One Malaysia is a slogan established by the government with hopes of uniting and bringing together the many different culture and races that live in this beautiful country. The primary people are the Malays, Indians, and Chinese; with each race comes very unique customs, culture, and religion. People in Malaysia are far more likely to associate themselves with their race than as a Malaysian. The slogan, One Malaysia, is a dream for everyone to identify themselves first as a Malaysian, then by their distinct culture and race. It is an idealistic dream that comes with a mess of issues dealing with politics, corruption, and racial preference. However, underneath the political mess, there is a stirring. There is a great work at hand and it will be really exciting to see what comes about in the next few years. God has a plan for Malaysia.
My time here has been nothing like I would have expected. We are located in Ipoh, Malaysia; a city of about half a million, located two hours north of KL. Unlike the Philippines, were we spent our entire time living life with the same group of people, our ministry here has been to a much broader group. Our main ministry has been going to churches, youth groups, and schools; where we have given testimonies, preached, and lead Sunday School programs. We have also taught English to refugee children and taken part in sports ministry. We are constantly encountering new people, which has been really exciting, but frustrating at the same time because some of the people we have met are incredible individuals, who I would love to get to know on a much deeper level.
I think the biggest challenge for me here has been preaching in front of churches. Due to the tradition in many churches to only allow men to preach, in combination with being the only guy on the team, I have been the immediate go-to for almost every speaking engagement. I do not have a natural gift towards public speaking; yet through these experiences I am learning to trust God to give me the words and to use what is being said to impact the hearts of those who are listening. I knew before leaving on the race that God would put me in places that would be extremely uncomfortable and stretching; I know that this is one area that will continue to push me every time I step in front of a crowd.
