a team to Columbia, finished a Living Waters program, visited home, worked at a café for one month, had a photography exhibition; currently helping lead a team around the world studying photography, the Bible and World Views and I am now celebrating Christmas in Eastern Europe. So thank so much for being a part of it! Love you all very much and please don’t be shy to email anytime (kiwana5@gmail.com or Facebook).

Please pray that this Christmas would be very real for me as it is hard being away from my family at this time of the year. Also pray for opportunities to minister to people when we visit some of the gypsy villages here in Bulgaria. One last thing, just for this year in general, that I would grow deeper with God and he would continue to use me in leadership, photography and being Jesus to people as well as I can!

Blessings and Merry Christmas,

Aaron Harcourt
photogenX team
Around the World Track
http://www.aaronharcourt.com/
PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Agiya Sofia

Blue Mosque

Istanbul

Turkish Delight Anyone?

2007-12-09T05:44:00.001-08:00

One of the most friendly and hospitable people I have ever met. A country full of Ancient wonders but nearly in the modern 'European Union'. A place of old hills and rugged villages, where the sent of burning wood and tea waft from houses and the beautiful yet empty and hopeless singing rings every couple hours from the mosques high towers. A country that is now cold with winter but jumps to a new Mediterranean beat as summer approaches. Her name is Turkey.

After leaving Greece's mainland we set out by ferry for a small Island named Chios about one hour from mainland Turkey. It was a short stop but a great one as it was our first time to see Greek Island life. On Chios we found this amazing shop dediacted to a special plant called Mastiha. Mastiha is a tree only found on Chios Island and is used as chewing gum. After being poked, it drips out sap in tear shape beads onto the ground. The gum tastes like sap at first but then has the flavor of ginger. It is good for oral hygiene, digestion, cleaning intenstines and healthy skin. Another one of those rare natural treasures. And a very random fact for you to know.

Our arrival in Selcuk, Turkey (located near Ancient Ephesus) was warm. Like I said, the people of Turkey greeted us with such warmth and hospitaltiy. And it's not just because they want you to buy their carpet or Kashmere Scarfs but because they genuinely love having people around. On my first day out with a couple others from school we were invited in for apple tea and quickly began to get to know the local people.

Our next section of study was into the Epistles and what a perfect location to do that. We as a class had the oppotunity to read the book of Ephesians in Ephesus where the people once had an uproar in the great theatre. We had a wonderful yet very busy week with David Hamilton and it was such a blessing to have him in Greece and continuing on with us in Turkey.

This week a young guy from Townsville, Australia has joined us for two weeks in Design. And this could not have come at a better time. We were searching around the community to find a way we could serve them and there didn't seem to be any door opening. Even after speaking with the Governor and Educational Director of Selcuk we still had nothing but then a photography exhibition was introduced to us. I wasn't sure about the amount of work, cost or other details, but after praying with the staff we got a go ahead. We are now one week away from the exhibition and after much intercession and planning things are on their way.

This area is so ripe with photography opportunties. For example, the other day me and a freind went to a small community called Sirnice. This community, built by the Greeks, is full of old stone houses, brightly painted walls, traditional clothes, authentic Turkish pancakes, fruit wines and wonderful people. We even stopped by a random jewelery shop that made all the jewelery for the movie 'Troy'.

During the afternoon me and my friend walked through the old stone streets and saw this beautiful old lady walking with a white horse as the sun shone of the two of them. My friend ran off to take photos and couple minutes later I heard here voice shouting, "Aaron, do you want apple tea?" I said yes and went looking for her but was comfronted with about 40 houses on all levels, all looking the same and a maze of streets. I shouted to her and after several minutes she popped her head out of a house high on the hill. All this to say we ended up having tea with this women in her house which you could see your breath in and bought some knitted socks from her. Through little English and lots of hand motions she showed us her wounded shoulder and we were able to pray for her. It was a beautiful moment as she gave my friend a kiss and warm huge for what we would say an akward amount of time. But that moment was special and she knew what we were doing despite her Muslim background. She said good bye with another hug and a couple apples from her tree and we were on our way.

I can honestly tell you that this is one of the most wonderful countries I have ever been to and hope to return to one day.

Please pray for the photography exhibition this Friday, that God would plant a seed in this community and check out our photo in the Selcuk newspaper http://www.efestenhaberler.com/index.asp?gorev=haberdetay&id=3353. Thanks again for reading and enjoy the photography.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Use your imagination...

2007-12-09T04:31:00.001-08:00

It's hard to desribe the feeling you get when you stand in a place where someone who changed the world once stood. A place where the gospel was once preached and spread like wild fire into Europe. It's one of unbelief, awe and imagination. This is how I felt as I stood at the Acropolis and Mars Hill in Athens. A place that a radical man for Christ stood and proclaimed the good news of salvation and forgiveness. This is how I felt in Corinth, a city once rich and famous, possessed by the gods of immorality and idolatry. This is how I felt in Ancient Ephesus, full of beauty and the newest advances in human achievement. And it all came to ruins.

Let your mind create the seen...marble buildings beyond belief, the smell of baking bread in stone ovens, people dressed in colourful robes and gold jewelery, animals and fresh fruit being sold in the market, a temples with 10,000 prostitutes... It's hard to picture even as you stand in these ancient places. Yet you feel a sense of what once took place as you read through Acts, Corinthians, Ephesians and all the Epistles. The story came to life!

Our journey took us from beautiful Porto Rafti to Athens, to Corinth, to the Island of Chios and onto new lands.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON

Athens

Parthanon

Porto Rafti

Corinth

Chios Island

A Thank You!

2007-11-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that the art auction I had just before I left Canada was a huge blessing and miracle. I want to take this opportunity to thank Sheldon, who printed my photographs two days before my auction, Otti for framing several of my photographs and Beth Walker for hosting the even at her house.

In the end I don't think I spent anything on the art auction and I made about $2200. Thank you everyone for your support and any area you helped in the event. Also a big thank you to the Jman (Jesus, my friend and Savior). I really enjoyed it and was really glad to see so many people there! Oh and on another note, my photographs came to Alliston last week...random...they were lost for over a month...sorry Kodak but your performance was poor!

Anyways, there are a couple updates below with pictures from Greece. Enjoy!

On the Mediterranean

2007-11-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

Last Monday we began our first book of the bible, Philippians. The students worked so hard on their assignments and I was so proud of them for their perseverance. I got a little bit done but with staff responsibilities it’s a little more difficult. I am hoping to get more out of this week through our second book, Mark. We begin by reading through the book out loud to get an understanding of the whole picture. Our lecture today has been incredible and I am so excited to dive in Mark with the students!
This week we had a little Halloween celebration, which we called, "Happy Harvest". It was such a blast!! We all dressed up and had a semi-professional photo shoot, games, a little dancing and movie. I wish I had pictures because I was very impressed with the costumes!
This weekend I had another opportunity to go into Athens with the school. We live about one and a half hours from down town so it is something special to go to Athens. I have included some pictures and will continue to update you quite regularly although I may only be able to respond once every one or two weeks.
We began our day at the beautiful Syntagma Square. We walked down our favorite shopping area but quickly found new streets to explore. Ancient street crowded with antique stores, souvenir shops, cheese shops, cafes and more.
Eventually we came across the Acropolis but because we are going there with the school only took pictures from underneath. What an incredible building, once used for government matters and protected by a sixty foot wall and a famous tourist attraction. We also happened to come across another large hill with a funny old structure on top. After a fifteen minute walk we found ourselves a top of a hill that overlooked the entire city.
I don’t fully know how to explain the beauty of this city. Because of minor earthquakes and probably some building codes, no houses or buildings are over eight stories. Now can you imagine four million people all living in nothing more then eight stories. This makes for a city that stretches as far as the eye can see. On one side of the city is the ocean and the rest surrounded by green mountains. And because this was at sunset, the entire city was lit up a white with houses stretching to the horizon and creeping up the hillsides.
I can totally understand why famous monuments are always built on top of hills and mountains. I think that whatever you believe in, you can feel a presence that there is something awesome that created this beauty in front of you. There is such awe to this beauty and to deny a creator is foolish. Some may say that seeing a city from a top a hill isn’t that great but for me I feel a God that has a heart and dream for this ancient place. A city where God may have been forgotten but longs to be redeemed.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON.

Cafe (Espresso Freddo!)

Ancient Mosaic

Syntagma Square, Downtown Athens

Orthodox Church

Acropolis

Athens, Greece

Parthanon

2007-10-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

I wish I new the word for hello in Greek but I have only learned efaristo, which mean thank you. So efaristo for reading.

I have been in Greece now for 6 days. I arrived on Wednesday morning after a long flight from Toronto to New York and then straight to Athens. I didn't get to see much of Athens my first day because I was so tired and once I got to the hostel I slept for 3 hours in this random smelly room. My friend was supposed to meet me there but she actually went to the airport to get me so after 6 hours in Athens sleeping and wandering the streets, eating some interesting feta pastry, I went back to the airport to meet my leader Paul.

We then met up with an American man living in Greece who took us to our accomodations in a small town called Porto Rafti. As much as I wanted to be in Athens, Porto Rafti is incredibly beautiful. It is your typical Mediterranean town, with its small harbor full of boats, white, yellow and pink square houses lining the hillsides and cafe's all along the water where you can ejoy a Greek coffee (iced with steamed milk) or Bailey's latte.

This weekend I had the chance to pop into Athens for a couple hours. What an amazing city, ancient meets modern. I can't believe that this is the place that Paul preached thousands of years ago and now there are cobble stone streets filled with people shopping for the latest European fashion.

Well the school is off to a great start, our first day and I am so stoked to dive into the word for the next 3 months in places that Jesus and the Apostles walked this earth.

Last Day in Hawaii!!ii!!

2007-09-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

My last weekend in Hawaii was spent in the capital, Honolulu. For some random information, Hawaii is made up of 8 different islands, Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Ni'hau and some sandy atolls. I live on the Big Island, Hawaii in a small city called Kona. Honolulu is on Oahu and is the biggest city in the Hawaiian Islands, about a half hour flight from Kona.

I don't really know how to explain what Honlulu is like. It's one of those places that you could only spend a couple days in and then you begin to feel infected by commercialism, consumerism, and some other isms. The entire city is founded off tourism and is made 90% from hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and a beach that is impoted from the sandy shores of California. It's the ultimate place of comfort and convenience. Despite all this it was really fun!

I was only there for one day but had a blast with Nicole, Myssi and Kelsey. We spent the first day taking a walk around the shop infested city with no money, but it was nice to actually see cool clothes. We also did a lot of eating out as we didn't have groceries with us. Waikiki beach was nice but it was crawling with people, so it wasn't the most appealing beach I've been to. I kinda just went there to say I've been there...
~Honolulu

~International Market...wasn't very international

~Waikiki Beach, Honolulu

Myssi
~Making sure the building doesn't come down...it was kinda windy!

~Out to Dinner or Supper for all you Canadians.

Nicole, Myssi and Kelsey

~First and last night in Honlulu.

~Good bye Hawaii...until July 2008

Next Step...

2007-09-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

So it has been one year that I have lived in Kona, Hawaii and the Lord is soon taking me in a slightly new direction.

I am still working with the photogenX ministry and I am committed to the YWAM base in Kona, but my life will be taking place a little father from Kona.

On coming to Kona last Septmeber I had been presented the opportunity to take on an extended program with photogenX called the Track. This course will involve several studies through University of the Nations (brach of YWAM) including Biblical Core Course, Humanities and World View, Photography and Communications. Most of these programs will be taken overseas as it presents better opportunities for photography.

The main goal apart from these courses is to document several themes of injustice in different parts of the world. On returning to Kona next summer students will have the chance to put there pictures into use by making a publication. The purpose of this publication is to raise awareness about what is happening in our world. Parts of it may focus on God's beauty, some about what God is doing in these nations and some will be about injustice issues that are on God's heart. They are on God's heart not just to change but to raise up an army of prayer warriors and those who are willing to act against these injustices.

A few weeks ago the Lord lead me not to take this program as a student but to help lead this team with three others. I will be returning home for one month to prepare for this time and then I will be meeting my team in Greece. Here we will begin the Biblical Course as we travel through the Middle East until last winter. I will continue to keep you posted throughout my time overseas.

I will be returning home on Tuesday September 25th 2007, leaving near the end of October for Greece and returning again to Canada for a short time in July 2008. If you would like to contact me please do so by email kiwana5@gmail.com or at my home (705) 435-4530. I will be available to meet in October.

As the time approaches I will send out specific prayer needs. Until then God Bless and thank you for reading and praying.

Around Hawaii

2007-09-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

During my past year in Kona I have been very blessed to build awesome freindships with many people on the YWAM campus. Two weekends ago me and two of my close friends decided to do something together as my time in Kona, Hawaii is coming to a close...until next summer. Two of those people are Kat Meyer (Germany) and Simon Aberg (Sweden).

On Saturday morning the three of us headed north of the island. We went through a beautiful town in the hills called Waimea and then to an area that quite resembles Scotland. Here we found several caves that you could explore. Apart from tripping on rocks, random finds of full water bottles and a slight fear of there being someone else in the cave with you, it was fun.

Our next stop took us outside a city called Hilo. We took the scenic routes through beautiful jungle and along the coast. We then made our way to an incredible waterfall called Akaka Waterfall (Look for the picture). After lunch we drove into Hilo to check out Rainbow falls and boiling pots. This was the highlight of my day as we jumped from cliffs and swam under the waterfall.

After heading back to Kona and waking early the next morning our adventure started on Sattle Road around Mouna Kea. Mouna Kea is actually one of the best star gazing stations in the world and tallest mountain in the world from the ocean floor. If you can believe it, there is evening skiing available during winter.

After swinging past Hilo we came into an area of Hawaii called Puna. This is by far the most beautiful part of the island. Mostly locals and hippies, amazing rainforest and some great natural beauty. We stopped at a hot pool made by the Hawaiian's many years ago and also a black sands beach. It was incredible, soft sand, huge waves and no one but the three of us!

After our sandwhich supper we made our way to some hot steam rooms. We had no idea that we were going to have to walk through jungle paths that split several times by flashlight, but we took the challenge. After walking for about ten minutes in the dark we came across a hill. Walking up it we ran into warm air and seconds later found a ladder going down into a small hole into a cave. Climbing down and entering we found a small room in the hill with two benches and enough room to fit four people. To our anticipation we discovered hot steam coming from another hole further into the cave, so taking the opportunity we sat there for over half an hour. We decided it was time to go after all our clothes were wet and when we were about to pass out from dehydration.

Travelling for about two hours back to Kona, our adventures ended and our beds gladly greeted us...we were beat!!

Here are some pictures of our adventure. We had decided that we would do this because it was something we would never forget...and we won't!!

Hawaiian Flag

Simon
~from the junlge vine
~Akaka Waterfall
Aaron
~Near the Botanical Gardens
~Scenic Lookout
~My best mate Simon and me!
~The Overgrowth of Puna
~Wild Guava
~Breaking Waves at Black Sands Beach
Simon and Kat

Simon
~Reminds me of Fantasia...
~Sunset over Lava Field

Canadian Maple Syrup

2007-08-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday me and a bunch of my friends got together and had an awesome breakfast before the HOT Hawaiian sun came into our midst. The morning featured, European style pancakes, strawberries, pineapple, eggs, yoghurt and of course 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. Yes that was actually the reason I decided to put on this event in honors of the syrup and my friend Simon, who loves Maple Syrup, especially Canadian MS...he's from Sweden. Unfortunately he didn't make it but I forgave him. Hope you remember what you missed Simon...

Pancake Breakfast August 2007
~Clint

In the Kitchen

~Nicole Vogt and Aaron Harcourt

Chillin

~Samuel, Clint, Kat, Jamie

~Nicole, Grace, Aaron

The Lights of LV

2007-08-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

So I flew into Las Vegas last night and managed to stay awake...totally exhausted though! The airport is literally right beside the strip. I thought we were going to see it from a distance and then people were talking about it on the other side of the airplane so I thought I missed it. Suddenly there it was right outside the window! Thousands of colours and lights and shiny things. I saw the MGM grand all decorated in bright green lights, the Wynn, the fake effel tower, the pyramid hotel with a spot light shining into the atmosphere and lots of other money grabbing casinos and hotels. I then regretted not bringing my camera!

Well I went into the airport and managed to get onto a flight early so I didn't have to sleep then wake up again. I arrived in Pheonix at 1AM, 4AM (EST) but I had 3 seats to myself on the hour flight and crashed through that. Then I managed to find a semi quiet bench and slept for only 3 hours cause I was freezing my butt off from the air-conditioning. Plus the buzz of the airport was a little loud for me and I chose to sleep in an early boarding gate...how would I know?

So I sit here looking out onto the city thinking about how hot it must be there
(I think I heard 40Cish/105F today), how tired I am and about finishing homework. I am also thinking about how awesome it is to have free internet connection at an airport!!

Back to Kona

2007-08-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

So this is my forgotten blogspot that I have decided to bring back to life. It's a little easier to share with everyone and show pictures so here you are!

I am also including some promised photographs of my time in Columbia a couple of weeks ago.

I had a wonderful time at home so thanks everyone who was able to meet with me. I wanted to stay for longer but it wasn't possible so sorry to all you I didn't get to catch up with.

I am currently in the Pheonix airport waiting to catch my next and final flight to Kona, Hawaii. I will be continuing to work with the photogenX ministry. I will be here for at least two months and am seeking direction for my next "season". I will most likely continue to work with photogenX and my leaders Paul and Susi Childers in some way!

PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON.

Team Columbia~

(left to right) David Sinnott, Rachel Chapman, Aaron Harcourt, Joeng-Heon Jang (Koala)

Leticia, Columbia

~A Gift For All...

Macedonia, Columbia

Maloka, Columbia

Jagua Tribe

~Pablo 6

Jagua Tribe

~Herman, Pablo, Octavio, Ricardo, Pelocho

Leticia

~Morning Market

Benjamin, Brazil

~Amazon Rains

Macedonia

Leticia

Explosion Conference

~Coming to Learn

Jagua

Christopher 7

From one Island to another!

2006-10-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

I'm in Kona, Hawaii now working with a photography ministry called photogenX. My leaders Paul and Susi Childers are so great and they have amazing vision and are such a cool example of living by faith! Paul is such a visonary and when he gets called to a nation, he goes. Susi is an incredible photographer and has changed the lives of the people who are in the photographs and those who see the photograph.

The photogenX ministry is dedicated to using photography to raise awareness about injustice. The bring justice to a injust world. To bringing light to the darkness. God loves justice! I can definitely say this is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done.

I will be doing some travelling of my own soon, to see where the Lord can use my photography and whatever else He opens up for me. I am actually off to Cambodia next Thursday. If you would like to know anything else about what I do, please feel free to email me at kiwana5@gmail.com or leave a comment.

Peace out

Home of Anne

2006-06-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Aaron Harcourt(A-Ron Hardcore). I am from Alliston, Ontario, Canada but living in Prince Edward Island(home of Anne of Green Gables)e, Canada. I have recently moved to the island to help pioneer a Youth With A Mission centre.

My job for the last 3 months has been full of suprises, trials and a lot of fun aswell. I am working on communications, recritument and promotions. I have been able to speak at many churches getting the word out about our first Disicpleship Traiining School(DTS). A DTS is an intensive Christian training program for young people seriously wanting to grow in their relationship with the Lord and serve Him. We spend 3 months in lectures and 2 months overseas on outrecah.

I have also been working with the youth group here, making post cards and brochures for advertisments, meeting with loads of Pastors from all over the island and lots of random day jobs.

We recently had Robin Mark (famous Worship leader) and Paul Reid (Pastor) both from Belfast, Northern Ireland come to Prince Edward Island last weekend. I was able to make some more connections at this event, but the real thrill of the weekend was some great worship times and halarious sessions with Paul.

I will continue to update this site and also include some prayer and finacial needs when they come up.....Missionary work is always an adventure!

Jeremiah 1:4-9