It's Sunday at 8:00pm. I am laying in my bed in the dorms of a university in Malaysia. I have been sleeping off and on since 4:00 trying to get rid of a headache. To be honest, it has been nice being away from people for a large chunk of the day. I have needed rest and alone time. I hate that this rest time comes when I am trying to prevent a migraine, but maybe God has allowed me this time for a reason. The rest of the team has just left for dinner with some of the university students. This afternoon they played ultimate frisbee and other fun games together.
We got to Malaysia late Friday afternoon and went to a hotel in Penang for the night. We have been on the peninsula now for the past two days. Earlier today we spent a few hours with a local Chinese church learning how to throw frisbees and learning about the spiritual condition here.
There are three ethnic groups in Malaysia: Malay, Chinese, and Indian. The Indians are primarily Hindu. The Chinese are primarily Buddhist. The Malay are all Muslim. The Malay are required by law to practice Islam. The Church in Malaysia is very small. Nearly all the churches are Chinese. The church we visited today was both Chinese and Indian. It is very hard for a Malay to become a Christian. It is against the law to share the Gospel with them. It is strictly enforced. If you live in Malaysia, the government will put you in jail for sharing the Gospel. If you are a foreigner, you will be escorted to the next plane home. If by God's grace a Malay wants to become a Christian, there are many fears of the law, rejection from family and friends, etc.
The Chinese Christians here do not share the Gospel with the Malay. Not only is it against the law, but there is great racial tensions and prejudice between the two groups. The few missionaries that are here struggle with how to reach out to the people. Many have platforms to begin relationships with them. But they must be very careful so as to not be sent home by the government. The group we work with here have done a great job running a sports business that primarily goes into schools and universities and brings sports. Though Malaysia has a Christian presence, it is not among the majority group - the Malay. The work being done here may seem slow compared to other parts of the world. However, progress is being made and there is much to thank God for here.
Prayer Requests:
~ the missionaries in Malaysia - strength, perseverance, encouragement, and discernment.
~ the Chinese churches - strength and boldness to share with the Muslims
~ the Malay - God would break strongholds and fears would not prevent people from coming to Jesus. They need a revival
~ the health of our team - a few of us have just felt a little "eh." Pray that I don't get migraines
~ spiritual safety - pray God's protection around us while we are among so many different religions, especially Islam both here in Malaysia and in Jordan
~ good attitudes - many of us are feeling ready to head home. We need our hearts to be in the place we are serving and we need to focus on where God has placed us for the time being
~ re-entry in two weeks - we will be making many adjustments when we arrive back home and it will be a struggle. I can predict it will be a big challenge for me.
Side note: the university we are at has the call to prayer five times a day. As I was writing this blog post, one went off. It serves as a reminder to me of where we are and what we are up against. God is here in the midst of the darkness, but we cannot deny the enemy's presence either. Malaysia needs a revival, especially among the majority.
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