Since I had a layover in Singapore on my way to Thailand with Russell Yoon, I booked a hotel in Johor Bahru so we could have time to meet with Preeda.* Preeda is the daughter of Kenneth, a ministry leader in Myanmar. She has lived in Malaysia for more than 13 years, during which time she met and married her husband and welcomed three children.
Around 2:30, a Malaysian Uber arrived dropping off Preeda, her three children and also a friend’s son, whom she was caring for while that friend was hospitalized. Sitting in the lobby, Preeda and I began to chat with her youngest sitting by her side while the older ones kept their distance, a little wary of us foreigners.
She began our time by expressing her deep appreciation for the emergency assistance ACGC provided last fall when she broke her foot and required surgery. Her mobility is much better now, but she finds that her foot swells if she remains on her feet for long periods of time. She was so grateful to the Advent Christian people for the financial gift but even more so the prayers said on her behalf.
Preeda also shared some of the challenges their family has faced in finding a church to be involved in. When they learned from an acquaintance that there was a person looking for a site to host a home church, Preeda and her husband offered their small apartment. About 18 people now gather there regularly, which is about all the space can hold.
Preeda recently returned to work on a part-time basis. This has taken some pressure off her husband who works hard as a car mechanic from 8:00-7:00 daily for six days a week.
Since Russell and I had not eaten since breakfast, we moved upstairs to the hotel restaurant. We ordered lunch for ourselves and fries and soft drinks for our guests, which helped open the door to conversation with the children.
Preeda and the kids all spoke excellent English. In fact, the children currently speak four languages. Preeda shared about meeting her husband in Malaysia and having their first daughter a year later. She had hoped to use her life in Malaysia to help support her father’s ministries in Myanmar, but as her family grew, God began to redirect her plans.
One nice surprised happened while we were talking when Preeda’s phone rang.
“It is my dad,” she said as she answered the video phone call and handed it to me. There I was in Malaysia, talking with Brother Kenneth from Myanmar. We talked briefly, expressing our surprise and gratitude to God for the opportunity to talk.
Pretty Eyes
It was about this time that the children began to talk more. They began to pepper us with questions that they thought we must have the answers to. The friend, with the soccer ball on his shirt asked about the world cup. Which was my favorite team? Who did I think would win?
Soon the questions came about dinosaurs. Which was the biggest? What did I know about this dinosaur or that dinosaur? Then came questions about stars and creation. The questions kept coming as our conversations wandered through a variety of topics.
Then out of the blue, Preeda’s son commented, “You have pretty eyes. I have never seen eyes that color.”
At that comment all the other children became quiet and began looking closely at my eyes and voicing their agreement. They asked me what color my eyes were called. I told them the color was called hazel. They asked me about the black dot in the center of my eye. I explained that it is called a pupil. As I looked back at these 4 children staring at my eyes, I noticed that their eyes were a dark brown color. So dark, in fact, that you can hardly distinguish between their irises and their pupils.
While having my eyes noticed was flattering, my eyes are not what I prefer to have others notice about me. I would much prefer they notice my words, action and character.
During the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus teaches us about being salt and light. In verse 16, Jesus saysto us to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Preeda and her husband are already living this out, opening their home so that others can see the light of Christ.
As followers of Jesus, we don’t live so that others will notice us, but rather we should live that they notice the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. We are called to live in ways that open doors for sharing the gospel with those around us.
So, whether you are sitting in a Holiday Inn Express restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia or standing in line at your local grocery store, let your light shine.
* Names changed for security purposes
