At first I was concerned because we were scheduled to meet these people around 7 p.m. but wouldn’t arrive till after 8 p.m. In the course of time, I learned that I need not have been so concerned because we were on Malaysian time. In other words, people typically start the service when Fred or other visitors get there. There are times people don’t even know he’s coming and will drop everything to come listen to him when they see his truck.
So how can I adequately share my New Year's experience with you? I suppose I can start by summing it up: I found this evening a mix of simple surroundings, amazing generosity, preparation, genuine loving people and a good dose of personal humility.
As we drove 4 hours to get to this remote area of the jungle, Fred informed us of the history of the people we were about to meet and his relationship with them. Apparently many years ago when Fred first traveled to this region of the jungle, he approached the leaders of this head-hunter tribe and asked for some water because he was thirsty from travel. The leaders gave him a glass of water but, unknowing to Fred, they had poisoned the water hoping to kill him.
When Fred grabbed the glass of water it burst in his hand! A miracle of protection displayed for all to see. Needless to say, the tribal leaders were taken back and asked Fred what power came with him - a perfect opportunity to explain that he came with the power of the risen Jesus Christ. Not only did Fred explain that he came with God the protector, but the same God of love, relationship and salvation from sin.
Since that time, the leaders and many in this tribe have come to follow this God of the Scriptures and Fred is now a close friend to the very people who tried to kill him! In my short visit with them, I found evidence of God living in these people. The spiritual bond we shared and love they demonstrated was truly amazing. Shortly after we arrived, for instance, we found out this group of some 60 people built a tent-structure especially for our service. The structure was made of bamboo with a plastic material to cover, complete with wiring to the generator. These people put a lot of work into preparing for our evening and we as the visiting team were truly humbled.
Not only did they provide a new structure but spent days preparing dinner for us, hunting wild boar as well as picking and preparing vegetables.
The evening had its moments of humor as well. Before we knew they had built a separate structure for our time together, we were expecting to meet in someone’s home on stilts. Since we typically take our shoes off whenever entering places of worship in the jungle, Fred warned us that we should leave our shoes at the top of the stairs rather than the bottom so that the wild boar don't run away with them =)
On another note of interest, I couldn’t believe my ears when we first arrived. Way off in the distance I heard this very familiar music and there under the tent stood a stack of speakers hooked up to an MP3 player blasting a Christian contemporary song titled “One Way Jesus”. I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear a ‘hit song’ playing miles and miles into this remote part of the jungle!And I certainly was not expecting to see a hog show up at our service! Too fun. A huge hog ventured in from roaming the grounds. My guess is if it had come any closer to where we were sitting then chairs and people would be flying because that was one HUGE animal!
After the service and the meal, we got together to shake hands, take pictures and pray for one another. Since many of the tribe who attended had walked hours to get to the service, I was happy to see many of them pile into the back of a pickup as we prepared to leave. At least they would get a ride and wouldn’t have to walk the full journey contending with the likes of pigmy elephant, cobra and crocodile. I had a fairly romanticized image of the jungle (must be from my kidhood days of watching Disney's 'Jungle Book'), but after seeing it firsthand and hearing so many stories of attacks by these animals I have a healthy respect for this environment now.This New Year’s Eve service was just one example of the eight churches we visited. Every other congregation was equally as warm and friendly. Almost everywhere we went we were welcomed by kids and adults waiting for our arrival. Here are some pictures of kids waiting for us the next day as we visited a church on a plantation. Other pictures are from the dedication service in Tungku.
In addition to giving of themselves personally, these Malaysian people also give of the little possessions they have. These incredibly poor people wanted to make sure we received the best of their hospitality. Pastor Fred mentioned how these people can barely provide for their own daily needs yet they don't think twice about giving to others. This act of love reminds me of the passage in 2 Corinthians when Paul writes about the brothers and sisters in Macedonia:
They have suffered a great deal. But their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely. I give witness that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own, they begged us for the chance to share in serving God’s people in that way. They did more than we expected. First they gave themselves to the Lord. Then they gave themselves to us in keeping with what God wanted. (2 Cor 8:2-5)
People in this remote area of the world are so thankful when fellow brothers and sisters in Christ come visit. According to Pastor Fred, showing up in person is THE best way we can contribute because it allows us to personally encourage our fellow believers in the Lord by literally standing beside them. It is something seemingly simple for us to do yet means so much to them.
