It’s now month 8, or at least the end of month seven. My mind is in New York time zone, my circadian rhythm synced with Kaula Lumpur, and my body plopped on the floor of an airport in Qatar. This scene isn’t too out-of-the-ordinary for life right now, which is very odd in itself.
I’m not sure what I have to say at this point. I try to keep in mind the whirlwind adventure I’m on, but somedays the whirlwind just roars to a lull dull. Not that it is boring…certainly not. But that my body has somehow acclimated to moving, changes, long flights, sleeplessness, and looking different than most of the people I’m around. At the moment, I can’t seem to draw much depth from all that, but nonetheless, life’s still going 100mph.
So maybe I’ll just share a snapshot of random things:
- It’s sometimes a pain, but also a huge gift to be able to travel with a group. There’s always somebody who is excited to see you (and vice versa). People have your back & you have theirs. Something too heavy? Need somebody to watch your bag? Forgot to pack snacks? Need a hug? You’re covered.
- In Malaysia, many of the women are Muslim and wear hijabs (head coverings). They are worn beautifully and kept carefully to not reveal too much of the face or the hair. It feels like I’ve been trusted a little bit when these beautiful women take off & adjust their head coverings in the bathroom. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s special to get to see these women primping in the mirror and adjusting their hijabs.
- I now prefer squatty potties, especially in public bathrooms. Even if they’re gross, you don’t actually have to touch your body to anything, so it actually turns out to be more hygienic!
- On the airplane, I got the “cogeen” for breakfast instead of an omelet and sausage. It was a sort of rice porridge with fish, ginger, and green onions. Chicken and rice porridge is a common breakfast in Malaysia and Thailand that I took a liking to. It is savory, warm, filling, and mildly bland for your waking-up-taste buds..
- I had to go to the doctor several days ago for some bug bites on my body. Like other reputable places, you leave your shoes outside the door. It was a little funny to be having a serious conversation with the barefoot doctor!
- Also on the themes of doctors, the big hospital in Kuala Lumpur has both a “Western Medicine” and “Chinese Medicine” unit. I really wish I’d had the opportunity to check out the Chinese Medicine side. It’s interesting how something that is considered alternative and in need of much explanation for us is a pretty mundane treatment for many people in Asia.
- I only recently found out that “Terima Kasih”, the phrase used to say thank you, is literally translated as “Receive Love”. I couldn’t be more delighted about having been a polite traveler all month! Any time I said thank you, I was really speaking a blessing over people for them to be open to love! How cool is that?!
- I had an eight hour flight just now and it felt “not too long /bad”. That’s pretty cool.
- Most of the time getting to share my faith out loud this month came through Teksi (taxi) rides. First there was a man who had an injured ankle to the point he couldn’t walk or stand. He let me pray for him, felt heat move through his leg, and was able to walk 2 minutes later! Then there was Amy, a Chinese believer who needed encouragement. I was privileged with getting to pray for her and encourage her. She was delighted, as was I. Finally, I was able to share some of my testimony with a kind young man. He had 3 months until entering medical school, and drove ‘for fun’. I got to tell him about how Jesus resurrected my heart and changed my life.
- I haven’t eaten spinach in seven months. Sad. Sad. Sad. Sad.
- My favorite article of clothing is 100% functional and 100% beautiful. It’s a light pink scarf/sarong a friend gave me that complements my skin tone and functions as a: scarf, blanket, towel, shoulder wrap, pillow, purse, fashion statement and head covering. Excellent!
This post is already a little out-of-date, as I am now in Banos, Ecuador, leaving for Shell, Ecuador in the morning. Life moves fast on the race.
Still going!
Natalie
