I know I haven't written you guys in a while. But, here's a quick update:
I'm still in Malaysia with my team of 8 guys. We've been living in the jungles of Northwest Malaysia for 3 weeks now (hence why we haven't had internet access). It's been camping-style living for us. But, we're loving it!
We're working with the Chua family who lives on their 400 acre piece of land. His estate is basically a palm tree farm. Every 2 weeks or so, harvesters come and cut the fruits off the trees and then take it to the factory to produce palm oil. I wish I had pictures for you but I can't upload them right now.
Anyway, what MY team is doing is helping out with the maintenance of the estate. We've completed a lot of construction projects for the Chuas. Our biggest project was pouring concrete on top of "prayer mountain" as he calls it. It was a simple enough project, just a slab-on-grade to make a level surface for people to pray, fellowship, camp, and enjoy the scenery on top of the mountain. Dan and Paul even climbed the trees on top of the mountain and cut down branches that were blocking some of the best views.
We also spent a day cleaning out his pond that was full of vegetation. That made for one messy day! But, other than that, we've just been doing a lot of odd jobs around the estate for the Chua's. Just making his place better with each new project. When you have 8 guys running around your property doing work, you can really get stuff done.
During our stay here, we've been to a Chinese church service, a Malaysian church service, and a Mexican church service. I don't think I've seen as much diversity in a country as I have in Malaysia. It's a lot like America in the sense that it's the melting pot of Southeast Asia. But, this country is still dominated by the Muslim religion. As a Christian, it's strange to feel like the minority here. We get caught up thinking that, in America, everyone believes in Jesus. But, we are seeing how much work still needs to be done here.
But, with all our work, we still try and find time for rest and chances to just be a tourist. Last weekend, we were able to make our way down to Singapore for the weekend. We had an absolute blast! We only had 2 days in Singapore before we had to be back for Monday morning. So, we all decided to make the most of every minute we were there! And by the end of it, we were exhausted!
And as a praise report: I've still been staying very healthy. I thought that surely by now, I would have caught something nasty during this journey around the world. But, thankfully and with your prayers, God's been keeping me safe. But, Africa is still coming up in a week! So, please keep praying for safe travels!
Funny story about the culture here: I've never been to a country that is so shocked to see caucasions. Whenever we take a trip to the market to get our food for the next few days we get stared at like never before. Fathers will literally tap their children on the shoulder and point us out for them to see. The stares will last long after you've past them on the street. Asking one of the locals what the deal is, she replied, "White people are never seen in this part of the country. You are like a Snow Leopard… a very rare siting."
More pictures to come soon!
Again, sorry about the lack of updates! Sometimes it's really hard to get internet. I can't wait to tell you more stories from ministry. Which will come soon!
