i'm a .com

So, in an attempt to summarize the last few years' work into a sort of digital portfolio/library, I would like to introduce you to timothycdyk.com. I figured before proceeding on to whatever ventures are next, it would be worthwhile to summarize some of the people, places, and issues I have been brought into contact with thus far.

And I must mention that this website wouldn't be functioning had it not been for the in-depth coding know-how of B.Alderman & Co. Technologies.

Thanks for reading/viewing.

Alas, I Still Love Washington (State).

On Friday, the 27th of March, I flew home from Copenhagen to Seattle. It is abrupt sort of adjustment to go from one continent to another in such a (relatively) short amount of time. To go from one place that is so highly unfamiliar, and the next day to be sitting in one of the most familiar places imaginable, such as my family’s kitchen table on 9th avenue, is something bizarre.

It looks like I will now be relatively stationary, at least for the time being. I am hoping to look for opportunities in which I can share the Sex + Money project around Ellensburg, as well as the general Northwestern region of the United States. Therefore, if you are interested in working with me to set something up in your area, please do feel free to let me know (you can find my email in my profile.)

Specifically regarding the book: If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Sex + Money: A Global Search For Human Worth, there is a “buy it now” link to the right hand side of this blog where you can make an order through your computer. If you would like to buy it in person, you can try to locate me in Ellensburg, WA. It shouldn’t be very difficult as our community is fairly small in size. Or you can find me at future events. Any of these are viable options, should you choose to pursue them.

A lot of plans are still up in the air, but one hope I have in the near future is to begin studying in University. I desire to take the time to make a prayerful decision on where I can best pursue the seeds and ideas God has dropped in my heart. As specifics become clear I hope to keep you updated.

Thank you for the interest you have shown in this project – even from the beginnings of the photogenX track in South Africa in September of 2007. I began this trip trusting that if God was the maker of the heavens and the earth and the trees and my heart, He could somehow provide for my needs, even if I couldn’t see how. Through your generosity, I was able to work with this project, and learn more of what it means to speak up for “the least of these.”

Probably the main reason why I began the photogenX track in the first place was that I felt a strong tug on my heart to begin using my art (in whatever medium) to portray what God is doing in the world and/or what He is desiring to bring about in order to heal our broken and needy world. If this trip has shown me one thing, it’s that there is much more to be said for the needs of humans around the globe, especially the broken and destitute. Therefore, in whatever way I continue to walk, I desire to use the arts as a means of speaking truth regarding the issues we face in our world today. The body of Christ has a hope to offer the world, if we will only be willing.

The last two years' work with photogenX are not the finality of the hope we have to offer. I have much more to learn, but I'll proceed onwards from here...

a copenhagen finale.

On Thursday, the 19th of March, Koala and I, along with former (but still at heart) photogenXer, Anna Nielsen, arrived into Copenhagen Central Station, and proceeded soon thereafter to the hip and culturally diverse district of Copenhagen, known as Nørrebro (though spoken you will find the pronunciation of this name to be worlds apart from what you would think on paper.) This is where Koala and I would be based for a bit more than a week that we spent in Denmark’s capital city, thanks to København Kulturcenter (Copenhagen’s Culture Center,) who gave us a place to lay our heads.

You just saw three uses of parenthesis in the previous paragraph.

The first event we were a part of was a “Documentary Night” put on by the Culture Center. Here, an international group of young adults get together once a month to discuss and learn about different issues – this particular week the focus was human trafficking, so Koala and I shared a bit towards the beginning of the meeting, and our speaking was followed by a documentary about human trafficking in Copenhagen titled, “When the Moon is Dark.” The film was highly informative, and followed a couple stories of Nigerian women who had been trafficked to Denmark for prostitution.

(one of koala's photo's displayed in cafe retro)

On Sunday the 22nd, Anna had arranged for us to put on a photography exhibition in Café Retro, a local coffee shop that is entirely non-profit. The entirety of their profits are given to support various humanitarian projects in developing nations – currently they’re working to help an organization in Sewa Ashram, India. To our delight, we were able to display nearly all of our 20 display photos in what proved to be fairly constrained quarters. However, it’s surprising what you can do with string, thumbtacks, and a small fence. Café Retro was a good environment for us to share our materials with people, as well as for us to hear from them of their thoughts on the current state of human trafficking, particularly in Europe. Public opinion seems to be shifting. Though there is much ground to be made, people seem to be growing increasingly aware of the ways in which human trafficking is taking place in our societies, and the ways (large and small) that we can be a part of choosing something different.




Through some of the connections we made at the Copenhagen Culture Center, we were able to connect with a discipleship program that is currently in the developing stages. “Identity and Discipleship (I.D.)” is similar to something like a YWAM DTS, but it is more focused on integrating its students into the local church setting. The main leader/teacher/organizer of this program is a fellow American, Stephen, who has been living in Copenhagen for quite some time now. We were glad to share with their groups during a couple of their class times, but Koala and I both felt very blessed to be able to hear and take part in some of their teaching and discussions. Stephen and the students challenged us in how they are learning to relate to God not just in an individual way, but also through their surroundings – including their environments and the people around them. This sort of holistic Christ following, though a challenge, is something that becomes beautiful in learning to enact.


On Thursday, the 26th, I escorted Koala to the airport, to bid him farewell, for now. It was an odd feeling, saying goodbye to a friend I have known, and lived closely with, for the last 18 months. Truthfully, it didn’t really feel like I was saying goodbye; I do feel I’ll see him at some point in the future. I hope this is the case.

Koala has since returned to the University of the Nations campus, in Kona, Hawaii, to begin the Introduction to Biblical Counseling (IBC) course for the spring quarter. In July, he plans to return briefly to South Korea, before continuing onwards to visit his parents, who are currently working in Vietnam. In September, he plans to resume his studies of Economics and Accounting at his previous university in South Korea, though now he feels as though he has a bit more direction with these studies. His desire is to one day use his skills with economics in order to help develop more sustainable living in developing nations, amongst other things.


So, for now we have completed what we originally set out to do with the three-month tour or Scandinavia, taking our publication and the message it bears to a large variety of places – from anarchist café’s in Iceland, to Lutheran State Churches in Sweden. Still, the work of exterminating human trafficking has a long way to travel, but I do believe that a significant amount of seeds have been sown.

“For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 (New King James Version)

I believe what we have sown with this tour will flourish, because ultimately, what we have sown in the book, in the photography, and in the stories, is from Him - the Lord. We often felt worn thin and weary, but as a whole, we can say the tour was a positive experience. We are reminded that the Lord is moving.

tall spires, tall deeds.

Stockholm is beautiful. As we de-boarded the bus from Helsingborg, and began to transport our mass amounts of luggage up to our hostel, we were sweating and tired and frustrated with unruly baggage, but we were also struck by the peace of large, slowly falling snowflakes.

For the first few days, we were able to meet up with our school leader, Paul Childers, for a sort of pastoral visit. Paul was on his way through Europe as part of an around the world trip for photogenX and some of the other ministry work He is a part of, so he was able to make a quick stop to connect with us. We were able to discuss the tour thus far, as well as discuss the logistics of what is to come. It was refreshing to do business in person, as well as watch CNN, discuss world politics, and visit the Nobel Museum, amongst other things.

(santa klara kyrkjan: certainly not our normal venue)

During our time in Sweden’s big city, Koala and I were able to connect with one of the state churches in downtown Stockholm, Santa Klara Kyrkan. It is not uncommon in Sweden to see massive, beautiful churches, but it is quite unique to work with a church whose action can back up such tall spires. It was always a surprise to consider the variety of walks of life that the people were coming from: within a matter of an hour, I talked to a Romanian Gypsy (we spoke in Spanish), a Pakistani, a Chilean, and a Frenchman from Algeria – and these were just a few of our acquaintances. The church has a large influence in the community of downtown Stockholm, as they minister to the homeless, immigrants, and prostitutes on a regular basis. I was taken aback at all the activity and people that come through the building on a daily basis: this is certainly not a church that is sleeping.

They allowed us to share a small bit as part of their prayer meeting, and they also had us pray for a couple of the women in the church who are committed to working with local prostitutes on a regular basis. It was evident that we weren’t necessarily telling this group something new; more so, I think, or at least my prayer is that we may have been an encouragement for them to continue in a direction in which they are already moving.












Later in the week we were able to connect with a couple of other churches, New Life - an international church which includes upwards of 45 nationalities - as well as Tomas Kyrkjan – a smaller church with a beautiful mix of traditional liturgy and more “modern” forms of worship. We stayed around after these services to introduce our project to those who were interested. This always provides for great conversations and new connections.

One of my favorite quotes from the week came from the pastor of Tomas Kyrkjan, an American citizen who has become the pastor of a Swedish congregation. In trying to describe the origins of the Swedish language, he stated:

"If German and English had a baby, it would be Swedish."

This was certainly a statement for the ages, but Koala and I were thoroughly impressed as we eventually heard him give a sermon entirely in Swedish. Impressive I must say.


The time in Stockholm was a challenge in that we had not been able to pre-arrange any sort of events with the churches. The ways in which we were able to share were blessings considering the short notice with which they were planned, but we sometimes found ourselves frustrated, wondering how the project was really going anywhere. This was a good time to keep in mind the deeper goals behind this project, knowing that this is information that must come into the light, whether we are able to share in huge church settings, or just single conversations, one by one.

to oslo and beyond

In 1994, skating for the United States of America, Dan Jansen won the first and only gold medal of his Olympic career, in the 1000 meter speed skating, setting a world record in the process, with a time of one minute, 12.43 seconds. All this transpired in the small Norwegian town of Hamar, in the stadium is known as Vikingskipet, meaning “viking ship.” The arena is constructed to look like an upside-down Viking ship. As I watched the 1994 winter Olympics, I was about seven years of age, and was under the impression that the Viking ship I saw on my TV screen was actually an ancient Viking artifact that had been turned into an Olympic venue. Little did I know I would one day visit the blessed site of this American speed-skating victory, and come to the realization that the stadium was simply a piece of creatively-designed modern architecture.

(friday morning at with the media class)

Speaking of architecture, the high school in which we shared this last Friday was a new school, and proved to be most efficient for setting up our presentation. Video connections, microphones, and even lighting were a breeze to operate. This left us much time to speak to the group of Media students who came to hear about the project.

It was such an amazing opportunity to speak to students who will most likely go into fields where they will be communicating issues and ideas to other people. In some ways, it was difficult to share, as we had to be careful not to make our presentation “too spiritual.” This opened my eyes to see just how much a part of our project God was, but it also opened my eyes to just how practical the heart of our God is for the world, as even without becoming “overly spiritual,” the fact that God has concern in His heart for the neediness and broken-ness of humanity is extremely relevant to humanity, whether we consider ourselves “spiritual” or not. So, whether or not these students profess to be followers of Jesus or not, I trust that the truth in Christ’s message of Mercy, and Justice, and Faith can begin to grow in hearts that are open to cultivation; this at least is a start.

(with the creative class at hedmarktoppen)

After finally feeling settled into a new place and group of people, it is never easy to leave. This was definitely the case with leaving the group of students and staff at Hedmarktoppen. It was only a week, but it was a week of seeing different aspects of Christ come to life in different individuals. Each place we go, we make friends, but leaving is always a challenge.

After leaving Hedmarktoppen Friday night, Koala and I shared our project with a youth group at the Free Church in Hamar. It was similar to a lot of times that we share, but it was also interesting as the standing youth pastor is planning to join the photogenX DTS this coming April.

For the last weekend, Koala and I returned to the YWAM base here in Grimerud, where we spent a couple days recuperating from the busy-ness of the week previous. I’ve even been able to find some room in my heart for the sport of nordic skiing. If one were only to watch, it wouldn’t seem to enticing of an activity. However, once the skis are on your feet, to glide across a smooth layer of snow is surprisingly exhilarating. I pray I am blessed with more opportunities to further enhance my nordic skiing capabilities.

(ywam grimerud)

This afternoon, along with our large family of luggage, Koala and I will head down to Oslo for the night. We have plans to meet with a group of Christians who are working in different areas of media in Oslo. It sounds like it will be a fun evening, as we share with them in their apartment about our publication and the Scandinavian tour. Tuesday morning, it looks as though we’ll be boarding either bus or train to head down to Angelholm, Sweden, for the next main stop of the tour.

the Lord, He is a'movin'

Yesterday was our final day of teaching photography with the creative class here at Hedmarktoppen. It has been a stretch for us to learn how to communicate clearly about the multitude of technical aspects involved in photography, but it is a stretch the Lord was faithful to walk us through at every step.

Some of our time was spent teaching with words, and some of the time was spent helping the students with some hands on photography learning. We even got to do a bit of "light painting."

Last night we were given the opportunity to share in the corporate meeting, where all the schools come together to have a sort of mid-week church service (we taught in the creative school, but there is also a couple sports schools, a global missions school, and a performing arts school.) Like we normally do at events like this, Koala and I explained a bit about our trip, shared a bit of information about human trafficking, and went on to share some of our personal experiences from traveling around the world. At the end, we gave a challenge to the students, to consider the ways that they can be using their resources and talents and ultimately their lives to be seeking the Kingdom of God, rather than the Kingdom of themselves. As we ended with a bit of music and time for prayer, a few came forward to pray with us, some stayed where they were to pray with friends - all in all, it really became clear that God was speaking to people where they were at.

Talking with some of the students in our time here, it is evident that the Lord is moving forward in Norway, and in our world. A couple people have shared with us how it is so easy to build walls around ourselves, hiding our eyes from seeing the real neediness or our own hearts, and the neediness of the world outside of our own self-constructed walls. It's easy to not see our need for the Lord if we can temporarily cover such a need with an immediately tangible material. I am encouraged in challenged by the students here, in that they see these walls that have been built around them, and they want to find out what it is to experience the need of the world outside of their walls. They know that it may hurt, but they are also seeing that they will be seeking something that is real, that has a value beyond this life.

Tonight, Thursday, we have a photography exhibition at Cafe Uno, here in the town of Hamar. We are told many young people come to the cafe to hang out after school, where they can be around a positive community of people.

Tomorrow (Friday) morning, we have been given the opportunity to share in a public school in the area. We're told it is not easy to get the opportunity to share in the schools in this area, so it seems as though the Lord has put this opportunity before us, and we're trusting He'll give us the proper words to say. Please do pray for us in this though - ultimately, we know that nothing we say will have any value unless God is moving in the people we will be sharing with. It is a great opportunity to take this message outside of church walls, and we believe the Lord can accomplish something lasting in the hearts and minds of these young people.

Tomorrow evening, we will be sharing our project with a local youth group, Freik. We value your prayers for this as well.

Thank you for continuing to be a part of the places and people to which God continues to take us.

We Are People But He is God

I write to you all from a drizzly and cloud covered Kona. The weather here is reminding me of home. Those of you in beautiful Washington State may already be at odds with the blustery weather conditions, but strangely enough, I often find myself missing those blustery weather conditions.

The last couple weeks, our class has spent largely focused on preparing for our upcoming distribution tours for our book, Sex & Money: A Global Search For Human Worth. Rather than the normal lectures we would usually have during the week, we have received some much needed time to devote to getting next quarter’s outreaches going in the right direction. So far, my team (Koala and I) has finalized a majority of our promotional information that we will be sending to venues (churches, cafes, galleries, and the like.) In addition to this, we have been working on other logistical aspects of our tours, such as budgets, itineraries, and other details of getting from place to place. Fairly dry subject matter to discuss in written form, but I figure it is good to keep everyone in the loop.

In addition to the all-American celebration of Thanks that is to be celebrated this next Thursday (I am thankful for purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes) the next couple weeks will be mostly the same. In the days to come, Koala and I, in addition to our class, would greatly value your prayers. Specifically:

-We are currently working with our contacts in the various countries to arrange speaking arrangements, exhibitions and such. We have been blessed with contacts in each of the places we’ll be visiting, but we could use your prayers to get the right events finalized at the right places and times.

-A lot of times, I feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of coordination that is necessary for two people to take this project through six countries in three months. I know it is possible, but it is evident that my know-how and abilities only go so far. I guess you could say I could use an extension of faith and wisdom.

-With this project, I feel like I am now a place of preparing “to step out of the boat.” I have been to the third world countries, I have seen various instances of need, but to now portray these needs to the western world in a way that will motivate people to act will be something new, and certainly challenging.

I appreciate the partnership and interest you have taken in this project. I believe this upcoming time of new-ness will be fruitful, both as something that increases action in opposition to injustice in our world, as well as something that will enlighten my heart more to the character and competence of our God. I am already becoming more aware of my humanity in contrast to His divinity.

FYI: This last week marks the celebration of the purchasing of my ticket to Reykjavik, Iceland. I think this is cause for celebration. {!} I shall embark for the far north on January 2.

The Looming Distribution

*Click on the pages to grow them into something more viewable.

final steps and the invisibly changing seasons

I guess a lot has happened since the last update, therefore I will gladly inform you.

As many of you know, our group returned to Kona, Hawaii to begin making a publication with the photos and stories from our last year of travel. I am still here in Kona, and a lot of ground has been made in the process of putting together our book. Over the last month especially, the pace of work on the project has increased quite a bit. When I originally heard in June that we would be sending a book out to print in mid-September, it seemed nearly impossible. However, though things have been fairly hectic, it is amazing to see the ground that has been made in such a short amount of time, and we are now looking to send the final design and layout to the printer by the end of the week.

Since the original steps of brainstorming and discussing the vision of the book, (something which took a significant amount of time in itself,) we then had instructors come to bring their insight and experience in regards to the logistics of assembling the material into a form that could be sent off to print. For the design portion, we had Kathrin Fietz, a graphic designer from Germany/London, come to walk us through the process of designing and laying out our book. After this, we had Andrew Kooman, a writer from Canada, join us to take us through the process of recording our personal experiences from the last year into written material that can be effective for communication.

Once we had collected all the “raw data” of writing and stories, we were able to begin consulting with a graphic designer in Germany (our school leaders have worked with him for publications they produced in the past.) The last week has consisted largely of conferring back and forth with him, to get the look we feel the book should have. As the deadline for the printer is soon approaching, the few days we will be working back and forth with the designer to make the final changes and alterations. We don’t yet know the exact date for when we will have a printed book in our hands, but it is still hard to imagine what it will be like to see actual printed material in our hands.

In this process, I have come to see what a responsibility we have with the words we say. Growing up, I was often told, “Think before you speak.” This was always a very valuable insight to carry with me; but in the process of writing in a book that will be read and heard by thousands of people, the importance of this saying has only been multiplied. When I think about speaking to just one person, it is usually fairly easy to assess how to speak, and understand how they will interpret the words I say. However, with writing to an audience that is not familiar with myself, my heart, or even the heart of this project, I see the importance of portraying truth in a way that can be understood on a broad, universal sort of scale. Whether they are reading from a “Christian” or “Secular” point of view, God’s message and heart for the world remains the same. So, my challenge? - learning to say something of value without at the same time putting my foot in my mouth by saying something that a certain demographic could take out of context. To say the least, it’s a learning process.

With the finalization of the material, our group would certainly value your prayers. Throughout the course, of writing, selecting photos, and editing the final content, we have been seeking to honor God with the pictures we show and the words we speak. Please pray that we will have eyes to see the changes that need to be made, and the aspects that need to stay as they are. Because we have become so deeply involved in this project, it is often hard to see what needs to be changed, so we would value your prayers for God to give us eyes that can look at our work objectively, understanding what in fact we are communicating.

This Wednesday will also be the end of the summer quarter here at the University of the Nations. We have a one-week break before we will begin fall quarter. In the current quarter we have been focused on getting the book out to print. For fall quarter, it looks like we will be preparing for the tours that we will begin this upcoming January, when we will distribute and explain the heart behind the book. When I find out more specifics about what these things look like, I will keep you posted. More details soon to come…

on art:

As a way of expressing a society’s views on the world, and the direction that a people seem to be heading in, the arts are an extremely useful tool. The art produced by a community speaks infinitely as to the ideas and statutes they hold as valuable, and the way they see all other parts of the world. As humanity has moved from the “modern” mindsets beginning in the 1600’s to the “postmodern” mindsets of today, the art has equally followed suit. With the “modern” way of thinking, art was predictable, and people had a fairly good idea what to expect as far as the messages that the art portrayed. People painted biblical scenes, beautiful scenery, and realistic portraits of real, living people. Thought was for the most part objective, and this could be seen in the art that people produced.

Lately (lately being in the last 50 years or so) a change has taken place. No longer is truth quite so objective, at least according to popular train of thought. To much of the world, truth is now seen as subjective – that which is experienced by the individual. And, as individual experiences vary to every opposite extreme, so do our truths.

In Paris, this contrast of ideas on the nature of truth can be seen through the architecture that has been produced over the last few centuries. From the “pre-modern” and “modern” time periods you see the buildings beautifully constructed with great attention to detail, but which continue to be fairly predictable, at least from the standpoint of architecture and design. Through buildings like the Notre Dame Cathedral (largely finished by the 14th century, with later additions completed in the mid-19th century) and the Arc de Triomphe (finished in 1836) we can see a mindset that was fairly straightforward. The truth of the people at the time was based on logic and objective rationale, and thus their artistic construction of buildings was grand and very beautiful, but also quite logical.

Contrasted with these more logical forms of art in the form of architecture are the more “post-modern” constructions that can be seen in buildings like the famous glass pyramid at the Louvre, and the Grande Arche de la Defense (also known as the Grand Arche, or the Cube). These buildings communicate a mindset that is still committed to the construction of something that is grand and beautiful; but, as the buildings constructed do not follow a logical train of thought, they seem to attempt to give a new meaning to what is grand and what is beautiful. Specifically with the Grand Arch, it was specifically constructed to that is was just slightly off-kilter from the Axe Historique (Historic Axis), an eight kilometer stretch running from the glass pyramid at the Louvre along the av de Champs-Elysees, through the Arc de Triomphe and finally to the Grand Arch, which is said to symbolize “an open window to the world.” This seems to allude to the idea that perhaps now man is moving in a new direction, and can make up truth, beauty, grandeur, and even reality for himself.

Through it would appear on the outside, with our massive buildings and chic architecture that man is progressing towards something “bigger” and “better,” we as humans are still plagued with the same ills and difficulties as we were in centuries long ago. No matter how big our buildings, no matter how abstract our art, no matter how many new directions we attempt to walk in, as humans we will always be in need of something more. Fortunately, God saw it fit to give us an opportunity to fulfill this need, through a sacrifice of Himself. In Christ, we have no need to create a new reality for ourselves, as we can know that Jesus Christ Himself is reality (Colossians 2:17) and He is a reality that will never leave us in need of or wanting something more (John 4:14.) Perhaps once we begin to address the bigger issues of neediness, rather than constructing fancier buildings and more controversial art, we will really begin to see progress, towards something that really matters.

It’s the 21st century, but where are we going?

(Looking along the Axe Historique, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Grande Arche de la Defense)

(the Notre Dame Cathedral)

(Arc de Triomphe)

(The Grande Arche de la Defense, with other more recent contructions)

(we had our problems then)

(we have our problems now)

(humanity is needy)