Rollin' Along

Here we are in Penang, Malaysia! After lots and lots of travelling, we arrived on this island of food perfection. Seriously, it's awesome. There's a small shop a stone's throw away and I've systematically worked my way down the list of fried rice meals. I'm taking them two at a time (still under budget!) and have had the privilege of trying Kam Heong, Baracava, and Satay dishes... all of which I would not have tried normally, and so would not have found tastes unimaginably good! I'm at 12 and 13 next, and if I make it to the end of the list, number 16 is Ham with Raisin Fried Rice!

Besides food, we've done a bit of ministry. It feels disjointed because we left right after we got here for a few days. Anyway, we did a short Christmas skit at an orphanage's Christmas party. The theme was God as a good Father who loves his children, and you can be his children! (You see, orphans don't have fathers). We visited that same group the next day at their home and played with them for hours! I performed countless rocketships, played tag, did more rocketships, played hide and seek, and rested to let the sweating slow down a bit.

Rocketships!

As a staff member of this 13-person team, I find lots of joy through comments like, "I can't believe we're in Asia!" "It's amazing to be here," and "I've never done that before." I get to encourage people to step out, to take responsibility and make something happen, while being challenged to be willing to do the things I'm asking, like approaching taxi drivers for a survey about HIV/AIDS, or praying for the injured and sick at the hospital. (A woman's arm was healed before us!)

We've seen lots of fruit so far, including a man being undeniably led to Christ. God is meeting those expectations I believed in while in the comfort of Vancouver.

Outreach has lots of its own little things you don't experience otherwise. Besides the vast variety of food, there's the unpredictable "sidewalks," the 6-ft. monitor lizard in the sewer beneath, and comments such as, "Can we take a picture with you? We do not see giant men like you."

Fire-breathing dragon

This is my favorite outreach so far, since God has equipped me more thoroughly, and I am more wise to do the things that bring life and sustain me, like reading, writing, praying, journaling, and spending time in my nothing box. :-)

In a week we head north to Thailand for two months!