All Girls

If I could describe Malaysia, it would be the America of the East.  It is a mix of cultures from around Asia.  The three main cultures are Indian, Malay, and Chinese.  Malaysia became so diverse because of the East Indian Trading Company.  (Pirates of the Caribbean?)  China and India would use Malaysia as a port for their trade and many stayed in the country.  Now today it is a mix of culture from the Middle East, to India, to China, to Europeans, people from all over the world.  The only difference is America is more of a melting pot and Malaysia is more of a quilt.  They tend to stay to their culture group, though there are some mixes. 

This past month I found myself in Little India, a small pocket in George town, where I fell in love with the people and the culture.  I don’t know what it is about Malaysia that is so magical… Maybe it is the mix of Muslims and Indians walking down the street… two things that the Lord has broken my heart for.  I also found myself with an amazing group of girls for ‘womanistry’.  I love our boys, but it was nice to spend a month with just girls. 

So what did we do last month?

We spent the first half of the month at Kawan.  A homeless relief center.  This is a center where people can come and receive breakfast and lunch three days a week.  There is also an area where they can lay down and rest and shower.  Being homeless and begging is illegal in Malaysia.  There is a high employment rate in Malaysia so there aren’t many people looking for jobs.  However, for the people who have addictions and don’t have the mental capability to hold a job, it is harder to find and maintain a job.  So many people who came into Kawan really needed love.  One of my favorite places that we worked.

We also worked at a home for the blind helping in anyway that we could.  Being at the home for the blind was a very different experience for me.  We got to explore a toy room where they do early intervention for kids.  I didn’t even think about trying to balance without sight.  Learning to walk without being able to see where you are going is a new concept I never thought about. 

The second half of the month we found ourselves at Penang Adventist Hospital where we were fundraising for heart surgeries.  Last year this hospital raised enough money for 50 free surgeries.  Raising money wasn’t my ‘ideal’ ministry however, it was awesome to be a blessing to the Hospital.  Our team did make friends with the staff and some of the patients there.  We got to pray for patients and people waiting for their loved ones.  I actually got a lot more out of it than I expected.  In the end we raised over $3,000 USD in 6 days! 

We did a lot of other odd jobs like painting, helping at the Kawan shop, helping at a Resurrection Sunday festival, and other things.  It was a great month with a great group of girls.  I definitely can see myself coming back here.