Two inspired Pepperdine students traveled to Kenya and Uganda during this year’s winter break. One built ovens in slums and orphanages and the other captured the course of the journey through a camera lens. Theirs is a unique story of compassion faith and fulfillment. Dusty Breeding and J. J. Starr weren’t really friends when they ran into each other in the same film class. They were two very different persons from two very different worlds. Breeding a senior loves college ministry and the culinary arts. After attending culinary school he aspired to become a pastry chef for a cruise line but his undying love for God and college ministry eventually landed him an associate’s degree in Bible and guided him to Pepperdine University.Starr also a senior loves story-telling and film-making. He came to Pepperdine with plans of becoming a news anchor but his growing fascination with telling stories with a camera inspired him to film and produce a number of short films and documentaries. When Breeding asked Starr to join him on his mission trip to Africa several weeks before winter break Starr didn’t think twice. “All I knew was that Dusty started going to Africa a couple of years ago and this project that he started was his baby Starr said. But I still knew that this was going to be a gripping story.”Breeding wanted to make great use of Starr’s talent in story-telling and film-making to raise awareness and interest in his project: a non-profit organization called Lifebread Inc.The heart of Lifebread started beating the very moment Breeding met Russell Lingerfelt a veteran missionary at the World Mission Workshop at Harding University. Lingerfelt simply invited Breeding to join him on a mission trip to Africa for 10 weeks. Breeding agreed.During his five weeks in Uganda and five weeks in Kenya Breeding met another person who played an instrumental role in the founding of Lifebread. Mark Long a Pepperdine alumnus who had been living in Uganda for almost 10 years saw great potential in Breeding’s talent and knowledge in culinary arts. After thorough planning and brainstorming he and Breeding gathered the material and built three ovens at a Christian youth camp.Breeding’s first trip to Africa was not only a cultural shock but was also a life-changing experience. “It was amazing Breeding said. I had found a project in which I could combine my two passions for both ministry and cooking.” Breeding believed that this food-based ministry could help the impoverished African communities and at the same show Christ’s love through service and compassion.Answering his calling and new-found passion Breeding started working the non-profit organization the moment he returned to the United States. On Aug. 32007 Lifebread Inc. was officially recognized as a nonprofit organization by the IRS. Four years since the founding Dusty has been visiting Africa each summer and winter break for a total of eight times. Although it was another recurring trip for Breeding the trip was Starr’s first visit to Africa. After purchasing his airplane tickets with money left over from a summer job and a grant from school Starr then had to purchase his visa after landing in Uganda and endure a 15 hour bus ride from the capital city.”The drivers of Africa were crazy Starr said. There was no order and definitely no stoplights and once we got to a slum in Kenya I got a little scared because there were a rather large al-Qaida base and Somalian pirates. Thankfully we didn’t run into any problems.” After thorough surveying and searching for a suitable location for the ovens and considering factors such as geography demographics and safety Lifebread purchases oil drums lays them on brick foundations uses dirt and cow manure for mortar seals the bricks with cement and finally builds a fire beneath the oven. “These ovens aren’t too difficult to make once we get the materials to build them Breeding said. It only costs around $150 to build one oven and once one is built the impact and benefit it has on the local community is just immeasurable.” Once these ovens are built and ready Breeding and his team teach the people how to bake bread and provide them with business skills so they may also sell the bread they bake. It was Starr’s responsibility to capture the work and essence of Lifebread and tell a compelling story about its mission and bakery projects. “I shot a total of 13 hours worth of footage just to make a documentary film of twenty minutes Starr said. Sure it was grueling and painstaking but I wanted to capture every second of Lifebread’s work and make sure that I produce a film worth watching.”Filming wasn’t exactly without its challenges however. Starr with his responsibility with filming the whole trip had to remain behind the camera at all times. “It was real hard to be neutral with all the poverty and helpless people around me Starr said. I could help and partake in the project myself but I knew I was helping by filming all of it.”It wasn’t only Starr who faced challenges however. In spite of being a seasoned traveler to Africa Breeding himself had hard times serving in his project. “I sometimes grow tired of and even hate the work that I am doing Breeding said. But I always find motivation and inspiration from my Christian faith and passion for showing the people that there is a bigger purpose and I know it is my calling to serve these people just like how Jesus taught us to.” Breeding recalls the day he found a teenage boy in Mathare Valley. “He was covered in severe burns and we found out that a mob had accused him of stealing a cell phone beat him covered him in tar and tried to burn him alive Breeding said. Then he was just left to die. I knew I had to help people like him.” Starr draws inspiration and motivation from the cause as well. “Yes it was hard and I definitely had moments where I thought ‘Gosh I don’t want to film this anymore'” Starr said. “But I still remember this moment when I filmed this blind kid who played the harmonica for us. It was just beautiful; I know it in my heart that I love to tell stories and I knew I could do this for the rest of my life.” Starr’s documentary film is still in the works and he plans to finish editing it by the end of the semester. He however refuses to stop there as he plans to tell more stories by filming for other non-profit organizations and also to be able to travel. “I don’t have anything concrete yet but I know I will always find another great story to tell Starr said. Starr has uploaded a short music video clip from compiled footage on Lifebread’s website, lifebread.org. Breeding is far from retiring as well. Lifebread has grown steadily for the past three years, but he believes that his organization is still in the baby stages and has huge potential to continue growing. I have just started and I will continue working for Lifebread as long as I live and breathe Breeding said.