My squad is in Malaysia! We all gathered outside the doors of Zion Hostel, packs on our backs, a little foggy-headed because it was 3:30am, but hearts and bellies full of Mamas homemade granola ready to tackle a 10+ hour bus ride!
Time is weird on travel days. I don’t quite remember what bus ride nor hour this was, but I remember being woken up by some people on the bus, stumbling out of the bus, being handed a meal ticket, seeing and hearing a woman and a man speaking loudly into a microphone in rushed tones, beckoning us to come through these big glass doors, and being herded like cattle into a ballroom-type-dealio. We sat down at a table with white linens, and a little spinny thing that held an array of foods. I remember walking in, sitting down, looking around to also see everyone else in the same boat as me: Sitting there, eyes adjusting to the light, stale in my travel clothes, and needing to reapply deodorant. We all looked like deer in the headlights. After eating a very small amount of the not very good at all food, we wondered out to a big food-court to realize that we had been bamboozled. We were introduced to a new world of food that we could’ve eaten instead. So of course, we bought way better food and staggered back onto the bus to continue driving through the night.
The next thing I can vividly remember is going through immigration and the border (where we all hurriedly tried to scarf down our apples and other fruits) and saying “yeehaw!” with Sam Osuna™ as we crossed the border from Thailand and into Malaysia! After a few more hours of driving, we dropped off 2 teams and the other 4 four of us teams took a refreshing ride on a ferry to the island of Penang. We took a Grab through the city and arrived at the place we are staying for the month:
Penhop (Penang House of Prayer)
Penhop is a prayer house dedicated to worshipping the Lord through intercession, prayer, and traditional worship. Once we arrived, we were greeted by our ministry hosts, who led us and our packs up many flights of stairs to the floor we would be staying on. Here, we were given our team rooms and shown the “common room.” The common room has a small couch, 2 comfy, chairs, and a longish-table that can seat around 10 people. There’s a small kitchen tucked around a corner that is kinda like a little dead -end- hallway that has a little toaster oven, a microwave, and a fridge. Our team room looked so spacious before we settled into it. The room is a box. Against 2 walls there’s a set of bunk beds and then the floor is basically a mega-bed comprised of 3 mattresses smooshed together. Let me tell ya, sleeping on mega bed is an experience. In the night, I’ll wake up to Madison’s hand in my face, Taylor’s feet on my leg, probably someone’s dirty sock pressed up against my back. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Throughout the week our schedule looks very different. Monday’s through Fridays are our regular ministry days. Ministry days kinda all look different depending on what day it is. On days where ministry is a little lighter, we’re encouraged to go prayer walking and do evangelism. Monday’s are started with 2 hours in the prayer room, then a break for lunch, and then housekeeping. Ministry on Tuesday starts later and is a 7 hour burn in the prayer room where we intercede, pray, and spend time in the presence of the Lord! On Wednesday’s, my team and another team goes to the House of Hope where we do an array of things, such as prayer walking, cleaning toys, sorting books, worshipping, and interceding. Later on in the evening, we do street evangelism (it’s pretty cool because we get to partner with YWAM-ers!) Thursday’s start with a teaching, then a two hour session in the prayer room, a break for lunch, and then housekeeping. Friday mornings we start with a 2 hour session in the prayer room, and the rest of the day is free until Friday night burn, which is a 4 hour worship session in the prayer room!
During the breaks in ministry days, we go out to adventure the city (we found a mall and in the mall there are so many Christmas trees!!! Unfortunately not everyone in the squad has the Christmas spirit right now, but they will soon:), find food (my personal favorite is the samosa stand located in little India), or sit by the water and share life talks with pals.
Saturday’s are our adventure days! My first weekend in the city was spent adventuring and getting ice cream and taking in all that I could! My second adventure day was spent going to a little food truck festival (which made me feel like I was back home in good ole Amish country) with a small group of pals, making Christmas cookies, (we attempted to make them in the toaster oven…) playing Christmas music, and enjoying the each other’s company.
Honestly, my first full week in Penang, Malaysia didn’t go so hot. I was excited to try all the new foods and dive into the culture, and so of course, I ate weird foods. I visited a little stand covered in umbrellas and got what I thought was coconut rice? Well, when I opened it up, there was a reddish sauce and some oddly shaped somethings on top of the rice. So I did what any normal human would do… I tried it. I realized what I ate was definitely not coconut rice and was actually fish and some unknown sauce. And guess who most definitely got food poisoning (and we’re pretty certain a parasite) and had to visit the very sketchy hospital for stomach cramps, explosive diarrhea, and vomiting? You betcha it was me. So you could say that 7 hour sessions in the prayer room were not my forte. My first full week was spent trying to choke down charcoal pills and some weird medicine that tasted like old toothpaste and chalk dust that was the consistency of glue, many, many, bathroom breaks, and sleeping a lot. And you betcha I went stir crazy. But through it, I know the Lord was asking me to slow it down and rest. To seek Him and to just sit in His presence. And for that, I am so grateful.
Sunday’s are our Sabbath days!
For me, this looks like spending time in the Word, and going out with pals to explore!
My 2nd week here in Malaysia has been a lot better! No stomach cramps or parasites! I honestly started out absolutely DrEaDiNg the hours spent in the prayer room, but I’ve learned to cherish them completely! I’ll walk out of the 7 hour burn feeling as though I didn’t have enough time! I’ve learned to love ministry, I’ve learned to love megabed, I’ve learned to love others through prayer, and I’ve learned more of the love that the Lord has for me! He covers me in sunshine (sunshine is one of my most favoritest things!) and light and calls me His Beloved daughter! And HOW COOL IS THAT!? Malaysia is fantastic and the Lord has been so so good and continues to be so good!
I hope this sheds some light on what life is like for me here in Penang! Stay tuned for more updates:)
Lots of love,
Alyson
