Malaysia in Rewind…
Weeks One & Two:
- Serving with Teams En Gedi and Team W.O.W. on the island of Penang.
- Living accommodations consisted of a hostel in the Little India section of the city.
- Banana & Egg Roti, Chicken Tandoori, and hot milk tea soon became staple foods in my diet. haha
- Ministry took on a new twist since we were in an urban setting for the first time. It consisted of: Making and serving food to the street people at the Kawan Friends Center; partnering with the fundraising department at a local hospital to raise funds for children who cannot afford heart surgeries; and attending services at PenHOP (the Penang House of Prayer) and joining them in evangelism nights
My favorite memory was derived from what I like to call “intentional” living. You see, the area we lived in Penang was unique in the fact that there were many Malays, Indians, Chinese, and tourists from all over the world- everyone with varying religious beliefs. Upon hearing this I for some reason was thinking that this would cause a lot of violence, but instead I found that Penang was one of the friendliest places I have visited thus far. Every morning I would grab my Bible and journal and head across the street to Ros Mutiara, a local restaurant, where I would eat my roti and have quiet time with the Lord. I began a friendship with my favorite server, Jaya, and the owner, Iskandar. In an effort to deepen the friendship with them, I decided to remain loyal to their restaurant, and every morning I would sit at a table near the entrance and order breakfast.
By the end of the two weeks in Little India, I had made good friends with them to the point that Iskandar would see me walk in and he would grab his plate of uppuma and sit with me while I drank my tea. It seemed that all my reading and journaling had perked Iskandar’s interest. On the last morning he said, “Shannon, every morning you come in here and you write much. What do you write?” I took that chance to show him my Bible and ask him if he had ever read a Bible. When he replied “no” I had the chance to share with him the story I was currently reading. His reaction was one of interest, but he soon realized his surroundings and acted nervous and changed the subject. When I left that morning he would not let me pay for my meal, “A gift to you,” he said, “You have been very kind my friend.”
As I put on my backpack and walked the seven blocks to the ferry I realized that I may never see him again on this earth, but I will surely be praying for him and expecting to see him one day in heaven. It is simple friendships like this that I have made on the Race that I label “Priceless”- as they will remain forever etched in my memory…
