Full

My head and my heart are getting quite full now, with still a week to go. I didn't have many expectations for this trip but the warmth and the generosity of the people we've met and the daily assault on all of the senses has left me quite overwhelmed.

Today has been full of people: sharing of hearts and visions and stories; learning of projects and ministries; fellowshipping over food.

We had breakfast with Swee Bee, who took us for a traditional Chinese breakfast of noodles, chilli, fish and meat. Swee Bee is a small but formidable woman, a Doctor of Missiology (although she didn't mention it) and formerly Abi Liew's youth leader. She now works with the indigenous Orang-asli people with both a big passion and a strategic vision.

We then spent the morning at St. Nicolas Home, where we are staying, which is a centre for training for blind and partially sighted people. Another impressive project which not only strives, in all of it programmes, to train visually impaired people to live independently but is also at the forefront of pioneering new technology. Their latest project is developing an app to allow some kind of navigation indoors, where GPS signal does not reach.

Abi Liew's family (pictured) came over to visit, briefly, to pick up a parcel for Abi and to deliver one to send back. Lovely to meet them after working with Abi for nearly a year now in Shrewsbury.

The afternoon was spent at the Baptist Seminary, hearing of how they train people in head (theology), heart (devotion) and hands (skills). More impressive people.

A big dinner with the Bishop of Penang plus previous St Chad's volunteers who have spent time in England and their families. So now I can add full belly to that list.