This is a summary of my time in Malaysia and some of my thoughts 🙂
Month 7: Kuantan, Malaysia
Ministry: No ministry host. We call this ATL, Ask The Lord. We were 1 out of 2 teams on our squad chosen to do this. We basically do a lot of praying to ask God where He wants us to stay, who He wants us to talk to, where He wants us to go, etc. instead of being assigned to a place and a host.
Team Ascension- Rachel, Grace T., Grace C., Age, LB, Jamie
(us with the students at the Polyteknik College)
What each day of the week looked like:
We made our own schedule since we didn’t have a host. Each week and day looked different, which was so awesome…I loved it!!
The first few days we were in Kuantan, we explored the area and rested from the long travel from Cambodia. We watched a good bit of movies in our room and had some great team conversations and prayers.
When I first learned we would be doing ATL, I thought we would have a lot of free time and have to search for ministry opportunities. Well, exactly the opposite happened…we have had hardly any free time because of all the opportunities we have received. Here are some of the intentional ministries we did throughout the month:
- “Home for the Aged” (nursing home)- We would visit here a couple times each week. I brought my ukulele several times and played for them. We sang for the residents, did puzzles and colored with them, and taught some of them card games. And some days, if they were tired, we would simply sit with them. Watch their favorite tv show with them…even though it’s in Chinese so you have no idea what’s happening. Sometimes your presence is enough to make a difference in someone’s life because it lets them know that you see them and that they matter.
- Teluk Cempedak beach- This was a beautiful beach about 10 minutes away. There were restaurants and coffee shops nearby, as well as several monkeys. This was a great place to meet people because everyone is just there to hang out and chill. We met a couple girls while getting off the bus, and we offered to take them to KFC for lunch. It was such a blessing to get to bless them in this way. We also had a huge discussion about religion that left me mentally and emotionally exhausted, but I can look back on it now knowing that God was present in the conversation. I pray and hope that we planted a seed in their hearts. Only God can make the seed grow!! It’s not our job to transform people…it’s our job to show people what a transformed life looks like.
- East Coast Mall- We went to the mall several times with the intent to meet people…not shop haha. We started conversations in coffee shops, massage chair stores, music/guitar stores, restaurants, and more. The people here are so friendly, and if you pass someone in the mall, they always smile at you first before you even have the chance to smile at them. Having the boldness to start conversations with complete strangers can only be done when I remember that I carry the presence of God with me everywhere I go.
- Rapha Children’s Home- This was a Christian-based home for children who needed a safe place to stay. We only had the chance to go here a few times, but it was enough to make an impact on my teammates and I. A teenage boy named Reuben taught me some new jams on the guitar, and one day I played “Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone” on guitar as all the kids sang along…it was so cool. We also helped the kids with their homework, taught them several songs, and played various games with them such as UNO.
- Skateboard Park- This was mostly my teammate Age’s ministry because she is really passionate about skateboarding and brings her own skateboard with her everywhere. She made friends with all the kids there and showed them what it’s like to live a transformed life in Christ. I’m so incredibly proud of her for pursuing this passion of hers. She also organized a whole skateboarding tournament at the end of the month. We all went to support her and to cheer on the boys competing. There was a HUGE turnout for the tournament, and the weather was INCREDIBLE. Perfect breeze and temperature, which we hadn’t experienced the whole month. Thank you Lord!!!
- Nasir & Family- Mr. Nasir…where do I begin. During one of our mall ministries, Grace Chase went to Coffee Bean and sketched a drawing of him sitting alone sipping his coffee. A complete stranger at the time. Once she was done with her sketch, she walked over and started talking to him, and then gave him her drawing. He was so touched by the drawing, said “no one has ever done something like this for me,” and he pretty much turned into our “host” for the rest of the month. We didn’t have to wait an hour in the heat for a bus anymore, because he would pick us up and take us where we needed to go pretty much any time of the day. He’s retired, so he had a lot of time to show us around Kuantan and even take us to try various foods, which he paid for every time. He reminded me of my Pappy, always wanting to pay for everyone’s meals, which warmed my heart since I miss Pappy a lot since I’ve been gone. He took us to try Arabic food, Indian food (my plate was a giant leaf), Malay food, and more. Literally, so much more. His daughters and wife were amazing as well. He was such an answer to prayer.
- Politeknik College- This is a tourism and food service college that we came in contact with through Mr. Nasir. Our first time here, we were served a meal by some of the students so they could practice good food service skills. It was delicious Indian food and the students did great. We also practiced English with them just by talking to them a lot and asking questions about the food. The next time we came here, we watched a couple final presentations from the students, and then we were interviewed by the whole room. It was a great opportunity to tell them about our faith and our purpose for being there.
—These are just a few of the many ministries and people we met while in Kuantan. For example, LB became great friends with a woman at the skate park named Yasmine. There’s so much more, and the impacts of these ministries may not be known until we get to Heaven!!
Challenges of the month: This isn’t really a challenge, but I have to mention how EXTREMELY hot and humid it is here…the only country that may have been this hot, in my opinion, is Nicaragua. We wore hats and sunscreen when we had to be outdoors during the day. Even the Malaysians we met commented that this is the hottest it has been here.
Also the occasional homesickness we experienced was a challenge. I noticed myself yearning just to be in the United States again…not caring what state- West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, New York, etc.- but just wanting to be on American soil again. We’ve been gone a long time!! But each time I felt this way, God was faithful and helped me remember what an incredible blessing it is to be here in this moment in Malaysia. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift…that’s why they call it the present.” -Kung Fu Panda movie
Awesomeness: Going to a semi-pro soccer game with the boys team- singing spontaneous karaoke at a drug intervention recovery party- seeing God’s healing power in a little girl at the Rapha Children’s Home- playing dodgeball at the trampoline park with the boys- finding a tennis court nearby and playing quite a few times…this was so refreshing and needed for me- going to Starbucks with our new friends Hani and Solihah- all the amazing meals Nasir bought us- going bowling with the guys- Easter sunrise on the beach with Age and seeing monkeys and surfers- fasting from food every Monday to help us listen for God’s voice- having McDonald’s breakfast for the first time on the Race- meeting Hwang Kwee Cheng at the nursing home and all the lessons she taught me- going to Kuala Lumpur for a couple nights and going to an amazing church called Kingdom City- throwing a surprise bachelorette party for my teammate Jamie- attending a Malaysian wedding and being introduced as the guests of honor- finding and buying DVDs for 50 cents- drinking “pearl milk tea” from a drink place called Chatime…I was obsessed with it- getting lost in the dark with Age- watching kids skate at the skate park and cheering them on- watching Kung Fu Panda 3 with Derik Age & LB- going for jogs around our neighborhood- watching scary movies as a team- there’s more…so much more. I’ll tell ya about it all when I get home in 4 months!! hehe.
Sounds to remember: the loud air conditioner in our room- cars everywhere- people speaking in Malay- the Islamic prayer over a loudspeaker every few hours- quiet mornings outside because everyone here sleeps in- loud and busy evenings when everyone is awake- friendly people everywhere saying “hello, selfie?” to us
Favorite Verses of the Month:
Romans 8:11- The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Hebrews 1:3- The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
I read these three verses in Ecclesiastes early in the month, and wow…I read them every day for the whole month because they helped keep me motivated to do the Lord’s work on a daily basis:
- Ecclesiastes 11:4- Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
- Ecclesiastes 11:5- Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6- Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another- or maybe both.
Some things to remember from the month:
- Don’t wait for the perfect moment to talk to someone (Ecclesiastes 11:4)…talk to them as soon as the Spirit prompts you to. Don’t wait, don’t let fear of rejection or embarrassment keep you from spreading God’s love…just do it!!!
- Remember that LIFE is a ministry…your WORK PLACE can be a ministry…going to a FOOTBALL GAME can be a ministry…having COFFEE with someone can be a ministry. Ministry is simply being aware of the Spirit and following His lead. SEE and NOTICE the people around you when you go to the grocery store or to a restaurant. Slow down and be open to the people around you.
- I want my life to be a ministry…constantly having my eyes open to the opportunities in front of me (Galatians 5:25). But something I have to remember is this…If I want to love people well and pour into them, I have to be so full of the Father that I’m overflowing with Him. You see? I can’t encourage people and meet people and love people if I haven’t had my time with God. That’s why quiet time with Him is so important on a daily basis. If I don’t have quiet time with Him, I’m noticeably more irritable and selfish. If I have quiet time with Him, I’m aware of the Spirit, can cultivate the fruit of the Spirit throughout the day, and can look for opportunities to share His love because I’m overflowing with it. The overflow of His love has to go somewhere, so when I have this time with Him, spreading it around comes naturally. It doesn’t have to be forced when it’s pouring off me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE AND PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!! See you in less than 4 months!!!!!!
