Pet Stores, French Fries, and BMWs

Penang, Malaysia is one of the most amazing places that I've lived in thus far. But as far as World Race standards, it's a pretty strange place. I mean, really, I expected my Race to be full of living in tents, in the bush or the jungle for the whole year. I anticipated days upon days of door to door evangelism, manual labor, and working in orphanages. Never could I have imagined that I would live in a city with more luxury cars than I'm used to seeing in America.

(countless luxury/sports cars.  I must have seen 3 ferraris this month.  crazy.)

I have slept in a bunk bed all month in a room frozen by A/C. YAY cold! If I'm not under 5 blankets, it's not cold enough. Seriously, it was blissful. I spent all month waking up and looking at an incredible skyline
on the rooftop of our YWAM base. We would have team time there and see sunsets with thunderstorms, painted from the hand of God. I ate three meals a day with most days providing dessert. Enter: the award for the best oreo milkshake I've ever tasted!

(the restaurant with the award winning oreo milkshake)

There are bakeries all over Penang, and the street food is some of the best in the world. There are pet stores, although, there are stray cats EVERYWHERE. The buses have wifi, and there are lots of live music venues.

(such amazing street food.  We made a good relationship with the cook at this stand and served him in the Kawan homeless shelter.)

(okay, the food photos might be a bit much. I'd like to think that God was blessing the foodie in me this month)

As for ministry, we worked in:

• coffee shops, living life and making relationships with college students across the street.
• we fundraised at a hospital, raising money for patients needing heart surgeries. I raked in some serious scrilla for those heart patients playing my viola. I look back at it and laugh, God is so faithful to use his children's giftings for his kingdom.
• and we served at a homeless shelter preparing meals and watching over the men as part of "bathroom" detail.

Ministry has be different, but so wonderful this month. Penang is a diverse city, full of a melting pot of cultures. I will miss the art galleries, the plethora of street food, and the wonderful people here. God taught my team so much this month, of which I will describe in other, more detailed blog posts.

(our view from the roof.  We lived overlooking a mosque, a buddhist temple, and a church)

(a lot of victorian/british influence in the architecture mixed in with asian influences)