Goodbye “teacher!” Leaving Malaysia

Hello!

I’m so excited to finally share this week’s blog with you. I can now show you all the amazing people I’ve had the privilege of serving with over the past two months! For safety reasons, we were asked to wait to post any photos or personal stories until after we left the country. So even though I’m writing this with four days left in Malaysia and just said goodbye to the kids yesterday, I’m uploading this from the airport in Singapore—about to board my flight back to the States! Which feels absolutely insane.

I’ll share some final thoughts at the end, but first… let me introduce you to Teacher Ashlyn’s class!

Teaching in Malaysia

When I first arrived, I thought we’d be doing everything the previous squad had done a few months before. I assumed I’d be paired one-on-one with a student and get to pour into them individually. But that wasn’t the case at all.

On the very first day at the refugee school, my ministry host handed me a stack of worksheets on past, present, and future tense—and told me to get up and teach. To my surprise, the school had almost doubled in size since the last squad was there, and I found myself teaching around 30 students on my own! It was overwhelming—but I actually ended up loving it.

I had the oldest group of kids, ages 12 to 18. I got to hang out with them during their breaks and really get to know them. Some were fluent in English, while others didn’t understand a word, so it was a challenge to create lesson plans that could reach everyone. And we weren’t just teaching English—we taught English, math, and science! You better believe I was re-learning long division on our rides to school.

The Blessing of S Squad

After two weeks, the biggest blessing arrived: S Squad! They’re an Expedition Squad, meaning they’re on the field for 11 months. Malaysia is their second stop out of six. And thank you, Jesus, because when they came, my class was split into five groups—and I got a new class of just seven students.

These were the oldest kids who understood the most English, and they quickly became my favorite part of the day. I got to build deeper relationships with each of them, learning about their families, dreams, and what makes them light up. I fell in love with ministry in a whole new way. They made me laugh, filled me with joy, and reminded me daily of why I came.

They wrote me the sweetest letters, always told me “Teacher so pretty!” and gave the best hugs. My heart melted more and more every day.

Even though it’s illegal to openly share the Gospel here, I was able to talk about my personal beliefs when asked. Every morning, I prayed for their hearts to be curious—and many of them were! I got to share why I wear a cross, why I eat pork, and other random things. I even got to talk about fasting during Ramadan and how our beliefs differ. If any of you are reading this and want to know more about the Gospel, please call me—I would love to share more.

Meet My Students

Asmah – So bubbly and full of life. She gave the best hugs and always did my henna.

Uma – Pure joy. Her constant smile never failed to brighten my day.

Shikofa – Gentle, kind, and incredibly smart. If she didn’t understand something, she would study it until she did.

Cerhera – Sweet and intentional. We had the best conversations, and she always made me laugh. So talented at henna, too!

Aris – Strong-willed and funny. Though he didn’t understand much English, he was resourceful with a translator app and stayed engaged.

Md Anos – Respectful, attentive, and so smart. He always paid attention and was eager to learn.

Anos – The class jokester. He kept me laughing constantly and was my personal translator. I think he’d describe himself as “pretty skibidi.”

Testimony: PLEASE READ!

One of the hardest parts about leaving was knowing that, once we were gone, the school wouldn’t have a teacher again. Our ministry host does everything she can, but with over 80 kids from ages 3–17 and varying skill levels, it’s simply impossible for her to do it alone.

I saw so much growth in each of my students over these two months, and I know this might be their only opportunity for education. That reality broke my heart.

A few weeks ago, our host took us on a hike. It poured rain the entire time, we were soaked, there was no view at the top, and I even had to pull a leech off myself. Classic. But we still had fun and met other hikers, including a man named Sandra, who turned out to be the principal of a local public school.

After chatting for a while, he invited us to visit his school for a Q&A session. A few people from our team went and had the best time, and the school loved it. So much so that Sandra said WR teams are welcome anytime—and now other schools are asking for teams too!

And it gets better.

Our leader had coffee with Sandra and got to share the entire Gospel with him. We’re now praying for his salvation and for him to impact his community in a powerful way.

But wait—there’s more!

The pastor at the local church announced that because Sandra is retiring next year, he wants to help run the refugee school and even teach there himself!

I started crying when I heard that. Only God could do something like this. One simple act of kindness and conversation opened the door to ministry for future teams in public schools and a long-term solution for the refugee school. God is too, too good.

Goodbyes + Coming Home

Saying goodbye to these kids was so, so hard. There were lots of tears. I’m going to miss them deeply and wish we didn’t live on opposite sides of the world. But I’m grateful I got some of their numbers and Instagram accounts so we can stay in touch.

I’m starting to get super excited to go home. I’ve been sick (again) these past two days, so I’m ready for a bed and the comfort of home. I can’t wait to reunite with the rest of my squad (which should be just a few hours from now when this goes up).

We’ll have two weeks together before our final goodbye. One of those weeks will be spent doing hurricane relief in North Carolina, which is such a beautiful full-circle moment. To go from experiencing tragedy, to 8 months of God transforming our lives, and now returning to serve others who are still living in the aftermath—only God could write a story like that.

Looking Ahead

Thinking about the end brings a lot of mixed emotions. I’m so excited to see my family, my sisters, my parents. I can’t wait to eat food that isn’t just rice and chicken, to wear clean clothes, to sleep in a real bed, and use a kitchen with no ants. Honestly, I could go on.

But I’m also really sad to leave my squad. They’ve become my family. We live all over the country, so quick visits won’t be easy—but that’s okay. I’m excited for what’s next. I’m trusting God for vision and dreams for the future. And in these last two weeks, I’m going to stay present and soak in every moment.

Prayer Requests

•Healing for sickness within the squad

•That God would prepare our hearts and use us in North Carolina

•Peace and clarity as we process going home

•Comfort and guidance during culture shock

•Vision and direction for what’s next

Thank you all so much for reading. I can’t believe there are only one or two blogs left. Your support and prayers mean the world to me. I love you all—and I’ll see you so soon!

With love,

Ashlyn