Very few Christians in Malaysia are actually working directly with Muslims. Most churches or organizations with mission programs evangelize only to the Indians, the Chinese or the migrant workers who come to Malaysia in search of jobs. As a result, the 17,000,000 Malays that they come in contact with every day are completely overlooked and, according to statistics, 99.9% have never even heard the gospel. (wondering why? See my last blog entitled: Illegal)
The bold couple that our team worked alongside are two of a very small number whose ministry targets Muslims. Their compassion for the Malay people and urgency in sharing the gospel is something I’ve never seen before. Knowing fully the risks involved, they directly witness to Muslims in public places and even in mosques.
For a portion of the month, our team evangelized alongside them and helped to edit sermons to be translated into Bahasa Malaysia.
The larger part of our month involved helping with their latest project: building a farming community.
Once finished, this farm, which is tucked into the Malaysian jungle in the hopes of going unnoticed by the government, will house 6 Malay families who have converted to Christianity and are in need of a place of refuge. The land is rich in mangosteens and durian fruit and is ideal for providing an income for the believers who have lost their jobs as a result of their faith. The goal is for the families to be completely self-sustainable, but this is more than just a place for farming: it is a place for community. It will provide the Malays with the Christian fellowship they’ve been so desperately craving, while also teaching them how to go deeper into their faith through attending a Bible school in the main building.
Our time at the farm was the hardest for me on the entire Race. When we arrived, it was little more than a construction site (we even built our own beds); only the main building where the Bible school is to be held had been put up. It was simple green shelter assembled from pieces of green tin with no electricity or waterproofing; the daily Malysian downpours left the floor of our room permanently drenched. Our meals were simple as we had no means of preserving it for very long. On a most days we ate rice and fish (canned or fried) for every meal. The critters were abundant. From wild boars and snakes to mosquitos and leeches, which only responded to 99.9% Deet, we were kept on our toes.
Each day we worked from sunrise to sunset doing intense manual labor. We were given a long list of tasks to accomplish. In our time there we:
mixed endless wheelbarrows of cement,
dug holes,
carried cement pillars,
stretched out miles of fencing down treacherous slopes,
built a shed from scratch,
attempted to waterproof the building where we slept,
chopped down several trees,
built a fish farm,
did the electrical work,
planned the layout for the houses,
measured out the buildings,
shoveled rocks,
planned piping lines,
moved fifty 130 lb cement bags from one location to another,
weed-wacked several acres,
put up an entry gate,
and gathered durian fruit.
All the while preparing and cooking each meal.
The pace was fast.
The work was urgent.
There was no time to rest, rain or shine.
There were literally moments where I thought,
“I can’t do this. It is physically impossible.”
In those moments the only thing that kept me going was remembering all that the Lord did to bring me here and what a treasured gift it is! I had to set my eyes on Him to cling to my sanity.
I thought too of the ministry and how fully I believe in it. The work was grueling but what a privilege to work alongside these incredible people. They are, I am certain, the ones who will flip the world upside down (Acts 17).
And then… I thought of you. Yes, you. I remembered the way you showed me love and support through your donations and your encouragement and your kindness. I remembered that you believe in me and the work the Lord is doing in my life.
Whether you knew it or not, you helped push me along. THANK YOU.
