I’m pleased to report our travel from Cambodia to Malaysia was painless and probably the easiest travel day on the Race thus far. One quick flight from Phnom Pehn to Kuala Lumpur and we were in our final country of this epic journey.
This month we will be working with 3 churches in the greater Kuala Lumpur area, each associated with the Assemblies of God. That means we’ll be putting our packing skills to the test as we move to a new church each week- but let’s be real, after 10 months of living out of a bag and packing every few weeks, this is nothing!
A bit about Malaysia- it is considered the “Rainbow Country of Asia” meaning it is home to many people groups. Along with the indigenous Malays, the most common are the Indian and Chinese. This means there are many languages, cultures and religions all mixed into one country. It is common to be walking on the street and pass a Muslim woman with a headscarf as well as a Hindu woman wearing a sari. This cultural mixture also means we can have incredible Indian curry for dinner one night and delicious Chinese fried rice the next!
Our first week, we were working with Pastor James Miller at Bethsaida Assembly of God in Kuala Lumpur. Pastor James is of Indian descent, as is his congregation. This means the service and songs are all in Tamil, the native Indian language. We stayed at the church and spent the mornings and afternoons meeting members of the community and inviting them to the church. In the evenings we would pay a visit to a church member’s home for fellowship and prayer, as well as a traditional meal. In one week’s time, we met some incredible people!
Oscar was a kid I met the first day we went out in the community. His dad owns and operates a money changing business near the church. We shared a love for badminton and were able to play a fun game at the local park.
Kumas is a refugee from Sri Lanka and a member of the church. We visited his home on our final evening and he was ecstatic to host us. We asked him to share his story with us and he wept in front of us as he remembered the civil war that tore Sri Lanka apart in 1992. He and two friends survived a bomb that blew up near his home but the 30 other people near him did not have the same story. He sobbed as he remembered the bodies of his friends torn to pieces right in front of him. After this defining moment in his life, he turned to God and has been walking with Him since.
James’ wife Joyce is an incredible cook and hostess. Each afternoon we would eat a home cooked lunch and enjoy time with their family. Definitely a highlight of the week!
James and Joyce have 3 sons that were a bit shy to warm up but we became good friends by the end of the week!
Since we’re working with 3 different churches, each week we will stay in the church where we’re serving. That means I’m getting good use of my trusty bedroll before I head home. This week, each of us set up our little fortresses and used chairs to separate our “rooms.”
A highlight for me this week was during one of our mornings in the community. Jamie and I had visited a few people that we wanted to connect with and were left with out any direction and a lot of time before we were to meet up with the rest of the team.
Since our arrival in Malaysia, I wanted to visit a mosque and pray for the people that attend and pray there. Lucky for me, there was a mosque about a mile from the church we were staying at.
Jame, want to go to the mosque?
Sure.
So we went. As the hot sun beat down on us, the mosque seemed to get further and further away but we continued walking. We approached the gate with a bit of reluctance, neither of us having much experience with Muslims or mosques.
Well, my knees and shoulders are covered. Will I offend them that my head isn’t covered?
I looked around the parking lot and saw matching bows on most of the cars. As we approached the building, our suspicions were confirmed- there was a wedding happening and they were right in the middle of the ceremony.
A security guard approached us.
Oh gosh, we’re in trouble. We’ve been “culturally insensitive.”
Complete opposite. He encouraged us to go in. He even said we could take pictures. When in Rome…
So we entered the mosque and sat on the floor in the back. We watched as the bride’s family “gave her away” and she became part of her husband’s family. We watched and attempted to avoid any attention that two sweaty American girls can bring at a Muslim wedding. As the ceremony came to an end, we tried to slip out unnoticed- to no avail.
A man approached us and told us we could take pictures of the wedding party. He insisted actually.
Well, all right.
So I got right up there with the photographer and took pictures of the wedding party. Of the bride and groom. Of the cute kids attending the wedding.
Bride and Groom.
The whole family.
One of the girls attending the wedding.
The same man insisted that we try some of the food provided at the reception.
Please, come. Try some authentic dishes….it’s free. It’s free.
I wasn’t worried about paying; I just didn’t want to take away from the couple’s big day. The man ushered us over to the pavilion housing the food. Jamie and I sat at an unoccupied table and hesitantly took some food. The man (a friend of the bride’s family) sat with us and brought over other family members. We ate in silence until curiosity got the best of us.
They asked the typical questions- where are you from? Do you like Malaysia? When will you return to the States?
I asked some questions about traditional Muslim weddings and explained a bit about typical American weddings. The two women sitting at our table looked incredible hot and uncomfortable as they ate their food. Finally, I just blurted out,
Aren’t you hot? You’ve got to be hot, I mean, I’m sweating and I’m just in a tshirt and capris!
My outburst made them laugh. They were covered head to toe and they were sweating. They replied with a resounding, “YES!”
The man then asked if we wanted a picture with the bride and groom.
No, no. We should be going. We don’t want to trouble you any more. Thank you so much for your hospitality.
Didn’t work. He called the bride and groom over. We took pictures and even though we said thank you multiple times, they thought they were the lucky ones that we were at their wedding.
As we made our way back to the church, we prayed for the couple and their new marriage. We prayed for the people we met. We high-fived that we had just crashed a Muslim wedding.
It was a unique experience but through it all I continued to think, They’re just people, like you and me. We tend to be fearful of the unknown. I know a few things about Muslim people but I can add “incredibly kind and hospitable” to the list.
So, there you have it, a few highlights from our first week in Malaysia!
