Let’s rewind back to last week. We moved into the hostel in Chinatown on Saturday, and I met with the squad leaders at McDonald’s to plan for the rest of our week before debrief. We looked into church for the next day, and found one called The Bridge, an International English speaking church, that we decided to attend at 10:30.
Sunday morning rolled around and we caught one bus, then another, then walked for 20 minutes, and finally found the Saudi Arabian embassy building, where church was held. It was an amazing service, with artist Bob Kilpatrick performing a concert. We got so filled up!
Later the same day, we attended the evening “contemplative” service, where my whole team got convicted. The pastor’s message was a real kick in the butt. I honestly can’t say enough good about this church. Sunday was exactly what we needed. If you’ve read my blog before this one, you know that we are just struggling with some stuff right now, so to get filled up and loved on by a church is such a huge blessing right now.
Anyways, after the contemplative service, we helped to set up a surprise birthday party for the youth pastor, whom we had met that same morning. We decided to stay for the high school youth group, and crashed the birthday party. It was awkward because the youth pastor kept saying it was awkward and we didn’t know anyone and it was just plain awkward. But, we got some birthday cake out of it. And then we had a really great conversation. Our awkwardness turned into friendship as my team hung out with Youth Pastor Cristian and his wife Megan. We ended up going out to dinner with them after youth group, and were joined by a few of the high schoolers.
I hung out with a really sweet, beautiful girl named Yasmin. She is an Iranian refugee studying here in Malaysia. She is in her last year of high school and hopes to go to college in America. It was such a divine appointment that I was there at that church talking to her. She had become a Christian and had filled out forms at school that she was a Christian. If the government in Iran finds out, and she gets sent back to Iran, she will be imprisoned and killed for her faith. Can you imagine a decision like that? In America, we have such religious freedom and we are able to say whatever we want about whoever we want. I so often take that for granted. I have never been afraid of being imprisoned for my faith in America. Yasmin is 16 and has more courage and faith than I have ever had. I was so encouraged to see her making a choice that is so important when everything in this world is against it.
It’s so cool how God has a plan and how he always works things together for good. Yasmin was able to talk to me about stuff that she had never shared with anyone else. She told me at the end of our conversation that she had been asking God to send her someone that she could talk to. I was like her angel. It was beautiful and sad. I was so humbled to be used by God.
So, yes, it was difficult to leave our ministry site, but God has been showing me time and again how he has a plan. I want to daily say that I will follow him and go where he wants me to go.
