Interview with Victoria and Emily

Listen in as we talk with our new Bloom! interns, Victoria Suich and Emily Horton, and hear how the Lord has been working in their lives...

Victoria, tell us about how your interest in poetry started and how it’s grown since then.

Well, I wrote my first poem when I was six years old.  I had never really done any poetry before that.   As I was walking around outside, I thought up a Christmas poem.  It talked about the star of “Orientare” which I thought was a real star.  After that, I started thinking up all sorts of rhymes and such.  Then at eight I wrote another poem, which got published.  I’ve written poetry ever since then, usually one or two a year.  Lately I've increased that number and am writing a lot more.  At first I just wrote poems when I thought of a good idea, but now I write them because I choose a certain topic and then write.

 How did you get interested in designing?

I’ve been interested in designing before and I just had fun playing around with various aspects of it.  I’d take pictures and put words on them and learned how to edit the photographs.  I thought it was cool and I wanted to do it because I’ve always loved how people design book covers and this is something similar.  That’s kind of how I learned – I mostly experimented and taught myself.  So when Joanna said Bloom! needed help with designing photos and such, I volunteered.  I’m glad because I enjoy designing things.

Share with us a time where the Lord really spoke to you.

One time as I was getting ready to go to bed I started having doubts about my salvation.  I reached for these little Scripture cards that I have nearby and I randomly picked one out.  The one I drew said “I have called you by name, you are Mine!” (Isaiah 43:1)  God definitely spoke to me through that.  And if I ever have doubts, I think of that verse and remember that I’m His.

Why do you write poetry?

Sometimes the inspiration just comes and so I start and I just have to finish the poem.  Sometimes I do it for school.  Other times I do it based on an experience – for example, I was out one day and the sun was setting, so I wrote a sonnet about the sunset.  The one poem I just did – A Prayer: Quest for Grace – came as a result of my needing grace from God.  I was praying, “God, I need grace” and the first bit of it formed in my mind.  I think sometimes God wants me to write certain poems.  Sometimes I want the poem for myself, but it’s really for God, because it’s His gift that He gave to me – writing poetry – so I need to give it back to Him.

What’s your desire as you volunteer at Bloom!?

I want to learn more about designing and poetry - to be able to use my skills for Bloom!.  Before I was designing things for myself and I didn’t really think I’d actually get to use it for someone or help out somewhere.  I’m glad I get to use it to encourage others.

Emily, tell us about your interest in photography and how it’s grown.

I have always liked taking pictures.  My mother takes photos all the time and I guess that’s how I got interested in photography.  She’s always taking pictures and my siblings and I are trained to get in a group and smile.  When I was five years old, I started taking my own pictures and have been doing it ever since.  Really in the last couple of years I’ve started taking more photographs and wanting to actually do it more professionally.  I got in a lot of practice by taking my little sisters’ pictures.  For my birthday last year, I got my big camera.  I really like using it and learning the various aspects of it.  I’ve started getting requests from people to do their family photos and such.  I pretty much have my camera with me 24/7 and my family probably gets really tired of me saying “Okay, hold that pose!”, because they’re doing something cute or are in good light!

Share with a time where the Lord really spoke to you.

He really spoke to me when I was thinking about emailing Bloom!, because I wasn’t sure if it would work out, but I felt like God was telling me to go ahead and get out of my comfort zone to actually make any difference.  I admit, I was nervous, but I went ahead and followed God’s leading.  There have been times when God was telling me to do something and most of the time I obey, but sometimes I’m like, “God, really, do I have to?”.  Really, I feel like He talks to me everyday.

What are some of your favorite parts of photography?

Seeing something that looks neat or is pretty and taking a photograph of it.  It might be something totally random or something that was happening at that moment.  I love photographing outdoors and nature.  I love taking photos as real life happens.

Why do you do photography?

For several reasons: I want to be able to show people things later and for a future job.  Recently I started thinking, “This is something God has given me that I enjoy and I should really use that for His glory instead of my own”.  That’s why I started looking for something that I use could use my skills for and thought that maybe Bloom! might need some help.  (Joanna’s note:  Emily actually contacted us before we even posted about needing help – God was working "behind-the-scenes"!)

Thanks for sharing, girls!  It's great to have you on the Bloom! staff and we look forward to seeing God continue to work in and through you!  To God be the glory!