Finding My Place

Amcorp Mall & A Train Coming in From KL - Aug 2009

After the hustle and bustle of my last few weeks in the States, my arrival here in KL/PJ (Petaling Jaya) has been moving at a decidedly slower pace. 'No need to rush off and do everything immediately,' I've been told -a piece of advice I've gladly followed. I am here for a year after all.

For now my home base is a hotel near the Taman Jaya light rail transit (LRT) station. I'm here in conjunction with this coming weekend's 30th Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Church of Malaysia and Singapore (LCMS) and the opening of the brand new Lutheran Headquarters here in KL. To celebrate both events a whole slew of missionaries from the church's history have returned to the former mission field of Malaysia.

Taking the LRT into the Petronas Towers yesterday with a couple from Pennsylvania made it clear how much has changed here in the intervening 30+ years since they worked here. Sharing Root Beer Floats at the A&W PJ Drive-In (a landmark local institution and home of less than satisfying cheeseburgers) gave me a glimpse into the lives of those who helped build the foundation of the LCMS - an institution and community that has now called me here to serve with and learn from it.

In the coming days the national church here will gather (much like the ELCA did in Minneapolis last week) and in the process will review its activities, establish its agenda, and elect its leadership. This too will help me to establish the broader context in which I will be living and working during my stay here in Malaysia.

After all of that, next week most likely, I'll shift to more permanent accommodations and get settled into my role at Luther House Chapel.