My team and I had the privilege of going to visit a village of one tribe of the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia, this week. We travelled around 5 hours by car, and then took a short boat ride across the river to the island in the Malaysian rainforest where they live – an area called, Happy Valley. There are actually 18 Orang Asli tribes, categorized under three main groups according to their different languages and customs.
We were going to leave on Monday morning, spend the day and night and return on Tuesday evening. I was so excited – especially about having the opportunity to spend the night. However, after beginning our journey on Monday, we discovered that there had been some miscommunication and we would not be able to spend the night. I was so disappointed and a little bitter. I honestly felt like there was no point in us even going anymore – we had to travel so far to have such a short amount of time there.
Of course, God was able to use and bless our time, and teach me a lesson at the same time.
As soon as we arrived in the village, we were met by a group of women and children (some of whom had not seen foreigners before); we spent a little time introducing ourselves and letting the children warm up to us. The men then moved off, together with Pastor John and brother Ray, who accompanied us, to spend some time in fellowship and the word; and we moved to the church with the women, children and Janet, who serves and volunteers in the village on a regular basis.
After properly introducing ourselves; one of my teammates spent some time sharing a message on worth, and how our value is not determined by the world and those around us but by our Heavenly Father. We sang a song with the ladies and we then asked a few of them if they would share their testimonies with us, and also give us some insight into their traditions and way of life. I was blown away by the joy and hope that these women have, and the faith that they have in the Lord is strong. We heard a story of one woman who had to fight for her marriage, and rely on the Lord and her faith, while her family attempted to break up her marriage – even resorting to using witchcraft to try and separate them. We then heard about their way of life and how they spend their time working in the fields and the men go hunting for wild boar and monkeys, they also collect herbs and plants that can be sold for medicinal purposes and are sold in a town across the river.
After they shared with us, they spent some time teaching us their tribal dance and also a dance about Peter walking on the water, which they sang in their native tongue. After that, we decided to do a story for the children. I volunteered to do the parable of the lost sheep and teach them the sheep song.
I had decided in South Africa, that no matter what, I would teach the sheep song in every country on this journey – and so far I have. It touches my heart and gives me such a deep understanding of the way that the Lord cares for us and loves us.
The children had fun pretending to be sheep and crawling around on all fours bleating and following me (the pretend shepherd) around. I acted out the story, taking my sheep to find grass to eat and water to drink, putting them together in a safe place at night and standing guard over them – and then having one of my sheep go astray. I then go out searching for my sheep and when I find it I carry it all the way back to the other sheep.
I then spent some time explaining the parable, and what it means that Jesus is our Shepherd and how He goes out to seek and save the lost. That He loves us, like a shepherd loves his sheep, and that He will always come searching for us. There is nowhere too far and no place too dark that He cannot find us and rescue us from.
After that we sang ‘The Sheep Song’ – my favourite! 🙂
When we were done, we went outside and spent some time playing with the children and just talking with the people. We also got to pray for healing for a lady named Loong and her 4 month old baby boy.
As we left, after a few short hours, we took some pictures from the boat and some children stood on the bank and posed with their sheep ears. It was then that it hit me…
This is what I’ve been called to do and this is why I do it. The amount of time doesn’t matter, the amount of resources doesn’t matter…what matters is sharing the love of Jesus and loving and caring for people, by listening to them, by encouraging them, by letting them know that they are loved and valued.
If I go all around the world on this trip and all I do is teach the sheep song and the story of the lost sheep; while planting seeds of God’s love and the truth of the gospel into children’s (and adults) hearts, then that is enough. God receives all the glory and He will reap the harvest.
These are the one’s I do it for:- I do it that children might grow up knowing that they are never alone, that they are loved, cared for and pursued by the Good Shepherd. I do it for adults who may feel that they have wandered too far from God, that there is no way that He could possibly love them, to show them that He will never give up on them and will go to any lengths (even giving up His own Son) to rescue them.
God used this experience to humble me and remind me (again) that it is never about what we do/how long we have/what we have to use etc. it is about WHY we are here and WHO we are doing this for.
Liya – who starred as my lost sheep in the village on Monday.
