My trip to Asia was much different than any other trip I had gone on. I spent 6 weeks in Malaysia and 2 weeks in Indonesia. I was travelling with 4 other people (2 Canadians, 1 Swiss and 1 Australian). We were based mostly in Kuching, Malaysia but ventured to Mukah to do village trips as well as Pontianik, Indonesia and went into the jungle to see more villages.
Some of the villages we went to had never seen a white person (didn't help that 4 of us were blonde), we went to villages where cannibalism was still alive and active, we lived in mosquito tents, slept on concrete floors, heard the muslim prayer 3 times a day through a speaker, rode on motorcycles with 5+ people, sat on top of buses, had to. climb in the back of a palm oil truck and slid around, used squatty potties, showered in rivers, the list goes on, we were uncomfortable to the say the least.
We learnt to love people without communication, helped villages get access to water, hung out with the children from an orphanage, painted a paralyzed man's house, led church services in underground churches, hosted youth groups, and spent so much time with Jesus.
My time in Asia was the most sobering experience. I was shown that happiness exists when you have absolutely nothing, I saw the love and cry out for Jesus like no other, I was humbled in so many ways, I learnt what it was like to go 2 months with little to no internet, I saw what caused me to be frustrated, where I excelled, where I failed.
And I would do it all again.
