My
Life Story
I was
born and raised in Malaysia.
I grew up in a Methodist church as a deacon’s kid, was the ‘good’ kid that
would answer every question that the Sunday School teacher threw at us, and actively
participated in performances in church. Until my teenage years…… I became very
rebellious, and often gave my parents a lot of headaches. I didn’t do drugs or
smoke or join gangs (thank God), but I would answer back or slam my door every
time my parents tried to talk to me. I hated school rules and couldn’t care
less about them. Once I got a crew cut and wore boys’ uniform to school (and
went into the girl’s toilet). Another time I sent a photo of my friends and I
to a local newspaper for an April Fool’s joke where everyone’s hair were
‘shaved’. I got called to the discipline office for an explanation but was
defiant enough to not speak a word.
Growing
up, I never shared my deepest thoughts and feelings with anyone, not even my
sister, mom, dad, or even with friends. My family was not very expressive and
we were pretty independent. In school, I was a driven person and I filled my
life with activities, fueled by my independence and will power in everything I
did in and out of school.
After
high school, I went to Seattle
for university. There, my rebellious and self-sufficient nature was molded.
Being in a very close knitted Baptist church that ‘got into’ my life in every
aspect, I learned to open myself up and be transparent before them. I learned
what it truly means to be in a family of God and to live like one. After
graduation I worked at the science center for a year. In August 2006, my
parents and my brother moved to Tacoma
as my father had enrolled at a seminary for the Master degree. My sister works
in St. Louise Mo since her graduation from college. Finally, our whole family
was in U.S.
It was short lived though as I had to leave U.S. when my visa expired in
February 2007. I applied to study for Master degree but would not know the
result until April, so I had to leave.
After 5
years in U.S., life was not
pleasant in Malaysia.
Firstly, my whole family was in U.S.
but I was the only one here. I didn’t have a place to live and I didn’t have a
job. My buddies in my former church were all gone. To add on the dreadfulness,
I didn’t get into any of the schools I applied to. Luckily I still had my bunch
of friends from high school whom I was very closed to. They had started a
performing arts company and I went there to work in the administrative department.
The job was 2 hours away by public transport. I worked there for almost a year,
spending 4 hours on the road every day until I couldn’t take it anymore, so I
quitted and went backpacking for a month in Thailand on my own in January of
2008. It was my first backpacking trip and I loved it, because it showed that I
was independent and could take care of myself.
My
passion is in the field of marine biology. Although I searched hard for jobs in
this area and volunteered at environmental organizations hoping that they would
lead me to a job eventually, nothing materialized. I was rootless, not knowing
where I belonged. I started looking into graduate school applications again,
hoping it would get me back to U.S.
but many of the schools’ datelines had already passed. I applied to whatever
schools I could. I knew I had to come back to God but there was nobody I could
turn to.
During
this time, God placed an old high school friend whom I have not contacted for
the last 9 years in my life. She invited me out for lunch and then later to her
cell group and church. I accepted on the spot as I had been longing to go back
to church. I really thank God for this friend, for that day turned out to be an
important milestone in my life where, after struggling on my own for so long, I
came back to God.
Not long
after that, I was offered a teacher’s post at a secondary school about a 25 minutes’
walk from where I lived. God knew that I did not have a car and gave me a job
that was so close to home. Thank God! I have been teaching there since Oct
2008. God has shown me how I can be an influence to the people around me,
especially to the teenagers that I interact with every day. He taught me that
life is not about my own dreams and goals, but to see where and how He is
leading.
In
January of this year, I applied to a summer internship in California doing deep sea research, which
was really what I wanted to study. I really worked and prayed hard for this
application. Then a thought crossed my mind: What if I don’t get it again? What
is my Plan B? Then God put “missions” into my thoughts. Missions? I had never
wanted to go on a mission trip before, and then I recalled incidents when
mission was mentioned.
About a
year ago, my high school friend said that she received a picture that I should
do mission work after hearing a missionary share in church. I laughed at the
thought of it, and said “That’s not me.”
In
February of this year, a friend whom I didn’t know very well, casually stated
that I should do mission work because I have the right aptitudes for it –
independent and adaptable. I shook my head at her.
About a
month later, my colleague, who didn’t know I am a Christian, mentioned that I
seemed like the perfect person to do mission work after watching a video on our
students helping to rebuild a school in Laos. I asked her why she said
that. She said “I don’t know why, just feel like you love the outdoors and has
that kind of character.”
After so
many incidences, how can one not think about mission work? So I put that as Plan B if
I did not get the summer internship. In March, I received news that I did not
get in. There were just too many applications this year, and they could only
accept 4% of the applicants.
I broke
down and cried out to God: “WHY GOD? WHY?” 3 years I have waited to go back to
the States. 3 years I have tried to go back. 3 years my parents have hoped that
I would one day rejoin them there. This was a big blow to me. I felt so let
down, so disappointed. I gave up trying
to apply to any school anymore. I grumbled at my dad to not ask me about grad
school anymore because it hurt me every time he asked me if there was any
progress in my application to graduate schools when I knew that I just couldn’t
go back there to study, and I knew how disappointed he was.
During
this time, God slowly healed my heart. One day I read an excerpt from the
internet:
“I’ve stopped trying to adapt between what I want and what
I have….. and I’ve learned instead to want what I’m given. By removing the expectations I placed on my life, I’ve come to appreciate the moments He’s
entrusted to me.
It doesn’t make the journey easy.
But it does make it worthwhile.
So I no longer adapt, compromise or adjust. I surrender.
I simply trust that whatever is in front of me at any given moment, He is in
the center of it.”
I cried
out to God, “Fine God! Take control over my life! Do whatever you want. No
longer my dreams but your will.” I learnt to surrender.
Since
then I’ve kept mission work in my prayers, not sure if this was what God was
calling me to do. Well meaning people have provided me information on different
mission work but I just wasn’t sure if those were the places that I wanted to
join. I did a lot of google-ing and one day I stumbled upon Adventures In
Mission (AIM). The word “Adventures” caught my eye and I clicked in to see what
type of mission work they did. Then another word popped out “Race”. “Oh cool,
some kind of race, not the Amazing Race?” I found out that the World Race was
an 11-month Christian mission trip to 11 countries around the world. People
between the ages of 21-35 go out to the ends of the earth, reaching out to the
locals, to meet their needs and to share the love of Christ. Like what the
website says,
“You’ve been on the website reading blogs, watching
videos, and your heart just keeps pounding. You believe God is calling you to
go on The World Race. Excitement surrounds everything: the travel, the ministry, the community…”
That was
me. I knew I wanted to go on this trip and be radically changed by God, to
experience Him, to see Him working, and to join Him. I wrote an email asking if
they accepted people from Asia. The first
response said that they could not accept people from Asia
because of the visa requirements into all the different countries, and the
exchange rate which would make the cost enormous.
I was
adamant and wrote back right away asking if I would be considered for the Race
if I could settle the visa issue and raise the financial support. The staff at
AIM replied, “Absolutely!” However, another staff told me that visas were going
to be an issue as many of the flight details, entry dates and places of stay
were still not totally confirmed. Previously there were other applicants who
could not join the Race because of visa issue.
I was a
bit discouraged but I was determined to do whatever I could. So the next few
days were spent calling embassies and travel agencies about visa requirements
to all the countries in both the January routes. I found out that for one of
the routes, there were only two countries that I would need a visa to get in,
and for both of them I only apply upon arrival at the country, which meant that
I don’t have to worry about providing them with flight details or entry dates
beforehand. Hooray! Things were working out. I then submitted my findings to
the staff at AIM and prayerfully waited for the breaking news.
About a
week later, I received a “Skype call” notifying me that I was accepted into the
World Race! Woohoo! The first obstacle had been overcome. Now my next big
challenge is to raise enough money to support me through the race. Because of
the exchange rate, I would need to raise RM55,500 / $17500 to cover my costs
for the 11-month trip. I know that it is a huge sum of money but if this is
what God calls me to do, He will provide. I just have to do my part and He will
do His.
I will be
travelling to Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Peru, Bolivia, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Thailand, Tanzania,
Kenya and Uganda for 11
months starting from January 2011. I will be thrown out of my comfort zone, the
familiar, the easy, and learn to love the unloved, touch the untouchables,
encourage the discouraged. I want to invite you to join me in this ministry as
I step out to serve God and bring Glory to His name in the mission field.
“Behind every good man is a good woman”, behind every missionary are the love
and support of people. I would love to have your support either in prayers or
financially. If God compels you to give, please click on “Support Me” at the side of the webpage or contact me at [email protected].
I believe
there are no coincidences. I believe that every situation is a God-working
situation to mold and transform me into His likeness. Like Jonah I will be put
into situations I may not understand now, but on hindsight, I will see that God
has been faithful. I want to learn to trust and to obey.
“FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,” DECLARES THE
LORD, “PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO
GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.” JEREMIAH 29:11
With love
and prayers,
Pei Yee
