I’m going to be honest, Malaysia has been such a surprise to me. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this country. I knew NOTHING about it. I didn’t know the history, the people, the culture, anything. But quite literally as soon as we landed in Kuala Limpur (the capital) everything felt so familiar. I think that is what has surprised me the most about this place, is how much it feels like home. Now I know what you’re probably thinking…”ok, Becca’s obviously being called to live in Malaysia.” But I really don’t think that’s it. I’ve loved it here, the people and experience have been amazing. But while it feels like home, it’s not. I think this month and this country in particular was given to us because it was so similar in some ways to the U.S. in order to prepare us for going home. As excited as I am about going home…and believe me, I am PUMPED…..it will still be a transition and a time of adjustment. I have loved my time on this journey and am still loving it. I’m not ready to go home in the sense of wanting to leave here before my time is up, but I am excited about going home after a job well done, finishing strong with where God has placed me. I believe that Malaysia was able to help us and prepare us like no other place has for the familiarity of home and what we still need to work on before we get there. It’s a nice sneak peek into the future ways that we can be blessed but also be tripped up if we’re not careful. It has given us time to see how we may act in certain situation and given us time to grow in a proper response of it. All of that to say, I don’t think it is any accident we were here when we were. I have loved it and God has been doing cool things.
When we first came to Melaka, the city where we have gotten to stay and do ministry for this month, we worked with a ministry called WINGS. Wings is a learning facility for disabled or handicapped kids and young adults to learn how to do life. They teach them basic skills like cooking, cleaning, doing their homework and interacting with people. I was so impressed with the way this place was run. It was one of the most organized, thought out programs I have every seen. Everything the workers did had a reason and a purpose and they did it all with such love for their students. The students themselves were absolutely priceless. I don’t know how anyone could not love them. They were so fun and loving and because of the culture that they live in, most could speak at least two languages, some of them more.
After our week at Wings we started getting to engage and be a part of several ministries at the church we were serving with. On Saturdays we got to help lead a group of churched and unchurched kids from the age of 5-12 in learning English. Teaching English is a great tool that is used reaching out to the community around the church and introducing them to the idea of the church and people who want to show them the love of Christ. So, we played games, sang songs and just hung out with them while speaking and encouraging English learning. It was a lot of fun. At first I’m pretty sure that they thought we were out of our minds….but they grew to love us 😀 We even got to go along with them to tour a submarine which was pretty fantastic!…don’t think that lifestyle is for me…way too cramped.
Another way that we taught English was to Chinese women who had a desire to learn. They also were both churched and unchurched and these women were so precious. Now, for those who, like me, knew nothing about Malaysia and its culture, it would be helpful to explain really quick what the culture is made up of. You have three parts: The Chinese, the Indian, and the Malay. All of these groups have been around here for generations and have lived alongside and intermingled and intermarried with each other. That being said, it is still very easy to tell the difference between the three cultures and English is the common denominator for most. So for those who, for whatever reason have not previously learned how to speak English, learning is a very beneficial tool. So, part of our ministry this month was to teach these Chinese women the basics of speaking. We split the group into basic and more advanced English and Julia and I took the more basic class because there was fewer of them. These women were so smart and eager to learn and they caught on to things so quickly. It was so much fun to just get to talk to them and learn about their lives and get to do life.
During this time we also got to work with the youth and college age students from the church and nearby universities. It was a good time to be there because most of the colleges were on their break, so the students were actually around and more free. Working with youth and young adults is one of the things that I am most passionate about, so I really enjoyed getting to serve alongside the incredible helpers that work with them day in and day out. The youth here are so driven and dedicated. They are constantly having to battle and balance their dedication to school and getting a good job afterwards, with what they actually like doing and feel passionate about. It’s a bit of a different feel than working with young people in the States.
My favorite part about Malaysia has been its people. They have welcomed us into their homes, their small groups and their lives. They have made us feel so at home and like a valued part of the ministry. They have challenged us spiritually and encouraged our walk with Christ. They have shown us so many ways to really participate and experience their culture and have loved us so well. I am truly blessed from having done life with them, even for a short time.
