***PLEASE NOTE: Because I will be in a closed country next month, I probably will not have access to Facebook. This means that if I can blog (although I may not be able to even do that), I will not be able to post links on Facebook. To ensure you see any updates, please click here and enter your email address to be notified whenever I post a new blog.***
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions about my second month on The World Race! You asked some great questions, and as a result, this blog is a good summation of my time on the race so far. It has prayer requests, fun tidbits, pictures, and an honest look at where I am spiritually. Thanks for your ongoing support as I continue to walk in obedience wherever God leads!
What kind of foods do you get to eat?
Malaysia is so diverse! There are people from all over Asia and beyond who live here, so we have had Indian food, Chinese food, Malay food, and even some American food. The most common food I’ve eaten is fried rice or fried noodles with chicken and/or veggies. The strangest thing I’ve eaten probably occurred at one of my authentic Chinese meals, but I try not to ask many questions about the food, so who knows what I was eating! My absolute FAVORITE food this month is called roti pisong. “Roti” means bread, and “pisong” means banana, but this isn’t your typical American banana bread. This is a dough-y, stretchy, soft, and slightly chewy bread cooked sort of like a tortilla but better, smothered in butter and sugar, and filled with warm banana slices. They’re so big that they hang off your plate, and they only cost 66 cents! Yum!
Here are a few of the foods I've eaten this month. The bottom left is roti milo, a chocolate version of my favorite food, roti pisong.
What kind of clothes do you dress up in?
Because I had to fit all my clothes in my backpack (along with all my camping gear and toiletries), I was only able to bring a few options. For "dressing up," I brought one knee-length skirt and one long skirt and two tops to switch back and forth between. However, my closet has expanded a bit this month! I got cool pants in Little India that have little bells on the waist and jingle when I walk. I also replaced my two cute tops with new ones and my teammate gave me a casual dress. I’m pretty excited about new clothes! But it also means I have to get rid of some of what I brought because space is very limited.
My cool India pants– I wish you could hear them jingle!
Are you taller than the majority?
In general, yes, a lot of people in Malaysia are small (though people in the Philippines seemed even smaller). But this question sparked my curiosity, so I looked it up! My height is about 5 ft, 3 in. The average male in Malaysia is 5 ft 5 in and the average female is 5 ft 1/2 in. For the Philippines, males average 5 ft 4 1/2 in and females average 4 ft 11 1/2 in. When we worked at a maternity clinic in the Philippines, I weighed in about 15 pregnant women, and only three weighed more than me! Several were under 100 pounds. All that to say, yes, I have noticed that I am taller than average, at least among the females. Plus, wikipedia is the source of my statistics, so we know they’re accurate, right?
I covered her face to protect her identity, but this is one Malay friend I made this month. See the height difference? I've always been considered little at home, but not here!
What are their gods names and why do they look half man, half animal?
This is a big question! We have come into contact with four religions in Malaysia: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Islam is the official religion, and anyone of the Malay ethnicity is required to practice it. It is also illegal to evangelize to Islam people. They worship one god, named Allah. Hindus, on the other hand, worship millions of gods. They believe that if every person on earth was given three gods for their own personal use, there would still be leftover gods. One of their gods is half man and half elephant, and I believe this comes out of a story in which a female god created a son for herself, a male god beheaded that son in anger, and then they replaced his head with the head of an elephant in order that he may live. I'm not sure of the stories behind their other gods, because there are so many! We’ve heard quite a variety of religious beliefs this month.
This is a Hindu idol in front of a cave that housed a Hindu temple. One local told us that they believed a god had slept here, and that was why they built temples and idols to honor the place.
In what way did God surprise you the most this month?
This would be either the crazy way He arranged so many divine encounters for us (see the high/low question below) or the incredible housing He has provided. Because our team was having “Ask the Lord” month, we were not provided with a ministry contact or housing. Instead, we were expected to network and meet new ministries and trust God to lead us in our search for housing. The night before we left Malaysia, we only knew we had a hostel booked for our first night. Beyond that, we didn’t know where we would be sleeping!
God showed up and showed off in a huge way in this area. In the first two weeks, we stayed in a wonderful apartment complex near a new friend God provided our team, and it was equipped with a kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, A/C, and wifi! This was above and beyond any housing opportunities we had dreamed for ourselves.
We stayed with another WR team at a great location for a week in Penang, and then this final week in Kuala Lumpur, God surprised us once more! We were able to move out of a hostel after just one night and into a church and refugee school where we are surrounded by ministry every day of the week, and again have A/C, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and wifi. Considering the fact that we all brought tents on the race, we have felt abundantly blessed and lavished with love in the way God has provided housing!
One of the wonderful places God provided for us to live in this month
Now that you're almost finished with two months, what has been the biggest surprise about the World Race overall?
I came on the race with the expectation that I would experience God and His power in a new, beautiful, overwhelming way. I expected to walk in new power and enjoy deeper intimacy. I’m ending month two, and I haven’t yet seen that happen to the level that I had hoped. I can think of times in my life before the race that I felt like I was experiencing more of God than I am here on the mission field. That has led to a lot of spiritual frustration and struggle. I expected that by showing up for the race, my heart and life would be automatically transformed. That hasn’t really happened.
I haven’t yet experienced a breakthrough of understanding, joy, or victory in this area, so I can’t put a nice little bow on top with a “this-is-what-I-learned” smile and a Bible verse in italics. I wish I could, but I’m not there yet. I’m confident I won’t stay in this place of confusion and frustration forever, but the fact that I’m here at all has been the biggest surprise (and struggle) I’ve faced. I never would have expected to walk through a spiritual desert on the race.
Perhaps my sweetest time with Jesus so far was spent here. I am longing for more days like this one.
What is the overall high point and low point of your time in Malaysia?
My high point would be my first 10 days in Malaysia. There were so many divine appointments and memorable conversations! From the “random” taxi driver who puts his life on the line for the gospel to Pastor Peter who was one of the clearest reflections of God I’ve ever seen, it seemed that each day of that first week and a half brought a new opportunity to meet an incredible man or woman of God and be impacted by their stories and insight.
My low point would probably be struggling spiritually like I talked about above. I’ve had a hard time feeling, trusting, and knowing God’s love for me during this time, and that’s been hard. Please pray for spiritual breakthrough and a deep revelation of God’s love in my heart!
One of those awesome "God encounters" was the chance to meet and spend time with the pastoral staff of First Baptist Church!
Would you ever want to go back to Malaysia?
I don’t feel a burning desire to come back to Malaysia, but if God opened the door, I would love to come back and reconnect with the different ministries we’ve met this month after they’ve partnered with the World Race for a year or two. I don’t have a specific burden for this place, and I don’t think God will call me back, but that’s what I would want to do if I did return.
I would definitely want to check back in with Pastor Peter!
Tell us about your team members!
Click each name to visit their blogs…
Rachel – Rachel is our team leader, and she’s really done a great job of carrying this responsibility thus far! She’s a good listener and excels at making decisions in a way that carries authority but also honors the team. She’s also a beautiful dancer, and it always touches people’s hearts to see her worship the Father through dance. Fun fact: Rachel used to be an intern with Invisible Children in San Diego.
Alana – Alana is definitely one of the funniest girls on the team (she is currently journaling calmly with a scarf wrapped around her head like a turban– just typical behavior for her.) One of the things I appreciate most about her is the sincere interest she takes in everyone’s lives, from how the latest conversation with your parents went to the cute new picture of your dog. Fun fact: Alana is the only one on my team not from the US– she’s Canadian!
Johnna – I have had the joy of growing closer to Johnna in the last week or so, and I am blessed to call her friend. She is great at asking thoughtful questions and is so encouraging and kind when you’re going through a rough time. I’ve also enjoyed watching her open up to the team more and more this month! Fun fact: Johnna has an adorable one year old niece named Harper, and we all love skyping with her!
Meghan – Meghan has a sweet spirit and a strong determination. She’s one of two Unsung Hero representatives for the squad, and her hard work ethic and commitment to excellence has shone through during this Unsung Hero month. She’s also very patient and slow to anger. I’ve never heard her complain or say an unkind word! Fun Fact: When searching for schools, I toured her university! She graduated from High Point University in May. I love having a teammate from North Carolina. Yay for southern girls!
Emily – Emily has a deep hunger for the Word and an incredible knowledge about Scripture. These traits have brought both information and inspiration. She also sat by my side and prayed with me/encouraged me for hours on the night of my most emotional spiritual struggle, and I’ll always be so grateful for her presence that night. Fun Fact: Emily bought a ukelele in the Philippines, and has been learning how to play on the race. She’s also been learning how to make videos. It’s cool to see how she commits completely when taking on a new learning goal.
Celena – Celena is the level-headed, business-minded thinker of the team. She is in charge of our finances, and never lets us get away with the misuse of a single penny! She also has a deep knowledge of spiritual realities, and has been able to answer a lot of our questions about the Holy Spirit. Plus, she’s been one of my favorite companions in times when I’m most frustrated because she has a very calming presence. Fun Fact: Celena is the most educated person on my team. She just got her Masters in business from ORU, and she used that education as a leader on a business missions trip to South Africa not long before the race.
Top, Left to Right: Me, Meghan, Celena, Alana
Bottom, Left to Right: Rachel, Johnna, Emily
What are your expectations or goals for next month?
It’s hard for me to have very specific goals or expectations right now because I know very little about what we’ll be doing next month. I’ve heard that there are some healthier, fresher food options in Vietnam, so I’m excited about that and hoping to reverse the unhealthy-eating-and-less-exercise trend I’ve slipped into in the past week or two. I’m also hoping to experience some spiritual breakthrough, gain a fresh revelation of God’s love, and walk out of this desert place and into intimacy and power.
While I’ve enjoyed the flexibility and change that has been a part of this Ask the Lord month, I am excited to get rooted in one place for an entire month. (I’ve moved seven times in the past seven weeks!) I am hoping to build a close relationship with at least one Vietnamese person in November, since I will be able to stay put for four whole weeks.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers! Remember when I asked you to pray for open doors and provision during our Ask the Lord/Unsung Heroes month here in Malaysia? God definitely answered in a big way! Remember when I asked you to pray for protection from mosquitoes before I even left? Even though mosquitoes keep getting into our room, I haven't gotten one single bite! It's actually been almost two weeks since my last mosquito bite. How cool is that?! Remember when I asked you to pray for safety and health? Our team hasn't had any safety incidents or serious illnesses all month!
This month, please pray for spiritual breakthrough, victory, and joy while I'm in Vietnam. Please pray for the opportunity to build relationships with people since we will finally be staying in one place for an entire month. You can also pray for safety and wisdom, as Vietnam is an even more closed country than Malaysia. Finally, pray for the grace and strength to do whatever tasks are set before me to the glory of God. I can't wait to see what God has planned for Vietnam and to share it with all of you!
