The Beginning

During our short stay in Sedona, I found myself fumbling with my camera, trying feebly to capture the incredible panoramic vistas. As I compared the images on my camera’s small screen to the surrounding sights, I let out a frustrated sigh and put my camera away, only to retrieve it a few moments later and try again. The beauty was overwhelming and larger than life. There was no way I could capture the essence of such a grand and majestic place. And yet, over and over again, I tried. There is some part of me, of each of us, that tries to tenaciously hang on to the beautiful moments in life. We want to capture them, to treasure them, to be able to go back and, in some small way, experience them again. There is a fear deep inside that we may forget; that what brought us so much joy may fade from reality to memory, and eventually to nothing at all, as even our most cherished memories slip away.

I realize that my attempt to record my short journey to the Philippines will be as futile as my attempt to capture a beautiful landscape on camera. My heart still yearns for the people who, in such a short time, became my family. My eyes still long for the places that looked as close to heaven as any I’ve ever seen. My soul still thirsts for those nights when I wrestled with God and received His blessing in a more tangible way than I’ve ever experienced it. The beauty was overwhelming and larger than life. There is no way I can capture the essence of such a life-changing experience with my ineloquent words. And yet… I try. Because deep within me lies the fear that as I forget, as my memories fade out of reach, the changes within me will fade with them. And so I write. I write to remember. I know that I will look back on these memories, that cherished time, and smile wistfully. But more than that, I hope that I will look back and remember that I am a different person today because God met me there. This is my altar, my Ebenezer, another stone to add to the collection.

I originally created this blog as way to give others a window into my experiences in the Philippines. Now, I’m writing for myself. But many works are written for a secondary audience. This is one of them. And so I invite you to come in. Look around. Stay awhile, if you wish. Experience the memories with me. Just keep in mind that, as even the best photograph of the Grand Canyon fails to capture its splendor, this blog gives only a glimpse into the magnificent workings of an amazing God in a little city on the other side of the world…