Strawberries, Bananas, and Mangos. Throw these three things into a blender and you get Malaysia. Toss in some Broccoli and you get some American missionaries in the mix.
Malaysia is a beautiful blend of the Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures. We had the unique opportunity to travel to the port city of Kuantan on the east coast. We arrived to a potent Malaysian sun early in March, and have roamed the streets of the city since.
Our mission: to find new contacts for The World Race. Our leads: none, nada, zilch. We felt led by the Holy Spirit to be a light here, and do some searching. So we did. Immediately the Lord showed his hand over us this month.
We found several Christians in the area who invited us to join in at several area churches, as well as several ex-pat families who made us feel at home halfway around the world. We were floored by how welcomed we felt everywhere we went.
This kindness extended beyond churches. This applied to every restaurant, store, and house we went to. We were usually met with a handful of smiles, and a plethora of stares. One shop owner even let myself and Ben learn how to make Roti Canai. I was terrible at it – burned myself a bit – but we shared laughs and some stories. My surprisingly favorite part of Malaysia is how people here understand one another’s differences, and still can live amongst each other.
60% Muslim, 20% Buddhist, 9% Christian, 6% Hindu. Those are the stats I walked into the month with. I don’t want to make a political statement here, but Church, please wake up. I say this in love, not in condemnation.
Different doesn’t always mean scary. In fact, I’ve felt more safe this month in an Islamic nation than any month prior. Please don’t become scared or callus toward anyone who practices a faith other than Christianity. Instead, let’s remember what Jesus commands us to do: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Your neighbor includes any person that isn’t you. In other words: Love everyone.
I say this to you, the reader, because I sometimes like to challenge people. My challenge to you this month is to talk to three strangers. The guy on the bus who looks like he’s had a rough day at work, the woman folding clothes in the department store, the gas station clerk, anyone.
Choose three and get to know them, and go in with no agenda but to love them. Go deeper than surface level; learn their hopes, dreams, and daily routine. I challenge you as much as I challenge myself in this, because I truly want to grow in this area as well.
I could go on about the amazing food, adventures, and stories from this month, but I felt led to share what’s been on my heart lately, and that’s love. Love your neighbor, and love your enemy. Be a light in a dark place. Bae Christ for someone who hates religion. Show someone the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness you’ve been shown. This is where life begins, and this is life to the full!
In one week, we’re off to Pattaya, Thailand. This is a dark city that is literally founded upon the sex-trafficking industry. Please be praying for our squad as we walk into the lion’s den for debrief at the start of this next month. Thank you for reading!
