It’s that time of the year where I need to do my annual exit and re-entry to the Philippines. Ever since we got the tip from an immigration officer regarding the perks of Balikbayan Visa, we’ve added exiting this country once a year to our list of to-do’s.
This year, my wife and I decided to go to Malaysia to visit the Aenon Health Retreat. We met a few students and selected staff from Aenon a few months ago when they did their mission trip in Palawan. Impressed with how they carried themselves about, we were intrigued with what Aenon was like and wondered about the possibility of visiting the place.
One of the doctors from their group advised us to visit as ‘volunteer visitors,’ — meaning, aside from just visiting the place, we can offer to volunteer to work at Aenon during our stay to pay for our board and lodging. That arrangement really worked well for us! Not only can it save us money, but we can keep ourselves occupied during our stay, and maybe learn a thing or two about the routine at Aenon.
A few months after their mission trip, we confirmed whether the volunteer arrangement still works. We were advised to come while the health guests are there since most of the work is done during this time.
We praise the Lord for giving us the means to come here. Through this trip, we became more acquainted with the power of God through the medical missionary work being done in Malaysia. We also met new friends and reunited with old ones. Praise God for the opportunity to also share our talents, skills, experiences and testimonies that encouraged the Aenon students and workers. And last but not the least, this trip truly provided much-needed relaxation and rejuvenation.
We thank Dr. Pua Sze Ning for being such a wonderful host and for making sure we have our needs met. We also thank the Aenon administrators and staff for accommodating our request and for weaving us seamlessly into their busy routine. Thanks also to the students who made the rest of our stay worthwhile. The visit was surely short but sweet and we look forward to coming back!
The rest of the pictures below will tell the rest of the story of our visit to Aenon.If you ever had the chance to visit Malaysia, do stop by at Aenon! Better yet, visit as a health guest and enjoy the lifestyle treatments they offer at their facility. They have a 5-day, 10-day and a 20-day program for a really affordable price. For more information about Aenon, click here.
First Stop: Batu Caves
Prior to arriving in Malaysia, Dr. Pua offered that she wanted to take us around and visit some free tourist sites. After filling our belly with awesome vegan food, we headed to Batu Caves, which is basically a temple hidden in the caves.
It looks majestic in picture as well as in real life. Did we climb those flight of stairs all the way to the top? You bet we did!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
A lot of monkeys leisurely run up and down the staircase. They would grab your bag or food, and would occasionally pose for pictures.
Respect for their temple means to dress modestly
More stairs inside the cave!
More shrines like this inside the cave
Respect the temple by taking your shoes off
Not a lot of people at this time of day
A small opening provides a lot of natural light for the cave
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Next stop: Petronas Tower
You cannot go to Kuala Lumpur without visiting the famous Twin Towers. We didn’t spend much time here because there was nothing we wanted to buy. We took a quick shot and then we’re off to Aenon.
A place to relax right outside the shopping mall in between the Petronas Tower
The mall also houses the concert hall for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
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Aenon and its surroundings
Aenon was a haven of rest, especially with the beautiful nature surrounding the campus.
Road leading up to Aenon
A beautiful walking trail for the health guests
Magnificent view a few steps from our room.
Another magnificent view by the hiking trail
Health guest and lifestyle counselor watching the sunrise together
Beautiful flowers by the Aenon store
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Working for food 🙂
Helping to assemble the vegan pizzas
Helping to repack the sesame buns for delivery to Kuala Lumpur
Got a quick tutorial on how to make vegan chicken, Malaysian style.
Finished product: Amazing vegan chicken!!!
A nurse, a staff, and a student learning to make my vegan carob marble cake
Spent an afternoon with the Aenon baker making the perfect cheesecake
Davin visits the bakery
Davin was invited to speak for student chapel
Harvesting fruits for the health guests
Excited to cut some lumber
Benches for the student’s campsite
Aenon’s power plate
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Friends…
Baking cakes with these ladies on our last afternoon in Aenon
Thanks Joseph and “best friend” for giving us amazing discounts at the Aenon store
Big thanks to Dr. Pua for helping us organise this trip. Such an awesome host!!!
Sabbath afternoon hike with students and staff of Aenon.
A student delivered a powerful message for Sabbath sundown worship. Argentina and Mrs. Prewitt on the left.
Aenon’s amazing cook. Super nice lady!
David Fam, president of Aenon, sharing a devotional for student chapel
Sisters in Christ and cooking! Learned a lot about cooking from this lady — stir fry durian flowers, spicy curry tempeh and DIY vegan fish to number a few.
Quick snapshot with Mrs. Fam during lunch
Nurse Wai Fong, we see you again!
Davin’s boss for the week, Michael, a non-SDA farmer
