One year back

I realized this afternoon that today marks the one-year anniversary of my return from one of the adventures of a lifetime: my two week mission trip to Malaysia with 9 of the best women I know. I can't express how much I miss the country, the people, the work, the food (freshly made garlic naan bread rocks my world!) . . . but I also know that God has me here right now, and that my chilly Montana home is just as much on the front line of missions as my equatorial adventure. Still, I can't help but indulge in a few moments of happy remembering.

A view of the city.

Grocery shopping at the wet market.

Beautiful Tamil orphans.

Crumbling downtown beauty.

An all too common sight, both at home and abroad.

Flowers in front of a rather mind-boggling Hindu temple.

Awas! Monkeys ahead! And yes, this sign means what it says -- one woman in our group was jumped by a monkey trying to snatch her ice cream.

Fresh squid for sale!

The sign says, "Male Muslims are prohibited from getting the services of female masseurs. Offenders will be prosecuted." Yep, we are not in Kansas anymore, Toto . . .

The streets of the Indian district are vibrant with music, lights, and the insanely amazing smell of cooking food. (Naan . . . !)

Some of our group, heading to the mainland.

You knew it was coming -- garlic naan with curry and random dipping sauces. How do you say "Yes, please!" in Malay? Oh right, it's . . . "Ya, tolong!" (I think.)