Malaysia is like a melting pot of Asia. It has three distinct people groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indian. We eat a lot of Indian food and I haven’t quite figured out what Malay food is or what a Malay person looks like for that matter. Many people speak English. Street signs have Chinese, Malay, and English on them. We live on the island of Penang which has lots of amazing things to do. There are resorts, a national forest, and beaches to the north. There is a mall in the center of the island and more rundown places on the outskirts. Most people access the island by ferry.
This month, my team focused on having fun. Our ministry ends each night by 5:30, then we go bowling, hang at the mall, grocery shop, watch movies, visit mosques, walk around the city, or do other fun activities. It’s been great to spend time as a team and just hang out. I feel like our team if finally comfortable enough to just chill together. We realize this may be our last month together (as new squad leaders will be chosen next month when Zach and Hailey leave) so we are just letting it all go and embracing the moment.
This month we are partnered with Door of Hope. It’s a children’s ministry/daycare run by Debra. Door of Hope was established four years ago by a Methodist church on the island and aims to reach Chinese and Indian children in the area. Kids range from 2-11 years old. Currently, they are preparing for a Christmas show which will happen next week. Most afternoons are filled with rehearsal practice (recorders, singing, handbells, and hand motions). Debra is more of a behaviorist than a teacher and aims to teach the kids responsibility. She speaks Chinese and English to the children, but mostly just Chinese. She is often stressed. She worries about every little thing the children do; she documents everything and has to constantly watch the kids. She focuses on their ability to listen and act appropriately when left alone. We cook the children lunch each day which usually consists of soup. Debra is very worried about money and tries to stretch everything she can out of every vegetable, meat, pot of rice, meal, dollar, etc. This can create a stressful environment to work in, but we are all adjusting. We were able to sit down with Debra last week and hear what her purpose is and make a schedule to help keep the kids on task. This definitely helped establish a relationship with Debra that has allowed our “small mistakes” (such as throwing out the bottom of the lettuce or burning rice) to become laughing matters. I’ve enjoyed Debra and try to be as kind and cheerful as possible when talking to her!
With the children, we read books, practice English, play, and help keep them occupied. We split the day into shifts which only requires us to work with the children about 3 hours a day. During our off time, we help with other ministries around the island, prayer walk, or try to talk to the people in the market outside our house. It’s a great schedule and has created lots of down time.
Speaking of house, here’s a bit about the place. We live at the daycare center. There is a small kitchen. We cook on a portable gas burner and have a sink. There is a toilet (well, more like a closet with a tile floor). We pee on the floor and then use a hose to “clean” the floor. This hose also doubles as a shower, but it requires squatting to wash your hair. There is a public “toilet” outside to do the “big business”. This has become a funny joke as we announce we are doing the “big business” each morning and take the key. We sleep in the classroom on our sleeping pads. Upstairs, we keep our stuff. It’s kind of an attic. The ceilings are about 5 feet tall, which is a little tricky for the 6’2″ guys on our team. Let’s just say when we first got here we had a bit of adjusting to do, but now this place isn’t so bad. I am looking forward to a nice little three day “mini vaca” at the end of the month. We booked a hostel over New Years. We look forward to having three days of free wifi, beds, AC, a toilet inside, showers, and free laundry. It will be amazing!
Thanks for being interested in my adventure. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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