Malaysia has been a season of learning what it truly means to step out of the boat, to trust the Lord and His plans, and to keep my eyes fixed on Him even as the storm rages around me. In Matthew 14, Peter steps out of the boat and walks on water toward Jesus. As long as his eyes were on the Lord, he was held steady above the waves, but the moment he focused on the wind and the storm around him, he began to sink. This season has felt much the same. The Lord has been inviting me to step out of my comforts and preferences and into what He is calling me to do, trusting that even in the midst of uncertainty, He is the one who sustains me.

Since being in Malaysia, we have been serving at a refugee school. From Monday through Wednesday each week, we teach English and math. On Thursdays, we have fitness day, where we take the kids to the park for Zumba, games, and play.

My student is Nur Saydia. She is seven years old and is just beginning to learn how to read and do basic math. Teaching her has definitely been a challenge, especially with the language barrier, but it has also been such a sweet and meaningful experience. Getting to love on her, encourage her, and simply spend time with her has been one of the highlights of my time here.

Along with serving at the school, we also help at the church we are staying at, Bethel Assembly Church. The church holds a small service every night and a main service on Friday nights. Each team from our squad is assigned a different day of the week to lead the evening service, which includes leading worship, sharing a testimony, and giving a message. Some nights during the week we also host house church, where we again lead worship, share testimonies, and teach.

Fridays look a little different. For the main service, all the teams work together. Two teams lead worship, while one person from three different teams partners together to create a three part message. Another team leads children’s church.

During this time, I was given the opportunity to prepare and share three different messages, one at house church, one at a small night service, and one at the main Friday night service. Before coming to Malaysia, I could never have imagined myself doing this. I definitely could not see myself volunteering to step onto a stage and speak in front of others. Yet here I was, doing exactly that, trusting that the Lord knew what He was doing, and in the process, stepping out of my boat of comfort and into obedience.

Malaysia has also been a season filled with joy and fun. Most Friday night services don’t end until around 11 p.m., and afterward we often go out together to McDonald’s or Texas Chicken until 2 or 3 in the morning. We have taken trips to the mall just to walk around, spent days at the beach, and shared so many moments of laughter and community.

At the same time, Malaysia has been a very hard and stretching season. Our living conditions were not the best, and we were constantly thrown into new situations with little to no notice. It was tiring, and at times mentally and spiritually draining.

One especially memorable moment was getting to pick out and buy our own sari dresses for the Christmas Eve service at church. I even got to tambourine dance during a service, something I never imagined myself doing.

This season in Malaysia has stretched me, challenged me, and grown my faith in ways I did not expect. Through teaching, serving, worshiping, and stepping out in faith, the Lord has continually reminded me that stepping out of the boat is always worth it when my eyes are fixed on Him.