Only because of my brokenness…
This month, is our 6th month on the race. We sailed past the halfway mark and now, we look onwards to the light at the end of the tunnel. For some of us, we excitedly anticipate our return home. As for others on the squad, well, they are not quite ready for this adventure to end. We, being P-Squad, only have 5 countries left to go: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malawi and Zambia! The race is coming to a close faster than I expected, and some days slower than I would like, but we all have those days in everyday life!!
Today, ends Team Victory’s time in Malaysia. We are going to one of my favorite countries in the whole world…Indonesia! This month we have the wonderful ministry of Unsung Heroes, which means we have been given the opportunity to split our time in Malaysia and Indonesia! We spent 3 weeks in Penang, an Island in Malaysia meeting wonderful possible future contacts for the World Race. Now, we fly to Indonesia to find contacts in a new country for the World Race! Knowing I would be so close to Indonesia has been one of my prayers from the start of the race, and the Lord answered with YES!
Before I turn my focus to Indonesia, I want to share one of my favorite stories from Unsung Heroes in Malaysia. During our scavenger hunt through Penang, we met with several amazing contacts. Along the way, we found this uber contact named Ray with YWAM (a group that the World Race connects with on a regular basis). During a lunch meeting with him, Ray gave my team a long list of contacts to call and meet. A woman named Stella was on the list. We gave her a call. Immediately, she invited us to visit her school. Her school is on the mainland, so instructed us to take the ferry across the bay, and a driver would meet us on the other side. Then, we began imagining what to expect with Stella. Would she be young? Old? We had no idea what to expect, but quickly we figured out that Stella would be spunky!
Upon arrival on the mainland, we met by our driver and a volunteer from Germany. The volunteer kindly and took to the school, and up a set of stairs to meet Stella!
After 5.5 months on the Race, you’d think we’d learn to stop dreaming up expectations for our ministries and people we meet. But, sometimes it’s just fun…like meeting Stella! She was indeed spunky and young! Right away, she welcomed us into a meeting room, and shared her vision for her school for children whose families are finding refuge in Malaysia. The children’s families have very little money, and are often persecuted for their heritage. Stella explained that she began as a teacher, but to make ends meet she also worked 2 other jobs. As a result, she spent many hours driving back and forth to all of the jobs, and that lifestyle wore her out. She began looking for a solution, and God opened the door for her to become principal of the school! Now, Stella works one job, but wears many hats: principal, accountant, teacher and custodian. She spends well over 50 hours a week at the school.
When we explained the World Race to Stella, her eyes lit up, and she understood what a blessing it would be to have 6-7 Americans helping for a month. She proceeded to take us on a tour of the school, which is in a store front type building in Malaysia. That meant running up 4 floors of steep stairs to meet teachers and students. We visited three or four classrooms and then hurried all the way back down. We returned to the library (where we were meeting), and Stella offered us a Malaysian breakfast called, Nasi Laskso (rice, fried minnow type fish, peanuts, spicy sauce, and some veggies).
After we ate breakfast, Stella shared her testimony of God’s work in her life over the past 15 years. She told us that she’s not shared her entire story with many people, but felt like the Lord wanted her to share it with us.
Stella loves the Lord with all of her heart. Stella began sharing her testimony with us, a story that was not easy to hear, and I am sure it was even more difficult for her to tell! Through her testimony, one theme was clear…the strength and joy of the Lord abounding around her despite the hard and painful things she experienced!
Stella explained that she gave it all to God saying, “This is your problem Lord, I can’t do it so I am giving it to you!” She told us that the last 9 years were the hardest times of her life, and she felt broken and far from the Lord. Yet, the Lord always drew her back to Him through scripture and peace! Currently, Stella works at the school, where her heart is for the children to know the Love of God and to know that they can dream for big things! She wants her students to know anything is possible,to dream big dreams for their lives, and provide opportunities for them to learn anything and everything.
What a pleasure to meet Stella. As God continues to lead Stella down His path of hope and love, please lift her up in your prayers today.
