Hello from Thailand! Before I write about this month, I owe you all a recap of Malaysia. It means the world to me that so many of you are following along on this journey, and I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve blogged.
Malaysia is a country made up of primarily three people groups: Indians, Chinese, and Malays. It’s an Islamic state, which means that all Malays are required by law to be Muslims. The Indians and Chinese are free to choose whichever religion they want, but the Malays are not. Not only is it illegal for them to be Christian, but it is also illegal for anyone to talk to them about Christianity.
During the first four months of the race, we talked very openly about Jesus because we could in Central America and because our deepest desire is for everyone we meet to know Him. We prayed for people and we told them of God’s love, and this became the way we did ministry. It became natural for us, almost second-nature. But in Malaysia, this all changed. Our desire to teach others about Christ was still the same, but we couldn’t do this the way we had before. Seeing hurting people and not being able to tell them of God’s love was frustrating. Not being able to ask them if they believed or wanted to learn was challenging. What made this a mission trip if we couldn’t talk about Jesus?
But I soon realized that this was an incredible opportunity. Because sometimes, when something isn’t allowed… it’s needed even more. We were in this place of darkness where Christianity was illegal, and we had a chance to be the light!
But how do you tell people about someone you’re not allowed to talk about? What do you do when words are not an option?
You let your actions speak. Instead of sharing The Word, you live it. Instead of telling of God’s love, you become that love. You show them the heart that Jesus has by having a heart like His. You demonstrate the grace you want to tell people of. You make sure that His light is shining so brightly in your own life that it’s impossible for you to be in their presence without it shining into theirs.
So this is what we did as we shoveled mud out of buildings after a flood rocked the city and left 10,000 people homeless. People saw joy when they expected to see despair… because Jesus is joy. It’s what we did when we passed out relief packages to the affected families. One woman was moved to tears as she regained hope and realized that she’s worth being loved by strangers… because Jesus gives hope and loves with no bounds. And it’s what we did as we taught English to a room full of Malaysian children. Through our patience, laughter, and encouragement, they learned that they are valued… because to Jesus, every person in the world is worth it.
We let our actions speak and believed with our whole hearts that God could use their messages in the lives of these people. Because He’s the one at work in these nations, and He can use anything.
Words are one of the most powerful things in the world, but sometimes, actions can be even stronger. When you carry the presence of God, you can shine anywhere… even in the dark places where the light is forbidden. I realized that every minute of every day, we’re witnessing to others by the way we live our lives. And this lesson, this realization of how powerful actions are, made me think about how I’m living my life all the time. We’re called to be Jesus’ light to this world, so I want to live in such a way that when people look at me, they see Him. My challenge to you is the same: think about the message you want to send to others, and let your actions speak!
Here are some pictures of our Malaysian adventures: some of the flood damage, the woman who was brought to tears, one of the cutest little boys in Malaysia, and the 8×8 room we all slept in for the month. As always, thanks for your love and support!
