Couples Shoot: The Holbeins

Here are some of my favorite shots of Eric and Maria.  They were kind enough to let me use them as models to practice my skills ;o)

This couple is so cool you guys!  I mean, I always knew they were cool.  But I haven't seen them in years and we left Corning before I really had the chance to get to know them.  So of course I was tickled pink when they contacted me to see if they could stop by and visit us on their way to Africa.

Africa, you ask?  Why yes, Eric and Maria are in Africa.  They prayed and planned and scrimped and saved for over a year so they could pay off all their debt, become "homeless", and move to Tanzania to work with Neema Crafts for a year.  Neema trains and employs disabled Tanzanians in various arts and crafts to help them make a living.  Eric and Maria are really artsy-fartsy-cool-cats (check out their etsy shop!) so they are going to be jumping right in to help.  Oh and they have a few months to learn a foreign language and culture before they step in and cover the organization's current leaders' maternity leave! No big deal.. at least, that's how they make it sound.

But I know from their stories that they'll probably be working 12 hour days for most of the time they're there.  And that they don't speak much Swahili, yet.  And that they don't really know exactly what they're getting themselves into.  And that this is going to be one crazy adventure.  

So they came to have a mini-vacation in Germany before heading to Iringa.  We showed them castles and old villages, taught them the train system and sent them gallivanting to Trier, Germany and Metz, France, and fed them lots of yummy food.  When I found out that meat, cheese, chocolate, and bread would be pretty scarce in Tanzania, I made sure to add steak to the menu that week.  And they stocked up on German chocolate before they packed their bags. (I sure hope their stash lasts long enough to get them through this crazy year ahead!)

And of course I used them as an excuse to go the bakery about 20 times.  It was to make sure they had a good German experience, guys!  Not selfish at all!  

Eric and Maria, I wish you guys all the best!  You are such an inspiring couple and I can't wait to read more about your adventure this year.  Many blessings...