Malaysian Contrasts: Part 2 -- E.

Religious Edifices

Pick any one hundred Malaysian people at random. You will get approximately 61 Muslims . . .

This is the oldest Mosque in Malaysia, built sometime in the 1700's.  (Photo by Igor Laszlo.)

. . . 20 Buddhists . . .

This temple has three sections stacked on top of each other:  Burmese on top, Thai in the middle, and Chinese on the bottom.  (Photo by Myloismylife.)

. . . 9 Christians . . .

This is a Roman Catholic church.  I don't know much about it, other than that it's in Penang.  (Photo by Michael Coghlan.)

. . . 6 Hindus . . .

A Hindu temple in Malaysia.

. . . and 4 others of various religions.

A Datuk shrine.  This is a significant site for Datuk Keramat worship, which, according to Wikipedia, is "a fusion of pre-Islamic spirit belief, Sufi saint worship and Chinese folk religion."

Mosaic in Greenwood -- E.

Do you know about Mosaic yet? Queena and I talk about this group a lot, so I'm surprised if this is all news to you. We met this band in Dallas a year ago . . . and Queena booked them to come sing in Greenwood!

I cannot speak too highly of what God is doing through these people's music. Check them out on their website: www.mosaicworship.com. Their mission is to teach God's Word through music -- and they are doing just that. So good!


Mosaic's five members are staying at Queena's parents' place over the weekend. We've been blessed to hang out with them a bit -- and glory be, they are Euro game people! Nobody knows how excited I was to learn that.

Jonathan and Patrick, at left, wanted to learn how to play Smallworld. I think they may have like it. They spent most of the game standing up . . .


. . . while Queena and Holly joined Emily and Devon for some Dominion.


Enough with the games, eh? Nobody cares that much. Here's what matters:

• Greenwood Mennonite Church
• Sunday, November 6
• 6:30 pm
• Free Mosaic Concert
• (Be there!)
  

Florida Vacation!

We had a wonderfully relaxing (and warm) week in Florida with Grandpa and Grandma Mast, Ethan's parents, Ethan's four youngest siblings -- Rhoda, Phoebe, Sam, and Keziah -- and Zach and Sarah.

We stopped by to meet some friends, Brian and Tabita and their two children. This video shows the new friendship with their son BoBo and Dorie.


Dorie and her GGma (great-grandmother) had a tea party one morning. When GGma Ellie was Dorie's age she lived in China. I heard her telling Dorie some stories of her childhood in China, but when I left the table for a minute, I missed this conversation, so GGma wrote it down for me:

GGMa: Dearest Ms Dorie, I am so very happy that we could have a tea party together. Thank you for inviting me.

Dorie: Well, I am not really happy.

GGMa: And why are you not happy, Dorrie?

Dorie: I don’t have Jesus in my heart.

GGMa: Dear Dorie, you know that Jesus loves you very much, and He hears you when you talk to Him.

Dorie: He is way up in heaven. How can He hear me talk to Him?

GGMa: Jesus always hears you, and He is with us because His spirit is with us. And He will help us, and be with us all the time.

Malaysian Contrasts: Part 1 -- E.

Environments

Close to half of Malaysia's human population lives in its 20 largest cities. For example, Kota Kinabalu, pictured below, is home to 600,000 people.

(Thank you for the photo, Flanegan)

Kota Kinabalu (or KK) happens to be a consideration for where we will move.

Of course, smaller villages are prevalent throughout the country. Here is a view of a valley in Tambunan, a district some 80 kilometers east of KK.

Notice the unpopulated mountains in the background.

Did I say unpopulated? Hardly! Have you heard about the wildlife in Malaysia? Reportedly, about 20 percent of all animal species live in this country. National parks such as this one on Mount Kinabalu (highest point in Malaysia, and just outside KK) protect many such species.

Personally, I love that waterfall right in the middle of the picture, and some day I would like to see it close up.

The "dearest freshness deep down" of my ordinary life -QM

I love the big, grand picture of Glory that I read in Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem, God's Grandeur. He wrote that
The World is charged with the grandeur of God
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed...

I also love the tiny pieces of glory that I read in Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts:
24 Old men looking for words just perfect
54. Moonlight on pillows
55. Long, lisped prayers
56. Kisses in the dark
243. Clean Sheets smelling like wind
244. Hot oatmeal tasting like home

Here are some everyday glorious moments from my day today:

• waking to the yells of my small son and having him miraculously fall back to sleep

• a slow jog past a misty, newly mowed field

• the surprise of tears on my cheeks while listening to a new song

• a tiny, peanut butter covered finger transformed into a neighing, galloping horse

• the smell of pinto beans, bacon, and cumin in the crockpot

All this talk of Glory reminds me of the verse that has lodged deeply in my heart this past month: 2Corinthians 3:18. (The above 'new song' comes from this passage--check out Mosaic's Be Like You)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Quote in Title also from God's Grandeur, GMH