Wow. It has been too long since I’ve met you here in this space. Please accept my apologies! Even though I’m already in Africa, I want to tell you about my month in Malaysia.
November was interesting to say the least. There were days of utter joy and days full of complete isolation and the desire to go back to the States on the next plane. There are valid reasons for both, but we’ll save all of that for another day!
The month began with Debrief in Kuala Lumpur which also meant team changes. My new team consists of six women. I am still my team’s treasurer and the squad’s finance coordinator. Although some may cringe at the thought, I really love the opportunity to serve my team and squad in this way. After Debrief, my team and I made our way to Semenyih, Malaysia. Semenyih is a small town about 40 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur.
We spent the month at a home for children and senior citizens. There were just over 100 children and about 15 senior citizens living on property, plus staff members. We were split into three groups to cover the needs around the home. Here’s what my day looked like…
8:30am – Devotions: This included all of the children and staff, including some of the senior citizens who chose to come.
8:45am – (First two weeks) Preschool kiddos: This looked different day-to-day. Some days we would do a Bible lesson and craft/ activity, and other days we practiced their songs and dances for the big home school showcase. Sometimes about halfway through, I would switch to the older, home school children and help with different assignments.
(Second two weeks) Office work: I redid the home’s filing system. I reorganized current “residents” as well as children and senior citizens who had left the home. I probably laid my hands on at least 300 files.
12:00pm – Lunch: We ate in the open air dining room with the preschool kids. We ate whatever they did. Rice was a meal-time staple. We ate a lot of tofu, fake meat, and fish… Well, I didn’t eat the fish!
12:30 – Rest time: The children all rest during this time, so we did too. This is usually when we had team time.
2:00 – Office work: (The first two weeks) We would help with a variety of tasks to help prepare for their annual “Food and Fun Fair.”
(The second two weeks) I continued my morning office task organizing the filing cabinets. It was a big job!
4:00 – We had several options during this time. Sometimes we would go to the girls home or nursery to play/ hang out with the kids. Other times we would rest, feed our souls, or do chores like laundry.
6:30pm – Dinner: Same as lunch, but we usually had the opportunity to sit with some of the senior citizens.
7:00-9:00pm – Nightly devotions: In pairs, we rotated between the girls, nursery, and younger boys. Devotions lasted for 30 minutes, but each home was at a different time.
I really fell in love with one of the older men at the home. He was so kind, and he poured so much into me. He always wanted to chat, and he had so much wisdom to give. He reminded me of the tenderness of my Grandfathers and their eagerness to share their wisdom.
Prayer Requests
-Wow! I’m nearly half-way done with the Race! It’s so crazy to me that I’ve been to 6 different countries so far to share the love of Jesus. Some days Month 1 seemed like years ago, but other days, it seemed like it was just yesterday. Please pray that I’ll continue to keep my brain where my feet are. I do not want to be consumed with the “what-ifs” of life in the States upon my return.
-This will be my first Christmas away from home. Please keep my family and me in your prayers during the next few weeks. It’s exciting to spend Christmas and New Years in Africa, but it’s also sad to not be with my family.
-Adoption is a beautiful thing, and it is also very costly. Michael and Allison’s adoption fundraiser is a great opportunity to give a tax-exempt donation before the end of 2015! Please prayerfully consider donating to this cause. If you want to donate, or know of someone looking for a good cause, check out their Pure Charity site here. Aunt Mary Catherine couldn’t be more excited!! 
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Joyfully yours,
Mary Catherine
