Life Archives | All the Magic

Three Pounds of Possibility

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Life, Photos October 9, 2026October 9, 2026No Comments

When You Love What You Do You will suffer any setback, go for broke, and wait for the right opportunity to come your way. This is where I am now, learning so much about myself and my willingness to make less money to do the things I love, the things that fill my heart. I …

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Seven Minutes

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Landscapes, Life, Photos June 29, 2022September 29, 2022Comments are Disabled

SEVEN MINUTES I was living in a hospital in Kananga in Kasai Central Province in 2012, shortly before the start of ASSP. My church hired me to renovate the hospital, but the funding was sparse. My room was a barren, concrete box with no electricity and no running water. Hopefully I would be able to …

I got a[nother] drone and it changed my life.

by Crystal StaffordLandscapes, Life January 30, 2019April 26, 2019Comments are Disabled

I must admit, photographing the beach day after day has gotten kind of old. BEING on the beach will NEVER get old for me. But these beach photographs can all start to look the same after awhile. But then I got a drone. His name is Andronio II (I crashed Andronio I in the Skeleton …

Walikale

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Landscapes, Life December 26, 2018April 26, 2019Comments are Disabled

I traveled to this little village in Nord Kivu to interview women who have survived sexual violence. The only way to get there was by UN helicopter because rebels have cut off access to the region. You would never know by looking at this photo that war has wreaked havoc on the area for decades. …

The Most Dangerous Thing I’ve Ever Done

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Landscapes, Life December 20, 2018October 9, 2026Comments are Disabled

“Isn’t it dangerous?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked some variant of the above question. Especially while living and working in Congo, where decades of war and instability have wreaked havoc on millions. But worldwide, less than half a million people die from war and murder combined per year. Malaria? 429,000 …

Pop Yeah

by Crystal StaffordLife, Magic December 17, 2018October 9, 2026Comments are Disabled

Oh man. This was one of my favorite days EVER. We were visiting our beloved friends, the Colton’s, in New Orleans and they had the great idea that we hop on the trolley and let it take us where it may. They have a son just a few months older than ours so they had …

Men at Work

by Crystal StaffordLife December 14, 2018October 9, 2026Comments are Disabled

We were just going through the photos of our awesome trip to New Orlean’s and came across this one. Tears. Real tears. This photo cracks me up. Antonio saw another dad in the park working out with his little one and decided to join in as Dasan takes a nice, cozy nap. One for the …

Helicopter Face

by Crystal StaffordLife November 24, 2018April 13, 2019Comments are Disabled

We took our son on his first helicopter tour over Rio de Janeiro. This face pretty much sums up his feelings about it. And no, he didn’t calm down and begin to enjoy it, but we did. This is pretty much my favorite photo of him yet. Is that mean? He just looks so adorable …

Family Thanksgiving in Rio

by Crystal StaffordLife, Magic November 22, 2018Comments are Disabled

This best friend of mine, more of a soul brother than bestie, he and I have been everywhere together. We became soul friends for life in Russia when we were just 17. And then right after HE graduated from college (a good year before me because he was a much better student than I back then) he came and lived with me in Hawaii. And THEN when I moved to Congo, guess who came and lived there for a few months? Michael Boyd Stout. He is my ride or die in the truest sense of the phrase. And now, a few weeks ago when we got the wild idea to spend our “gap month” in Rio, I thought to myself, “I bet Michael would come.” And here is. He flew in on the red eye this morning and is ready to throw down for our 2nd thanksgiving abroad, the first was in Russia 23 years ago.

Magic 326/365, Thanksgiving Breakfast, Santa Teresa, Brazil, November 22, 2018

Sand and Self

by Crystal StaffordLife November 14, 2018November 20, 2018Comments are Disabled

Magic 318/365, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2018