Malaysia was not an easy place for me. In many ways, it challenged me deeply it felt unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and so different from Swaziland. There were moments of struggle where I felt stretched beyond what I thought I could handle. And yet, it was also breathtakingly beautiful. What truly made Malaysia unforgettable was not just the place, but the people. Certain souls turned it into a home, into a place my heart will always long for. It reminded me that “God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). Malaysians are, without question, some of the kindest and most generous people I have ever known. During our time in Malaysia, we were hosted at Bethel Assembly by Pastor Thomas affectionately known as PT the executive pastor of the church. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that PT was someone rare. He is one of the most selfless people I have ever encountered. His love for the Lord is wholehearted, and it overflows so naturally into the way he serves people. His life reflects the truth of “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). He lives out Matthew 25:31–46 daily, loving “the least of these” not in theory, but through sacrifice, obedience, and faith.

PT opened his heart and his home to the “homeboys” men the world had forgotten. He welcomed them without a plan, without funding, and without guarantees. He simply trusted that if God had brought them, God would sustain them. And He did. PT lives by the truth of “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). He gives wholeheartedly, never counting the cost. Truly, our ministry host, PT, is a gift from God.

PT was raised in a Christian home and always involved in church, yet for many years his faith was not deeply personal. He struggled with loneliness and lacked close friendships until the age of sixteen, when he joined the worship team. In 2002, he moved to Kuala Lumpur to study, where he was exposed to the realities of the world for the first time. Living independently, his studies eventually failed, leaving him unable to continue college and requiring him to repay his fees. He worked in a packing department, earning only ten ringgit a day. Those years were marked by hardship, but they reflected the truth that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18).

His first year was heavily influenced by the world, and even the worship team he joined lacked strong roots in God. Yet the Lord used that season to reveal the emptiness of the world and gently draw PT back. Just as Scripture says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), PT came to understand where true fulfillment was found. In 2003, he returned to Sungai Petani and began restoring his relationship with God. He soon became head of the worship team and later stepped into youth leadership. In 2006, he married, and together with his wife, they faithfully served in youth and worship ministries, embodying “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Bethel Church was originally pastored by PT’s father, and between 2007 and 2010, the youth ministry grew to forty young people many of whom are now pastors themselves. In 2011, PT and his wife welcomed their daughter, Jerusha, a reminder that “Children are a heritage from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). A year later, tragedy struck when PT’s father passed away in an accident. As the eldest son, PT stepped into leadership carrying grief and responsibility with grace, trusting that “The Lord gives strength to his people” (Psalm 29:11).

From 2013 to 2017, PT poured himself into strengthening the church through discipleship, outreach, and community programs. In 2018, he began offering free education to underprivileged students through Paya Nahu Free Tuition, serving forty Hindu students with dignity and love, living out “Let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16).

In 2022–2023, his wife lost her leg, and PT stepped back from ministry to care for her, reflecting “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Even in suffering, God remained faithful. In January 2024, PT helped start a refugee school, trusting that “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). By 2025, his wife began returning to daily life, and PT stepped back into ministry launching seven-day services and leading alongside her once again. One of the most heartbreaking yet redemptive stories we witnessed involved a young boy who had lost both parents and was being raised by his grandmother. One day, overwhelmed and without resources, she left him alone on the side of the road. That same day, God led PT to him. PT fed him, sheltered him, and showed him compassion, living out “Defend the weak and the fatherless” (Psalm 82:3). When the grandmother made it clear she did not want him back, PT chose to raise the boy as his own. For the first time, that child experienced the truth that “A father to the fatherless… is God in His holy dwelling” (Psalm 68:5).

The homeboys are the unseen servants of Bethel men who work tirelessly behind the scenes. In November 2024, PT launched a street prayer walk, reminding us that “If my people… will humble themselves and pray” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Around this time, many men with nowhere else to go found refuge. Tamil, Jejan, Aroin, Vishal, Sampson, Gana, and others—each carrying stories of addiction, abandonment, and loss found shelter and hope. Vishal, a young man with Down syndrome, wandered for two days after getting lost in Penang. Unable to speak or care for himself, he eventually found his way to Bethel. PT worked with the police to trace his identity, learning his family could not care for him. Without hesitation, PT took him in, trusting “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless” (Psalm 146:9). There were no funds, no plans only faith.

Not every story ended neatly. Some struggled and left. Others were arrested. All twelve lived together in one small room, surviving day by day on trust in God alone. Yet PT never stopped loving them, living out “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Another blessing was Jess a teacher at the Rohingya school and the quiet backbone of so much of what happens there. After losing her mother at a young age, PT and his wife raised her as their own. Though her faith journey caused tension with her biological family, God used her obedience as a testimony. This year, we witnessed reconciliation as we shared Christmas dinner together, fulfilling “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).

Families like Lydia and Moses and their children Abishegi, Justin, and Shakina were such a gift, reminding me that “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Joshua, Jordan, and Jayshawn the “soccer boys” filled our days with laughter. And Asmah Bibi, a Rohingya student who stole my heart, reminded me that “The Lord delights in His people” (Psalm 149:4). I pray she never forgets how deeply loved she is.

Malaysia changed me. The people changed me. Through PT and this community, I witnessed what it means to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The special needs boys at Pekaka Bakery reminded me that ministry is not only about serving it is also about sitting at the feet of the Father, faithful in the little things, knowing that “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much” (Luke 16:10).

The Chinese pastors felt like grandparents to us. They loved us, cared for us, and embodied “Above all, love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8). John and Sofia became dear friends, and through them I learned that “A friend loves at all times”(Proverbs 17:17). Attending church with the Chinese pastors on Saturdays wove them into our lives in a way I will never forget.

Malaysia will always be part of me a living testimony that God is near, faithful, and working through ordinary people who simply say yes. “He who began a good work will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

As I leave Malaysia, I carry more than memories I carry living testimonies written on my heart. I carry stories of faith that showed up without resources, love that made room without hesitation, and obedience that trusted God even when the path ahead was unclear. I was reminded that “we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Malaysia taught me that ministry is not found in perfection or careful planning, but in presence in choosing to show up, to stay, and to say yes when it would be easier to walk away.

Through PT, Bethel Assembly, and every person we encountered, I witnessed the Gospel lived out in quiet yet powerful ways. I saw what it means to love not only in words, but in action and truth (1 John 3:18) to open both hands and homes, to notice the overlooked, and to trust God with the outcome. These lives reflected the truth that the Kingdom of God is often built in unseen places, through small, faithful acts of obedience that ripple into eternal impact. Just as Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40).

Malaysia taught me that obedience does not require full understanding only willingness. God does not ask us to have all the answers, but to take the next faithful step, trusting that He will direct the path (Proverbs 3:5–6). I learned to choose faith over fear, presence over comfort, and love over convenience, believing that God is already at work before we arrive. I also learned that love given freely is never wasted. No act of kindness is too small, no obedience unseen by God. “Let us not grow weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9), because God uses ordinary faithfulness to bring extraordinary transformation. Malaysia challenged me to live more intentionally to welcome the broken, to serve without recognition, and to believe that God works powerfully through simple obedience.

Though goodbye is painful, I leave changed more aware, more grateful, and more confident in the beauty of a life fully surrendered to God. “He who began a good work… will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). Wherever I go next, I will carry Malaysia with me a reminder to keep saying yes, to keep loving boldly, and to trust that God is always at work, even in the most unexpected places.