I am just realizing that I have not written any kind of update since I have been in Malaysia (the time is absolutely flying) so here is a brief overview of what we are doing, and what the past month on the race has looked like.
I had no idea what to expect coming into Malaysia, and I mean no idea. Shamefully, I’m not even sure if I could have located on a map before I signed up for the race! So that being said, I definitely did not expect for this to be one of my new favorite places in the world.
Malaysia is a very unique country. There are three very dominant cultures. There is Chinese culture, Indian culture, and Malaysian culture. It makes for a very interesting and diverse experience. It has been fascinating to observe how while these three very different cultures do peacefully co-exist… that’s just the thing, they co- exist, they don’t by any means cross the invisible borders that are between them. They keep their cultures very separate. There is a famous street not too far from my apartment that is called Harmony Road. It got it’s name because on that one road there is a Mosque, a Hindu temple, a Christian church, and a Buddhist Temple pretty much right in a row. Malaysia is a Muslim country, but only the Malaysian born Malay (as opposed to the Chinese or Indian Malay) are required to practice this religion by law. So it is not illegal to be a Christian in this country (unless you are Malaysian Malay), but it is illegal for any other religion to try to convert a Muslim into a different religion. That being said, there are actually a lot of underground churches in Malaysia made up of ex- Muslims. There are a lot of bad things that happen to an ex- Muslim if they are found out.
My team and I are living on an island off the west coast of Malaysia called Penang. Specifically, within Penang, we live in an area Georgetown. It is a very famous area filled with many European backpackers. There is always something going on, and always something to do! I think I should mention the fact that Penang was recently rated the street food capital of the world! And yes, I can vouch for it being deserving of that title. We walk out our front door and there are food stalls all up and down the street with some of the best authentic Chinese, Indian, and even American food I have ever had! Definitely a plus to our location!
Our set-up as far as ministry goes is quite different than I had it in Guatemala. As you probably know, in Guatemala we were living with our contact, a Guatemalan man named German, and solely working with him and his own ministry. Here in Penang, our contact is actually a former World Racer named Jessica. She is a long-term missionary here, and moved here two years ago. Her role as our contact is very different than our contact in Guatemala. She doesn’t have her own ministry that we work with, but her job has been to plug us into multiple local ministries that she knows of. She is just our point person if we need anything, and a good friend to hang out with and show us around! The place we are living is through YWAM (the other team that is in Penang with us is working with them).
Ok, so ministry! We have been doing such a variety of different things, but our “main” ministry that we dedicate the most time to (and is our favorite), is teaching at a Burmese refugee school. This has been one of the most eye- opening experiences that I have ever had. All of the students are either refugees themselves, or their parents fled Burma for Malaysia before they were born and they were born here. The majority of the refugee families were forced to leave their country due to religious persecution. Burma is a Buddhist country and all of the refugees are Muslim. Being able to hear these people’s stories, and the absolute tragedies that they have gone through has completely changed my perspective on so many things. With what is going on in our country today, I know that the first hand experience and relationships that I am building with refugees and also Muslims is very valuable. I could go on for pages and pages about my heart for these people and my kids at the school. They are so dear to me. My life with honestly never be the same thanks to them.
In addition, we work in a coffee shop, do street outreach/ evangelism, work with a tutoring program for underprivileged kids, and are very involved with penHOP. PenHOP is another one of my favorite parts of being here. PenHOP is the Penang House of Prayer. For those of you who are unfamiliar with houses of prayer, it is a really cool thing to be involved in. We attend twice a week, once for 7 hours, and again for 4. It is literally a time of solely prayer and worship for hours in a row! There are times when the room is silent and people are just sprawled out all over the room… on pillows, on the ground, on chairs… simply praying, getting in the word, painting, or doing whatever they do to worship God. There are other times dedicated to worshipping with a band on stage, or praying in groups or as a whole room. It is very cool to have part of our ministry being so much about our personal growth and spiritual health. There are days that ministry is exhausting and draining, but no matter what penHOP is a time to refocus, and spend some really valuable time with the Father.
Although Malaysia is a very spiritually dark place, it is evident that there is so much light here. It is trying so hard to penetrate the darkness. I have met some of the most faithful Christians in my life here… missionaries as well as locals, who have so much hope for this country. Big things are going to happen here! The people are desperately hungry for Truth.
Please keep Malaysia in your prayers. The country as a whole, as well as our Christian ex- Muslim brothers and sisters who are suffering, but particularly those who have not found Truth yet. Pray that although it is illegal to share faith with Muslims, that God will help people develop relationships that make those kinds of pathways possible, and that He will reveal Himself to them through dreams and visions, calling them to Him and to Truth.
Much Love, Megan
