The best way I feel I should share is by typing up a few entries from my journal that I kept while in Malaysia. The first entry is from Saturday June 26. The missionary we worked with in Kuala Lumpur does student outreach. In order to have a place for students to come and hang out he transformed a regular house into a community hangout that he calls Connection Point. Connection Point is just minutes from a major university and a shopping mall. Students are invited to come and hang out and also learn about the gospel. On certain days the missionary has teaching times for all who are interested. This entry is about one of these teaching times:


This afternoon with the teachings was really good. Some nonbelievers were there and I know that Dr. Merkle and Chris presented well. I'm really glad I was able to meet some of the girls. E, from Malaysia who is a believer, J, from China who I think is also a believer, and K, from Iran who is not a believer. E was very encouraging to talk to. She has a huge hear for her country. Talking to K was very interesting. We talked a lot about Southeastern and what it teaches and also what I want to do in the future. That one conversation with her helped me. I don't remember exactly what I said because I know that God was speaking.


Some of the other seminary students talked with some of the males there and later I was told that they had some really good conversations as well. This was one of our most encouraging days with the students because we had lots of time to talk with them about the gospel in a safe setting.


This next entry is from Monday June 28. We left Kuala Lumpur and went to the island of Penang. There we helped out another missionary. On this particular day we went with this missionary to a Buddhist temple then to a village in the mountains. Here is the (edited) entry from that day:


Today was long but probably one of the best days. We went back on to the mainland and first stopped at a Buddhist temple. The temples here are very different from the ones I went to in Japan and Thailand. Lots of colored statues. The only thing that was the same was the incense. Dr. Merkle said that even though the temple was build in the caves the reason was not because of a reverence of nature but because of the cooler breeze. That is interesting to me because the temples are so well kept and the environment so important in Japan. I didn't really like being there so I'm glad we didn't stay long. After lunch we headed to the village but got a little lost for an hour or more in all the bumpy half-dirt roads. The people in that area were helpful so we eventually found it. The village was smaller than I expected. It was right off the road and about 15-20 adults lived there. There were 3 homes and one open structure. I didn't really know what to do but the missionary introduced me to one lady and from that moment the ladies welcomed me. I sat with them and held one of their babies and drank some milk tea. I tried to smile a lot to let them know that I enjoyed being there with them and they seemed to not be bothered by me. After awhile they called everyone together and performed a welcome dance for us. Everyone was welcome to join after a few minutes so we did. There was a team from Singapore with us and a few of them shared their testimony while the missionary translated. Then he talked about Adam and Eve and their sin then shared about Jesus. He asked if anyone wanted to receive the gospel and about 6-8 people raised their hands. The missionary prayed for them, then we all gathered together and prayed out loud all at the same time...


Later I learned that the village chief was one of those who received the gospel and by him accepted Christ, the whole village accepted. Also, I learned that the missionary and a local pastor had been working with this village for about 6 months, sharing with them stories from the Bible. The day that we joined them just happened to be the day of harvest! Praise God! I have further thoughts to share but I'll leave it at this for know. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! Below is a clip from the welcome dance performed for us.

Welcome Dance

Pray for me!

Going to Malaysia for the next two weeks. Don't expect to have internet to update so here is a prayer calendar to guide your prayers for me! Will update when I get back.

Malaysia Trip Prayer Calendar Monday June 21 – Saturday July 3, 2010  Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Satan begins his attacks long before the trip. Start praying against him now!  Col. 2:13-15 CLAIM GOD’S VICTORY June 21 Depart RDU     at 6:00am  Pray for travel safety and peace, as well as unity for our group. Psalm 91 SECURITY June 22 Arrive in KL     at 6:40pm  Pray for the missionaries we will be working with. 1 Cor. 15:58 COMMITTED LEADERS June 23 Student outreach in KL  Pray for relationships to be established with university students.  Matt. 5:13-16 SALT & LIGHT June 24 Student outreach in KL  Pray for boldness in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Eph. 6: 19-20 BOLDNESS June 25 Student outreach in KL  Pray for wisdom in answering student’s objections. 1 Pet. 3:15 BE PREPARED TO RESPOND June 26 Student outreach in KL  Pray for many students to come to Christ. Acts 4:31 HOLY SPIRIT POWER! June 27 Travel to Penang  Pray for God to prepare the way. Acts 16:6-10 GOD’S LEADING June 28 Prayer-walking in Penang  Pray for God to move in the hearts of those who are blinded by the god of this world. Acts 16:13-15 GOD OPENS HEARTS June 29 Outreach in Penang  Pray for wisdom for the missionaries who lead us. James 1:5-8 WISDOM FROM GOD June 30 Outreach in Penang  Pray for new church plants.   Eph. 4:11-16 MATURE CHURCHES July 1 Outreach in Penang  Pray many to receive the gospel.   1 Cor. 1:18 GOSPEL IS POWER July 2 Depart KL        at 5:40pm  Thank God for His goodness and faithfulness. Eph. 3:20-21 TO GOD BE THE GLORY July 3 Arrive in RDU at 1:25pm  Pray for rest. Matt. 11:28-29 OUR REST IN JESUS God to be glorified Many people to be saved Clear guidance from the Holy Spirit Unity, good attitudes, humility Spiritual warfare against the Enemy Good health, safety, and protection Many open doors for the gospel Communication   (especially across cultures) Boldness and clarity in preaching Christ New churches to be planted Our contact missionaries Protection and care for family left at home

a hard concept..

In my church small group we've been going through Colossians. This week we studied 2:8 which says:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

We discussed what it means to be taken captive through philosophy, deception, traditions, and principles of the world. Then we came to a new thought pattern for me.. How often do we as believers do things or not do things and feel guilty over them? The example brought up in discussion was "Why do I feel guilty for not always praying for my friends?" A flow of question flood from this:

What has led to this feeling?
Am I using my time wisely or am I wasting time?
Do I think that the Holy Spirit is convicting me or am I convicting myself?

The last question really made me think, how often do I convict myself? As Christians how many times do we think that God loves us more or less by our actions? How often do we think that we've really screwed up and God doesn't want to hear our prayers? As Paul says, "May it never be so!!!" What Christ did for us on the cross is the only thing that saves us. We can NEVER earn God's love or merit. It is a gift and when God looks at us, He doesn't see us, He sees Christ.
I think this gets us back to the verse. A philosophy and deception from the world is salvation by works. Here's a song that lyrics have been a comfort to me when I feel like I'm trying to prove myself to God. May it encourage you also.

"Life in this world has its enticements because it accommodates us to its order, patterned to beautiful (lower) things. Sin arises from this, and from things like this, only if a disordered fixation on lower goods draws us off from better and higher goods, and thus from the highest good of all, you, my God, your truths, your law. For no matter how delightful these lower things are, they cannot match my God, who made them all, since he delights the just man, and is delight itself for those 'who keep their hearts in order.'" Confessions by Augustine.

In my theology class we talked about keeping our hearts in order. How do we do this? In my professor's opinion, he recommended that we watch our loves. We should have a level of loves:

God
family		hiking		peanut butter
friends		kayaking		coffee
		jogging		books

Using the professor's idea, I created a chart for myself with my own order of a few loves. I cannot love hiking like I love God, therefore, it is becomes a 'like' so I can keep it in order.

This all was a new idea to me, so that is why I share it. I desire for each of you that read this to delight in God because He is "the highest good of all".