Malaysian Memories
By Tim Corin
“How will I survive?” was this introvert’s first thought as hundreds flooded the hall that first evening, Then, more appropriately, “Praise God for this incredible opportunity to unite with so many Christians!” The next five days were arguably my busiest ever, but – shockingly – I’d do it all again in a heartbeat…
Touchdown in Kuala Lumpur was nothing extraordinary; at 4am, I was greeted only by an empty airport. But by the time our bus arrived to whisk us off to the Royal Chulan hotel, other conference attendees had trickled off various inbound flights, and our international group was abuzz with chatter. As we cruised through the city, I eagerly anticipated my chance to explore the street cuisines on offer.
However, I quickly learned that the outdoors were best avoided in the daytime. Even a North Queenslander isn’t immune to humidity! My desire for food now a desire for air conditioning, I checked into the conference, received directions to my hotel “just down the street”, successfully navigated a six-lane intersection, obliviously walked twice around my hotel, and finally collapsed with cool relief onto my bed.
But sleep was not on my agenda, so I retraced my steps to the Royal Chulan, where I pretty much dwelt entirely for the remainder of the week. Over those five days, I met more people from more countries than I’ve ever met in so short a time. I successfully tracked down five of six Japanese attendees (I’m half-Japanese) in a crowd of 1200. I bumped into a school friend from when I lived in NZ over 11 years ago. I met AMT missionaries whose names and faces I’d only ever seen on paper, and a whole bunch of other Aussies who were significantly well-represented at IBCM8.
Additionally, keeping true to my “agenda”, I averaged less than five hours of sleep each night, thanks to a group of young adults who, somewhat immaturely, decided to stay up far too late playing cards, chatting, laughing, and ordering in post-midnight snacks before drifting off to our rooms between two and five every morning.
And is it really a conference without keynote sessions, workshops, and electives? Others have written great feedback in previous issues of Serving Together, so I’ll simply add that I went into the conference with an open mind and emerged with a stack of notes, questions, and challenges to reflect on over the next year – or maybe even until IBCM9!
As if five days with minimal sleep wasn’t enough to prove my youthfulness, I also joined a 10-day GO-Serve mission trip immediately after the conference, thanks to AMT’s generosity. Someone had clearly expected a weary team though, as Saturday was set aside simply to plan for the week ahead. My fellow team members included an Aussie, a Spaniard, a Kenyan, a Romanian, and an American – such diversity!
On Sunday, we participated in the morning service then ran a family program which included playing games, singing songs, and sharing a Bible story. Our first time teamworking in an unfamiliar environment went well. We were then treated to a fabulous lunch (a foretaste of things ahead) and time to mingle with the local assembly folk. I met a Christian woman, her Muslim husband, and their kids. He seemed quite supportive of the whole church thing, so hopefully he’s not too far from seeing the Light!
On Monday and Tuesday, we visited a school run by two volunteer women who not only teach 16 children but are also their full-time caregivers. The children are orphans, having escaped their unsafe home countries, unfortunately without their parents. Aged up to ten years old, the children were a lovely bunch – well-behaved, friendly, and a joy to spend time with. We helped teach maths and English, played games, sang songs, and told Bible stories. While our impact on them may have been minimal, theirs on me is unforgettable. I can’t imagine life without my parents even today, let alone as a child, but I know the women who look after these children are admirable heroes. They themselves were refugees who have devoted their lives to caring for these children rather than pursue a secular career.
Wednesday was another planning day, this time for a rural camp. We also prayerfully navigated some team conflict, which I suppose was bound to happen considering we’re all blokes! Thursday saw us piling into a minivan and driving to camp. The next three days were truly a blur. Games, talks, meals, swimming and dam-building in the creek, trying (smelling, tasting, disliking) durian, learning new sports, sharing Bible teachings, and chatting with our small groups. Then repeat (except the durian). We also visited an indigenous village twice. Our first visit didn’t garner much interest, but on our second, we played soccer in a field against a small crowd of boys, in the pouring rain. The final score differed by a single point! Well-matched, and a wonderful way to build connections. Some even visited our camp the following day.
On Saturday, camp now over, we took off to Ipoh, famous for… its food. Not that we ever lacked eating well. Every night, a different church elder took us to dinner, and we tried a ton of foods! Chicken feet were surprisingly palatable. After two enormous meals in Ipoh, we drove for nearly six hours, yet covered a meagre 200km, arriving back at church around 12:30am, thanks to insane holiday traffic. Good thing we filled our bellies beforehand!
Following the Sunday service, we ran youth group and children’s church. For children’s church, we played games (duck duck goose never gets old), shared a Bible story, sang songs and did colouring. In the afternoon, we headed to a soccer field, where we coached a team before playing a short match with them. I was delighted to discover soccer is so popular in Malaysia, considering it’s the only sport I’m mildly good at, and we were expected to coach!
Sunday evening, you got it – dinner again! Sometimes, I wasn’t sure if I was on an outreach or a food tour. Believe me, I’m an advocate for roughing it, but I wasn’t saying no to that cuisine! We then took a spontaneous trip into the city, and I drove! What an experience! I’m 99% confident I did not take out any scooter riders.
Monday’s journey led us back to the Royal Chulan, where my Malaysian adventure began what felt like a lifetime ago. Heartfelt stories were shared between the different mission teams about how God had worked through the teams and in their lives. Such an uplifting occasion! And what would being back at the hotel mean without another late night? More talking, card playing, snack runs, and early morning bedtimes.
I’ve long been convinced about the importance of short-term trips in the grand scheme of world mission. While the lasting effects on the recipients or hosts may be minimal, I have personally witnessed the changed lives of those who go, and I believe this is where the greatest effect of short-term mission lies. GO-Serve was a blessing, working with a diverse team as we engaged in different activities, faced challenges, and made memories together. Our team still maintains regular contact, and it’s a joy to pray for them and their exciting ministries all over the world!
Being immersed in an unfamiliar culture assured me of the importance of both cross-cultural and intentional mission. I admire the Malaysian believers for their unwavering commitment to outreach in a somewhat adverse environment. Amidst their challenges, they warmly welcomed us into their lives.
My Australian churches were encouraged to hear about my experience – even about playing soccer as a ministry opportunity! I pray God worked through us even in a small way, and I now have so much more to praise Him for. I hope my reflections will inspire others to join upcoming GO-Serve trips, information about which can be found on AMT's website.