Every expectation about Asia has been squashed after my first few weeks being here. The country of Malaysia is absolutely beautiful but with the beauty comes a lot of changes to adapt to. This has been the first time in my life where I have felt culture shock and where I have been the minority. My team and I are the only “white people” in the town we are staying in. We walk into a restaurant and people turn and stare. We go out for a walk and get asked to take selfies over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I love feeling like I’m famous super model (dreaming big) but it has also been eye opening in other ways. Having someone get frustrated with me because I don’t understand what they are trying to tell me, not being prepared for a day of ministry because of miscommunication between cultural differences with our host or always being scared I’m going to offend someone by doing something that is normal to me but could be taken differently here are the parts of adapting to the culture that I am struggling with the most.
Not only is being a minority an eye opening experience, but the religious practices are very different here than what I have become accustomed to in the past. Even though I am 5 months into this trip, this is the first time I have been in a country that does not claim Christianity as their main religion. I have seen self-harm, strange rituals and emptiness in people’s eyes more here than ever before. Once the newness of the pretty temples and different beliefs wore off, I realized just how sad it is to live life the way a lot of the people of these religions do. Fear and works consume them. They believe they have to do certain things to appease their gods, if they don’t, bad things will happen to them or their family. As a sinner myself, I know I could never live a life good enough to please any god, I would constantly be trying to fix what I have messed up. I am thankful to serve a Father who isn’t out to get me and loves to love me. I have absolutely loved meeting other fellow brothers and sisters in Christ here. How cool is it that when we are back in the States sleeping, other people are at church worshiping halfway around the world?
Getting to partner with these brother and sisters and the Holy Spirit here has been my favorite part of this country. The spiritual realm feels more real here, people seem to be very in tuned to it and it has brought me more in tune with the Holy Spirit living in me. I love being able to see Him work and move in new ways. Ways that I never have in westernized cultures. I know He has so much more to show and do in and through me and I’m excited to see those things play out.
My team and I have been staying in Sungai Patani, living above the church we are working with in a little, air-conditioned room. Everyday we are blessed to eat a different kind of Malaysian, Indian or Chinese meal. It mostly consists of chicken and rice and an occasional veggie mixed in there. It was good for the first 5 meals of it but we have gotten creative on how to change up our meals here and there and give our taste buds something a little different than normal.
Our ministry for the month has looked like helping in a school for special needs children, leading youth groups through the church, preaching at the church services and giving messages/praying with members of the congregation at house prayer meetings. Our schedule is constantly changing and we never know what to expect. This flexibility has been the most stretching part for me being someone who loves schedules, calendars and lists. However hard this is for me to adapt to, I know the growth it is bringing to my life is going to be amazing. God is getting glorified and shown through all my struggles. My favorite verse right now is 2 Corinthians 12:7 “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
My Team!
Rebecca, Jillian
Carissa, Christen and me
Our host, Pastor Thomas (PT)
PT and MG
The most beautiful child, Jerusha (PT’s daughter)
Sweet Joash <3
I can’t wait to see what the rest of the month has in store for us. Please keep us in our prayers as we finish up these last two weeks here! Thank you all for your overwhelming support and love.
