Thee abnormal Adventures of Jeff Kelly

If you can Trust yourself when all men doubt you; If you can Dream and not make dreams your master; If If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue; Or walk with Kings nor lose the common touch;

Yours is the Earth and everything in it, Even more you’ll be a Man, My son!!

-Kipling-

The doulos at High and low tide in Kuching River

Being in Kuching, Malaysia from December 5th to January 3rd has been the longest stay in any one port we have had since I joined the Ship. I have relished in this opportunity to really get to know this country; settling in with ample time to experience the culture while cultivating relationships amongst the local people. This has caused me to be impacted fully by what the country has to share also given me plenty of opportunities to see the uniqueness of East Malaysia.

Since being here I have had the privilege of playing soccer, basketball, and rugby twice a week with local athletes. This has done wonders not only for my physic,(which has grown from the rich rice, potatoes carbohydrate full diet on the Doulos) but also I’ve been able to meet and share with locals on a more comfortable/personal level.

We were invited to play indoor soccer 4 times in the last 2 weeks with Christian Chinese Malay brothers and encourage them in their walk. What a workout that was, its been too long since i kicked around the ball and this small fast paced environment is extremely demanding, even if the games were only 10 minutes long.

A different group picked us up from the ship on 3 consecutive Tuesdays and brought us to the national Basketball stadium to play their team in friendly exhibition matches as well. This was a tremendous time to play in a huge stadium that was empty and open to us for free. A long cry from the pickup games I played with my pastor every Saturday before joining the Ship. Needless to say I need to start getting into better cardiovascular shape since playing all these sports, I am not the young guy i once was, and the golf i played frequently before joining didn’t do a great job of getting me in the shape my competitors are in. I plan to keep joining the teams as they have many games lined up in our next port of Cebu, Phillipines.

Seeing somebody fighting with the disease cancer is a horrifying experience when those people happen to be children its unbearable. When I was first told I would be going with a group of friends to a children’s cancer hospital I was excited and saddened at the same time.

30 children from ages 2-13 all going through chemotherapy and hooked up to Iv’s blood monitors and other wires going through their face, necks, throats, and arms. The room was joyless, frowns suffocated the faces of each one of the children as well as their parents, waiting bedside. After a few songs and an introduction we performed a drama that sent the children into fits of laughter. It was the first time since being there for an hour that I saw any sign of life from the children.

The children were mostly Malay and didn’t speak any English, but our translator who visits the hospital every week did such a great job infusing Joy and wackiness in any way he could (Think Patch Adams).

Before entering I ask the Holy Spirit to give me HIS joy as well as His heart of compassion for the children and nurses we encountered did He ever. It was an excellent testimony of God’s love for His people as most of the nurses, parents, and children were Muslim, and here were 5 volunteers from all over the world, smiling, joking, sharing gifts, and spending time with children we had nothing in common with.

We were strictly told before entering Malaysia that the authoritarian Muslim government told the Ship we are not allowed to preach the gospel or pray with Muslims at all. Knowing this going into our visit, I felt hopeless, while smiling and handing out gifts is nice and appreciated, how much bigger is the transforming power of the gospel when it is depicted such as it is in Acts 4:29, 30. “And now O Lord, hear their threats, and give us your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power, may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus”.

Is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ more powerful than man-made Governments? I believe that God gives us the courage we need when standing up for His kingdom. As Christians we are called to suffer for the Gospel as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you”. Although we may feel afraid and unsure of future because of our actions for Christ, for He is sovereign, and His mercy covers all.

Pictures of our hospital visit coming very soon as well as an update on our great return to the hospital.