2002Projects

Thanks for your prayers. We have arrived safely in Malaysia and have been enjoying the wonderful hospitality and generosity of our hosts. One of us almost lost a suitcase, but God intervened and we managed to retrieve the suitcase before it left in a taxi with someone else.

Tuesday we had our first day-long session. It went very well and we look forward to the rest of our time with this group of people.

Please do pray for Evelyn. Her ankles have been swollen since our long flight into Japan.

Thank you and God bless!
I want to first of all thank all of you for your prayers and support which have lifted me and encouraged me over the past months. God has been gracious to me in allowing me to have such a wonderful adventure serving Him and being a part of his merciful providence to us. For those of you who are wanting to share in my journey I have kept a journal which I am finally now having posted on the website. I hope that as you read this you will be able to see how wonderful God's caring has been as he is always going before me to prepare the way through people, circumstances, and events. I have had to cast every anxiety upon him, because he cares for me. To have thought about such an undertaking on my own would have easily overwhelmed me.

Within the journal I make reference to various people and places. Jeff and Wai-may Sim are the couple who have journeyed with me from Virginia. They are originally from Malaysia but have been in Canada for several years and we met them in Virginia where Jeff has just completed his doctoral program in psychology. They will be moving to Chicago when we return in July to enter a residency program.

Alex Sanders was a fellow student with me at Regent. He and his wife, Nora, lead a ministry in Malaysia and are my primary contacts there.

KL is the way everyone refers to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, just as we say D.C. for the District of Columbia.

Also please keep checking the website as we hope to have pictures posted very soon.

5/16-20

We left Norfolk for Chicago and then non-stop to Tokyo. It was an extremely long flight. I had a window seat all the way, but was very cramped and immobile. When we reached Tokyo I noticed that my feet and legs had swollen tremendously. We made a connecting flight to Singapore and arrived at midnight. Jeff noticed a tall American walking away with a red suitcase just like his. When his didn't come, Wai-May made a report while he ran after the man who was just getting ready to get into car. They exchanged bags laughing about how the man could never have fit into Jeff's clothes. Jacqueline, Jeff's sister, who drove us to her condo, met us. His mother was there so I met her as well. They put me in Jeff's bedroom where I slept on the floor with my feet up on the foot of the bed. They stayed up and talked and ate. We returned to the airport by 6:00 AM for the flight into KL.

Pastor Roy and Pastor Richard met us and took us in the church van to breakfast in an open air stall. Thankfully I saw a booth with waffles and had one with bananas, no syrup. Great. Then they took us to our places. The Sims were put up in an apt/condo the church owned and at a very large complex. I was staying at the church mission house. A wealthy church member donated the house to be used for speakers, missionaries and others passing through. Eeswary and her son, Johannen, lived there and hosted the guests. My upstairs bedroom was large and well appointed with two beds, a refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot and some goodies. The bathroom had a shower stall, which is uncommon. The house had 2 other bedrooms upstairs for Eeswary and Johannen and another smaller guest bedroom with tiny bathroom downstairs. Ceilings were very tall and lighting was poor, but the bedrooms were air-conditioned. The houses in the area were attached and each had iron bars on windows and caging in back kitchen area, iron gates at the entrances, and an iron barred gate at the door. All were padlocked and I had to unlock two padlocks and two other locks each time I came and went. It was always noisy as we heard the neighbors on both sides of us as well as the street traffic.

The first two weeks in KL, we were to hold a counseling conference for the Grace Assembly Church. They had recently hired Siew Foong Lim to start a counseling center in downtown KL right on a street where drug use was out in the open. Siew Foong is a well-educated, capable young lady who spent several years in Hawaii and whose heart is in improving the social work and counseling in Malaysia. She is also hired by National Evangelical Christian Foundation (NECF) as their researcher. Monday , May 20, Pastor Richard and Angie, Siew Foong's assistant, took us around KL and to the new counseling center they were preparing (Have pictures). A businessman offered the large office floor to them for the annual rent of a nominal fee and even paid for the necessary renovations. The men discovered they had to use their plumbing skills to replace a flushing unit that was failing. Glad it was in the men's booth! (Have pictures).

In the afternoon we went to the church offices located on the top floor of the church where we met Siew Foong and gave them our master notes so they could make copies for the week.

5/21-24

We had the counseling conference with over fifty in attendance. (Have pictures). My main sessions were Wed afternoon and Thursday morning. By noon, my feet were worse so someone took me to Dr Wong, a Chinese lady who is a member of their church. She gave me some pills to help venous blood return, told me to do "cycling in the air", made me promise to go straight to bed and return the next day. She gave me an "MC" (medical certificate) so I could get out of work. She also said that if I wasn't better she was going to admit me to hospital. Friday when Eeswary took me back to her, she told me that my blood pressure had been very high the day before and since she didn't know a lot of the pills I was on nor anything about my condition she wasn't going to take chances. Thank God my feet and blood pressure were much better and I had lost 3 lbs. I told her that I was going to be in KL another seven weeks, and that I'd like for her to consider me as her patient while I was here as long as she didn't admit me, didn't call my doctor, and didn't call my husband without first consulting with me. I assured her I knew how my body reacted and that what I was experiencing was not due to carcinoid but to the trip and the weather. She just smiled. Her husband and brother are also doctors and it was clear to me that she was more knowledgeable about things the second day.

5/25-6/2

Eeswary took me to the church in the morning so we could print out the material for the next sessions. Jeff and Wai-may spent the afternoon at a children's home. At 5:00 PM Siew Foong picked me up and took us to the evening church service where Pastor Richard preached. We went out to eat with them and had a lovely time. Sunday 5/26 I stayed in for the morning, then at 1:00 PM was picked up so we could do the youth service and club time. We broke off into groups before Jeff did the speaking, but one girl in my group started crying, so I took her off to a room with Maryann (Pastor Richard's wife) and we held a counseling session with her. She and her sisters were being badly abused by their father and no family members interfered. Since this was a church family, the situation was ticklish, but not uncommon. I referred the case to Siew Foong.

Monday and Tuesday I held the MBTI training, along with the DISC, temperaments and spiritual gifts with twelve of the church's pastors and lay leaders. I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and the camaraderie was warm. We held the sessions at the KL counseling center and at times had to compete with workers who were drilling for the new security system and telephone lines. Siew Foong took me back to the house and we stayed up late talking over a myriad of topics and issues concerning her work. The next afternoon she picked us up and took us to NECF for an appointment with Rev Kim Kong Wong who gave us valuable insight into the problems Malaysian churches were having in training new counselors. We discussed different options on how they could make progress in that area and from where assistance could come. That evening she took us to see the Sunway mall and resort which a wealthy man designed and built in the shapes of a pyramid and sphinx. We ate supper at another open-air food stall where they had "Merry Christmas" strung up in lights over the street. We had fun getting very lost on the way back.

Thursday 5/30 we treated Siew Foong and Angie to a meal at TGIF at another mall, then they took us to the night market (Have pictures). Booths and stalls were set up on both sides of a street, lit up with lights run by generators. It was beautiful and culturally enlightening. The next morning Angie picked me up at 6:30 to meet Alex at a midway point and he drove me straight to Ray Johnson's house where the team of 10 youth were gathering for their last breakfast before making their way back to the US. This team had left from Norfolk on the same day we did and had spent the last two weeks in E. Malaysia (Kuching) and Penang (an island in the north west end of the peninsula) I did devotions for them and we went to a little Indian restaurant for a yummy breakfast of banana roti (rather like a pancake) and mango lassi (a yogurt drink). Then Alex took me to his home while he took the kids back to the airport.

Since I was having some health problems, I stayed at Alex and Nora's home alone over the weekend while they took their family to their church camp up in the mountains. It was a wonderful time of rest and recuperation. God is refreshing me for the next days.

6/4-6/5

I went into the offices of Asian Mission Teams (also known as GMT) to work with Shirley Lim, Alex's secretary, on preparing my notes for the different presentations and speaking engagements. Their 3-room offices are at Charis Christian Centre (Church), which rents all floors of a storefront corner building. I met Pastor Lawrence Yap and he gave me a very warm welcome. We discussed plans for me to teach conflict management and mediation skills to his staff the following week.

6/6

Siew Foong (who is heading up the new KL counseling center through Grace Assembly) came for an appointment with Ray Johnson, Alex and myself to discuss the future of the Christian counseling profession in Malaysia and the feasibility of uniting efforts with the various churches and organizations who are making headway in this field. It was a productive time and I felt honored to have a hand in getting them together.

6/7-6/8

I was picked up and taken to a school where the Christian Business and Professional Executive Development Forum hold their bi-monthly training meetings. I had been put in touch with this group through contacts with the Navigator organization and Peter Tan, president of a prestigious private school, got in touch with Shirley just before I left the USA. They had originally invited me to speak on conflict management on Friday, and wholesome family relationships on Saturday but I felt the allotted time of 6 hours too short to address two topics so we settled on using both days for the first topic. Over 60 men and women in the professional fields showed up, and we had a full three hours of lecture and working on communication skills. (See pictures). On Saturday, people were more relaxed and very much got into the mediation exercises, extending those 3 hours with their questions. They very graciously presented me with a small gift and warmly showed their appreciation. At lunch, I had the opportunity to talk around several tables and was impressed with the high positions many of them held in the government, at private schools and in business. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and hope I can continue email contact with several of the ladies I met.

6/9

I "preached" at both services at the Revival Centre (Church) in Ampang. It is a predominantly Chinese locale in the north end of KL. The church is renting several floors of a building and hold both English and Chinese services, as well as a children's service. Pastors Ronnie and Lisa Chin started the church over 21 years ago and the work is still expanding. I found them to be a delightful and very humble couple. Since this was the first time that I had a Sunday morning service, my stomach butterflies were quite active. I shared on discipleship and mentoring, and when the pastor gave the alter call around 30 people came forward. They took me out for lunch with a young couple who have 2 boys, one of whom is adopted. They have also booked me for a training session early July.

6/11-6/12

When I arrived at Charis Christian Centre (henceforth CCC) on Tuesday, I found that Pastor Lawrence had asked for all his staff and leaders to attend, as well as the teachers from their KG school (Shining Star) and the staff from their (Rumah) orphanage. The room was quite full. They had an interpreter for the few Chinese who could not understand English well enough to follow me and they sat in the back corner. We went over the DISC personality assessment and conflict management skills. On Wednesday we continued where I'd left off, worked on communication skills and then went through the phases of mediation, using three of their volunteers for the role-play. They all enjoyed that very much. I was told that people in this culture don't like to ask questions and don't like to be put on the spot for role-play, but it seems I'm making them break the rules and they're finding it fun. They still want more help in dealing with every day conflicts and personality clashes, so we may schedule more time with the individual groups and go over teamwork and how to honor each other at the workplace. (See pictures).

Jeff and Wai-May Sim had been in Penang (an island at the Northwest corner of Malaysia where they are from originally) for the last twelve days visiting family members and they returned late at night. They will be staying at the mission house where Ray and Laverne Johnson live and which is right up the road from the CCC and around the corner from the Rumah.

6/13

I spent the morning at the office with Jeff, Alex and Shirley finalizing notes and schedules. That evening, David and Puspa (pronounced Pushpa) Waters came over to Alex's for fellowship. David is from New Zealand and Puspa is a true mix of several ethnicities from Malaysia. They have been married almost two years and are expecting their first baby next month. They met on the mission field in Vietnam and are truly a lovely couple. They related quite a few stories of how life is like for the people in Vietnam. The believers there could use our sincere prayer support.

6/14

Alex took me into the office by 8:30 am and two friends I'd met at the Business and Professional Forum picked me up to take me to Katie Wong's house for a ladies' Bible study. Katie's husband, David Wong, is the director of Tupperware operations in this whole area of the world. David had just returned from a conference at the Navigators headquarters in Colorado Springs. There were nine ladies present and they were anxious to hear my testimonial on adopting and raising our children. These are the ladies with whom I'd struck a bond and want to keep contact. We had a lovely time of fellowship and extended it into the lunch hour at a fancy hotel. Just as we started lunch, the heavens opened and we had torrential rains. On the way back to the GMT office, I saw the effects of the rain on the traffic and the flooding of the roads. This is a way of life to Malaysians and they take it in stride. It's laughable to them when I try to duck out of the rain!

That evening I was taken to a small predominantly Chinese church in Jing Jang. This, too, was a walk-in upstairs, store-front church as the Malaysian government had not allowed any Christian religious denominations to build their own buildings up until a couple of years ago. Only now are these churches having hopes and dreams of buying property and building their own sanctuaries. The floor that held their "sanctuary" was a long hall with columns in the middle and a walkway aisle dividing the front half from the back half. It was quite a challenge to get every one to see the screen, then break off into four groups and do the exercises. I presented the self-select MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) assessment and walked through how that self-discovery could help them in their areas of ministry and in relationships. Even though that night was on e of the big soccer game bights, I was heart-warmed by the attendance.

6/15

There was a mix-up in communication with Praise City Church and at 3 pm I sat waiting for them to pick me up. Alex and Nora weren't at home, so there was no way I could know what had happened. When Alex returned, he made a few phone calls and discovered that they had changed the time to the evening, but we had somehow missed it. I used the time to catch up on writing notes and email. When they picked me up and took me there, I found that this church was also up three floors of a shop-front building with a small room for our session. The stairwell and elevator were equally scary but no one seemed to notice I was holding my breath. The people had had Jeff the night before and they were expecting a "much older, stern professor" to show up. My, were they in for a surprise. I told them that they were going to do more work than I and quickly had them in groups and dyads practicing communication and counseling skills. I don't think we could have been more at ease or laughed more than we did that night.

6/16

Shirley picked me up to attend CCC as Alex took his family to another church where he was to be the speaker for Father's Day. I had turned down any offer to take the service on Father's Day. Somehow it just didn't seem right to me. I enjoyed their service and their speaker was Dr Charles Goza, a Southern Baptist missionary to Malaysia. I refused offers to be taken out to lunch as I we were to leave early in the afternoon to attend the NECF (I wrote about this organization earlier) 20th anniversary celebration held at the huge Sunway Resort. GMT's table of 10 happened to be right next to CCC's table and to our great delight, Grace Assembly's group of ten were on our other side. The fellowship uplifted me and I enjoyed the seven-course meal served true Chinese style. The organizers showed a video presentation of the history and work of NECF and then presented Ann Graham Lotz as the keynote speaker. What she had to say really ministered to me because I had totally botched up giving myself the Sandostatin shot and had been feeling quite down. God was so caring to me that night.

6/17

I worked several hours on the presentation I was to give at the "Joining Hands" seminar on June 24, as I knew I wouldn't have time to work on it when we went to Malacca on Wednesday. Jeff and Wai-May had decided to go to Malacca a day earlier but I had declined, knowing that I needed not to feel rushed if I am to do a good job of things. Jeff called me up that evening and encouraged me to get ready and go with them the next morning, promising not to make it a sightseeing and tiring day for me. Siew Foong and Angie from Grace Assembly were going to drive us down instead of going in a taxi. Jeff knows me well enough to force me to take time off from myself! I agreed, and applied myself to packing.

I'll stop here for now and talk about the Malacca experience in the next installment.

I cannot believe how blessed I have been to have the opportunity of serving here in Malaysia. All of you who have been praying for me have also increased the blessing. I feel that you are a part of each day. Actually, my days are your nights but as I sleep my strength is renewed through your morning prayers. Your evening prayers send me off each day. Thank you for your faithfulness.

6/18

Alex took me into the office in the morning where Siew Foong and Angie picked Jeff, Wai-May and me up for the two and a half hour ride to Malacca, at the southwest tip of the peninsula. Malacca is the "Yorktown" of Malaysia because that is where the first settler built a town. They dropped us off at the Calvary Life Church offices located in a "bungalow" (actually, a very large detached house with grounds) that a parishioner had deeded to them several years ago. We met Pastor James Krishnan and several staff members, gave them our notes, (as the courier had not delivered as promised) and then they took us to a condo a few miles away. It is owned by a church member and he offers its use to them whenever they have guests or speakers come in. It was spacey, three bedrooms, with air conditioning in EACH room. Yes, that is very important. I had a separate private bathroom off the laundry space. The church staff had very generously fixed us up with fruit baskets, plenty of drinking water, breakfast items and other goodies. After we got settled, Pastor Janice picked us up for supper and for a nighttime tour around the city.

6/19

At 11:30 am Pastor James (he is of Indian descent, third generation Malay, and his wife, Maggie, is Chinese - see pictures) picked us up for a marvelous lunch at an Indian restaurant. The owner and his wife cook all the food fresh (so we had a bit of a wait) and gave us a tour of his very clean kitchen. That's it - I'm now hooked on tandoori chicken, a spinach and cheese sauce, mango lahsi and naan. That afternoon he gave us a tour of the historical section of town and we spent some time in a museum right next to Christ Church, the oldest Anglican church in Malaysia. (see pictures). That evening, I gave the first seminar on leadership and mentoring. He had invited five other churches and the Salvation Army staff and there were over 60 people in attendance. I found them quite receptive and appreciative. This church also rents the two floors of a store-front building and had support columns dividing the large hall. For our weekday sessions, we used only one side, and the other was set up with tables for drinks and snacks.

6/20

I started the morning out with the first half of the conflict management session, then Jeff gave 45 minutes of counseling skills, using me for role-play. After lunch, J & WM returned to the condo while I went to the church office and held the theory and personality traits part of the seminar with only the church staff and leaders. Since that took up quite a bit of the afternoon, I stayed behind in the condo that evening while Jeff gave them his presentation.

6/21

Again I had the morning session and did the MBTI self-select assessment with them. Then Jeff did another 45 minutes of counseling skills. For lunch we returned to the church offices where several ladies had prepared quite a feast in honor of Pastor James' birthday. One family in the church is "displaced" from Iraq and the lady had very graciously and sacrificially (she took time off from work) prepared some Arabic food. I was quite pleased and grateful. We had some wonderful fellowship getting to know each other better. Then, after a quick trip to the pharmacy to replace some medicine and sunglasses, Pastor James took us, along with his youngest two children, Pastor James and the lady who made the food to a Durian fruit farm. This is a fruit particular to Malaysia and it is said that "it smells like hell and tastes like heaven". How right they are. Once you get past holding your nose or your breath, the fruit pods are sweet and no two taste the same. One even tasted to me like café au lait. Our hosts where quite tickled that I ate the fruit and seemed to enjoy it, as they said very few foreigners even taste it. Since Wai-May had told me about the fruit earlier and prepared me for the smell, I didn't find it all that bad. The durians grow kind of funny too. They hang straight off the thick part of the tree branch, looking like opossums. Once they fall to the ground, they are ready to eat. (see pictures). Because the farmer can't clear the ground under the trees, he was careful to look for snakes before we got under the trees. On our way back from the farm, we stopped to take pictures of a highly decorated bullock cart. Once back at the office, Wai-May and I printed and prepared 35 MBTI reports and didn't get back to the condo until 7:30. So again I stayed back while Jeff took the evening session.

6/22

I started the morning session with communication skills and Jeff talked about treating difficult adolescents. During his session, two ladies approached me asking for help with a friend of theirs who was in the hospital. After a quick discussion with Jeff, we agreed to counsel the couple that afternoon. After lunch, Jeff counseled the husband at the church office while I was taken to the hospital to talk with the woman. My heart goes out to that family. We got back to the condo quite late in the afternoon, barely having time to shower and change for the evening services. Jeff and Wai-May were taken to KL's Praise City sister church for their evening service. Calvary Life has their main service on Saturday night, starting with a prayer meeting at 6:30. But during that time I had a counseling session with another church member and got to my seat just as they started the time of singing. What beautiful singing! They only had a guitar and keyboard for accompaniment and everyone's voice was raised sincerely in worship. It was not so loud that we couldn't hear the harmonizing. I was greatly blessed. Just after Pastor James introduced me, he got Maggie to come up and present me with a gift, a lovely pewter plate depicting scenes from Malaysia. I will treasure this as a lovely reminder of these wonderful people with whom I forged a close bond. Both sides of the hall were filled and we used two overhead screens for my sharing. After the service, the Krishnan family took me out to eat (yes, they all eat very late in Malaysia) and while waiting for our food /I taught them to play "Phase 10". We had sat outside but right under a large fan so Cathy (10 yrs old) and Cassel (5 yrs old) had quite a time holding all ten cards and keeping the pile from blowing off the table.

6/23

We woke up early to finish packing and the Sims were picked up to go to CLC where Jeff was to speak and I was picked up to go to another little upstairs, store-front church, right in the heart of town near their university. Since 90% of the church attendees are university students and school was on break, they apologized for only having 80 plus people there. I wondered where they would have put them if they'd expected more! As soon as I finished speaking, and before the service was over, I was whisked back to CLC where the rest were waiting for me. We went to an indoor restaurant for lunch where Maggie and I jumped from topic to topic, trying to fit a lot of talk in the little time we had left. I was very sorry to see our time come to an end and I do hope I get to return to Malacca again. This time we took a taxi for the trip back to KL. I debriefed some with Alex then went to my room to go over my notes for the Joining Hands seminar the very next day. This was the very important annual counseling seminar that GMT had started the previous year and had spent months in prayer and preparation. This was one of the main reasons I had come to KL, to support Alex and GMT in their ministry.

I was getting a sore throat and congestion, so took some orange capsules that seemed to keep me wired. Not even an Ambien pill could put me to sleep. I could just hear Steve fussing away at my foolishness for taking those capsules. I had set my alarm for 5:30 am so I could ready on time but I worried over whether it would wake me up, so I never did get to sleep that night. Well, I just knew that it would have to be God and only Him to get me through the seminar, 'cause I sure couldn't rely on being well-rested!

My time here is drawing to a close as I head home in three weeks. My schedule will continue to be full. I covet your continued prayers and encouragement Thank you so much.

I am posting this last Malaysia journal installment from home in Virginia. My journey was long and I am still completely turned around with night and day. Steve and I actually went out for breakfast at 5:00 AM . Those of you who know me will also be quite shocked by this turn of events. As you will read in this posting my final days in Malaysia continued to be full and challenging. I realize that there are a great number of names, places, and descriptions which to you have little meaning and may even be difficult to keep up with who is who and where is where. But just as each of you have been a part of my life and a factor in making me who I am , these new found friends are also now a part of me. As I care so much for each of you and covet your continued prayers you are also melded together with these in the bond of the Holy Spirit in a special way. Because as you prayed for me you were also praying for those who received me and blessed me while in Malaysia. We can now have one big international Holy Spirit hug. Thank you and I love you.

6/24-6/25

Monday morning Alex and I left the house at 7 am and picked up Shirley with all her boxes from her house, then went to the mission house to pick up Jeff, Ray, Laverne and Lily. Shirley and Lily are GMT secretaries. Wai-May stayed behind to pack up as she and Jeff were going to move to another location at the end of the day. All of us were on edge as this was THE BIG DAY of the Joining Hands counseling conference on "Handling Difficult Adolescents." I very much appreciated the prayer we had in the van as we drove across town to Glad Tidings (GTPJ) church in Petaling Jaya. Rush hour traffic was bad but we still got there before the doors had opened. Shirley and Lily set up the registration tables while Jeff and I paced around. We were an odd-looking crew, to me. In spite of the tension I could appreciate the humor in it. All in all, 184 people attended the seminar, breaking last year's attendance number. Before we started I received a shock. That church had hundreds of colorful brochures advertising me as the main speaker for Saturday's leadership and conflict management seminar. I immediately showed them to Alex, as that was the first I was hearing of it! It seems I had somehow been double-booked as I was supposed to be giving an afternoon seminar at another church the same day. I determined not to solve that puzzle right then and let someone else manage that conflict.

Alex opened the conference with a gracious introduction of me and I climbed to the podium with a sink or swim feeling. Once I started, I felt very comfortable and went through the power point slides and notes with confidence. When Alex gave me the 10-minute signal I found had to go over my allotted time by five minutes but my session was very well received and appreciated. Jeff took over next and I used that time to walk around, deep breathing and relaxing. The afternoon sessions were also well received but toward the end of my time I thought I was getting the "cut-it-off" signal from Alex so I closed without talking about the very last handout in their notes. It seems I had mistaken his expression and still had 10 more minutes to go! Jeff was happy to use that time for showing one more counseling technique than he'd originally planned so it worked out fine. At the end Jeff and I were each presented with a pewter plaque with the Joining Hands inscription. A precious gift I will treasure. I met several influential people who were gracious in their praise of the sessions. My new friends from the Business and Professional Executive forum were there as well and it was encouraging to look out at the audience and see familiar faces. A media company had taped the sessions and I saw many people buying the tapes on their way out. My notes were extensive so they'll have plenty to refer to later.

By then I was so tired and hungry I was swaying. We picked up some chicken from KFC, had a relaxed meal with Nora and Jahred and went straight to bed. The next morning I unpacked my bags from the Malacca trip, took a nap, did my wash, took another nap and still slept well that night.

6/26-6/27

In the morning I went in to the GMT office with Alex to prepare notes for the weekend sessions. Meanwhile Alex did some rearranging with the church where I was to be that weekend so we could fit in the GTPJ seminar. That evening, I spoke at Charis Christian Centre's well-attended church-wide Discipleship Education class using the Flower Illustration again. We used the downstairs sanctuary hall wo people were sitting on all three sides of the room. They videotape most sessions so people can see the speaker on the three monitors. There, too, I'm beginning to recognize familiar faces and feel quite at home.

We loaded the boxes of children's books collected from Seaford Baptist Church and took them to the Shining Star school. This school is an outreach of Charis Christian Centre but has had to rent a house several blocks away. Most of the teachers are not certified but have taken some training and are trying their best to go by a special program written by a Malaysian teacher. They incorporate Christian principles into the lesson plans but have had no reading resources to use until my church sent some. The 154 children all wear uniforms and lead a structured day rotating between different rooms and learning stations. Recently, the CCC was able to buy a detached house right across the street from the church building and they have started the remodeling process to accommodate many more children and offer the elementary grades. Jahred attends and Nora teaches here but she is taking a maternity break now.

The principal met us at the gate and ushered us into the "library". There we put several of the books on a low table for a few children to look at. They were amazed and almost fearful of the pop-out books, as they'd never seen anything like that before. The principal appreciatively presented me with a gift of a school T-shirt to pass on to my church. (See pictures). After taking a few pictures, I was led around to the various rooms and watched the children "take their class". Almost all the children come from Chinese Christian families, but three Malay brothers were also accepted as their father recognized the value of the education they would get there. When they move to the new building, the school hopes that more Malays would see fit to register in the school. As we left, I saw some children having their snack outside on the very tiny "playground". Their new school premises will be a vast improvement on what they currently have.

6/28-6/29

This was to be my long and busy weekend. The River of Christ (ROC) church put me up at the posh Petaling Jaya Hilton, as it was closest to where the pastor lived who was to provide most of the transportation. I had a lovely room with a great view of the old residential and new corporate KL side by side (see pictures). Alex had arranged for the church to reschedule the afternoon session to the evening so that I could still teach at the Glad Tidings PJ (GTPJ) church. Fortunately, that was quite close to the Hilton. Pastors from both the churches met me in the lobby at 2 pm so I could hand over my notes for them to copy. Boy, there's nothing like those tiny shops that can do last minute printing! ROC's Pastor Monica picked me up a couple of hours later and drove me a long distance to where the new church building is located. On the way she filled me in on some of the church history. The congregation is predominantly Indian and they are currently without a main pastor. They have just gone through some difficult times but have managed to buy an abandoned warehouse and turned it into a huge place of worship, completely paid for. Their eagerness in starting over and wanting to reach the vast new communities sprouting up in their area was obvious and sincere. The sessions they'd asked for was on understanding and using spiritual gifts, the MBTI and parenting adolescents. I felt they also needed the sessions on conflict management, as that had been a problem that had split the church previously. So we planned another session for the following Wednesday morning - the only opening I had left. Over one hundred people attended Friday evening's session. Another church member took me back to the hotel as Pastor Monica's daughter and fiancé were coming in from London.

Saturday morning's session was even better attended, with several Malaysian men coming from the corporate sector and wanting a recap of the previous session. Knowing that, I stated at the beginning of the session that whatever I taught was going to be unapologetically Biblically oriented but had application in all areas of life. There were also people from another church three hours away. The session was very well received - these people are hungry for basic principles of leadership they can apply in their lives and work. I managed to finish just in time to be whisked off to the hotel, have a quick room-service sandwich and put my feet up for 10 minutes, then the next pastor met me in the lobby to take me to GTPJ.

I was overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up there. There were more people than the previous Monday's conference. It seems word had spread about my teaching and they had called up cell group leaders from other churches as well as their own. I started with the leadership and mentoring session, gave them a five-minute break then went straight into basic conflict management. It was a challenge for me to switch topics but they followed me closely and asked more questions than I had time to answer. Their pastor was kind enough to tactfully pull me away and get me back to the Hilton so I could change and be ready for ROC.

While I was away those four hours, ROC had a wedding, which was attended by some people who'd not gotten word that my session had been rescheduled. And that evening I had some of their wedding guests who remained to take in the training. About 40 people were there and they enjoyed the communication exercises and had many questions about handling "slow" learners. Education is the #1 stressor for both parents and children and the parents' identity is wrapped up in how well their children do. It was difficult for them to take in ways they could allow their kids to be kids and not burn them out before adolescence. I felt a deep compassion for and a bonding with the people of this church.

The next morning (Sunday) I checked out of the hotel before leaving for ROC. The service was long and my teaching was well received. I had warned everyone that I was not a "preacher" but a teacher and it seems my style was refreshing to them. Many came up to the altar to ask for prayer and to commit to a closer walk with the Lord. I was taken back to Alex's right after the service. This time I was glad not be hosted for lunch, as I needed the time to unwind and relax. I spent the evening talking with Nora, eating popcorn, playing games with Jahred, making little Elie smile, and enjoying them as a family.

7/1

A day of washing clothes, writing in my journal, preparing more notes, and packing to move to Ray and Laverne Johnson's house the next morning. Nora's mother, Ninfa, was expected to come in from Texas on Wednesday and I was in the room she would occupy. For dinner I treated the family to a lovely seafood meal at a beautiful outdoor restaurant practically a stone's throw away from their apartment complex. We all enjoyed watching the water trickle off the eaves all around us, and seeing the fish swim in the man-made gutter streams meandering around the tables.

7/2

Alex dropped my things off at Ray's house then drove me around the corner to the Rumah (children's home) run by CCC. Charissa, and her staff of 5 are responsible for the care and nurturing of over 50 children. I spent four hours with their staff talking about ways they could restructure their days to accommodate the different school schedules, allowing the children some freedom to release energy yet still manage to do all their heavy homework. We also talked about team building, motivating some of the children's family members to be more connected, and how to articulate their needs to the church body so they could get volunteers to help out. They are doing a superb job and need more appreciation for and acknowledgement of their efforts. I stayed and had lunch with several of them and had a chance to encourage them in their personal lives. One of the teachers is going through what we did with run-away kids so I shared some of our experiences, giving her hope and encouragement.

That evening I taught over 40 people at Holy Light Lutheran church. Their pastor is Pax Tan with Malaysia Care, an organization that works closely with the government and has many social concern branches for youth, prison ministry, drug rehab, etc. After the session he took me to one of the many sidewalk food stalls and introduced me to more delicious Malay and Chinese food. I usually don't eat before the teaching sessions but still can't find that I can eat anything heavy that late at night. People in Malaysia eat any time of the day so there are always restaurants and food stalls open.

7/3

I got picked up at 9 am for the long drive to ROC and found that more than 50 people had shown up for this hastily-planned session. Several had taken time off from work and they were eager to learn. Word had spread so several came from other churches and the corporate world. Due to the many questions, the 3-hour session lasted over 4 hours and several detained me for more questions. When we drove off looking for a restaurant, we found that most of the places were closed as it was after 3 pm. We finally found a small café and 8 of us sat around talking for another hour and a half. This "work" is exhausting but quite fulfilling. It is so refreshing to see people so eager to learn.

Back at the mission house I had just enough time to lie down for a half hour before Pax came to pick me up. I followed up on what I had taught the night before and added the communication skills and exercises. They were a fun group and they also asked good questions. Some of what I teach goes contrary to the Malaysian and Chinese cultures of non-confrontation and I challenge them to think and work outside their comfort zones. I begged out of being treated to a late supper, as I was so tired from the long day.

7/4

I used most of this day writing notes for CCC's Saturday's session on parenting. Pastor Lawrence Yap asked me to tell stories from our experiences and relate them to principles of parenting. Since they were advertising that I was going to include from birth to adolescence, I had another dozen years of development to write about and add to my notes on adolescence. This certainly isn't my area of expertise so I was way out of my own comfort box. My sister had provided me with some notes on teaching ADHD children, so I incorporated my earlier notes with what she'd given and added stuff I found on the internet to put together 23 pages of information. I met with Pastor Lawrence at CCC around 5 pm to discuss the session then Ray, Laverne and Lily picked me up to go to Alex's house for a July 4th BBQ. Pastor Lawrence Yap, his wife, Wai-Lin and their two children also came, as did the neighbors from across the street. I enjoyed watching Jahred recite the pledge while waving his little flag, and since I was holding Elie I made him salute as well (see pictures). It is fun playing with little children for whom I am not responsible and handing them back over to parents when they are tired of me. After we'd had our fill of food I taught them to play Boomo. Ray and Pastor Lawrence were the first to go out which made it more fun for the women!

7/5

Siew Foong Lim from Grace Assembly PJ picked me up early and we drove downtown to the new KL counseling center. The six people who are to be the main staff and counselors for the center came to learn mediation skills. I enjoyed working with them again as we had a camaraderie that facilitated learning. I will miss them and certainly hope God opens the door for me to return. After hanging around a bit to help out with preparations for the grand opening next Tuesday, Siew Foong and I walked a few blocks to the busy market district for a late lunch at "The Coliseum". It is supposed to be the oldest restaurant in KL dating back to Colonial times. It is known for its "Western" food of steaks but we still ordered chicken and a seafood salad prepared Malaysian style. It was a lovely time of sharing dreams, plans and ideas. Late in the afternoon I did my wash and went over the material for the next day. That evening, Ray brought home more durian fruits and we ate them while watching a DVD movie.

7/6

I slept in late then walked down the hill to the Macro shopping center to get a few items. When I crossed the busy thoroughfare I had to remind myself to look the opposite way from which I'm used to, as the cars drive on the "wrong" side and would come whizzing around the corner. I couldn't find what I went looking for but did pick up a couple of useful items that couldn't be found in the US.

After lunch I was picked up by a CCC church member and driven down the hill. Over 100 people had signed up to take this 3-hour session on parenting and I really enjoyed myself, getting from the behind the podium and interacting with them. They had thoughtful questions and really showed an interest in wanting to try "new" ways of discipline, communication, and handling difficult problems with their children. That evening a Texan couple came in from Vietnam in transit on their way back to the States. They were on a fact-finding mission for HIV (He Intends Victory) working with AIDS victims and had many pictures of the Global Missions Team orphanage they had toured.

7/7

Charissa picked me up by 8 am for the early CCC service. We met upstairs for the English-speaking congregation while the larger sanctuary downstairs was used for the Chinese-speaking congregation. Today was the start of their missions emphasis month and Pastor Lawrence wanted me to give a testimonial of my life from growing up in Lebanon to what brought me to Malaysia. I gave a strong missions challenge to help the children of their own country and to support their own children's home workers as well as those in other countries. I also encouraged them to send their children on short mission trips to give them a broader world-view. We met downstairs for the 11 o'clock service with over 400 people in attendance and I gave the same challenge to that congregation. I recognized many of the people from previous teaching sessions and sure appreciated their encouragement. It was a powerful and meaningful service and many came forward in commitment and for prayer. The Lawrence Yaps and Sanders took me around the corner for a delicious Chinese lunch, along with Nora's mother, Ninfa. When I got back to the house I found that the water had been cut off. Due to the drought, different areas of the city were taking their turns. The Johnsons were prepared for this with large containers and buckets in each bathroom and in the kitchen. It also meant that I had to plan when to take a sponge bath and that I couldn't count on any warm water.

I had a short rest that afternoon then got picked up by Andrew from Revival Centre. Pastor Ronnie Chin had asked me to do the session on conflict management but to shorten it to only 45 minutes because we had to give time for interpretation into Chinese. I combined two slideshows to include the basics on antagonists and conflict management in the church so didn't have notes to hand out, but printed one set to give to the interpreter. They were having their worker's summit so had all the cell leaders and children and youth workers present - over 80 people. Pastor Chin had told me that he doubted anyone would feel free enough to ask questions so he wanted my talk to be clear and practical. After the talk was over, the people asked questions for another 45 minutes. The pastor had to call an end to the time and invited me back for longer training sessions on that topic next time I came to KL. The Chins then took me around the corner to Ampang Centre Mall to eat at Tarboush, a Lebanese restaurant. What a surprise! I showed them what to order to give them a proper taste of an Arabic meal of hummus, tabbouli, sheesh kebob, and sheesh tawouk. The food was quite authentic and not spiced up Chinese or Indian style.

7/8-7/9

The Sanders, Johnsons, and Yaps gave Jeff, Wai-May and me a wonderful appreciation lunch at a lovely Chinese restaurant. We had a side room to ourselves away from the hustle and bustle. Pastor Lawrence had ordered duck, ostrich, pork, prawn, chicken, fish, corn soup and various vegetables and EVERYTHING was delicious. Alex gave a speech, Ray and Pastor Lawrence added to it and they presented us with GMT certificates of appreciation. Jeff and I each responded with our own thanks and I felt quite emotional. I have bonded with these folks. I went on to the Sander's house with them to work with Alex on MBTI assessments sent from Malacca. It reminded me of our Regent University days when we studied together, jumping from one topic to another, making plans, and exchanging ideas. Times like these are stimulating to me and I appreciate Alex and Nora very much. They have made me a part of their family.

Still no water on Tuesday but the water truck came to the Rumah (CCC's children's home) around the corner so Ray and Laverne made several trips to get their containers and buckets filled. Ray graciously offered an elderly neighbor a couple of his buckets. I worried that Ray would get a hernia as those containers were very heavy. Once he got everything hefted into the gates, we watched the water truck come down our street and stop for the neighbors! That evening Charissa came by to take the three of us to a Malaysian (vs Chinese or Indian) night market a few miles away. For three hours we wandered by the stalls now and then buying something to taste. They introduced me to even more foods, sights and sounds. (see pictures). That street reminded me of the Beirut street markets where vendors daily sold vegetables and sundries off their carts.

7/10-7/11

Right after lunch Alex and Nora picked me up and took me downtown KL to see a Buddhist and Hindu temple. I had not yet had a chance to do any sightseeing and I was really interested in seeing these places of worship. It was not going to be possible to visit the mosque, but I was already quite familiar with what one looked like. (See pictures). After we say those, we went to the tourist craft market where I purchased a couple of souvenirs for my grandchildren.

I got back to the house in time for another quick sponge bath then was picked up by a lovely family to go to St. Mary's Anglican cathedral back downtown. This is the church where Queen Elizabeth worships when she comes to KL. It is quite an old and beautiful church and this group is allowed to use the sanctuary every Wednesday evening for their services (see pictures). I was told that no more than 30-40 people usually come but there were over 80, one of them saying he'd just dropped in for the first time. They appreciated my talk and I was quite moved that my last appointment in KL was in such a beautiful setting, one that reminded me of the church in Beirut where Steve and I got married.

Early on Thursday morning I packed, downloaded the pictures from my camera, checked email for the last time and reflected on how fast the eight plus weeks had flown by. At 9am the Sanders, with Ninfa, took me to the Petronas Twin Towers. We had to wait a couple of hours for our turn to go up to the skywalk between the towers but it was worth it (see pictures). We then had a fancy pizza lunch at a restaurant to celebrate Alex's birthday. They dropped me off at the Johnson's house to finish packing, and Alex took the family home, then returned to drive me to the airport. He helped me with my bags all the way to the gate. I was going to stop in Singapore for three days before leaving for the U.S. Jennifer Lee, Adrian's mother, and a friend took me to her apartment in driving rain. I wished that rain would move west to KL!

7/12-7/15

Each of the days I was in Singapore Jennifer graciously took me around sightseeing, visiting a couple of museums, and tasting more wonderful Chinese food (See pictures). I believe I got more exercise walking in those three days than all the time I spent in Malaysia. Her son, Michael, met us for lunch on Sunday. He, too, is a student at Taylor University where Paul attended. On Sunday night we took a boat up the Singapore River - everything you hear about the cleanliness in S'pore is true not one piece of flotsam, jetsam, or trash in the river, on the streets or on sidewalks. We got back to the apartment pretty late but I still didn't sleep a wink. I had set my alarm for 4:30 am but worried that it wouldn't go off. Jennifer got up with me (what a true friend) and put me in the cab for the airport. The 30 hours of flying and airport layovers were interminable and by Chicago I was swaying on my feet. The airport security there irritated me but I had to remind myself that it was for our safety. Our little plane was delayed for over an hour but we finally got in to Norfolk at 10 pm. How wonderful it was to see Steve meeting me with long stemmed roses! Back at home, sweet home, our three cats welcomed me on the walk and each allowed me to pet him - I was afraid they'd forgotten me!

The story will continue. Where I will be one year from now or even one month from now is in God's hands. I do ask each of you to consider how God is leading you to reach beyond the expected or the ordinary life and enter into the life of faith and trust in a loving and all-sufficient God.

Short-term missionary with Global Mosaic International

September 5, 2002

During this month of August, the Bible Broadcast Network was focusing on missions. The scriptures were taken from Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 4:1-2, II Corinthians 4:3-4, and Romans 10:14-15.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10: 14-15a)

Since it has been over two months from the time when I returned from Malaysia, I think that it is ironic that BBN chose missions as the topic for the month of August. For some odd reason, I believed that missions only involved overseas travel. Meeting those who had never received the Gospel of Christ, talking with those who cannot speak or understand English, dinning with those who have ailments that are unknown to the U.S. but common to other parts of the world, and rejoicing with those who live in poverty, were my thoughts of missionary work. However, my ideas were challenged during my missionary trip to Malaysia.

On May 16, 2002, I, along with eight students from a bible college in Hampton, VA, embarked on a 30-hour journey to Malaysia. After leaving Norfolk in the evening, we arrived safely in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday, May 18, 2002 (Malaysian time). The first thing that I remember Alex, Director of Missions in Malaysia for Global Ministry Team, saying was that missionary work is not only a time for you to spread the Gospel, but also a time for God to work on you. Although I understood what Alex was saying, I did not UNDERSTAND the impact.

During the two weeks in Malaysia, God's manifestations became apparent and His words were tested as truth. He used that time to take me out of my normal environment into an unfamiliar place. Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you (Genesis 12:1). In Malaysia, I did not know anyone, nor did I not have regular access to any communication tools. The two weeks were a time for me to seek the heart of God and see Him work through others in Malaysia.

On Sunday, May 19, we attended church in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur; on Sunday, May 26, we attended church in an upper-class area in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Although both services and churches were uniquely different, they were unified. Denominations failed to exist and there was no racial/cultural separation within the church. Chinese, Indians, and Native Malaysians all worshipped and praised together. The poor and the rich, the preacher and the lay-worker, the healthy and the afflicted, and former Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists all congregated under the heavens so beautifully. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him... (Romans 10:13).

On Monday, May 20, we traveled from Kuala Lumpur (West Malaysia) to Kuching (East Malaysia). Once in Kuching, we journeyed approximately five to seven hours into a tribal area. Though we did not know why we were going or what to expect, we went out of obedience. Once there, the writings in the scriptures of Timothy and Paul became so relevant: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction (II Timothy 4:2). Also, For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (I Thessalonians 1:4-5).

God took us out of the city into an area where English was not common. We were able to communicate with the children, but not with the adults. Yet, we were all unified within the Holy Spirit. It is amazing that within the Spirit, physical language becomes miniscule. I am not necessarily referring to speaking in tongues/heavenly language, but the way in which a song can be sung in English, Chinese, and Malaysian and tribal dialects simultaneously and still have ultimate power. This was the case during these three days. We could only speak English, and the adults could only speak tribal dialects; yet, we all praised and worshipped together. Another interesting aspect was seeing the love of God revealed. Individuals would work all day in the fields, prepare breakfast, lunch, and supper for us, return to the fields for evening work, and then joyously come to service every night to hear the Word of God spoken in English and then be translated into their dialect. This occurred every night, among the adults and children. What a blessing! In addition, God's manifestations were shown through preaching, teaching, laying on of hands, healing, praying, and worshipping.

On Wednesday, May 22, we traveled back into the city of Kuching. For three days, we were involved in nightly youth rallies. During this time, youth congregated at night to worship and hear the Word. A good portion of the young adults were first-generation Christians and/or first year Christians. (First generational Christians are those who are the first ones in their families to become Christian. In various parts of Malaysia, especially among Muslim families and cities, it is illegal to become a Christian. The consequences can range from excommunication to death, especially for Muslim converts). As far as the first generational youth at this camp, some refused to tell their parents/guardians, for fear of punishment. Yet, they came rejoicing in the Lord and seeking the gifts of the Spirit.

On Saturday, May 25, 2002, we traveled back to Kuala Lumpur for services, after which we journeyed approximately ten hours to Penang. In Penang, we engaged in a summer youth camp. The participants were different in that they were already professing Christians. Most of them were born and raised in Christian homes, nurtured in the church, and proclaimed Christ; however, the ultimate challenge was coping with youth who were spiritually dead. Most of them had become accustomed to attending church, singing in the choir, praying, and the likes; yet, their hearts were not after God. In addition, most attended the camp just to have an opportunity to travel to Penang. However, God used that time to manifest Himself. The most amazing thing that I saw was the widespread gift of prophecy. Prophetic voices of future families, churches, lives, opportunities, and possibilities were heard throughout the room. By the final night, many of the youth were laying prostrate before all Mighty God, crying out for a newness of His Spirit.

On Saturday, June 1, we arrived in Norfolk, VA safely. Since then, I have accepted a position as a Legislative Aide in Norfolk, VA. One thing that I have learned is that missionary work is needed everywhere. It is evident that missionary ministries are in Tidewater as they are in Malaysia and other countries. Being a missionary is not about traveling, but allowing God to use you and your gifts wherever you are in life. I praise Him for the opportunity and the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. Thank-you for your support, prayers, and love. May God bless you!

...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (I Corinthians 2:9).

Your Sister in Christ,

Marilyn C. Jackson