After four weeks in Malaysia I am now looking back at what was accomplished. The counselor training in Malacca brought a transformation in the students from tentative shyness to excited effort. I can still visualize the smiles on the students' faces in those last couple of days as they realized that they now knew better how to help people with problems. Their improved listening skills and greater confidence thrilled my heart.

During our stay in Malacca my main job was being the administrative anchor and assisting Evelyn with her groups. I also went with Ed to various churches and contributed special music to his preaching. In all, I sang in at least six churches. Two of the songs I took with me fit perfectly with two of his teaching topics, specifically addressing trials in life. I also offered praise songs. In each church, someone was encouraged by the songs, and they praised God along with me as I sang. To know that I succeeded in encouraging other believers to praise God and to persevere in difficulties was a substantial reward to me.

It was my privilege to work at an orphanage, Rumah Sayangan, in Kuala Lumpur. There, I met sixteen precious young people from about six to eighteen years old, and the staff who are disciplining them. My role was specifically directed at enhancing the homework study time of the children.

I instructed the staff on parenting skills, goal setting for themselves and the children, learning styles, and learning stages. I played learning games with the children while simultaneously demonstrating them to Mary, one of the staff, and coaching her in how to use them. I also contributed about thirty books to their library. Those children will become fathers, mothers, employees, employers, and hopefully, future church workers, so the hours that the orphanage staff spends with them will impact many more than just those individuals.

The opportunities to listen to people's problems, to sometimes give counsel, to comfort, to challenge, to encourage, to teach; the opportunities to share my testimony and to sing; fundamentally, the opportunity to build the body of Christ by edifying brothers and sisters in service to my Savior--all was a work I feel honored to have joined.

Grateful to serve,
Linda

I wish to thank all those who supported me through their prayers and finances on my summer 2003 mission trip to Malaysia. I thank my church in Lancaster, Living Hope Community Church. I thank Evelyn for leading the team and Linda and Shannon for being great ministry teammates through Global Missions International. I also want to thank Global Ministry Teams (GMT) in Malaysia for hosting us and allowing us to partner with them. I am personally grateful to Ryan for sharing his room with me. I am deeply appreciative of the generous hospitality and kindness shown to me by the individuals in the churches we visited.

To summarize the 3 weeks our mission team spent in Malaysia is a difficult task. We traveled about a day and a half each way on airplanes routed across the Pacific Ocean. We ministered in several churches in the capitol city of Kuala Lumpur (KL). The combined total number of people in the services where we ministered was in the neighborhood of 1500. Besides the preaching, teaching and singing ministry we did in KL, we conducted a 9 day lay counselor training course at Calvary Life Assembly of God in Malacca. This course consisted of a training session each evening and a practicum session the next day in the morning or afternoon for each of the 15 students. Each student worked hard to receive a certificate at the end of the program.

The practicum sessions for the lay counselor training were broken down into 4 groups of 3 to 4 students each. I led 2 of these groups and worked with the students on practicing basic counseling skills and techniques which were taught in the main sessions. I presented 2 of the teachings in the main sessions. In one I taught on the centrality of forgiveness in the healing process and the other was an introduction to inner healing and transformation. I also preached in the main church service on the weekend on the topic of "Extra-ordinary Living in an Ordinary World." I shared personal testimony of how God has helped me overcome severe eyesight limitations and demonstrate His strength in human weakness.

In KL I preached six times on similar topics and also on the theme of "The Role of Adversity in the Life of the Christian." I also shared a session on how to share your faith with unbelievers and lead them in a prayer of receiving Christ into their life. I also taught the 5-step prayer model (by John Wimber) to train prayer team members how to pray for folks seeking prayer ministry at the end of a church service, for example. I received many encouraging comments from my listeners and believe God used the messages to work healing in many lives. I did counseling and prayer ministry with a number of individuals and saw God use this time to bring healing and hope in their hearts.

I enjoyed the food, some of which was very different from anything we grow here in the States. As a tropical climate, Malaysia is a leading exporter of palm oil and assortments of tropical fruit abound. I also benefited from the warm hospitality and fellowship of the believers there. As we ministered, we were also ministered to. We were invited back everywhere we went.

A highlight for me was the worship times in the services when my ears heard the Asian-accented English of Malaysian people singing many of the same songs we sing back home in worship to the same God of the whole earth. The universal language of music crosses all cultural boundaries and provides a unique way to experience the love of Christ together.

I thank God for His protection and safety on our trip and doing the same for our families back home. I cannot tell you in words how grateful I am to have been a participant in what God is doing in southeast Asia.

In Christ,
Ed Hersh
http://counseling.bluerockbnb.com