Now

Well, the camcorder has arrived!  Praise God!

It is a JVC Everio GZ-HD7, and I tested it out this evening by recording a message given by Dr. Narendra Singh, and also interviewing him personally afterwards.  I recorded some additional footage of people’s conversations with Dr. Singh, etc., but I will most likely not be posting that.  I hope to post both the message and the interview online sometime soon.  (I recorded them in SP, though sometime in the future I may do most of my filming in FullHD.)  Oh, and Dr. Singh said I did a good job, and that he would be praying for me.  😉  Praise God for that!

Praise God!

I hope to start doing some film making, inteviews, and more, but I can’t forget to do my other duties in life, or forget my talents.

Well, I guess that’s all for now!  Going to be trying out my camera in nature, filming Green Bank, working on film pre-production, and brainstorming film ideas!

God bless,

Thanks for listening! (and I always appreciate your prayers.)

-b

P.S. Dr. Narendra Singh believes he will die as a martyr (for Jesus Christ.)  May God protect him till his time comes, and may many more come to Jesus before, and after, that time.

New Film Ideas

This evening a new idea came on how to extend the short film “Is This Love?” (not yet filmed.)  With this extended beginning sequence you will get a better awareness on the beliefs of the two main characters and (hopefully) get some background story on both of them, as well as setting up the film better for the climax.

Besides that it there are some other ideas floating around, not so much ideas as concepts.  The difference (in this situation) being that ideas would imply actually having some sort of film plot or overall concept, whereas film concepts would be “Oh, wouldn’t it be cool to make a sci-fi film!” or “Hey, we have to film here“.

So, anyhow, whether they be ideas or concepts, or some of both, they are circulating around some.  For instance, recently I have seen that others are/have done sci-fi (science fiction) films, and it would be really neat to do a good sci-fi film, totally unique and more realistic than “Star Wars” or “Star Trek”.  Also, I have brainstormed with a friend a little about doing film about brother inventors.  Filming in old rural towns is a wonderful location solution, and such buildings as the Whipple Company Store & Museum (www.whipplecompanystore.com) would provide an interesting backdrop for a story (or at least to be included in the film at some point.)

After looking at some success stories featuring the Adobe products I can get pumped up and scared at the same time.  “Wow, look, you can make your film dreams come true right at home on your own desktop computer”, and “Oh, yikes.  You are mentioning things I have no idea of how to meet” and “They have a whole post-production crew”.  So you are confronted both with the beauty and mystery of the challenge – the hope and the fear.

I am looking very keenly on a certain model for the HD camcorder.  I know which one I will most likely buy, and I may make the purchase very soon.  News on that later.

Looking at the Adobe CS3 Production Premium (http://www.adobe.com/education/products/creativesuite/production/,) which would be a great solution but would mean a lot more saving up again.  ;D  Oh well, that’s OK.  A different option is the Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum Edition 8 (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=447) which I am wary of, considering I have no personal experience with that software and would be much more comfortable saving up for a product that I know will meet a great many of my needs (than one I might wish to upgrade from in five days – but I can’t effectively say, since I am not a Vegas user.)

As you can see, things are happening even when they don’t look like they are.  🙂  All I can ask of you now is your prayers and I humbly beseech your support.

I know you will not always be able to act in a film, be there on filming days, or understand why I am so insanely driven to complete a film, but I ask you to bear with me and be as dedicated as you can.  Without you I don’t have a film.  I need you.  I could make solo documentaries, interview people, or even do one-man films – but not a full cast and crew short film.

We will see what happens.  Likely it will be a few of us who stick together and make it all happen, but I do appreciate it whenever any of you can help.

Thanks!

Regards,

-b

Stories of the “Ex-Amish”

Below are two recent accounts from Christians who have come in contact with the “Ex-Amish”, Amish who have been excommunicated from their communities because of their faith in Jesus Christ the Savior.

NOTE: Names from the exceprts have been changed to preserve the privacy of those involved.

We were with the ‘ex-Amish’ last night.  They are an amazing people.  Jesus is doing amazing things.  All of the couples are younger than us.  At their service the other night with over 120 people, there were no older people.  They have large families.  Five or six years ago, there were just a few families who were saved and meeting together.  Now there are at least 20 families, I think.  They have a passion for Jesus.

The Amish believe you do the best you can and you might make it to heaven.  You won’t know until judgment day.

Hannah told how they lived in a house on the same property as her parents.  When she and her husband got saved, her parents sold their house and moved away because they couldn’t stand to be near them.  Others have been officially excommunicated.  Some of their Amish families keep contact with them hesitantly.

Mary told what a big hurdle it was to drive a car to her parents for the first time (as opposed to a buggy).  She was afraid they would be very angry.  Jesus had softened their hearts and it wasn’t a big deal.

Rebekah shared how angry she was as an Amish young person that she wasn’t allowed to continue her education past 8th grade.  She talked to me excitedly about how much she is looking forward to homeschool her son in the upper grades.

Joseph told how he is from an Amish family in Pennsylvania.  His brother got saved and started reading the English Bible to Joseph.  The Amish are only allowed to read the Bible in German (an old German) and the Amish use some German in everyday talk, but not enough of the vocabulary that the Bible uses to understand the reading of it.  Joseph then got saved once he knew what the Bible really said.  Their family was so mad and so persecuted his brother that his brother became depressed and put in a mental hospital for awhile.  That is when the believers in PA moved Joseph here to Indiana because the family began to persecute him as well.

The spirit of these people is so sweet.  They are very open and active in evangelizing the Amish community.  I suppose that is why they are growing so much.

Even while we were with them last night, a teen relative of one of the men called him on the phone.  This Amish boy was at an Amish drinking party with his friends and he was challenging his relative to come over and talk to them. They find the saved ex-Amish entertaining.   The boys even agreed to listen to a sermon CD.  So, all the men at our gathering packed up in a van and headed over there.  Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story!  Even though the saved know that these youth don’t always take them seriously, they know that seeds are being planted and some do get saved.

Karin Litchfield
www.shadrachyouth.org

Karin writes: Another story of an Amish conversion.  This is my mom writing about a couple that was at an RFOD Sunday School class in Clare Michigan this past weekend.

But there was an Amish couple there.   She still dresses like our Amish

in Grabill… no buttons, long dress, and white bonnet.  He has changed

to where he wears shirts with buttons and even a little color in his

shirt.

In the class I was trying to really figure them out.

I wish I could remember all the story, but evidently he would drive by

the church there and every time the Lord will tell him to call Pastor

Paul.   He said himself that he was very stubborn and wouldn’t do it.

He evidently was very sick of the Amish way.

One day he was so depressed that he took a gun to his mouth.

I think it was then that the Lord spoke to him in an audible voice,

and essentially said, “Put that gun down and call Pastor Paul.”

So he finally did and that started a wonderful relationship.

It took another year or so until his wife started coming with him to the Clare Christ Fellowship.    I guess they are very regular in their attendance now.   They have been rejected by

family and the Amish church.    Even his own grandmother will not talk with him now.

I guess he is a wonderful wood craftsman, and can make about anything, and does it very well.  I got to talking more to him at the meal, and he is quite a talker and interesting to listen too.  Very different in many ways, but interesting.

Marcia Schultze
www.schultze.org

Praise the Lord for how He helped!  I appreciate the standards of the Amish communities, but I greater appreciate those who are willing to break free of anything that holds them from doing what God wants them to.

Thanks for listening and God bless!

-b

Life Interviews: Your Story

The title may be misleading, but today I had the privilege to talk to someone who gave me the idea (in part) for this.  Life Interviews: Your Story (or whatever the title may end up being) is an attempt to capture a moment of someone’s life on video through a day-long interview.

I hope to follow someone for about one day, asking them questions and just hanging out as they show me what they do.  What is their job?  Where are they from?  What are their beliefs?  All these questions await to be answered.

Note: since these interviews deal with particular people and their life story some interviews may not be posted online.

I hope you enjoy these interviews and whatever else we may come up with.

God bless,

Banor