This blog is otherwise known as “Welcome to the Jungle, Part 1 Million”. So, here we sit about 45 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur (KL), one of the biggest cities in the world & we’re back in the jungle. Only it’s called a “farm”. However, this is TRULY the jungle with monkeys, leeches, scorpions and snakes all within out direct path on day one. Yes, we are back in a big way. This jungle is WAY more legit than the ones we went to in Panama except for the motorized-canoe-carved-out-of-a-tree-trunk-over-class-2-rapids bit.
This month, we were originally due to go to an HIV/AIDS clinic to share God’s good news with the patients & to love on them in their time of sickness. However, since we are not strictly a team of men, they decided it wasn’t safe and wise to send us to that facility. So, our plans changed and we were worked into another plan. Instead, we went to KT for the first week of ministry (see the previous blog) and now we are just outside of KL working on a farm for the next 2 weeks.
The organic farm we’ve been assigned to work at was created to help those living in the jungle to have a means to produce crops for themselves as well as a way to earn a living. It’s moved out of the jungle a bit towards the city but it still helps the workers learn to farm and earn a living for their families. There are workers from Malaysia, Indonesia & Bangladesh. Many workers are Islamic and we are partnered up with them to share our stories & our faith with them. We enjoy working along side of them and there is a mutual interest to share our histories and beliefs with one another. There is definitely an openness and receptiveness that is somewhat unusual for Malaysia.
The work is long and tough, but it is good to be humbled yet again to appreciate the small things in life. We are following behind another team who was here last week cutting down the bamboo from the heart of the jungle. As we walk down the muddy slopes, we walk through patches that are full of leeches and scorpions and all sorts of ugly, buggy creatures. The leeches move like slinkys-it’s pretty fascinating. I’ve had the first one attach itself to me briefly today and without thinking about it, I yanked it off. Fortunately, it didn’t have a good clamp on me & it was through a thick sock, so it didn’t really leave a mark like it did for a couple of my other teammates. We are praying for no more leech bites in the coming days.
As we work to move the bamboo from the heart of the jungle to the fields, we have a time to practice joy and contentment in all circumstances. We saw and heard monkeys nearby this morning and we kept a close eye on the few things we did bring into the jungle with us. It’s good to reflect on how much we have to be grateful for. We choose to be joyful or miserable. It really comes down to what we focus on, and for me, for today, I choose (once again) to focus on the Lord and the joy He is to me. He loves me through it all and I lean completely on Him. It certainly helps to have a team of loving, supportive friends with me on this journey. I do pray our words and our example will be a blessing to the workers we are with for the next 2 weeks. I know God has brought us to this place at this time for a purpose. We are learning to honor Him in all we do and say. It’s a great lesson to continue to learn! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple of weeks. Some of the richest lessons are learned during times of manual labor and I’m glad to be re-learning plenty of them.
Prayer update:
My brother should be coming home from the hospital today to finish recovering from pneumonia from the comfort of his own bed. Thanks for the immediate prayers!
Finance updates:
I’m now just under the $2K mark for donations to get me to the 3/31 deadline. If you would like to help out, please click on “Support Me” on the left. You’re also welcome to post something on Facebook with a link to the blog if others would like to help out.
Cool fact about finances-I have had total strangers bless me with help for this trip. There is a future World Racer who is working on raising his own funds for a trip this fall, but he felt led to donate something towards my trip. Another person has a couple of mutual friends on my squad but I’ve never met them. One of my sister’s friends helped me out in a big way and I’ve never even met her. I’ve had friends help me out who aren’t Christian or even necessarily on board with a mission trip concept but who recognize that I’m helping do my part to make the world a better place and they’ve helped donate as well. It’s been a tremendous blessing to be so loved and supported by such a diverse group of people. THANK YOU again to all who have helped financially and prayerfully. I am SO grateful!!!
Pics-where we live & the jungle (a.k.a. “the farm”):
