I would like to give you guys some grand review of all that was accomplished here in Malaysia, but truly Malaysia is more about the unseen things, the behind the scenes things of our ministry. Please bear with me, as I try to give a full depiction of all of God’s goodness during these past three months.
The impact of Malaysia is from being able to see such a testament of faith and obedience from Pastor Thomas and his family. For this ministry, it is a season of leaning into the Father and His will for their lives. Choosing to believe in God’s dreams and promises for the Kingdom work, even though provisions and opportunities seem nowhere within reach or sight.
Immediately our team had a family-like connection with our host family. They shared our humor and celebration of life; one night of good food and countless giggles is all it took for two families to become one. As they brought us into their lives and ministry, their heart and burden to see Kingdom come to this community became our own.
It is a true honor to be able to come alongside and see into the depths of this family’s journey.
Pastor Thomas and Sharmila are both humble in acknowledging their complete dependence on the Lord. They are confident that they are on a journey with the Lord and He is their provider. I have seen both Pastor Thomas and Sharmila again and again in prayer seeking their Heavenly Father; trusting the Lord as provider even when their physical eyes are not seeing the need met. Stretched thin and exhausted, yet so faithfully committing their family to alignment with the Father’s will.
As a hopeful future wife and mother, I am in awe of Sharmila. As an individual she is beautiful, kind and gentle spirited, then as a wife, she is a strong pillar of support for her husband. Her passion for her family and their calling is relentless. She wants the best for her children and provides this for them by trusting them fully in the Lord’s hands. This has brought me to have a new perspective on how fully we can embrace the empowerment God gives us as women. There is power in submission and a servant’s heart. Coming alongside your husband and daily choosing to support and uplift him as he leads your family.
Then to faithfully follow the Lord’s voice, even if it leads into the wilderness. I say this teasingly but with a taste of seriousness, Changlun is THE wilderness. It is the smallest of communities, with little to offer when compared to more known cities like Penang, which is the family’s hometown. Now I don’t know Pastor Thomas’s heart when he obediently moved his family to Changlun, but I do know that they have been here faithfully serving for 5 years. For the past three months I have witnessed Pastor Thomas choose to remain faithful, even as support and comfort seemed in short supply. But throughout my time here, God has reconstructed what the wilderness resembles within my own heart. The wilderness is not a season of fear or abandonment, rather a season of maturing and equipping. The sweetness of God’s faithfulness does not and should not be soured by the refining fire. There will always be a choice of flesh or spirit, though reverting to flesh may bring momentary relief, it doesn’t change God or His will for you. Pastor Thomas could choose to take his family back to Penang. Better schooling for his children, a larger Christian community and the comfort of being closer to more family. But at what cost? Walking away from a calling, the intimacy of sharing the Father’s heart for a people. Through that intimacy, he knows the Lord’s faithfulness will continue and that in the wilderness the faithfulness doesn’t run shallow, rather in abundance and miracles. Like the Israelites as God lead them through the wilderness, through their fleshly eyes they often felt abandoned, but truthfully they were being lead faithfully by God’s hand. He provided for their every need in a miraculous abundance; manna from heaven, water from a rock and the splitting of the Red Sea.
This will be a season that I will carry with me as I continue to pursue a life built on the Lord’s leading. I am abundantly grateful and honored to have been able to serve with such a God-honoring family and ministry. All the more, I rest assured in my decision of a fearless pursuit in my relationship with God and seeing His kingdom come.
More information about the ministry we worked with:
Pastor Thomas and his wife Sharmila have come to serve Changlun through the establishment of Fresh Start Kindergarten as well as a worship center. The kindergarten is a school that serves a predominately Muslim and Arab community. The school creates opportunities to allow the light and love of Christ to be shared through the building of relationships with these families. The worship center has the focus of being a safe space for the worship and teaching of Jesus Christ. The center also serves a place for pouring into the local children and youth through a character-building program.
There are many opportunities to bless and serve alongside this ministry through prayers, financial support and available teaching positions. If you are interested in giving one-time, monthly or the available teaching positions please email Pastor Thomas or me!
Pastor Thomas: [email protected]
Myself: [email protected]
Thank you so so much for covering our team and this ministry with prayers and love the past three months. God Bless.
Much Love, Nanie
