There have been so many instances where I have to take a breath, look at my surroundings, and marvel at the fact that this is my life. How God planned for me to be living in Malaysia, doing chaplaincy (and fundraising) in a hospital and testing my cooking skills on the homeless, baffles me. How I am worthy of such an adventurous and amazing experience is beyond me-quite literally, as I am not at all worthy and am only here by grace. I am truly blessed and so thankful for everyone who helped me get here.
This is the (unedited and unfiltered) scene that welcomed me to my first night in Malaysia, took my breath away, made me fall immediately in love with Penang, and fall even more in awe of God. The images you see are what I am blessed to see every night from my rooftop. Glorious sunsets that God paints across the sky atop Penang Mountains, backed by the ocean water, and peppered with a mix of skyscrapers, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Pentecostal churches, and Islamic mosques. Every day at 1:15, 4:15, and 7:15 a loudspeaker blasts a calming sung chant, and during that time I lift up my own praised to the Lord my God and my Savior.
I am so very blessed that my team has an apartment right in the middle of a city that has everything. Ashley likes to call it the “New York of Asia” because there is such a wonderful blend of culture here. Chinese-Malays, Indian-Malays, and Malay-Malays are all jammed into this tiny town, and that means that all the wonderful food from all three cultures is as well. I live right on the outskirts of Little India, and just a stone throw away from Little China, so there are more than enough tasty restaurants to tempt the pallet. We were told to expect to gain the “World Race Fifteen”, and I am pretty sure that I am going to gain all fifteen pounds in Malaysia. From the crispy Roti drenched in butter and syrup, the soft and Fluffy Naan covered in cheese and garlic, to the curry chicken, curry Mee noodles, and Masala rich saucy dishes, I am already developing a wonderful little pouch to go underneath my oh so obnoxious bright yellow screaming of tourist fanny pack. By the end of the month maybe I will even be able to pose for one of those happy little Buddha statues with the round bellies.
Malaysia welcomed me with not only spectacular sights and sounds and tastes, but with incredible people as well. Our cutest and friendliest Indian-Malay contact, Peter, greeted us at the bus stop at 3am with the happiest smile and warmest sense of humor. Despite the late hour, sleep deprivation, and being a complete stranger, his upbeat chuckles were enough to even make us weary travelers feel better after a 4 hour flight, a 2 hour bus ride to another 5 hour bus ride. And on top of that God truly blessed our first night of ministry. Tired and disoriented we wandered the streets of Penang (with a ministry contact of course) at 10pm to love on the homeless. We were introduced to a round and bubbly woman by the name of Titi. We were told of her plight having come from Indonesia to work after her husband died of cancer, but after being robbed and having no passport or visa she can neither find work or return home to her 5 year old son. Her family will not help her and she is in effect, stranded. I immediately felt compelled to pray for her. My team and I stood in a circle around her, moved that as I spoke words of Jesus’ love and comfort over her she wept. Together we acknowledged God’s goodness, and I can only pray that this woman we had just met five minutes earlier was encouraged by the Spirit. We immediately bonded, and I embraced her thanking God for the relationship He had ordained and so quickly set up for me in Malaysia. My heart so quickly became attached with this immediate blessing, and I have the highest hopes for the glorious works of God in this beautiful city that I can call home for a month. Penang- a city where God dwells.
