Hello Friends!

We are coming up on the 5 year anniversary of the launch of New Mexicast! (Crowd goes WILD!!!!) Over the past 5 years of working independently through New Mexicast there have been a variety of stories that captured my interest. Some are what I like to call “one-stop-shopping,” where I go, shoot an event and put together a stand-alone story which really needs no follow up. Some examples, off the top of my head, are: End of Trail, Bug Hunt, Fiery Foods, Dancing Dogs, Exotics of the Rainforest, Junior Junkanoo and Key West just to name a few.

I have also done several stories which needed more than one episode to do them justice. So, I have posted some two-part series here over the years too. Those are stories like: Flamenco & Flamenco Encore, Jungle Cruise & The Golden Idol and the Manic Mommies & Manic Mommies’ Escape. And, as I think back on most of the stories I’ve come across over the years I would generally say two stories on one subject are usually my limit before I am ready to move on to the next adventure.

That said, every now and then I find a story which affects me differently than the others; one which I feel compelled to do more with. Up until now there has been only one such story on New Mexicast. It was about Holocaust Survivor, Gabrielle Falk. After interviewing Gabrielle, I knew I wanted to tell her story to the best of my ability, even if it meant spending a lot more time than I usually do to develop it. Next thing I knew I had written her story as a 4 part series; Family Historian, Holocaust Survivor, Kristallnacht & Falk Family Finale. In hindsight, I realize they were among the hardest stories I’ve ever done. They were also among the most rewarding because I got the chance to shine a spotlight on some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and share their stories with you.

Well, it looks like I have been bitten again.

As I spent the past several weeks sifting through hours of footage of a home building mission in Mexico (most of which came from the fantastically talented photographer, Jonathan Cracroft) and wondering, “How am I ever going to do this story justice?” I had a moment of clarity and realized it needs to be a multi-part series.

Which, of course, is why I love New Mexicast! I can do the stories I want to do, the way I want to do them. When I worked in local news I was rarely afforded the opportunity to do anything in-depth with stories that moved me because the latest car crash or gang shooting was deemed more “newsworthy” due to their immediacy (and, presumably, their ability to boost ratings with the shock factor). People watch New Mexicast because they CHOOSE to, not because it is the background noise on their TV set, which affords me the freedom to tell great stories. So, to all of you that have CHOSEN to stick with me on this journey… THANK YOU!!! Having real, live viewers-by-choice makes New Mexicast unique in a sea of viewing options, and makes me realize how very blessed I am.

Which brings me to the subject which is inspiring me now. It is about people helping people. It is about facing the worst possible living conditions and seeing the humanity in the middle of it all. It is about counting our blessings. It is about love.

The previous episode of New Mexicast (NM0041_Puerto_Penasco) was part 1 of what will now be a 4-part series. It takes a look at the lovely vacation destination of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (a.k.a. “Rocky Point”) and the harsh reality many of the locals face there. In Part 1 we introduced you to a Phoenix-based organization called i6Eight which is working to build basic homes for people who desperately need them in Rocky Point. Now, in part 2, we join another group of Americans, Families Helping Families, as they travel to Mexico for a Christmastime home-building trip. The work they are doing is awe-inspiring, and more than worthy of the three episodes I will dedicate to their efforts!

By the way, if you like what you see and want more stories like these, please help support New Mexicast by doing one (or more!) of the following:

1. Spread the word by sharing the story by email, on Facebook or Twitter.                                                                                                                                                     Here’s how ~> At the bottom of each video you will see this “share” symbol:  Just click on that and then click one of these buttons: 
2. Embed the story on your own website for others to see.                                                                                                                                                                                         Same as above, but click this button instead: Then paste that code into a blog post on your own website. (Need more help? Email me at: RLR@NewMexicast.com)
3. Sponsor an episode. Find out how here ~> Info about Advertising on New Mexicast
4. Subscribe to New Mexicast by email to get updated when I post a story. Just click here ~> Subscribe to New Mexicast via email
5. Post a comment after the episode you liked.
6. Subscribe to New Mexicast in iTunes. You can do that here ~> New Mexicast in iTunes
7. Write a positive review on iTunes. You can also do that here ~> New Mexicast in iTunes
8. “Like” New Mexicast on Facebook. You can do that here ~> New Mexicast on Facebook
9. Follow New Mexicast on Twitter. You can do that here ~> New Mexicast on Twitter
10. Check out more episodes from New Mexicast’s archives. New here? This is a good place to start ~> New Mexicast’s 1st Episode

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this (long-winded!) post and to watch the latest episode of New Mexicast. Much like the organization featured it this episode New Mexicast’s success is built on “the tentacles of association” of our viewers. If you would consider sharing this video podcast with your friends and family, that would be the best support I could ever ask for!

Lots of Love,