I left the USA on September 21st and arrived in Malaysia just after midnight on September 24th. It was a long, long trip. However, my body adjusted quickly and I’m well underway.
Let me give you a brief overview of what I’m doing and that will tell you how to pray for me.
These are some of those in my discipleship group.
I already have a really great discipleship group. It is diverse in age and spiritual maturity. Although we’re still getting to know each other, we are beginning to jell. I’m hoping to focus on the principles Jesus used in discipling His group. My hope is that it will motivate and equip them to disciple others in the days ahead.
My preaching group: We've grown so now we're two groups.
I’m also teaching a Homiletics Class. When I’m back in the USA, different people from the church preach and so I thought this might give them the tools they need to go systematically from looking at a passage of scripture for the first time to delivering the message. It’s a pretty demanding course. They speak three times so I planned to limit it to six people. We had so many want to take the course we’ve decided to divide the class into two groups and I’ll just teach it twice.
Preaching is my favorite part of the ministry!
In addition, I preach on Sunday mornings and do some other teaching as needed. For example I spoke at a “Seeker Service” the first Saturday I was here and this Friday I will speak to a college group. I will have the opportunity to teach in two other cities during my time here so that should keep me busy enough.
I invite families over to my place. This is the Ling family.
I also attempt to get with as many people one on one as I can. That means I do a lot of eating, but the good news is that the food is delicious and there is a gym right across the street to work off the calories. It’s a little rustic, but it’s cheap and fits my needs just fine. I am getting to know Albert, the manager, and have invited him to church once, but no luck so far.
I’ve also invited all the youth (this is teens here) over for dinner Saturday night. Several of them have expressed interest in a discipleship group and I want to see how I can help them even though my time is very limited. I’m not sure what I can do, but they are so precious I want to do what I can. However, I think I’m quickly getting to the place of overload so pray I’ll be wise in investing my time.
Pray for:
Wise use of my time
My discipleship group
My preaching groups
Meeting with people individually and as families
Albert’s salvation (gym manager)
