Set Free and Made Alive in Christ!!

Hi everyone!

We are in Malaysia! It is truly so crazy that we are halfway across the world, but it already feels so much like home! Malaysia is a beautiful country, in so many ways: the people, the landscapes, the culture, and the opportunity to learn so much just by being here! God is already moving in the hearts of me and my squadmates, and I can’t wait to see how that pours out into those we serve and minister to in the upcoming weeks as we get started with ministry!

Life in Malaysia! Malaysia is AMAZING! I love it here! Here are a couple pictures of the beautiful scenery!

My squad is staying in a local church here, sleeping on the floor in the sanctuary, with all of our bags and belongings in another building! Upstairs is a dining area, a sink, and two toliet/shower rooms. Although our living conditions are not the most ideal, I have been so surprised by how much joy I have been living in since being here! I am learning to recognize the little blessings and to fix my focus on those! We have been blessed with the best ministry hosts here! The sanctuary (our sleeping room) is air-conditioned, which has made all the difference! And I have such a comfortable sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and pillow, so I have been sleeping like a queen! Our hosts have been feeding us so much yummy authentic food! And we really are building such a beautiful community within our squad! I (and my entire squad) am learning to live out of thankfulness and to walk in joy no matter my circumstances. 

Our bedroom for the next 40 days!

Yummy Malaysian Food!

This past weekend, our squad got to explore the city around us and it was so amazing! We went to a couple of malls in the area and got to see all of the gorgeous local jewelry, clothing shops, bakeries, and coffee shops! The coffee here is amazing, which if you know me, you can only imagine how excited that makes me! I’m even adding a picture of quite possibly the best latte I’ve ever had! I am so excited to get to explore more of the city and culture here (and coffee shops, hopefully😉)!

For ministry, we will be running a school for about 35 Muslim children! Each World Racer gets to pair up with one student for the 40 days that we will be here! I am so excited for the connections we’ll be able to make with these students. Another ministry that we will be a part of is helping with lots of events at the church we are staying at! On Friday night, we had church for the first time! Some of the members of the congregation gave us traditional dresses to wear to church, which was so kind of them! The entire service was in Malay, so I couldn’t understand a thing! 😂 But, I found myself sitting there reflecting on how cool it is that God isn’t limited by languages. We all worship the same God, and it was so beautiful to see everyone praising the Lord, no matter their background. Getting into the full swing of ministry this week is going to be so awesome!

Set free from sin and made alive in Christ! Lately, I have been reading through Romans in my daily devotional time, and God has been teaching me so much about the freedom that we get to live in here on Earth because of our position in Christ! A verse that has really stuck out to me is Romans 6: 6-7! It says We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been SET FREE FROM SIN. Right before this verse, Romans 6:4 says that with Jesus, we too might walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE. These verses have really been showing me that God wants us to walk and live in freedom with him RIGHT NOW. God has been showing me how good life really can be when we allow Him to have it all and to set us free from the things of this world. Life with God truly is the best! He has so much goodness and joy for us here on Earth, even way before we get to heaven!

Praises! Here are just a few praises from the first few days in Malaysia!

• Safe travels to Malaysia!
• Amazing ministry hosts!
• Best coffee ever!😝
• So much joy even through hard situations!

Prayers! As we get into the full swing of ministry this week, here are some ways you can pray with me!

• Quick connection with my student!
• Finding rhythm, routine, and a sense of settledness here!
• Opportunities to share about the gospel in a country that is very closed off! (For some background, Malaysia is predominately Muslim and is very anti-Christian.)

Thank you for reading, and for supporting me on this journey! Love you all! Bye!

Until next time,

Alia