From Where I Stand ep. 1
From where I stand I can hear the rushing of motor scooters. I can feel the heat from a sky constantly darkened by the threats of rain from the clouds above. I can see forests of palm trees, buffalo crossing the street, and monkeys roaming the neighborhood. There are noises from the surrounding jungles that I have never heard before, leaving frightening, yet beautiful, thoughts in my mind. This is the world I've waited to see since March. This is Malaysia.
Honestly, I have a hard time saying to myself "this is really Malaysia. This is really the World Race." Maybe it hasn't quite sunken in yet, maybe I'm in denial, either way I constantly have to remind myself that I'm on the other side of the world. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time, since time is what I have an abundance of, but for now it's almost a dream.
I wish I could describe to you the amount of blessings my team has received since we set foot on Asian soil. It seems that one thing after another just falls in our favor. It’s really quite funny sometimes. If we are late to catch a bus then the bus will be late, if we aren't sure where to go someone steps up to help. And that's just strangers on the street.
The biggest blessing we have received is being placed with Pastor Thomas and his family. I don't think AIM could have prepared us for the amount of love we would receive from a host family, or have in return for them. Apart from being able to shower as much as we want, eat like kings and queens, and sleep comfortably, Pastor Thomas and his family have gone out of their way to make this the best experience we could possibly have.
I'll let you in on our daily schedule in Malaysia. Emily, Leanne, and Brooke help Pastor Thomas' wife at the kindergarten in the morning; Alex and Tommy lend a hand to Pastor Thomas with some maintenance projects; and Natalie and I head up English class for the kids at night. We gave our testimonies to a church in Kulim last night, and over the next couple weeks we have some youth events and a women's talk planned.
I know what you're thinking, "shouldn't you be preaching? Shouldn't you be spending every day teaching people about God?" Well I'll explain, here in Malaysia that's very dangerous. Yes, you can be a Christian, but it's a lot bigger than that. If you are caught trying to share the gospel to a Muslim you can go straight to jail indefinitely, no judge, no trial. And we can't have that for Pastor Thomas and his family. So we are pouring out love to these people. We are planting seeds of kindness and that's all it takes sometimes. So we will have our days where we preach and teach, but just being here, helping this amazing Christian family, and teaching these kids every day, that's enough.
Since this is going to be a new series for me I want to end each entry with a challenge for you, something to get you thinking and loving, so here it is: be intentionally kind to someone. Hold the door, pour their coffee for them, bake them cookies, it doesn't matter what it is, just be intentional and do it with love. Watch how their life will be affected when you do.
Until next time…
