In October of 2016, WWOB ventured into some new terrain in Malaysia. Our team: Bryan Bettis, Fane Campean, Jonathan Campean, David Phillips and Tim Smith.
After flying from PDX through LA, Narita, Japan and finally Kuala Lumpur, we were greeted by our friend, Pastor Gilbert Tan (former PBC student who traveled with many of our team in the 90’s) (Bryan came the next day from DC). P. Gilbert is the Worship Pastor at DUMC (Damansara Utama Methodist Church ) in KL. DUMC is a wonderful multi-ethnic church of over 5000 worshipers. After a day-off to adjust for jet-lag, we jumped into an intense 3-day blitz of teaching, worship, singing, and flowing with group after group.
We had an unexpected but delightful ministry the first night we were there at FGA in KL. (Maryl and I were there in 2005 for a great conference) Their whole worship team showed up and we had a beautiful time of worship, teaching and ministry.
The next group on Friday morning, was probably the most intense and memorable moment of the whole trip. I walked into a room at the church filled with 100 Myanmar refugees (from persecution) being trained for 3 months to go back to Myanmar to plant churches! They cheered as I went to the keyboard and started what I thought would be sort of an introductory song: This is Amazing Grace! They rushed toward me as one and started jumping up and down singing every word with passion and conviction. The next three hours (!) were filled with excitement, dedication and resolve for His will and direction in all our lives. It was very humbling to teach wonderful people who are wholeheartedly paying the price for their belief. We noticed many of the young ladies laying prostrate before God during much of the worship. A life-changing intensely beautiful experience with amazing young people. Lord bless them, favor them and protect them as they go back to serve You!
That night we had a full-on worship concert with the DUMC worship teams and more filling up a small auditorium. Bryan Bettis led the time of worship and we had each of the team members share songs and their heart with the congregation. David did a sweet guitar solo, Fane shared from his travel guitar and Jonathan sang one of his sweet songs that he wrote. Beautiful time. I did a cello solo that led into ‘Our God’ by Chris Tomlin. At the end I exhorted about the phrase ‘Our God is Healer’ and suggested that we stop right now and pray for healing. It was powerful to watch the room activate in prayer and faith for healing. We found out later that an Iranian lady was there and she prayed for a friend (who was not there) who just had surgery on a big growth around her eye and it had left her eye paralyzed and unable to move at all. The doctors had told her that she might not every get movement back in that eye! At the end of our prayer, the Iranian lady got a text from her friend saying that she wasnt sure why but she felt she should try to move her eye. Lo and behold she could roll her eyes. So she recorded it and put it on Facebook! an instant answer to prayer! Praise God! What a great night!
The next day at DUMC we had a 3 hour worship seminar with lots of worship and teaching and releasing. The brightest moment of that time was teaching on new songs and how God wants to sing through His people more and more. We set up a nice chord progression with the team (we invited all the musicians to join them on stage and rotated them all in one at a time) and started giving instruction and releasing them in confidence to sing their own songs as God inspired them. We started with singing a scripture, where they would create a tune using a scripture and the chord progression we were playing. Then we put up the words to an old hymn (Rock of Ages) and had them create a new tune with old words. Turned out more like a rap this time which was fun and since most have never heard the song before, it really impacted them! Finally, we sang our prayers over each other and over Malaysia. It was a powerful and prophetic time of God releasing His heart through His song over His people.
That night (after a 3 hour rehearsal) we had a ‘regular’ service in the main sanctuary with about 1000 worshipers. It was a joy to blend our instruments and voices with their worship team – led by Pastor Gilbert. Bryan again led the time and it was powerful to hear and ‘feel’ the worship of these Malaysian worshipers ascend in song after song! We repeated the worship set the next morning to a packed auditorium but this time I got to play my cello in the middle of the worship and told them about the healing of the eye on Friday night – so we had another time of prayer for healing – just powerful seeing God’s people respond so readily in faith. We also found out another Iranian lady got saved Saturday night!
Of course, the whole trip they fed us well with amazing Malaysian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Monday we had the day off so we enjoyed the KL City Centre and resting up. Tuesday we flew to Penang – the tourist capital of Malaysia – a beautiful island city to the north of KL. Our hosts, Ben and Jen Gumienny (missionaries from Calgary, AB) greeted us at the airport and treated us to some more delicacies of Malaysia before we went to minister that night. Our first night was gloriously spent with the worship team at Georgetown Baptist Church. (below is the video from the night) After a great time of worship and instruction we were able to release them in their own songs ending with a beautiful time of prayer together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRkJPW1csE&feature=youtu.be
The next day, after more amazing food, we ministered to and with the worship team at PHOP (Penang House of Prayer). This small but dedicated group are expanding the horizons of prophetic worship and prayer in Penang. Beautiful time of release, prophetic exhortations and intense worship with these great people!
The following day, we had the delight of traveling to Monkey Beach (we saw a few monkeys at least) by boat! Mostly spent laying in hammocks (I know, pretty rough) and making music on the beach we even got to spend some time with an Australian and a local guy jamming and sharing.
That night we said goodbye to Bryan who had to get back to his church in DC. We then went on to minister at FGA-Penang with the whole worship team and leaders there. Another powerful time with worship, teaching, exhortations, ministry and prayer. We felt a very strong anointing in this place. Beautiful time!
Friday we flew back to KL to minister with Guy Rosario at New Life Community. Friday night I left the team in Guy’s charge while I met with one of my former PBC students, Petrina Satvinder and her family and team to learn about their amazing work with orphans and the poor in KL! Even President Obama visited their work there and was duly impressed. I love how God uses His people everywhere with so much variety and creativity! At New Life Community it worked out to be an all-day Saturday worship seminar (about 6 hours) full of general sessions and break-outs (vocal/guitar/bass/keyboard/drums) throughout the day. Wow! This was a big and talented group of people ready to learn and joyfully receive all that God had for them. We ended with a session with everybody on the platform and around the front, singing, playing, worshiping, creating and basically getting freed up to worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth! I love seeing the lights coming on and the change that comes over their countenance, their confidence, their sensitivity and their over-all sound after these sessions! It’s really amazing!
Sunday morning we ministered in both services (which were packed) – it was their ‘Extreme Sunday’ so after some ‘extreme’ worship I preached on Extreme Worship using the OT examples of Abraham, Job and David. Each of their ‘Shachah’s was preceded by intense and extreme moments in their lives. They all had a choice, but they chose to bow the knee and worship (Shachah) God in that circumstance! Powerful to watch people all over the world catch the meaning of true ‘worship’ as they bow before Him and ponder His grace and forgiveness in their lives. Then I add the NT word for worship ‘Proskuneo’ and we add a ‘kiss’ to the worship. So worship becomes more than mere obedience, but also intimacy and responding to His great love and sacrifice for each one of us. It’s so encouraging to see young and old alike worshiping Jesus side-by-side. A true picture of our eternal worship destination!
After some more amazing food and fellowship we flew back home through Singapore and Narita on Monday. Tired but full of gratitude and a lot of great memories for what God did through us and among us in Malaysia! God bless Malaysia! And a big thanks to Pastor Gilbert Tan, Pastor Guy Rosario and our friends, Ben and Jen Gumienny for their great hospitality! We love you all!
Dr. Tim Smith, Director of Worship Without Borders
Please prayerfully consider supporting Worship Without Borders as we travel all over the world to train and release worship wherever we go. We are a non-profit tax exempt organization (501-c3) so your donations are all tax deductible plus you are investing in the worldwide release of worship! Thank you!