Around the Elbow to Arrive at the Thumb!
Malaysia showing off
Thank you for praying for me – especially as I navigated travel through the Middle East, amid an unexpected armed conflict!
A few weeks ago, in Islamabad, Lahore, and Faisalabad, Pakistan I saw rooms filled with Christian youth who were fully committed to sharing the gospel and living a missionary lifestyle. In most rooms, we were not introducing Jesus, so much as saying, “Keep going. You’re not crazy. This is worth your life.” God gave us opportunity after opportunity to encourage the young believers who will keep sharing with their friends long after we’ve left. And we in return were inspired by the Christians we met there.
From there, the original plan was simple on paper: fly from Pakistan to Hyderabad, India via the UAE. But events in Iran made that route impossible. Many of you were praying specifically for our safety and a clear, safe way out, and God answered in a way that exceeded our expectations. The safest route turned out to be a week in Malaysia, with Kuala Lumpur as our new hub. Talk about going around your elbow to get to your thumb!
Malaysia held some very down‑to‑earth graces, like an all‑you‑can‑eat sushi buffet that cost less than thirteen dollars, a trip to Monkey Bay observing the funniest looking animals ever, and a beach day spent admiring tropical fish through pristine water (and a bad sunburn, whoops! ….)
And now, I am in Hyderabad, India. We arrived around midnight, only to be told that they would not give us our rooms because of a law that makes it very difficult to accept foreigners without a mountain of paperwork. It was after 4:00 a.m. when we finally checked in and slept at a different, but wonderfully hospitable hotel.
Hyderabad’s church life quickly made the lost sleep feel worth it. We went to Hope UC church and met Pastor Yashar, who took us out to lunch, helped us exchange our leftover Malaysian cash into rupees, guided us through getting SIM cards, and even found us an amazing place to eat. He also invited us to the church’s staff meeting, where we got to meet the young adult and youth pastors and see a bit of the heart behind what happens on Sundays.
The days that have followed are settling into a kind of Spirit‑led rhythm. We joined a 6:30 a.m. Lenten prayer meeting. We visited a life group where we shared some of our testimonies. We shared at a worship and prayer meeting on a Friday; we spoke at the young adults gathering (ages eighteen to twenty‑three) on Saturday; and on Sunday morning we shared with the youth band and then all the young people from twelve to seventeen.
I’ve seen God work immediate healings during our prayers. I’ve seen God moving in unexpected places (like the middle of a restaurant!). I’ve seen Him in the Christians in India. And I’ve seen Him working through me.
As always, would you pray that we continue to say yes to God and that He allows us to reveal who He is to everyone around us? Protection, clarity, wisdom, and energy would be quite nice as well.
Blessings,
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