This month has been one of the harder months so far, but being here has taught me a lot. My team has supported me through the ups and downs. They always encourage me and help me out when I need it.
Our ministry this month is a bit slower, so we have a lot more free time then we expected. When first arriving in Malaysia, our ministry host told us that this is a month of rest. Another thing I was not really expecting but thought would be good. Since our first 2 months in Thailand were all manual labor ministries, I welcomed this extra rest time.
Learning the area of Changlun and thinking this is all that Malaysia is, I was not a fan of it. I didn’t like this town. I didn’t like that there was not much to do. I didn’t like sleeping on the floor every night. I got tired of seeing the same things over and over again every day.
Our ministry this month consisted of teaching 4 English classes total and doing prayer walks daily. We were able to host an event for the women in the community and make them feel special and heard (in a place where women are oppressed to not speak and never actually heard). For a night, we were able to eat with them and hear some of their stories. This past weekend we were able to go to the City of Penang for a night and reenact the nativity play. Doing all this still left us with a lot of time in a town that there’s not much to do.
Side Note: Our ministry host is an absolutely amazing person. We have been completely blessed to get to know him and his family. His wife and 3 kids are such caring, sweet, simple people, that will give and give. They always make sure we are fed well and taken care of. They have a strong faith in God and everything that he can do. He has a great testimony of everything the father has done for him and his family. It has been a true honor to get to know him.
With having a lot of free time, we had to find things that would fill our time. In the town of Changlun there was not a whole lot to do. There is one coffee shop with wifi, a laundry matt with wifi and a KFC that when you bought something you could get wifi. My first week here my brain was focused on getting wifi. I just wanted to fill any time I had trying to talk to people from home. But that is not what God wanted me to do.
With Thanksgiving approaching, it was quite easy to get into my feelings and think about all the people I missed and how they were all together. Its so hot here it was really throwing me off. Normally at Thanksgiving its cold and we are bundled up in sweaters trying to stay warm. Here I was sweating like crazy wishing I could wear shorts as I walk around this city. This pushed me more than I thought it would. It really challenged me in ways I did not expect.
We celebrated Thanksgiving a day later than normal but it was a really amazing Thanksgiving. My team and I spent a majority of the day cooking on a hot-plate stove with about 2 ½ pans. We had chicken, sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, mac-n-cheese, and rolls. Being able to just sit on the floor with my team and eat the amazing food we all brought to the table was truly a blessing. We were able to go around the circle and say all the things we were all Thankful for, which is one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving and being here in Malaysia has taught me that even though there is not much to do besides get wifi, I need to push my self harder and be more present in the community. I don’t need to spend that extra time I have getting wifi, trying to fill my time looking at friends snapchat stories and seeing families all together.
Once I changed my mindset that I was going to do other things besides sit on my phone and keep up with others, I learned that I love cooking. I learned that just a little walk in a unfamiliar area can do so much for you. I learned new card games. I learned that the days didn’t feel as long and I am genuinely happy with this city and the people I encounter everyday.
