We all got to the airport at around 11 – Holly, Joanna, Micah and myself. We had great time of pray before hand with Pastor Peter and Anika as well as  Micahs parents Dean and Pip along with David praying over us. The it was off to catch the plane. Got slightly delayed by ½ hour then 10 ½ hours to Malaysia. Got to chat to multiple people around me. Had couple young kids sitting next to me. Must say they were extremely well behaved kids. The malay boy sitting next to me name was Adam. Trip pretty uneventful . We arrived at about 1:40am NZ time and then we were wisked of to the Amerin Apartments about 55mins away. A pretty long day but a good one. Looking forward to the rest of the week.

This morning began with an adventure to a local restaurant for some banana roti, dahl, curry, kopi (coffee), and tea. It was delicious! Our first banana roti was a real crowd pleaser, and hopefully it won’t be our last. 

Arriving back at the apartment, Torben led devotions for us, focusing on Matthew 28: “Go and make disciples of all nations…” and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, which talked about being members of the body of Christ and functioning in unity, each bringing our giftings and strengths and using them to build one another up. Grant then shared how the greatest is the one who serves others – a poignant message for the trip together as a team working in unity. 

Last night was our first night of ministry in the church. We went to Putera Aman Assembly, where the worship was so full of joy and expectation. It was such a privilege for us to worship in Malaysia for the first time. The people are vibrant, full of joy and energy. 

Torben shared his testimony about how he came to know Jesus at university through a friend “who would not shut up about him!” I could feel the Holy Spirit as Torben shared about his university experience and how he was led to Jesus. It was amazing to hear his journey and how he changed from someone who was shy to someone who is BOLD. 

Grant then preached an Easter message from a unique perspective; a story in the Old Testament that parallels the Easter Story and connects through the land (The Threshing Floor of Araunah) to some powerful key moments in the bible – the death and resurrection of Jesus, the atonement of the punishment of David when he disobeyed God (in 2 Samuel 24), and where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac on the altar where God provided a lamb instead. These three events all happened in the same place, showing how God has stepped in and rescued his people, and that he has a plan. Grant invited people to come forward for prayer, and we were all able to minister through prayer and prophecy. It was so cool to hear afterwards the different conversations and connections people made at that time. God was moving and touching people’s hearts. 

This morning began with breakfast at a local Chinese restaurant, where we gathered around the table, sharing food and easing into the day together. It was a relaxed start, filled with conversation and a growing sense of anticipation for what was ahead.

After breakfast, we headed to Starbucks for our morning devotion. Joanna led the discussion, centering it on Book of Proverbs 3:5 and the call to trust in God wholeheartedly. It sparked some meaningful reflections within the group, and Holly shared parts of her story, giving us a glimpse of what she would later share that night. The time was both intentional and lighthearted, with plenty of laughter mixed in as we enjoyed being together.

We then spent some time at a nearby mall, taking a bit of space to explore, rest, and enjoy the local environment. It was a simple but refreshing part of the day that helped build connection as a team.

In the afternoon, we made our way to Agape Church. The drive was long, but it became a significant time for us as a group. We prayed for one another, had deeper conversations, and created space to listen to God. There was a real sense of unity forming, and even in the quieter moments, it felt like something meaningful was happening beneath the surface.

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the church community. There was a special moment of connection as a gift given to Patrisha, the Pastor of Agape church, the gift was shared on behalf of David Perry symbolising the ongoing relationship and prayer that had been sown into this church over many years. 

The evening service was powerful. Holly shared her testimony, speaking honestly about how God had been working in her life and leading her into new directions. It beautifully echoed the theme from the morning devotion, trusting God even when the path isn’t clear. As a team, we also had the opportunity to sing a song together, this being Tuhia. This was a real privilege and a moment of unity with the church and to show them some of our Maori culture being brought into worship. 

Grant then preached a message about being invited to the King’s table, drawing on the story of Mephibosheth and connecting it to the hope of Easter, that through Jesus, we can sit at the King’s table, not because of what we’ve done, but because of God’s grace. It was a message that resonated deeply and created space for reflection and response.

After the service, the church generously provided dinner, and we spent time sharing food, stories and building relationships. There was so much warmth and kindness shown to us, and it was clear how much they valued connection and community. 

As we left and reflected together, there was a sense of gratitude for all that had taken place, moments of depth, moments of joy, and plenty of laughter along the way. It was a full day, and one that continued to shape us both individually and as a team.

We started the day with a hearty breakfast as all good days start. Then Holly lead our team devotional time and spoke on Philippians 2

Bought some lunch, supplies and water bottles from the mall before heading to the orphanage for our first day as a team working there.

We met the lovely staff. Helped them clear out several full rooms of donated things that had been piling up for quite a while. Staying hydrated all the while with the wonderful humid conditions. We accomplished a mammoth job.

After that Micah and Seb joined the boys of the orphanage in their daily run and exercise.

Then the team freshened up briefly before finding some tandoori chicken locally for dinner and back to the orphanage.

The team split amongst the different age groups and boys from girls (ranging 8yo – 20yo’s) for group devotions.
The kids knew many worship songs and were quite well versed in the Bible. Our hearts were broken for the kids and their innocent wonder.

Finally back to our apartments 9:30pm ish for some well earned rest. What a day, full of sweat, discussion and much laughter.

Day 7 began with a morning devotion led by Grant, where we spent time sharing about our dreams, goals, and sense of purpose. After that, the day split into two speeds, some of us took the chance to rest and recharge, while others set off on an adventure to explore a mega mall. 

Later on, some of us headed to Petaling Street Market, where the real action began. The team fully embraced the art of bargaining, doing their absolute best to negotiate prices down while picking up gifts for friends and family back home. There were some wins… and some “learning experiences.”

We then returned for a very authentic, deeply cultural American meal at Burger King, a true highlight of Malaysian cuisine, obviously. It gave us a good laugh and a bit of comfort food before heading into the evening. 

That night, we went back to the DAJ Orphanage, where we led devotions with the kids. It was another special time spent connecting across the different age groups, worshipping together, praying and just hanging out. We’re slowly getting to know more of the kids by name, which made it all the more meaningful.

By the end of the night, there was a real mix of emotions. Everyone left feeling full of joy from the time spent together, but also aware that saying goodbye is getting closer. The ride home was filled with plenty of laughs, wrapping up a day that was both fun and quietly significant.

Yesterday was a massive day! After a traditional chinese breakfast, we made our way to Nee’s home church. The pastor gave us a tour of the impressive facilities and shared a little of his testimony with us. This church has been a huge blessing to us because they have loaned us their car for this week, so all 6 of us have been able to ride around in comfort, air conditioning and hilarity each day. The car rides are full of so much fun and laughter and have been such a joy. What a gift from God. 

After our visit to the church to thank the pastor (with an AB’s t-shirt) we went to a coffee shop where Torben shared devotions with us. We talked about always being prepared to share the reason for the hope that we have before heading to the orphanage. 

Desa Amal Jireh

I am being moved by these girls – each one loving Jesus while longing to know their future path. God knows what’s in store and we pray “Make me your vessel”. We have this treasure in jars of clay. We prayed God would break our hearts for what breaks his heart. My heart is being deeply moved for these young people and I see that they are just like me. They have desires and prayers for the future and they just want to follow God’s leading. Isn’t that the heart of all of us who follow Jesus? Break our hearts for what breaks yours. 

We had lunch with the staff at DAJ and enjoyed blue rice, chicken and spices. We enjoyed eating with our hands (well, I did,) and meaningful heart conversations. It was really special and an honour to listen to the experiences of the team. 

Donning our old clothes, we got to work clearing more rooms full of all sorts of items. It was dusty, sweaty work but we had fun rugby passing the items out of the room and downstairs ready for the dumpster. God is giving us lots of joy for this work and it’s been so amazing to serve together. 

Then we gathered with some of the children from the home and their staff to present them a cheque for the donation from last year’s vision offering. They presented us with gifts and we took some photos, prayed and sang together. 

Following the presentation, the children sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Micah and another blessing song, because he turned 19 today! He was so touched by their singing and the little gifts they gave him in his small group. It’s evident to see how much he loves the kids and how much they love him too. 

In the evening we had devotions – the guys had a great time in their groups and us girls did too. God was so present as we worshipped and ministered to each other. At one point the music speaker lost battery and Holly felt to pray for the girls and for the girls to pray for each other in small groups, so we did. That was really powerful and a great opportunity for us to pray and prophesy. More than that it was an opportunity to connect and I learned that one of the girls lost her dad two weeks ago. Life is so tough. We were able to hug and pray together and the girls surrounded each other too.