This news is INCREDIBLE. I cannot believe that after being able to go to India last year, I will have the opportunity to once again travel to another continent to document a family’s adoption story.

Speckled Bird Art Photography is working with the Cross Family, Hands of Hope, Reflect Church, and The Dutton Foundation this spring and is heading to AFRICA March 4-14! The plane tickets have already been purchased… this is really happening!!

I will be photographing the incredible story of an adoption of a 12 year old boy… he was rescued off the streets when he was 8 and has been living in an orphanage ever since, watching the younger children come and go while his hopes of ever being adopted growing smaller… until one day he met a missionary named Rick Cross. A husband father of four, he felt an instant connection to this boy and knew that the reason he hadn’t already been adopted was because he was meant to join their family. After returning home and discussing it with his wife, they began the long and arduous task of preparing for adoption… and after a year they finally received their court dates and are ready to travel!

I will be joining them in March to document their experience and help participate in and photograph the incredible mission opportunities they are also planning… including clothing the homeless children of Uganda, pouring the concrete foundation of a new orphanage, and sharing LOVE and HOPE with as many as possible.

This is a mission trip. I am not getting paid for any of it. I am working on raising $2000 to cover the costs of travel, and additional money that can be donated to the orphanages and homeless children. If you would like to contribute financially to this trip, Reflect Church has generously offered to help in my efforts and allow you to make a tax-deductible contribution that will go 100% to the costs of travel. Everything that is raised between now and February 20th, 2010, Reflect Church will set aside to directly pay for the international flight. Your gift is tax deductible and you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Just send your donation to: Reflect Church | Attn: JESSIE BALDWIN Mission Trip | PO Box 582894 | Elk Grove, CA 95758

Another option is to click on the button below, which will take you straight to Paypal where you can use any major credit card (or your paypal account, if you prefer) to contribute!

If you would rather contact me directly for other fundraising opportunities, please email jessie@speckledbirdart.com or call 702.219.8166.