[the things i couldn't capture]

The last four weeks, I've been on a sprint across the world. Literally.

Spent five days in Thailand, one week in Taiwan and one week in China visiting both native and American friends. Went to reunite, learn more about their countries and bring back fresh perspective to better serve internationals here.

Then off to St. Louis to help lead a week-long Bible seminar with others from Egypt, Ethiopia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the states. Four weeks of whirlwind schedules, traveling and many new friends, but good weeks. Fun. Humbling. Exhausting. Challenging. Blessed.

And even though I tried to take pictures, I feel they don't really do justice to the best parts of my adventures. The most beautiful places could not be contained by a simple Samsung camera, and there were so many things that won't be captured by any camera.

Like smells. You can't capture those. Smells of food vendors, fresh meats, fried foods and ripe (even smelly durian) fruits freshly cut.

Or heat - from the weather, from the grills, from the people all around and the cars weaving in and out of crazy traffic. From the life that simply makes up a city - a place where the lights seem to be always on, the horns always honking, the people always out.

You can't capture people's mannerisms or language or accents or genuine laughter. You can't capture a drive through Taiwan's mountains singing along to old American tunes your friends learned while living in the states. Or my blunders at Chinese. Or the funny way a word like "sluggish" becomes a joke that makes you laugh every time with new friends from Nanjing. Or a ridiculous dance.

And conversation starters like this in a country where people are told there's no God are impossible:

She said: I hear you work at a church.
I said: Yeah, I do.
She said: I had a Christian roommate in college. She was the best person I knew, and I wanted to learn about Christians because of her.
I said: Yeah?
She said: Yeah. But my stepmom also says she's a Christian and goes to that place every Sunday.
I said: Church? Where Christians meet to worship?
She said: Yeah that place. But she's not a good person. So I decided I didn't want to learn about Christians anymore. When I used to study the Bible and learn about Christians I had peace. Now I have no peace, and I know I am lost. I think you know how to find it again.

Wow. Talk about an opportunity straight from the Lord. 

What about helping another Chinese friend proofread her testimony before getting baptized? Or spending time in prayer with fellow Thai brothers and sisters who understand what losing one's life to save it means? To often give up family, friends and cultural acceptance to follow Christ?

You don't take pictures while worshipping with believers in home churches that are techically illegal. You can't take pictures of uplifting prayer, humbling stories, the image of God in others or the beauty of sweet conversations about life, joy, grace and Jesus.

Most of all, I couldn't take pictures of the lessons God taught me. Lessons about His power and authority in the world. Lessons that reminded me He's in-charge, and He's got this. I tend to get stressed, frantic and overwhelmed about all the needs in such a broken world, but God reminded me He's not stressed, frantic or overwhelmed.

He's done this before - softened hard hearts, broken hard ground, met needs, preserved the persecuted, answered the cry for justice, worked through the broken to reach the broken. He's the one whose name is on the line here, not mine, and I'm learning He works best in the impossibles.

There's a lot of things I don't have figured out. There's a lot of questions I don't have answers to. But after the last four weeks, I have full confidence that I'm following a God who does. A hectice four weeks. An exhausting four weeks. But an incredible four weeks that taught me much about living and loving, God and people, hope and courage. Humbled, thankful and truly blessed.