Not all work work work

'You can’t judge a book by its cover’
by Tina Fields

‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ is a saying that we will have all heard at some time, and it’s so easy to do just that when you see a glimpse of someone in the street or look at a picture in a newspaper or magazine. You never know what’s behind a smile or just what situation that person is in.

I have had the privilege of taking a good few pictures for our monthly bulletins and leaflets that are produced by CFL and then seen by many people. Trying to portray someone’s feelings can be very difficult because most people’s natural instinct is to smile for the camera. The people in our care often have memories that show on their faces when unaware, but it’s reassuring to see that most of the time there are many smiles and much laughter each day. We work hard at CFL to portray just how much lives have been changed through the ministry of sharing Jesus’ love with all in our care and all whom we encounter in our daily life.

Tim & Michael enjoy working on the new database.

Working daily with the young men and women can be very humbling and seeing Michael, (who works in CMP), come to Christ after many years of people ministering to him and praying for him, has brought immense joy to everyone, particularly to Tim and Martyn who have worked very closely with Michael for quite a few years.

As we prepare for the next bulletin there is lots to do. After the initial plan people have to write their pieces and then it’s decided what pictures will be best to go with them. I’m often lucky enough to capture the moment with images we use in the bulletin, and it's great when people in the background are just being themselves. When the bulletin has been printed, our office turns into a production line with some of those we care for and volunteers, who come in especially to help us stuff and fill envelopes ready for posting.

If you already know about CFL then you’ll understand that knowing someone’s background doesn’t always show in how they look and how they behave, so something we have been working on more recently is the media side of demonstrating our work and the people we care for.

Martyn & David filming Anthony

Martyn has the gift of capturing people’s emotions and showing their personalities in a way that isn’t always possible with a photograph. He films all kinds of activities that are happening, from the Christmas party to the staff training days and produces DVDs that can be used for presentations. These show what words can’t always explain - people’s stories of where they came from to where they are right now, and for most in our care this has been quite a journey, one which some of us will never understand.

We hope you can take the time to watch some of the shorter films we produce and place on this web site, and trust that they will bring to life a glimpse of the work we do here.

Tina Fields