We made it to Penang!
This month I am in Penang, Malaysia. Penang is a little island which is connected to the mainland by a BIG bridge. We are so close to the ocean, and living in quite a touristy area. Thankfully they have lots of street food and many coffee shops any direction we choose to walk.
I want to take the time to fill you in on cultural things, ministry activities, and any other common things about Malaysia.
Cultural: Penang was founded by the British. So it has many influences still from the British. Like buildings, and things of that sort.
Just around the corner from where we live is the oldest Anglican church in all of Southeast Asia which was founded by the British.
Penang is home to so many different people groups.
It is common to walk down the street and walk past a Chinese temple were lots of ancestor worship takes place. Next you would probably walk past a Hindu temple, here they have a god for literally everything. There is also Buddhist temples, Christian churches, and Muslim mosque’s.
At first glance you would consider Malaysia very free to worship who or whatever you please. Really though this is not the case. While Chinese Malaysians or Indian Malaysians are free to worship. Actual Malay ethnic people are not free.
By law they are required to be Muslim, it is illegal to even try convert them. Anyone that converts to Muslim is then no longer under civil law, and now by law cannot leave the Muslim religion. This is just a little of what I so far know about the culture here in Malaysia.
This month my team is volunteering with 3 different ministry groups.
Monday through Friday we start our days off around 7am, we get picked up and head to the mainland to start teaching around 8:30am. We teach at a Burmese refugee school from 8:30-12:15. For protection reasons we are not able to post pictures of the children, or name the school we are working with. The refugees were not received well by the people here so there is no protection by the government. That means no healthcare or schooling for any of them. If it wasn’t for the volunteers at the school these children wouldn’t be able to receive any education at all.
Monday nights we do a tutor program for underprivileged Malaysian kids. These children are rambunctious, making you want to pull your hair out, but yet sweet, making you smile all at the same time.
Wednesday nights we do a street outreach with Kawana. We are able to go out on the streets and pray with these people.
Kawana is a program that does feeding for homeless 3 days a week. We live in the upstairs of the facility. They serve breakfast and lunch, and offer a Bible study for those interested. They also have showers and a place for the homeless to sleep during the days that they are open!
I am also trying to line up a day where I can take off from teaching so I can give haircuts at Kawana for the homeless.
Last but definitely not least. We attend PenHop which is the Penang House of Prayer. Tuesday’s are from 3 or 5pm-10pm, Thursday’s 8-10pm, and Friday’s 8pm-midnight. While here we have personal times of devotion, corporate worship, different speakers. Prayer stations are set up around the room, so there are many ways to engage. Each night looks different and seems to have a different style of worship. I had never been to an IHOP so I was really excited, it has turned out to be such a blessing to have such intentional time with Christ scheduled into our days.
I hope to blog more this month and hopefully the rest of the race. My goal is to keep you all updated on the good that is happening for the Kingdom. Blogging will also help me with not having to send as many person emails/texts to create more time to stay present.
God has been showing me that if I want to increase with Him, I have to make room for him so there is a space for him to fill.
He must become greater; I must become less.” -John 3:30
