"Ok, great, I'll see you then!"
I hung up the phone some what in shock, but I'd also come to expect it. I had called Pastor Happy, having gotten her number from a random list of contacts another pastor had given us and not even knowing her name. I had tried my best to explain what we were doing over a poor connection and, without missing a beat, she invited us to do ministry with her the next day. Almost every contact we've met has enthusiastically welcomed us in without hesitation. I'm so thankful we are not doing ATL (Ask the Lord) in America.
Anyway, we met Pastor Happy and another founding couple of the church, Stephanie and Joshua, at the train station and from their we rode to the Government Flats. We were briefed on the ride over: their church, Oasis People's Church, serves the Tamil community and checks in with individual families once a week, that Ps. Allen, Happy's husband, tragically died just 3 months earlier, and that Ps. Happy has continued the ministry and lives out her and her husband's heart for the Tamil people.
When we got to the flats, row after row of huge 17 story apartments, we walked right in following after Ps. Happy. The flats are similar to government projects in the States, high-density, minimalist, no up-keep or care. Each building consisted of dingy concrete floors and walls, trash lining the hallways, no railings on the stairs because they had been stolen and sold as scrap metal, and a smell reminiscent of a dump. But Happy walked straight through all of that, right up to the front door of an apartment and ushered us in. She would introduce us to the mother and children, share a bit of their story and then ask one of us to pray.
Each family seemed to blend into the next, with similar stories of struggle and hardship and sadness. Stories of 8 kids and a husband who has converted to Islam and abandoned the family, of a father who cannot provide because he suffered brain damage after an accident, of adopted twins with cerebral palsy and one lost to the disease. Room after room, we would go in, pray, leave.
One stark difference between homes, however, was the spiritual atmosphere. Some of the families were fully sold out for Jesus and have abandoned all remnants of their Hindu religious traditions. You could feel the lightness and joy in the air and see it in the mother's eyes. However, some of the families viewed Jesus as simply another god and prayed to Him in hopes that He, along with the myriad of other gods they prayed to, would finally give them what they wanted. These homes had other-worldly images posted on their walls and incense burning in home-made altars, in honor of gods made of paper and plaster. Empty eyes and oppressed voices greeted us in these homes. But still we prayed.
So we ventured from building to building, from pee-scented elevators, through trash lined hallways, staying at each home only long-enough to invite the presence of God and shake hands and move on. After visiting about a dozen families, Ps. Happy invited us for lunch, saying she didn't want to wear us out by visiting every single family. Despite the brief time we spent at the flats, I felt so drained and was very grateful to see the end.
During lunch, Ps. Happy shared her heart for the Tamil people with us. Her church is composed mostly of these families, who are the poorest of the poor. Generations before them came from the lowest caste in India, and in Malaysia, the Indians comprise the bottom of the social ladder as well. Desperation runs rampant in the communities, and therefore violence and crime come quickly on its heals.
Ps. Happy and her husband started Oasis church a little over 4 years ago and immediately they welcomed in family after family. They provide them physical provisions, like formula and rice, but more importantly they are truly invested in their spiritual and emotional well-being. The Tamil community is her church's sole ministry outreach and she is very proud of that, explaining that this way they can devote all their resources and time there. When Ps. Happy would introduce us to a family who are living full out for Jesus, her joy was so evident. Her heart is so for these people.
The few short hours that I spent with Ps. Happy taught me so much about faith and my lack there of.
-Her belief in the power of prayer is astounding. Despite not having much to offer these families physically, Happy faithfully visits them every week, because prayer is a powerful gift and beautiful blessing. She has witnessed its power and stands upon it every day.
– Her strength is unbelievable. The fact that she went right back into ministry, pastoring and serving so soon after the loss of her husband is humbling. That strength could only come from a heart that is madly in love with and fully dependent on Christ.
So, needless to say, Ps. Happy and Oasis Church are doing incredible work for the Kingdom of God. She is excited about partnering with the Race in the future and I am so excited for the team that gets to serve alongside her. Please check out their Facebook page, Oasis The People's Church, and pray for their work. Pray for strength for Ps. Happy and the other leaders, for softened hearts and a beautiful harvest of children returning to their Father.
