Malaysia was not at all what I expected. My month started with my debit card not working, my computer hard drive crashing, and getting stung by a jellyfish (literally all within the first 2 days).
W H A T ? !
I also decided that I was going to disconnect from home until Christmas. I wanted to solely be dependent on the Lord and go to Him first with my worries, my feelings, and the things I was happy/excited about. With all of this happening by day two I was sure I was going to have a rough month, which it was in some ways but in most ways it was more than I ever could have imagined Malaysia to be.
One of the hardest things this month was I really missed my family while they were all in Jamaica and I felt pretty alone this month without my friends I’m usually in contact with. But from that I grew in so much intimacy with the Lord because I talked to Him all the time. I know He is there and listens so I would tell Him all the things I was thinking and feeling. And sometimes I heard Him respond. It was so sweet to know that he was just willingly listening to everything I had to say. I prayed to grow in prayer in Thailand and it was sweet to see that actually become a reality.
We also got to spend every Wednesday night for at least 2-3 hours praying for Malaysia and Sungai Petani which was incredible. And definitely a prayer answered.
Despite feeling pretty alone this month was my favorite month. I experienced so much joy and excitement from the ministry I got to be part of. We stayed at a church and our days looked pretty different. They varied from taking care of about 10 kids for hours at a time to house prayer/bible studies, preaching, prayer meetings, dance practice (we performed an Indian dance at our christmas service and at a wedding this month), and skits. It was all so much fun and the people we saw almost daily were THE BEST!!! I’m going to introduce you to some of them. Here’s some photos:
This is Eunice. She’s super sweet but also has a ton of energy. She likes to be tickled and jump high in the air.
These beautiful girls are Esther and Yamuna. They are 17 years old and just graduated high school. They love incredibly well and have beautiful hearts for Jesus.
This is John. He drives a motorcycle and rocks out on any instrument he picks up. He’s a really cool dude!
This is Jordan. We actually just “ROAARRRR” at each other and I chase him around and it’s hilarious. He rarely sits still so when you get to just sit and hold him for a minute it’s super sweet. Jordan’s parents Matthew and Catie are super sweet. Matthew rocks on the drums and sings so well.
This is Justin. His smile/laugh is priceless. He loves to be tickled and to tickle anyone who will let him. He likes to be chased around and he also never sits still. Justins parents Raj and Jessica are also incredible. They loved us really well and are very funny.
This is Josiah. He is super cuddly and loves to just be held. He also twirls your hair if you’re holding him or his hair all the time. He is DA SWEETEST.
This is P A T R I C K!! I could probably talk about him forever. He drove us around this month and was so patient and kind. We joked around a lot. He doesn’t like to sing out loud. He produces music. He’s the BEST!!
In the middle is Jerusha (our hosts daughter). The other sweet girls are sisters and I don’t know how to pronounce their names. These three girls made my heart incredible happy. They are so kind and very playful and help translate when needed.
The guy closest to the camera is Pastor Thomas (PT). I wish his wife Kasturi was pictured. He was our host this past month. Him and his wife treated us so kindly. They were incredibly hospitable. The ministry he is a part of is absolutely amazing and I was blessed to be a tiny part of it. It was so cool to see how Jesus uses his family in Sungai Petani.
Dati, Esther, Jessica, Yamuna. Sweet teenage girls, I loved a whole bunch and I will miss a whole lot.
I will miss Malaysia and these people a ton and always treasure the relationships that were built here.
