The moment the pilot announced we were starting our decent into Kuala Lumpur (Now on referred to as
K.L) I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of Love in my heart that can hardly be put into words. A
Love and excitement for this place and people that is hard to describe.
After landing, we hopped a bus that took us into the city. Even in the light of the just the city,
K.L was breathtaking it seemed so clean and pristine. Once we made it to the middle of the city we got
on another bus headed North.
We made it to our destination in the wee hours of the morning. Our contact greeted us, and quickly
took us to our home for the month. He graciously gave us the day to catch up on sleep, and his family
brought us a late lunch. That evening we were briefed on where we would be volunteering and the area.
Stuff to be careful and good places to eat. (The food here is Delicious by the way)
First night here we dived right in and ventured out to the night market. Full of clothes, food, drinks
and people. The experience was intense, we all came back a little wide eyed. The next morning we got up
bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to observe at the kindergarten where we are volunteering.
It was hard to just sit and observe for once. Many of the jobs and internship I had in college threw
me in, it became the norm.
I got put in a 4 year old classroom with Chelsey my team leader. Who knew that even a 4 year old
classroom could pack such diverse attitudes. I also have a new respect for those of you who teach
kindergarten/preschool all day long, I just do it in the morning and by afternoon I need a good long nap.
Attitudes are universal in any language, that I have learned. Even when you may not speak the same
language, the truth is they understand just enough English to be dangerous. You know the ones, the one
who listens to you say something, then the defiance/mischief look flashes across her face, she shrugs
her shoulders, and just keeps doing what you asked her to stop. There's the one running around, playing
roughly and you keep telling him gentle and he repeats back in some language you don't understand but
keeps doing his thing. Only to find out later that he was repeating back you gentle. You have a moment
of laughing, anger, frustration, then more laughter because all you can do is Love him anyways.
Any classroom would not be the same without the quiet and sensitive ones. So quiet that it is like
pulling teeth to get him to talk and when he finally does talk you have to lean close or you will never
catch what he said. Finally the sensitive one that Cry's a lot, and looks so sad and no one truly knows why.
It is just a day in the life, but there is so much more. God is constantly reminding me that I do
have a gift of patience and he is growing that in me even more through our volunteer work. He has taught
me the importance of what others observe. One of my teammates observed that one of the boys doesn't speak
Malay and no one (even the teachers) speaks his native language. Since that observation I have been filled
with so much more grace and patience toward him. He wants me to pour out every ounce of patience grace I have
so I need to rely on him to fill me up and it becomes his grace and patience filling me.
