We are stepping into parts of the world where few foreigners go, living among locals.

This photography collection captures an unforgettable day with Roger and Lee, two local Chinese Malays we happened to meet. 

Rather than going to Penang, Em and I stayed back in our host’s town to spend time with Indian Malays from church and to adventure with Roger.

Amanda came back from Penang and said I feel the Holy Spirit in this room, implying we had somehow practiced the presence of God extra that weekend.

It was a weekend where my time was intertwined with locals, both Indian and Chinese culture, and where my eyes were opened to the poor. It left my mind with much to think on, but it left my heart that much fuller…

 

Stepping In – a photography collection

We arrived in Malaysia as the sun seeped into the airport parking lot during golden hour. I captured the scene not knowing what lied ahead this month.

My squad and I, then, traveled by bus among the curved rock formations pondering our lives…

 

 

We could not have foreseen what would happen or that we would meet that one couple who would become like family to us, taking us on unforgettable adventures. 

Roger and Lee became our unpaid tour guides one Sunday, showing us hidden spots around Mount Jerai.

The day began, continued, and ended with random drinks (like sugarcane juice) and food (like Dim Sum) provided generously by Roger and Tan.

Monkeys are as common here as deer where I come from. They dug into trash scattered in the jungle…

 

 

Roger showed us ancient temples from his Buddhist faith…

 

 

Moments frozen in time by vibrant souls…

 

 

Roger’s passion poured out as he pointed out every plant and tree…

 

 

We rested by the river from the hot Malaysian heat…

 

 

In the stillness of being together, Roger opened up about a time when nature was his only escape. I shared how praying in nature in high school brought me out of hard places too; I elaborated it would seem humans need something external to bring us out of our internal battles…

 

 

We glanced at fascinating boat artifacts and Lee’s sweet gentle presence…

 

 

We talked and talked and talked in the car rides, wondering what spot they would show us next…

 

Watching people, watching me…

 

 

A simple moment in a simple place for a simple family I stepped into…

 

 

My feet in the water, this streambed and lighting felt like a peaceful, wonderous, childlike home to me. Planted there, I didn’t want to leave. But Roger insisted he had more to share…

 

 

We stopped by a fishing-town nestled along the ocean with numerous food stands and 0 tourism…

 

 

Locals walked their everyday walk. By chance, I am there in this exact instance of time to witness each individual uniquely made in the image of God…

 

 

I stepped into an existence not known before by these western eyes. And I saw clearly that they too have a story, that they too are deeply loved…

 

 

An ocean horizon that few western eyes have seen, my Chinese family showed me…

 

 

Roger and I, with similar seeking spirits, went our own ways walking solo along the coast line. Em took in the moment, collecting sea shells alongside Lee…

 

 

Roger said he wanted to take us to the mud beach too. This one I prefer even more…

 

 

We crossed over the tracks of some large lizard and glanced at mud fish launching themselves off a log…

 

 

Roger encouraged our love for tree climbing. I walked up the tree wondering what random tropical spiders or bugs may be lurking around as a crab fisherman approached.

The light of the Earth lowered itself to the water extending its heat to every living thing…

 

 

Lee was scared to cross the hanging bridge as adventurous Roger pranced his way across…

 

 

Lee and Em hold each other for a picture…

 

 

Roger, Em, and I stepped into another streambed. Dunking my head, I was refreshed. I said Roger you know me so well taking me here. He said I know, you are a water baby!

He knew I love the water and nature. He loves it too. He is part of an extreme hiking club that goes running through the jungles weekly. 

I shared of the prophecy fulfilled last month when I played in the Indonesian waterfall.

I planted seeds of the Good News as he planted seeds of wisdom explaining how he went from a rebellious young adult to the generous “Malaysian Santa Clause” he is known as today. 

Another slow golden hour of the race, we searched for a drink that comes from a palm tree base. The first place we tried ran out of the day’s supply. The second place had a nice view of Mount Jerai. Suddenly, my face turned sour as my stomach began to hurt badly…

 

 

Roger and Lee worry about me, while Em prayed in the car. The pain left just in time for some Texas Chicken, a quick and needed taste of the Western world.

I asked if I can bless the meal, and they welcomed it gladly.

We said goodbye and thanks as Roger surmised a plan to see us again. He asked to host all 13 of us for a homemade Chinese feast at their home on Em’s birthday.

(You’ll hear about that in my next blog!)

 

3/7/2020

I just woke up from the first true nap I’ve had in what feels like ages, and I did so next to the 11^th floor infinity pool of an Air BnB in Penang (only $13 a night).

I can breathe again. 

I just said another probably permanent goodbye to more golden humans that happened to have been our hosts.

When I step out from stepping into their lives, I can see what it was so much more clearly.

This magnificent view and vacation-like-day in the tourist destination of Penang follows a month of sleeping on a sweaty floor smushed next to sleeping pads of my community in one room, in one hot house, not flushing toilet paper, not having the form of shower or food we are used to, and living in a simple town without a whole lot of choice or variety.

Other than our teams, I didn’t see another white person the whole time we were there. To say we got the local experience of Malaysia would be an understatement. 

It took me halfway through the month, until that weekend Em and I stayed back, for it to hit me that our friends are considered poor; that the “challenging living conditions” I discuss in my previous blog are their permanent living conditions.

That same weekend we went on an adventure with Roger, we had lunch with PT and his wife, went to the pool with their daughter, who I’ve truly connected with, and attended their Saturday youth night.
 

*photo credit to Em for this photo

PT’s spunky daughter hopped on my shoulders in the pool, making PT smile ear to ear. 

How random and cool is it that I’m in this town in Malaysia joining a local, on-fire-for-Christ-family for a pool day? 

Later that day, we walked over to youth night passing the typical goat, cow, chicken or two. 

PT wanted to give music lessons to anyone on our team with 0 music knowledge. Un-musical Em and I got lessons that night from the music master himself!

With laughter and care, he taught us the patterns for chords and melodies in an hour.

They say we learn music much faster and easier than his church members, because we have higher IQs. As horrible as it sounds, studies show that poorer people systematically have lower IQs.

Not only this, but his youth members couldn’t come close to affording music lessons or instruments, so PT provides them for free. Instead of practicing on instruments back home, they draw keyboards onto paper for homework. PT even helps pay some of their school tuition. 

PT, at one point, straight up said they are poor.

In that moment my heart broke knowing the shame and pain they might hold for it. I looked at my friends that I laughed and bonded with and never saw them as any different than me. They aren’t in humanity, but they are in opportunity. 

The full picture begins to come together…

When I drop my iPhone 11 on the ground nonchalantly, uncarefully, their faces turned to deep concern and worry for damage to this valuable piece of technology.

Em found out that young adult suicide is rampant in this town. Talking to Roger and to PT we found out about racial divides and discrimination.

When I talked about pursuing all my passions, my local peer from last month said, well…I am the main source of income for my family.

Besides her, however, last month my peers seemed to have endless career and travel dreams.

While this month, the church members, just out of high school, had none. University isn’t really an option. Some of the girls work in factories six days a week and spend the rest of their free time volunteering at church. 

They don’t know anything different. Less touched by western society than where I was in Indonesia, maybe it is good that they accept things as they are.

They are in it together.

Unlike our busy society, striving, striving, striving, there is endless spontaneity and quality time spent together each day. 

 

 

The family home we stayed at had new visitors by the hour, cousins spending the night, and friends stopping by. Multiple generations live in one household together.

 

 

More than anything, the members of this church and of this close-knit family take following Jesus seriously.

With less worldly distraction and with more effort to just get by, He is their everything.

Their connection to Abba and Jesus and the Spirit is more authentic and powerful and deep than anything I’ve ever seen.

I saw it written on one of the 19 year old’s faces every time she prayed and worshiped: utter dependence mixed with pain and awe of God’s closeness. 

 

Though he was rich, he became poor – 2 Corinthians 8

At Monkey Beach, our first weekend in Malaysia, I read this verse. Jesus became poor to make us rich. Looking out at the sea, the Holy Spirit hinted and convicted…

Are you willing to do the same? 

The day before Em and I’s weekend, the weekend after this moment at Monkey Beach, my team and I went the movie “Parasite”.

It messed with my mind. One scene in particular struck me: a rich Korean lady goes on about her gratitude for the rain yesterday, so they could have nice blue skies for their garden party today. 

Meanwhile, the rain for the other characters in the movie led to flooding of their homes with sewage water, displacing hundreds of them.  

Am I that rich person worrying about the weather of my garden party as thousands are displaced from their homes? 

I wrestled with this thought the entire weekend as I started to grasp what life is really like for my friends in Malaysia. I stood in the shower, mind wandering, heart hurting, and then God speaking…

Step into my love

 

I have never struggled for or lacked basic resources or comforts or love/opportunity/freedom from my family and from my society. How rare is that in our world?

With God’s help this year, not only will I step out of the blessing from which I came, but I will step deeper into his love for me and for all of humanity. 

 

 The fruit of stepping in…

I stepped into the world of potentially a hundred souls already. As I leave them, we can maintain our friendship through social and Marco Polo.

My team leader emphasized how the fruit of friendship follows me wherever I go. I saw it this month with Roger and PT’s family; I saw it last month with many Indonesians my age.

I learned how a single human connection and bond can make an entire challenging month and my entire trip worth it.   

I stepped into the darkest lives I could imagine as I walked the lower class red light district.

The woman who translated for us sent me a video yesterday of the pimp we became friends with. Smiling, she said I miss you so much, when can you come back?

She also sent us a video of another prostitute who just decided to follow Jesus and get baptized!!!!

*if you want either of these videos, comment below

The incredible translator said the woman asked why do you volunteers always come to visit, nobody comes to visit the lower class, you guys are different, why?

Our translator explained it’s because God’s loves and cares for the women here. 

Just by stepping onto the dark lit forested paths and praying His Kingdom to come in that place, we got to be a part of changing what seemed like hopeless lives.  

I already shared how one of my awesome local friends came to Christ, and how she said God used our conversations as part of her final leap to be born again.

We got deep discussing the fairness of Jesus’ forgiveness, the difficulty and freedom in surrender, and the difference between Islam and Christianity when it comes to singleness (women are often considered only saved by their husband, while Paul in Corinthians encourages singleness for widows and virgins, that they be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit). 

Further, by stepping into PT’s church, I have gotten the chance to use my degree. Even though I am in Thailand now, I am messaging him about digital marketing strategy. His work even beyond the church is awe-inspiring, yet it’s incredibly difficult in his country to grow and source funding. 

*comment below if you are interested in information on how to donate!!!

 

What can you be STEPPING INTO today?

Try something new, join the day to day walk of someone who is lost and hurting, encounter and be empowered by God’s love for you