For most of my month in Malaysia, I got to be with the amazing team “Same Same But Different” in the small town of Kuala Krai.
We lived in an apartment above a church and worked with an Indian pastor who ministers to the Indian and Chinese people in Malaysia. Since Malaysia is a closed country, it is illegal to preach to the Malay people, but permitted to minister to the people there from different countries.
Pastor had an intense schedule planned for us working with his ministry to share the gospel in people’s homes, tutor kids, organize worship and messages for a few different churches, love on kids in a children’s ministry, do some construction and pray for people that we got to meet through his church.
Here are some pics from our ministry…
One of my favorite memories was sharing the gospel with an Indian man who had never heard about Jesus. Having grown up in a Christian home it’s easy for me to take for granted the power in the gospel message. When Pastor asked us to tell him the story of the gospel, I didn’t know where to start. How do I convey the power and freedom of this message?
“Lord, I need you. Tell me what to say.”
God created the earth. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve listening to satan. God sent his Son Jesus as a baby, born in a manger. Jesus grew up, fully God and fully man. He died on a cross to save the world from our sins. He was resurrected to life on the third day. And was lifted to heaven. He sent his Holy Spirit to speak to us, guide us, love us. And we can now have a relationship with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and be given eternal life in heaven if we place our trust, heart, belief into the Lord’s hands.
I felt like I was telling a children’s story. It’s so simple. But it is life changing. And I saw it bring so much hope to the lives of the families in Malaysia living under the weight of a Muslim and Hindu culture.
“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
like a child shall not enter it at all.”
Mark 10:15
The most challenging point of this whole month came when two of my friends on team “Same Same” came to me and told me that they had converted to Judaism and that they were leaving the Race. Watching two people that I love and care about walk away from Jesus and the Race was gut wrenching. And the enemy used it to sow and spread a lot of doubt in the team.
“God, I don’t know what to do. I need you.”
I felt so heavy- like I was responsible to make it all clear for everybody. But no matter how much I wanted to cheer people back to the Lord, I had to trust him. God is in control. And I am not.
After the guys left we all had some difficult, amazing conversations. Some of the team had their faith challenged like they never have before. An intellectual debate had come in and threatened their childlike faith. They didn’t want to just believe what they were supposed to believe, or something that their parents had taught them. They wanted to believe something real. And I respected their desire for truth.
Truth is intellectual. But it’s also experiential, relational, full of life. And bigger than what we can understand sometimes. Ultimately faith is a choice met by a beautiful relationship.
That week Jesus intervened and brought his truth to desperate hearts. He refreshed us where we needed strength. He brought assurance of his relationship with his children and restored a childlike faith to the team. He started to rebuild and restore what the enemy had threatened to destroy.
Here is an awesome blog that my friend Lauren posted about her experience: http://laurenargue.theworldrace.org/?filename=are-you-strong-enough-for-child-like-faith
I still don’t totally understand why my friends decided to walk away from their Christian faith. I don’t have all the answers to their questions. But I know that I love those guys. I know that Jesus is a pursuer of his children. That truth doesn’t bend to our lack of faith. And that God is writing their stories, unique to them, as he has each of our stories secure.
“…Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do see…” Hebrews 11:1
