I see a city in Malaysia called Kuantan.
I feel the hot sun as I walk with my teammates throughout Kuantan each day.
I hear laughter as we joke with each other and look for people to talk to.
I taste deep fried curry pockets for one ringget (25 cents) from our new friend named Zoo right outside of our homestay.
I smell my rancid feet after I take off my 8 dollar (Asia Sport) shoes that I bought at the market in Cambodia.
I see a city full of different looking people who interact with each other every day. (Malay, Chinese, Indian)
I hear locals ask me “Why are you here? What are you doing walking around Kuantan and why are you staying for a month?”
I smell chicken feed and home cooked meals through the ally that we walk by to get to town.
I feel my skin getting sunburnt and eventually peeling on my nose and arms.
I taste lots of water to keep my body from dehydrating.
I see the majority of women wearing head coverings and the traditional Muslim getup. I see the Indians have dots on their foreheads and wear colorful and fancy looking clothes.
I hear startling sounds in the drainage where there are giant death lizards that remind me of the Gilamonstar from the Tulsa Zoo.
I taste jackfruit from our new Muslim friend down the street who runs the fruit stand with her cousins.
I feel encouraged when we meet Americans from town at a tennis court who begin to bless us beyond our imagination.
I taste familiar food when we go to our new friends house for a BBQ.
I hear screaming and laughing as we teach our new friends how to play nerts in their dining room, keeping score by writing on their large mirror.
I smell the ocean when we decide to make the long walk to the beach where there seem to be more monkeys than people.
I feel the air conditioning in our room that makes my sweat covered shirt feel like it’s going to solidify into ice.
I see scattered church’s throughout town and an orphanage that we hope will be able to host World Racers in the future.
I smell body odor as 8 guys pack into a room to pray over each other and the work that God is doing.
I feel excited when we met Choy at the Baptist church and got to hear some of his story and how he became a follower of Christ.
I taste more unique food as a family takes us out to eat after church and gives us a ride back to our homestay.
I hear Australian and New Zealand accents from Bruno and Tina as they prayed over us on a bridge in Singapore.
I feel chills when we went to a lively church service in Singapore where hundreds of locals sang out to God with hands in the air in unison. (5000 seat auditorium)
I feel more chills when we do our own worship service and pray with the Americans that we have met who are so far away from their families and friends.
I see excitement in my teammates eyes when we realize we get to do four more months of this stuff.
I hear strong words and funny jokes as we play board games in our homestay before bed.
I smell fresh laundry from the nice Indian lady who asked, “Where are your friends?” when I pick up my clean clothes.
I see closed signs on every store, shop or business in town until 11 a.m. (Yes including coffee shops and bakery’s)
I feel loved and encouraged by my squad, my family and people that I barely even know in a Malaysian city called Kuantan.
