When you go through Cambodia you have to really search for the beauty. It’s a dusty country. Hot, and in some places pretty arid.
That’s not the case with Malaysia.
Upon arriving it felt like the United States. Everywhere is green. There is a nice breeze and it can be a bit humid. There are giant trees and mountain ranges. Thick jungles and amazing beaches. Even some huge caves!
This is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve been to so far. To get to our ministry in the province of Kelantan we had to take a train through a sizeable jungle range. On our walk to hand out fliers we saw numerous monkeys and even some giant lizards. It’s a wild country full of natural wonders. But it’s also incredibly modern.
In the capital of Kuala Lumpur are the Petronas Towers, which were the tallest buildings in the world for a long time. It’s incredibly Westernized, even in some of the more fringe cities. It would be surprising if you didn’t find a KFC somewhere in every town. Seriously, a Kentucky Fried Chicken. In Malaysia.
What’s most interesting about Malaysia is its culture. Whereas Thailand and Cambodia are predominantly Buddhist, Malaysia is predominantly Islamic. Throughout the day you can hear the various calls to prayer. You can also see the women with their heads covered and men with their long beards. The customs are quite different, so it’s very conservative here. But only with the indigenous Malay people. There is also a huge population of both Indian and Chinese people in Malaysia. All three have different cultures. The Malay are conservative and mostly Islamic. The Indian people are somewhat conservative and mostly Hindu. The Chinese people aren’t conservative at all and are mostly Buddhist. It’s a crazy mix. It makes every city a melting pot of cultures and businesses. In our town you can have Malay food for breakfast, Indian for lunch, and authentic Chinese food for dinner. And it’s all delicious.
This month my team and I have taken on the role of teachers. We homeschool our contacts children during the day and teach English to kids and adults from the community at night. So far I have taught Science, Language Arts, Geography, Photography, and Conversational English. I’ve had to wear many hats so far. But I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m by no means a great teacher, but I get by with what I learned in college. Sometimes they show me up with their 5th grade knowledge. It’s humbling a experience.
This month will be one of rest. One of reflection. One of quiet growth and conversation with God. I’m trying to pick up some new things! Like learning how to shuffle cards or even play the mandolin (I’ve learned 5 chords so far!). But mostly to lean into what God has for me this month and for the rest of the Race. All in all, I’m incredibly excited about how this month will go.
I love our contacts. I love our ministry. And I love this country.
There is one bit of information that’s coming up for me. March is the deadline to have all of my money in for the Race. All $16,285.
It has been mind blowing to see the amount of support I have received. I have so many great stories about my support so far. I have even greater supporters. It is an amazing thing to have people believe in what you are doing and let themselves be used by God to help make it happen.
This is my final cry for help. I’m so close! I have $14,450 raised. I don’t even need a full $2,000! I need $1,850 to be fully funded. I’m so close!
Am I worried about making the money by March? Absolutely not. It’s crazy how far it is from my mind. I haven’t worried once about money since the Race started. I know God has me here for a reason and that the money will come when it needs to. I trust Him completely with this.
So there it is. I need $1,850. Please prayerfully consider partnering with me for the second half of my journey. You can support me prayerfully or financially. Pray is powerful anyway, but I can always use it out here on the field.
If you decide to support me financially you can do it one of two ways. You can click the support tab on the left side of this page. It will lead you through the steps so that you can support me online. The other way you can support me is send a check in the mail! You can send the checks to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Make sure you put POWELLSETH in the memo line to make sure the money makes it to me.
Thank you so much for the support I’ve received thus far. It means so, so much to me. I can’t even describe the feeling it gives me. I’m excited to keep going. To see what’s next for me. I think it’s gonna be surprising. Maybe even a little terrifying. But beyond amazing.
Seth
