We have arrived!
After two long days of travel (and a tricky twelve hour time change) we made it to Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. I was thoroughly jetlagged for the first two or three days, but I'm doing much better now. This month my team and I are partnered up with another team on my squad, so we are living at the same residence and the fourteen of us are splitting up among the various ministry projects that could use our help. Yesterday was our first official day of ministry. We went to the Kawan drop in center and helped the staff serve tea and lunch, helped clean when we could, and just spent time getting to know some of the men that were coming in to rest and get something to eat. Later on that night we met up with several members of the Kawan staff and went out in small groups to the streets to talk to and pray for the many people living on the streets, begging for money to feed their addictions to alcohol and drugs, and the people working the streets selling themselves to whomever will pay. My group got to pray for a man who was sick, and we talked with several other people but I mostly just had the opportunity to learn about the people and the way Malaysia works from our guide.
Malaysia is a beautiful and very diverse place. The people of Malaysia are predominately Malay, Chinese, and Indian. So everything from the languages on signs to the foods can vary between all of those as well as influences from many other regions. The food, by the way, is very good. A lot of spice usually, and naan bread is one of the best things here I have decided.
Tomorrow I begin what will be my primary ministry this month working at a hospital. I am not exactly sure what this will involve, but I will find out first thing tomorrow morning with my team mate Austin.
Please pray for continued health for all the teams as we ajust to this new environment and that we would be a blessing to the people we serve and come into contact with.
After two long days of travel (and a tricky twelve hour time change) we made it to Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. I was thoroughly jetlagged for the first two or three days, but I'm doing much better now. This month my team and I are partnered up with another team on my squad, so we are living at the same residence and the fourteen of us are splitting up among the various ministry projects that could use our help. Yesterday was our first official day of ministry. We went to the Kawan drop in center and helped the staff serve tea and lunch, helped clean when we could, and just spent time getting to know some of the men that were coming in to rest and get something to eat. Later on that night we met up with several members of the Kawan staff and went out in small groups to the streets to talk to and pray for the many people living on the streets, begging for money to feed their addictions to alcohol and drugs, and the people working the streets selling themselves to whomever will pay. My group got to pray for a man who was sick, and we talked with several other people but I mostly just had the opportunity to learn about the people and the way Malaysia works from our guide.
Malaysia is a beautiful and very diverse place. The people of Malaysia are predominately Malay, Chinese, and Indian. So everything from the languages on signs to the foods can vary between all of those as well as influences from many other regions. The food, by the way, is very good. A lot of spice usually, and naan bread is one of the best things here I have decided.
Tomorrow I begin what will be my primary ministry this month working at a hospital. I am not exactly sure what this will involve, but I will find out first thing tomorrow morning with my team mate Austin.
Please pray for continued health for all the teams as we ajust to this new environment and that we would be a blessing to the people we serve and come into contact with.
Pictures to come soon! As soon as I figure out how to do that!
