going abroad

This comes with my love from South Asia! I think I'm in love. =) Coconut trees everywhere I look, a myriad of bright colors, exotic music, delicious smells, beautiful people... and precious Deaf family who are hungry and eager to soak up every lesson, every life-giving word, with joy and anticipation.

On a humorous note... (in list format, since I like lists)

a) I have internet at my hotel, but not hot water. ;)
b) Today, whilst chowing down the remainder of a large bag of dried mangoes, I looked down to find that some sugar ants had been enjoying it long before I started eating them. I salvaged a few more pieces before disposing of the rest... I guess that just means I had extra protein for my supper!
c) I never cease to be amused by my bathroom experiences abroad. We all have such different cultural norms from country to country! A fellow expat recommended this book, and it's officially made my wish-list. ;)

heart-melting

I had been in Africa for four days, when I was invited to a women's fellowship group with the Deaf wives of our translators. One of the Kenyan women, who is now a dear friend, brought her two-year-old daughter, Grace. A fellow expat warned me that Grace was terrified of "wazungu" (white foreigners) so wouldn't talk to me. Yet, when it came time for study, my Kenyan friend came in and sat down next to me on the bench, plopping little Grace right in between us.

By the end of the evening, Grace was playing with my capris, twirling my watch around my wrist, and talking in a mixture of Kiswahili and little person gibberish. I quickly found, as I whispered with her, that we had no common spoken language! Even though we are both hearing, our only common language is Kenyan Sign Language! Before she went home, she let me put her socks and shoes on. A friendship had begun.

The next few weeks, I noted that when all the other wazungu, particularly the hearing ones, run up to her with loud voices and try to pick her up, they are met with wide-eyed fear and clinging to her mom. Instead, I would sign with her, use my voice only rarely, and let her decide when I get to hold her. And, with two months now gone, we've become good friends. =) She greets me when I come up during lunch each day and often follows me inside. We drink juice or share a mango, speaking gibberish while pointing at everything in sight and asking, "Why?" or "What is it?"

When I came down with a virus last week, one of the toughest consequences was the inability to spend time with Grace since I didn't want to get her sick. And, naturally, at two, she couldn't understand why I wouldn't pick her up, come over to play, or let her in my house. She would come over and plop down on my welcome mat outside my screen door, playing and carrying on a monologue more to herself than to me, but including me when I looked her way. *melt*

After a week in more or less isolation, the virus is practically over and I'm able to interact more with others. Last night, I had two fellow expats over for dinner. We'd just finished when I heard the pattering of little feet running towards my door and heard little person knocking. Opening the door, little Gracie looked up at me with wide eyes and a huge smile, flinging her arms open for me to pick her up. *melt* I did, and she wrapped her little arms around me in a hug and squeezed. *melt* Her papa was standing across the hall on their porch and said she'd been wanting to see me and he'd given her permission.

She stayed for a little while, snuggling on my lap while my company and I played a card game. Half hour later, she let me scoop her up and take her home, content with finally having some visit time. Ahh... she just melts my heart.

ups. downs. and all.

"The pathway to holiness is located right where you are. In those circumstances, those relationships, in that tiredness, in that challenge. The grace of God to make you holy is right there." Amen.

simply because He is WORTHY

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be on my mouth.

My soul will make its boast in the LORD;

The humble will hear it and rejoice.

O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3, NASB

Lord...turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience, and may my obedience be without interruption. (Jeremy Taylor)

this is my life...

Thursday -- wake up to my light still on because I fell asleep in my book the night before! Crazy day at the office where I manage to get a lot done, but none of what I had planned to get done!

Friday -- wake up to hot water coming out of my shower which NEVER happens in the morning! a beautiful start. spend the day in town running errands and meeting up with a friend from the States who happens to be in town. then get stuck in Nairobi traffic for the ENTIRE afternoon/evening... make a few wrong turns... wind up home 6 hours later with a headache and none of the items I was supposed to pick up during my errands.

Saturday -- wake up early to get help in donning an Indian saree for a Kenyan colleague's sister's wedding. It takes a good 35 minutes to get it "just so" with lots of tying, tucking, pinning, and smoothing. Whew! Arrive an hour early at the wedding because of practically no traffic! Enjoy a beautiful ceremony and make new friends. Get home in time to cook the evening away with my Indian friends for our safari trip the following day.

Sunday -- wake up at 5 and leave at 6 for Nakuru National Park -- a team safari trip today!!! With a 3+ hour drive, we pray, worship, have a Bible story, eat breakfast, take pictures, and visit -- all in sign language, mind you. ;) Get to see the Rift Valley, which runs from Egypt to South Africa. At the National Park, we drive through and saw rhino, buffalo, flamingos, pelicans, impala, gazelle, cranes, giraffe, baboons, monkeys, and a lion!!! The safari is a blast, and we find joy in teasing one another with, "Look! Look! Over THERE! ... just kidding! Made you look!" Fun.

Monday -- wake up late because... it's Jamhuri Day! Which means a holiday! Spent the morning cleaning my apartment, doing laundry, and catching up from a fun, full weekend. Make a store run with a fellow expat and we decide on the way to stop and see the new Rapunzel movie "Tangled," which is cute. We shop and arrive back in time for me to catch dinner with the team. It's Indian food... and delicious, as always.

Tuesday -- wake up at 5:30 and reluctantly roll out of bed to heat water for a bucket bath. Thankful for the quiet hours of this morning to regroup. Thankful for the crazy, fun, full last few days and buckle down to finish up all my projects this week. The office closes on Friday for the holidays and there is much to do!!! Already planning next weekend and a "Stone soup" dinner. I'll keep you posted. ;)

Bagels

Just attempted these for the very first time... So good, so EASY!

And yes... one is partially eaten, because I had to make sure it was really good enough to post the recipe for you all. ;) Don't worry... it is!!! =p


Randi’s Bagels:  Makes about 6. 

Measure 3 cups high gluten flour (or 2 ½ cups flour and ½ cup gluten -- OR just use regular flour)

1 ½ tsp salt

A little less than ¼ cup sugar

1 level tsp plus 1 heaping tsp yeast

1 ¼ cup luke warm water

Add 2 cups of the flour to a bowl (set the 3^rd heaping cup aside), add salt, sugar, and yeast to bowl.  Add your variations now *See below* Add 1 ¼ cup luke warm water.  Mix in a mixer with a bread hook – dough will be moist.  Add the 3^rd cup of flour now.  Add more flour if needed until the dough is not sticky.  It should pull of the side of the bowl.  (Note: When you add wet variations like apples or jalapeños you will have to add more flour.)  The dough should be a small ball. Spray or oil a bowl and place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Let rise for approx 20-40 min.

Put water on to heat in a large pan – it does not need to boil, just get it heating up. Remove dough from bowl and flatten dough long wise just a little into a log like shape.  Cut dough into 6 pieces. Form into balls with the edges pinched on the bottom, flatten the balls a bit and form a hole in the middle.  Put your middle and ring fingers of both hands through the hole and pull it round and round.  Drop the bagels in a pan of hot water.  Pull the holds open again as you place each one in the water.  Leave them about 30-60 seconds on one side and turn them over for another 30-60 seconds.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon or spatula.  Place on a paper towel to drain or let drip through the slotted spoon. Move bagels to baking pan.  Add a sprinkle of cheese on top if you are making cheesy bagels.  Bake 16 min at 445 degrees F.  You might want to turn the tray around after 8 min.  Bagels without the cheese may not need to bake the full 16 min.  

Variations for bagels –

Jalapeño Cheese Bagels:

1 handful grated Swiss cheese (or other cheese)

1 heaping tsp crushed red peppers

¼ cup heaping jalapeños, chopped

Jalapeño/Sundried tomatoes Herb Bagels:

½ of a ¼ cup heaping jalapeños, chopped

½ of a ¼ cup heaping sun dried tomatoes

½ to 1 tsp herbs such as basil, sage and or thyme

Cinnamon & Raisin:

½ cup raisins

1 ½ tsp cinnamon, or more

½ tsp nutmeg, or more

Some extra sugar

Sundried Herb:

¼ cup heaping sun dried tomatoes

½ to 1 tsp herbs such as basil, sage and or thyme

Cranberry Orange:

½ cup dried cranberries

2 Tbsp orange peel mixture (Chop ½ of an orange peel and a little sugar)

Apple & Cheddar:

1 large handful of cheddar cheese

½ an apple chopped

Uno!! The card game of choice...

We like to pass our "downtime" in a variety of ways here at the DOOR Centre. =) Some of these activities include chess, cricket, badminton, football (soccer), or volleyball. But, when we discovered a couple boxes of Uno in the stash of games last week, we decided it was time to try something new. After a couple "quick 'n' dirty" trial runs with explanations, this game has caught on like wildfire!! My colleagues love it! I never realized how visual this game is, making it the perfect Deaf card game. =) What a great, competitive way to pass the evening. When's the last time you played Uno?

They need Coffee!?

Check out the latest newsletter from DOOR here: http://www.doorinternational.com/news/coffee and read stories from our Tanzania community checking trip! I know many of you were covering this trip in prayer. Here are just a small handful of the results.