Nothing Too Exciting. Week8

View from Kawan rooftop

It has now been 1 year since I shaved my head. Did you know that the world was supposed to end in December? Now it’s been almost half of 2013. What happened?

Tuesday morning Puspa made an Indian breakfast for us. It was so good. But I think these people are odd. Spicy and chicken for breakfast? Who are these people? Jokes.

Wednesday was another Kawan day. One guy, Felix, has a girlfriend, Christine. They always sit in the same place, between the front dest and the counter. Very cute. Felix has a mini laptop and we started talking about random things on there. Turns out someone from World Race created a Facebook account for him and he has no idea how to use it. I explained it to him, which lead to so many more things on his computer. Here I thought I knew nothing about computers. To Felix I must be a genius.

        At the end of Kawan a man came in and told me about this boy and dad he’s taking care of. But right now he’s almost out of money and wont be able to care for them for a couple weeks til he gets more. I told him what we do at Kawan, and though it doesn’t seem like a lot to me, to him it was so much. I found this situation odd because the guy was white and had some accent from possibly Europe. I don’t know what his connection is with the family, but he’s helping them out apparently.

        

Friday 7 of us went to Kawan. Donna has started haircuts and they are really liking it. She does about 8 every time. The boy and his dad showed up. There’s something very different about them compared to everyone else. They don’t seem to be hardened up, and they’re quite pleasant, respecting.

        Friday night the youth leader from Puspa and Peter’s church took out “the first group that came and spoke at the church” which was Kaylee, Alyssa, Jamie, Kevin and me. It was so good! Very different from any of the Indian food I’ve eaten here. After they took us to the outdoor night market, which was fun. The youth leader made it very clear that we need to bargain with them. Kevin saw a painting and quite liked it, but it was RM180 (which is about $26), and he was unsure as to whether or not buy it. The man, without any bargaining, lowered it to RM90. I thought immediately if he dropped it almost RM100 without bargaining we can get it lower. So Kaylee and I pushed it. We said RM60, the man said RM70, but we refused to go higher than RM60 (Kevin began wondering aloud if that was too cheap, I quickly stopped him, and Kaylee stood strong). The man agreed to RM60. Can you believe it? Over RM100 off from original price! That’s $20 for a decent sized, nice painting.

Sunday the kids seemed so much more interactive than normal for Sunday school, which is very encouraging to us.

        After church Kevin and I walked all over Georgetown and took pictures, which was decent. It was cold that day. Shocker. It was raining and some wind. I actually had goose bumps. Got some good shots.

Today, Tuesday, on my day off, Kaylee and I decided that the boy and his dad could use some decent fitting shirts. Then we thought about getting a couple of containers because at Kawan you can hand them a container and they fill it with food for later. Then a water bottle came to mind because water is important. Then we thought maybe a backpack would be a good idea. And something, a real treat, might be nice. So we got them some M&M’s and little packs of cookies and juice boxes. We decided to spend RM50 each so we wouldn’t go overboard. I think we spent just over that. Incredible. Tomorrow we’ll give the backpacks to them.

Now, a little mini...longer mini thoughts about coming home.

Feels like I’ve been all over the world, when really it’s just been two countries. There’s so much to experience though here. Note: Before I came to YWAM I’d heard there’s so much of God we’ll never find out about because well, we don’t need to know. But I don’t think I realized how deep this stuff goes. I’d also heard of different awesome things people do for God (Shane Claborne) and thought that was pretty cool and thought maybe one day I’d like to do stuff like that. What I didn’t realize is that God has to completely ruin someone like me in order for that to begin. It’s been 5months but 19 years can’t fit into 5 months. When I go home I’m still going to be a complete mess. When people talk about heart surgery it sure is painful.

        Coming here at first wasn’t like a huge BOOM to me or anything. Sure, there are differences. Mopeds not having any rules enforced. Sticking your hand out at cars to make them stop so you can cross, walking on the road instead of on the sidewalks, which are covered with mopeds, taking a risk and just running across the road. The smells are super noticeable and disgusting. The heat almost unbearable, knowing weird foods will be tried. Squaties have to be used in public places, and sometimes those public places wont have toilet paper, so the hose there that so many other hands have touched, you will have to use too...  

        Then, living here for 3 months... You realize the majority of the people you pass are high, seeing the tourists and thinking they need to put a heck of a lot more clothes on (when they could just be wearing normal short shorts and a tank) because being here, covered up so long, it just seems so scandalous. That the people at Kawan are so incredible, whether they come in drunk or not. The people working in different ministries here are absolutely amazing people with such incredible faith, and precious hearts. That bargaining is really fun. And those other times where you make friends, some people having a good heart and others who don’t have very good intentions. Seeing how thankful some people are for prayers. Then... you realize you only have 5 showers left in Malaysia and it will all be pulled out from underneath you in what will seem like seconds. And what started out just as a trip with a school you signed up on...actually captured your heart and a piece will be left behind... Suddenly those smells, the smog, the sun beating down making you always sticky and wet, all of it doesn’t matter anymore and you wish those 5 showers could turn into 25...

        But, I know I can’t stay longer right now. I know that I will need to go back for debrief. That I will need to go home. Canada seems so different. Coming here and being ruined in a place totally different from home. To feel like there’s nothing I can do to make it seem like I’m doing anything of use. I do have a heart for the homeless. I do love orphans. I do love night ministry. I love relationships. With anyone. People in malls (I’m starting to feel like a certain someone. Everywhere she goes people know her), taxi drivers, prostitutes, homeless, pastors, youth, friends. Maybe I’ll come back someday, but until then I’ll have to find something. I’ve gone to Haiti twice, about 7 years apart. It’s been about 7 years now. Maybe I’ll go on the trip next time.