Beauty

"It is sunset now, and there is nothing left in the world but beauty.  I am too small for such beauty.  I only know that I give thanks to the blazing, clouded sky, the tossed up black tropical islands, and the oily, resting seas for existing until I could see them.  There is nothing in me great enough for this, but all of me that is gives thanks"

written about Sabah from Land Below the Wind by Agnes Newton Keith


Last week Sunday, I was the last of our YAGM group to leave STS.  Rommy, the driver here at Jireh Home came to get me and my excessive amount of luggage around 6 and we drove the 45 minutes to Tuaran discussing families, jobs and favorite things using the vocabulary we have in common.  As we approached my new home, the sun was setting, casting vivid colors over the green, lush landscape.  I stared in awe at the beauty of this place that is my home.

Some of the primary school students had a short holiday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and invited me to go jogging with them Wednesday morning at 6 am.  As we have been constantly encouraged to say yes to every invitation, I set my alarm and got up with Pastor Repeih (the woman I am living with who also works at Jireh Home), and took a leisurely jog/walk to the house to meet the four young girls.  Pastor Repeih pointed to our left and said Kinabalu, and there it was, Mt. Kinabalu, looming in the distance.   Majestic, but hidden during the day.   I stared in awe at the beauty of this place that is my home.

This past Sunday was Malaysia Day.  Pastor Repeih invited me to go to KK for a thing that afternoon.  I was tired, overwhelmed by constant Malay and was hoping to taking the afternoon to myself, alone, likely on the internet.  But I said yes, it was an invitation.  Driving back to KK, I was thrilled to be going somewhere, excited to possibly see other YAGMs, and completely clueless about what was going on.  We sat in the stadium in KK having arrived almost 2 hours early as the sun shone through the clouds a little too much for comfort.  What once was an empty stadium, was suddenly filled with Malaysian Christians, who came to bless the nation in their year of jubilee.  The sun set over the mountains during the presentation of many different types of cultural dances, giving the celebrations a gorgeous background.  Then at exactly 7, they (so so many people) blew the Shofars (ram's horns) to welcome in the Spirit and the worship began.  I was overwhelmed by the commotion, the passionate and joyful worship featuring dancers with flags and tambourines, about 100 Malaysian flags, and at least 100 Sabah Flags.  The mayor of KK lead the blessing of the nation with over 100 of the city's pastors and people flooded the field, united together to pray.  As I watched, I stood in awe at the beauty of this place, the richness of its traditions and faith, the passion and pride of its people.

This is my home.