every once and a while, someone crosses your path that you just have to sit back and admire.I've long ceased taking people at face-value and this woman is a perfect example of why...if I could describe her the way I see her, I would sayshe look's like a blonde Californian :) but her heart beat's as an african tribal woman. :)her patience and friendship with my ten-year-old girl mesmerizes me...it's as if she transforms into a much wiser ten-year-old friend in the time that she spends with my daughter...almost like watching what a disney princess to a ten-year-old girl would really look like in real life...her skill in managing humungous horses (yes, I'm slightly scared of how big they are...) and then in turn having the ability to train a not tall enough girl to manage one simply amazes me,but I think the thing that makes me smile the most is her undeniable passion and tangible love for the people of Africa.and more specifically, into one particular woman...Elizabeth.Elizabeth is the reason Nakupenda Photography began...Nakupenda = moved by loveyes, katie's successful photography company was created simply for the benefit of sending a friend in need to school.here is a bit of Elizabeth's story:

"Three and a half years ago I met Elizabeth for the first time. I remember vaguely, one of hundreds of children who grinned at me, danced with me, sang with me, as my life briefly intersected with theirs. The overwhelming feeling of being able to do so little in the face of such great need tattooed itself on my mind changing my very being. The number of children in that tiny preschool so outnumbered my team of seventeen that we found ourselves holding hands with five at a time, sitting with three in our laps while one climbed on us like a monkey. They were hungry and they were starved for love. They were the orphaned of Kibera. To understand Elizabeth's story you must first know a little of her mother's, Monica's, story. Monica is the single mother of five. She was abandoned by her husband, rejected by her family and neighbors and so destitute she believed dying was better than living. Then one day God intervened. Monica and her family live in the largest slum in all of Africa, known as Kibera. Without any way to support her family Monica had turned to prostitution, after God intervened she turned to God to supply. Her family of five grew as Monica felt God telling her to look after the orphans. She took in five additional children, but felt God telling her that was not enough. She pleaded with God that she could not provide for more, but obediently started a feeding program for the orphans. The program grew 5, then 10, then 50 and still God told her it was not enough. So she started a free preschool for the orphans to prepare them for grade school IF she could ever find sponsors adding the burden of teacher's salaries to her already meager supply of resources. This preschool is where I met Elizabeth and her family. Fast forward a year. Due to two horrible tragic car accidents, Elizabeth lost not only two of her beloved family members, but the man who had promised to pay for her high school. She was without a way to pay for school and without hope of a sponsor. During this time I had had been in regular contact with Monica. Truthfully, by God's grace and power (and his work in the hearts of those around me), I had unintentionally become a conduit of resources. That overwhelming feeling of insufficiency had never left me, causing me to bring up Kenya and Monica's preschool over and over and over again. God used this burning desire in the lives of those around me and time and time again family and friends would hand me money for 'the children' just as a need would arise. Monica e-mailed me simply to ask me to pray for her daughter as Elizabeth despaired of ever being able to return to school. At the time I was able to do very little as I was living in Spain. I sent the e-mail to my family in America and thanks to God's children within the week Elizabeth was back in school. God provided the exact amount of money required and has continued to do so one way or the other every year since. Elizabeth's schooling has been paid for until the end of her senior year. Praise be to God the giver of all good things."

you see, Katie uses some of the monies she makes from her photography company to PAY for Elizabeth's education.no expectations, no loans...just because God put it on her heart and then talented her with the gift of photography as a means to pay for Elizabeth's education.THAT is admirable and worth telling you all about.THAT is passion being lived out loud.and THAT is why this incredible friend is this week's INSPIRATION | friday...meet my friend, Katie.

describe yourself in ten words

impulsive...happy...loved...blessed...chosen...that’s only five but I think that’s enough. ;)

describe how/why Nakupenda Photography got started.  what got you interested in photography? Have you ever explored other mediums?

Actually drawing is my first love. I used to draw everything. I have a collection of funny caricatures of the pastors from my church and my highschool teachers drawn in the margins of notebooks. I found that drawing helped me focus and unwind. I tried lots of mediums chalk, oils, I even painted a mural on my sister’s wall once, but my favorite remains pencil drawings. I wanted to draw everything, so I started taking pictures of events and places that I loved so I could try drawing them later. Then I wanted to be a better photographer so I could take more interesting photos so I could draw more interesting pictures and it just snowballed.

what is your favorite subject to photograph?

For me, photography is all about capturing connections. It’s hard to pick one subject as my favorite unless I can pick connection as a subject. I love sports photography because you get to see the connection between teammates and the looks of triumph when an athlete connects with the ball in a moment of perfection. I love equestrian photography because I get to see the special bond between humans and horses and how their personalities connect. I especially love when I get the opportunity to photograph moms with their children. Moms spend a lot of time behind the camera capturing life and are often absent from the day to day photos.  Mother-Child subjects are my hidden favorites because the connections I get to see are incomparable and I love getting to be the one to photograph that.

Who do you look to for inspiration creatively?

Is it bad if I say you? :) (I SWEAR I didn't encourage her to say that!!!  TOO flattered!) :)

What’s your favorite quote/Bible verse? Why?

That’s easy...Jer 1:5-10: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”I told everyone that would listen from the time I was a tiny kid, that God was sending me to Africa someday. I had no clue how I would get there, when it would be, how old or what I was going to do when I got there or even how long I ought to stay. But I knew he wanted me to go. It was who he made me to be. I was so sure of it. I don’t know how many times I heard adults say “you’re too young to know that, you’ll change your mind”.  I knew that I couldn’t change my mind because it would be changing my very person and I couldn’t do that. In high school I was really discouraged by the reactions of the adults in my life. Then I found this verse. In all my uncertainty, in the high times and low I keep coming back to this verse.

what motivates you to DO?

You inspire me to not just “feel” for a cause, but to actually get involved and DO something… I quit seeing people as a ‘cause’ and started seeing them as people, humans, children, friends, siblings, people who laugh and live and constantly hope for a better tomorrow despite what they face today. No one asked for my help, no one told me sad stories to move me to action.  They took me in to their tiny homes with clean swept dirt floors, they gave me their children to hold, they fed me from their meager food supplies, going without so I would feel welcome. They told me about their beautiful lives, cracked jokes with me, they trusted me and they called me sister in Christ. What motivates me to DO is knowing that if I DON’T, no one will.For the first time in my life I knew what scriptures meant when they say we are the BODY of Christ, we are adopted CHILDREN that makes us a FAMILY and how dare I turn my back on MY family? How had I allowed myself to do it for so LONG? My heart broke and in that moment God started to rebuild me in to someone who knows how to really love.

if you could be a super hero, what super power's would you have? what would you name yourself? :)

If I could be a super hero I would have the ability to share memories with other people so completely that it would be like they had been there themselves. Then I could share what happened to me in Kenya, but I could also understand others so much better.

Jon (your new husband) :) seems to be a huge support to you, how is he involved with your creative journey? What are your favorite character traits of him?

I could brag about this man for a really really long time. So many days I look at him and I still cannot believe that he CHOSE me, that I get to call him my husband. I look at him and think I’m lucky but I know that God really truly loves me and wants me to succeed in what HE has called me to do. Nakupenda Photography would never have begun without Jon. I’m impulsive which is great for starting fun new things, but I seriously lack follow through. I also tend to make mountains out of molehills when it comes to things standing in my way. Jon has this incredible ability. He makes me believe I could literally do anything and he stands by me and encourages me to get there. He builds up the skills I already have and challenges me to obtain the skills I lack. If I told him I wanted to visit the moon he’d probably start building a rocket ship. My favorite thing about him is his steadfast faith. I have a tendency, as I said, to be a little dramatic. Sometimes I get really worried about the tomorrows and what will happen and how will we make it work or afford it? It makes me super stressed. Jon ALWAYS tells “Stop worrying, it will be okay” and it makes me so MAD because I feel like we have to do something RIGHT NOW to fix it or make it work. He just waits patiently for the Lord. God always provides for us. He’s always right (and still it always makes me mad). ;)

If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would you go?

It’s easier to pick a place I wouldn’t go! Right now I’d say Hawaii. I really want to learn to surf, so does Jon. So that sounds perfect.

How many places have you lived and where do you call home?  Favorite memories/restaurant/stories for each place?

I’m a native Zoni gasp! It’s rare, or so I hear. I’ve traveled A LOT for extended periods of time. I’ve been to/lived in seven different countries in the last 5 years. Costa Rica, Mexico, Kenya, Spain, England, Portugal, Morocco, France. They all had their unique appeal and oddities.Kenya has the best mdazi and chai tea.In Spain there was this potato dish andCosta Rica has Mora fruit juice, which I am just obsessed with!In all my travels though one of my favorite memories was Fourth of July in Kenya. I watched a sheep and a chicken go from being live animals to food on the table. I learned what a chicken with its head cut off really looks like and let me tell you, it’s pretty funny. I think it jumped higher than my head even without its head. All the Kenyans were yelling at my teammate for letting it go and it was just utter chaos in the yard. We made potato chips out of potatoes in an attempt to have ‘normal’ 4th potatoes thin enough with just a regular knife was tough but we did it! We made a US flag out of construction paper and I was mocked by a three year old for not wanting to eat sheep intestines. All our Kenyan friends in that town came to eat with us and celebrate our country. It was such a blast!  My second favorite memory is working in the preschool. Among other things I tried to teach them my name, I thought I had done a pretty good job teaching them to say it. Then one day I’m outside our home and all the little preschoolers see me and line up on the fence and start chanting “Teachah Carrieeee Teachah Carrieeee”. So I worked harder the next time I was there to get them to say it right. I failed. I know I did because before we left I received a really nice letter from the head teacher addressed to Teacher Kailee. I just had to laugh. I started introducing myself as Kate after that. It worked a lot better.

Who have been the top influencers in your life? Why?

My family of course has been a huge influence and support. My Uncle Scott thought really impacted my life choices. He lived in Haitii for a while and he always talked about the radio station he worked at and his friends that lived there. He would try to teach me Haitian words and encouraged me to learn Spanish and French. He’s the kind of person that you say ‘”sailing would be fun” and five seconds later you’re on a sailboat getting your first lesson.

Where do you find your guilty pleasures if you have any?

Reading fairy tales (I told you she's a Disney Princess in real life!) :), procrastinating and staying up late when I know I have to get up early.

Not only do you run your own photography company, work a 9-5 job and are newly married, but my daughter ADORES you because of your love/teaching her how to love horses/giftedness in working with horses… what are your favorite things about working with these beautiful big animals? How did you get involved in horse training?  How do you incorporate working with horses into your world creatively? Any favorite stories about training them or teaching?

I got involved in horse training because this little 5 year old girl told me one day “I always knew I loved you, then I found out you had horses and then I really fell in love with you.” I was fourteen and after that I started giving her lessons. Word got around and before I knew it I had more lessons then I could really handle and I didn’t know what I was doing. I made a lot of mistakes, I taught those first girls a lot of bad habits, but I just fell in love with it. Actually horseback riding lessons is when I started doing photography for other people. The first Christmas I did a photo shoot with each girl and her favorite horse and we gave them to the parents for Christmas. I have “quit” giving lessons 2 times, but I’m still at it all the same. I started doing photography having no idea it would actually bring me right back in to the horse world, but I can’t help it. I seriously love horses and there is something so precious about being able to capture that bond.

Favorite article of clothing?

My blue and white striped racer back maxi dress. Easiest, comfiest, cutest dress up and go outfit EVER. And my TOM’s.

Where do you hope to be creatively in five years?

I hope to have learned to really use photoshop if five years.  After a year, I still have no clue how it works! I also want to be doing a lot more surf photography. Wouldn’t that be neat?!to contact Katie at Nakupenda Photography check her out on:FaceBook + her Website!