Putrajaya - Administrative Center of Malaysia

When the team from the Summit left, we welcomed a group from the US, mainly pastors, who were looking for opportunities for mission service.  They were in Malaysia checking out what our group here and in Penang were doing.  On Friday, we were asked to drive a van load of them around to some local sights.  Which we were delighted to do......Dennis, bless his heart, had only been driving in Malaysia for a week but he was a trooper.  He can drive, merge and sit in traffic with the best of them.  While we were driving the group in our, we realized that there was a couple who were from Kansas.  When inquiring as to what city....we realized they were from Derby, Kansas where we lived for several years and where our girls were born!  He is the youth pastor at the very church we attended....It is indeed a small world!!

Our first stop was Putrajaya...Putrajaya is a planned city, located south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia.  Its development philosophy and design is guided by the fundamental trinity of human relationship - between man and his creator, between man and his fellow man, and between man and his environment. Essentially, the development and design of Putrajaya “embodies the country’s heritage and allows it’s Malaysian soul and spirit to come alive through the city’s design and architecture”.

This is a view of the bridge going into Putrajaya city.  The city is full of such amazing architectural detail which I am drawn to for some reason.  It also is such a contrast with the highly technological and futuristic architectural details with the archaic way they keep up their landscaping and beautification of the grounds.

Perdana Putra - Building that houses the
Prime Minister’s office

It is also home to the Putra Mosque.  Facing the scenic Putrajaya Lake, the Putra Mosque is  Putrajaya's most distinctive landmark and one of the most modern mosques in the world.  Its 116-metre minaret is influenced by the design of the Sheikh Omar mosque in Baghdad, while the basement wall of the mosque resembles that of the King Hassan mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.

The mosque is constructed in rose-tinted granite which gives its desert-pink hue that offsets the cengal woodwork on doors, windows and panels.  The Prayer Hall, simple and elegant, can hold up to 10,000 worshippers and is supported by 12 columns that prop up the 36 meter diameter main dome.  The courtyard is landscaped with features that can hold up to an additional 5,000 worshippers.  The Prime Minister’s residence is across the man made lake beside the mosque.

Another of the architectural details....These are
lanterns hanging in the lower level of
the mosque

116 meter minaret in 5 sections denoting
the 5 pillars of Islam

A closer view of the dome

There are also 5 domes representative of the 5
pillars of Islam

An inside shot of the mosque.  We were not
allowed in, although, I have known people
who were allowed in.  I think it depends on
who is guarding the door at the time.

This is the courtyard of the mosque.  The floors
look wet but they are not....They are that
shiny!

This lady was guarding the doors
the day we went and would not
allow us in.

Because we were not properly dressed
we had to wear these hooded robes

The balcony area in this picture is where the
women are allowed to pray.  They are not
allowed into the central area of any mosque

As we visited this mosque and had to follow such strict rigid guidelines I was so reminded of the freedom we have in Christ.  Because I had on long shorts that day and had been in the mosque before I chose to not wear the pink robes and stayed in the courtyard area.  However, I was only allowed to sit on the seats at the back near the entrance to the courtyard area.  At one point I got up and wanted to walk over to the side to take a picture of the Prime Minister’s residence and was told the only thing I could do if I wanted to remain in the area without a robe was to sit on the seats!  My heart aches for those who live by such rigidity thinking they are living by the truth and living in freedom when they are actually bound to the rules.  How I take this freedom for granted!

Psalm 146:7 “....The Lord sets prisoners free...”

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

John 8:31-31 “If you hold to my teaching....then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Penang - The Pearl of the Orient

An aerial view of what I thought was a small beach town in NW Malaysia!

Beautiful Penang.....I was so excited to be able to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city of KL to go to Penang in the NW corner of Malaysia.  We went  to see what our team members were doing there and how they were reaching University Students.  In conjunction with that we were able to spend a couple of days relaxing on the beach in Batu Ferringhi.  One of the reasons for getting away was to be able to focus solely on our mission in KL and brainstorm some ideas to make this ministry our own yet keeping some of the things that was working from the previous person here.  

We drove the 4 hours to Penang from KL.  It was a beautiful drive but very costly as there were tolls along the way with a major payout at the end.

Since Kuala Lumpur is situated in the Klang Valley, I should have realized we would have mountains around us as we drove out of the city....however that never crossed my mind and I was pleasantly surprised at the scenery we encountered during our drive.  There were always mountains around us and the clouds seemed to be puff balls just hanging in the sky.  It was an interesting ride as the rest areas are not quite like ours.....They had little stalls that sold, of course, Asian food and fresh fruit.  I was actually looking for a McDonalds for pancakes.  Also, there were no fast food restaurants off the exits either....so no pancakes on the ride down....settled for fresh fruit....better for me anyway.

Below is a view of the drive on the bridge going onto the island of Penang.  Penang is a very beautiful city and has a more quaint feel that KL.  There is a section called Georgetown that has 100 year old shophouses and colonial villas that give it it’s distinct historical atmosphere.  

Penang is the most populated island in Malaysia and has the highest density of population.  It is a paradise for food lovers and was voted “Best Street Food” in Asia by TIme Magazine in 2004.  It is especially famous for “Hawker Food” that is sold and eaten roadside strongly featuring noodles and fresh seafood.  Whenever I mentioned we were going to Penang they would say the food there is distinctly Malaysian....not like other cities in Malaysia.  I am sooooo sad to say we really did not try the Malaysian food......One night we ate at Hard Rock Cafe that was just down the street from our hotel and I had a delicious Cheeseburger....One night we ate at a Lebanese Restaurant that was so-so.

I was not impressed with the beach itself......I have read that there are concerns in Malaysia about the beaches and the cleanliness of them.  Garbage is left on the beaches and the waters at the beach have been tested and found to contain numerous pollution sources.  Beaches in Penang are losing tourist each  year to beaches in Thailand and even East Malaysia.  Even though the the beach we stayed at was not the cleanest it definitely was a haven for shells.  They were just laying on the beach for someone like me to grab them by the hand full!  However, the beach here is like the beach back home......everyday it is different depending on how the waves come in......that is why I love the beach so much. It is unpredictable.  There are tide pools one day, not the next......shells plentiful one day, not so much the next day.  Always leaves you wondering how you will find it the next day when you go out.  

As we were walking the beach toward this fishing village a local lady came down the beach and Dennis, as usual, started up a conversation with her.  One of the things he asked her is if Penang was affected by the Tsunami in 2005.   She said that it was but not to the extent that Banda Ache in Sumatra was affected.  Someone had called and reported what had happened and the people were given an hour to vacate the beach.  She said the tsunami wave came up to the beach, hit the mountain and went 30 feet straight up in the air.  They are at a higher sea level than Banda Ache is so the damage was not as bad.  This little fishing village that is pictured took a terrible hit and almost completely wiped it out.  I remember that time very well as we were in Bangkok, Thailand at the time and the beaches in Thailand took a terrible hit wiping out the livelihood of many people as they did not have insurance to be able to reopen. 

Love the guy just squatting on the rock looking to the ocean
Wonder what he is contemplating?!?!

As soon as the night began to fall the sidewalk and open areas around the hotels and restaurants became a hopping street market....selling everything from music cd’s, batik pictures, pocketbooks, jewelry, lacquerware, Indian wall hangings, t-shirts and crocs.  You name it and you could probably find it for a decent price.  My great find were 3 Batik prints that I am going to have framed and hang in my living area over the couch.  Tell me what you think!

I am just going to let you enjoy viewing Penang from the eyes of my camera.  Sit back and enjoy!

For my shell loving friends.....and you know who you are...just a small portion of my find!!!

ConneXion Conference 2010

The ConneXion Student Conference 2010 was a huge success.  We had approximately 200 in attendance Friday night and 150 on Saturday.  This is a conference that has been held for the last 3 years where international students come together for a Friday night and all day Saturday for worship and teaching to connect with God and with each other.  A group comes from as far away as Penang, which is in the western part of Malaysia.  The meeting this year was held at Cheras Baptist Church in the Cheras area of Kuala Lumpur.  Students came by bus, train, taxi, vans, cars and walking.  Calvin Carr from Gainesville, Fla was the guest speaker this year.  Music was provided by the Malaysia Tour Band consisting of students from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.  The students responded well to both Calvin Carr and the Malaysia Worship Band.  We were, also, privileged to have a group of approximately 30 from the United States here to help with the ConneXion Conference.  They were from our home church in Durham, NC: The Summit.  Some were high school students and some were college students.  They were an awesome group of kids who really connected with our University students here and hopefully made friendships they will be able to continue through the years.  They, also, made connections for us to follow up with to be able to share with for the time they are here going to school.

Calvin Carr - Speaker

Malaysia Worship Band

Friday night Calvin spoke to the students about “Man’s Search for Happiness” using Ecclesiastes where Saul searched for happiness in wisdom, pleasures, wealth and wanton pleasures.  He challenged them to examine where they are finding their happiness and are they truly happy with the results.

Saturday morning Calvin talked about the “Resurrection of Jesus” using 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.  Revealing how we can know that Christ actually rose from the dead using written testimony, oral testimony, physical evidence and the changed lives of His followers.

Sunday evening Calvin concluded “Why Follow Jesus” basing his talk on Mark 1:16 saying Jesus calls, challenges and changes forever.  He then left the students with a challenge: 

 "Will anybody’s life in Malaysia be different because I am here?”

That was definitely a challenge to me as I have given up a lot to follow what I believe is a call on our lives.  I do not want to look back over the 3 years we were here and wonder “what have I done?”  I want there to be students here who can say when they leave “I am different than when I came here” and I want them to be able to know that other’s lives have been changed because of them.  I want to be faithful to share and disciple those that are placed in my life for such a short time. 

I know there were 3 professions of faith as a result of this conference.  I pray that those who came already changed by Jesus will realize the call He has placed on their life even if it means leaving something behind to follow that call and to rise to the challenge of letting God do something special with their life.

Saturday afternoon, Cheras Baptist Church provided us with a wonderful lunch which was followed by break out sessions on Facebook and Faith, What is this Christianity, Witnessing in the Workplace and Sharing Your Faith.  Also, there were breakout sessions that were for girls only and guys only covering material sensitive to each sex.

Our delicious lunch provided by Cheras Baptist Church

Girls Only Break Out Session

Facebook and Faith

Below are glimpses of the faces and images of ConneXion 2010. 

 

Students from all nationalities coming together to encourage each other!