The roads are a little bumpy as we travel in a van that our contact has procured for our transportation in Malaysia.  He apologizes for the bumps, very sure that our roads in the US are much better.  I instantly reassure him that the roads in the US can vary and the roads that we have been traveling on were average in comparison.  This makes him laugh.  I turn to look out the window and I am struck by just how diverse the people of Malaysia are.  There are at least three prevalent races here including Malay, Indian and Chinese.  And then there's everybody else.  Walking through a mall, it's not uncommon to hear at least five or six languages spoken. Most of the people we meet can speak at least four languages (usually Malay, Mandarin, English and another Chinese dialect-usually Cantonese), some can speak six or seven.  Fluently.  It floors me.   
 
Our ministry here has been a lot more laid back than our ministry in Hong Kong.  We have had the opportunity to visit universities as well as a few secondary schools.  School visits in general are a little harder to organize here because of laws against evangelizing to Muslims.  But, we have met with school Christian fellowship groups at churches on Friday afternoon. The students that we encounter are very enthusiastic and worship-minded and are very aware of their evangelism.  Because of the restrictions concerning evangelism, their emphasis is living their lives as an example of what it means to be a Christian.  They take lifestyle choices very seriously because they know that they represent something much bigger than themselves.  I have had some very enlightening and humbling conversations with high school aged students here about the way they try to get the Christian message out.  It reminds me of a song that we used to sing at retreats when I was in high school.  They will know we are Christians by our Love.  I guess I've always taken for granted the words of that song.  But here, those words are what Christians strive to live by.  To be one in the spirit, to be one in the Lord, to work together side by side, hand in hand, to guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride, to LOVE each other. 
 
This past Sunday we were at a service at our contact’s church.  He made an announcement at the beginning that all were welcome in this church, Christian or not, to hear the word of God and to be in a family community. Our contact, the pastor, has an easy smile and a quick sense of humor and he sets the congregation at ease with his slightly more casual attire and the fact that he plays the guitar and sings in the praise band.  One of the members of the praise band had brought a friend who was searching for some answers about God and His role in her life. At the beginning of the service she seemed timid and not sure what to do.  She was slow to stand during praise songs and barely moved her lips.  As the service continued, I could see that she was processing things.  After the sermon, we got up to sing another song.  I stole a glance at her again and I felt my eyes tear up.  She was standing and her eyes were closed and she had that smile on her face--the one that you get when you are holding back tears of joy.  Something that had happened in the course of the service had touched her.  To see this look on her face renewed my own feelings about how amazing God is, how faithful He proves himself to be always.  You could feel the love in the room, the feeling that we were all one family regardless of the fact that the congregation was made up of at least four different races.  It's a beautiful thing, to see so many people of different backgrounds and different cultures uniting under the banner of Christ, eager to share, eager to love.
 
I have learned so much about what it means to be a Christian, about the eternal faithfulness of God and what it means to be a unified body in Christ.  And, I can now sing in three more languages.  Good deal, huh?  Peace to you all and love from Malaysia.
 
 
For more information on New Dawn and our other International Teams, log on to www.youthencounter.org/teams/. And keep an eye out for greetings and stories from EACH MEMBER of NEW DAWN, coming soon to the Youth Encounter website!