Dear Malaysia,
You just might be the hardest country on this race. As I have been here I have been feeling drained and tired. There is so much culture and beauty here. You can walk down one street and experience India, China, and some little pieces of Thailand. You can see a Buddhist temple one moment and if you walk down to the next block you will be looking at a beautiful Catholic Church. You can see people searching for something to fill in the little piece of them that’s missing and honestly I don’t blame them. If you wanted to find something new, dangerous, beautiful, or something that fits just right, you will find it here in your little island. However, it won’t be enough. It’s hard to know that I have what they are searching for, but I can’t just give it to them. I have to watch and stay silent.
I have experienced some of the best and hardest days here. I had my first little experience with village life and I fell in love with the passion and heart I saw in the women at our village. They are warriors, leaders, and the stronghold that hold their tribe together. They have a strength that only the Lord can provide. I saw them take leadership where they are at and look to the Lord for their future. I saw how hungry they are for you. They opened their arms to us and hung onto every word we had for them. We ate some sketchy fish, joined them in worship, hiked through some jungle, heard elephants walk through the jungle every morning, and I came pretty close to ringing a roosters neck (this wonderful rooster was kind enough to wake us up at 3:30 every morning). The time you gave me there was amazing and even though it was short lived every memory is cherished (even the ones where my teammates take off half my eyebrow).
Here in the city you have bestowed the gift of lice to over half of the girls here. Day and night we are checking each other’s hair and praying to God we don’t get it. Your city has given us the ability to meet people on the street and just hear their stories. You don’t make ministry easy. Feeding the homeless is not an easy job. Trying to tell people about my faith when I can’t speak your 4 languages is hard. However, telling my story is easy. It took me a good while to figure this out. In Thailand we just had to be friendly to make friends, but here you must learn to constantly push in and always be willing to share the most vulnerable parts of you. People here are direct, but they love a good story. They are always searching for a way to connect and relate to people. If there’s anything you have taught me Malaysia it is the importance of my story and the importance of human connection.
Malaysia if I’m honest with you, I truly love you. I really do. It’s hard and it’s draining and I can’t wait for Costa Rica, but you have taught me some of the most important lessons. Despite all the hard parts of you I can’t think of a reason to not love you. If people look past the surface you are truly beautiful. There’s creativity, life, and harmony here. No matter what I promise to never let you go. I promise to never give up on you.
Sincerely,
One of your many tired backpackers
