MALAYSIA | Port Klang
Port Klang was definitely a whirl wind. We only stayed for 5 days, but each one was jammed pack full of ministry opportunities. Everyday was something new whether it be going to a refugee school for Burmese children or going to a nursing home. The main event was working at an International Food Festival hosted by MMK (Migrant Ministry Klang) who helps refugees in Malaysia. We went for a full day and sold tickets. But, the head guys gave us tokens to get food all day!
Malaysia welcomed us with open arms, and I have never felt so comfortable. Everywhere we went people were taking us to dinner or providing lunch and sometimes even breakfast. One family even invited us over to join their family for dinner at their house.
I wish I could have stayed there the rest of the month, but we had already bought our train tickets to Penang.
On Monday we left our Port Klang home and headed for Penang about 5 hours away. We had to take the train back to Kuala Lumpur before we could get a bus to Penang. We left early in the morning so we could get internet at Sentral Station (KL train station). We got there around 10:30 and then got to spend until 12 eating and talking with people. We loaded up to take a train to the next station and then to hop on our bus at 1:00. We quickly discovered that rounding up 12 people instead of the normal 6 is a little more difficult causing us to miss the earlier train and making us take the next available one at 12:40, giving us only 20 minutes to walk to the bus station. Though, all our hopes were high that we would do it.
As soon as we got off the train, we quickly headed in the most logical direction of getting out of the train station and followed local’s directions to the bus station. But, after 20 minutes of going up and down and up and down various flights of stairs with our 50 pound large bags and 20 pound smaller ones we were covered in sweat and no closer to the train station and it was 1:00. We finally were able to get someone to call the bus station and translate for us and shoot us in the right direction. At about 1:15 we finally made it and as you may have guessed we missed the bus. We of course were devastated because the tickets were expensive and the next bus didn’t leave until 4:00. Our fearless leader, Carly, tried talking to the bus people to see if our money would be refunded but after a quick prayer she said to settle in for the next couple hours. As soon as we got our packs in the proper place a lady came out and in broken English tried to explain that our bus was here! Shocked and amazed we loaded our bags back up and headed outside to see that another bus had come to pick us up and this on was a luxury liner that had individual seats and lots of room.
It was so neat to see God provide even in those moments. It ended up that our original bus and our new bus crossed paths half way through the trip so we had to change busses at a gas station. So…after about 12 hours of traveling we finally made it to our humble abode in Butterworth! Thank the Lord!
