Live from Malaysia! (Pt. 1)

33 hours of traveling. With two kids under the age of four. Yup. My wife and I are insane.

Nevertheless, we made it to Malaysia. The flights were great and Sophia and Norah proved to be natural globe-trotters. We got the front row of our cabin, and, since we strategically chose the two aisle seats of the middle section and one of inside seats while leaving the other inside seat empty, we managed to actually got all four seats of that row to ourselves. Guess no one wanted to sit between a couple of kids. 

We landed in Singapore at midnight and checked into a transit hotel for a few hours. The Changi airport in Singapore is like one-part 5-star hotel, one-part luxury mall. Too bad we were too wasted to actually enjoy it. Early the next morning we got up and got ready to fly to Malaysia. As soon as we landed, my parents surprised us at the gate. As it turns out, they have some friends who can pull a few strings! Our first stop from the airport was a place that serves my favorite Malaysian breakfast/brunch: roti canai. Instead of plates, meals are served on a gigantic banana leaf-- something Sophia found especially fascinating. I might have overdone it with the eating, but, man did it taste good! 

The good food kept on coming. My mom pulled out all the stops for dinner. It was so good to be in our home.

The one setback has been that Holly's luggage somehow did not get loaded on the plane in Denver-- courtesy of United Airlines. Trying to get a hold of someone who knows what's going on and can help has been an exercise in futility. It seems the airline-airport blame game can produce a run-around of internationally epic proportions. Oh well. Hopefully it will get here soon.

Tonight begins the first session of the conference at a really fantastic church in Malaysia called DUMC-- Damansara Utama(the name of the region) Methodist Church. Registration so far is near 600. Attendees are coming from about 25 different churches. I'm pretty pumped about it. It is such an incredible honor to be back and to have been asked to speak into the worship ministries here. I get emotional thinking about it. 

Part of the emotion is also in seeing Sophia and Norah running around in the very environment and culture I was a child in. And part of the emotion is the lingering effects of jet lag. 

OK, that's all for now.

Peace.

Comments

[mei]

Hey Glenn,
I hope you and your family are enjoying yourself in Malaysia. Wish I was in KL to attend the conference.

[Slickdrums]

Great stuff, Glenn at DUMC this morning last night! And I know that many were blessed by your worship leading preaching this evening.

What you have shared was simply, yet revealing to the our spirit.

What we really need here in Malaysia is also a conference for the worship team members.

God bless!

[Jason]

Hello Glenn,

Thanks for coming to DUMC. Your teaching was simple yet it is all back to basic which is a must for us.

Continue to enjoy the good food in Malaysia :)

God Bless

[Adeline Chia]

Hi Glenn, wanna let you know I am so blessed with such a warm, personal yet deep approach in your sharing/preaching/worship leading. You bring back the heart of worship - focusing on Jesus Himself. Thanks! God bless u and your family * and yea, hope that the bags would arrive SOON =)

[wmw]

Just got back from tonights worship ministry at DUMC. Definitely felt the presence of God amongst us. I will remember that we must keep the faith in us...as you said, God has been faithful to us while we have been faithless at times. Thank you for a absolutely fantastic night of worship.

P.S. Was looking forward to hearing Rescue but that didnt come on :o). Anyway, we ended up buying all the 3 CDs (but Rescues not in any of them!). Thanks again! God Bless and safe journey to you, Holly, Sophia and Norah.

[Everett Yeoh]

I just cant wait for the time if you are coming back again to Malaysia for another worship-concert or worship conference again.

I still cant sleep because of the excitement that lingers in my heart since 3 hours agos worship event finished.

Now looking forward for your new book Secondhand Jesus, which is releasing next year. Maybe it is due to being inspired by the message during Session 3 of the conference.

Ill continue writing some music and songs fro this day forth after what the conference had done to my life. I feel so much renewed and the burden in me was felt no more, ever since.

I think I shall dedicate a composition to you. ^^

[Amanda]

Cant wait for part 2! Hope you and the fam are having a awesome time!!

[Marelize Schaefer]

Yay! Enjoying your updates. Keep them coming! Maybe some pics of the Packiam clan in the homeland?

[Chris Hoffman]

Is roti canai the stuff we had at that restaurant we went to that one time? (really helpful description I know). Cause if it is, Im jealous. That stuff was legit!! Have a great trip!