This picture was originally just for documentation, but I love how it turned out to be more than that. This photo now makes me wanna cry. It's very symbolic for me: there's Russ running towards the Philippine flag, and Nekoda following after him.

Russ and his wife Kelly are missionaries here in the Philippines. Their children Kaylee (10), Nekoda (8) and Janaya (6) came with them. To me, it was cool enough that Russ and Kelly chose to work here in the uber-humid Philippines over anywhere else (like, Japan, maybe, where the weather is close to where they originally lived. But, no. Russ and Kelly came here, and they love the people, the culture, and they're practically one of us.

And Nekoda, being the kid that he is, followed. He has Filipino friends, he didn't complain about the cultural differences, and he was even supposed to study the Language! Nekoda went where his father was.

This picture lets us take a glimpse of how beautiful this simple obedience is. I wish every father and son would be that way, too.

Photo taken in the University of the Philippines, Diliman campus.

Labels: emotive portrait, people

Posted by sarah on Thursday, September 8, 2005 at 12:44 AM | Permalink