The Best Refrigerator Bread Dough

1 Package Active Dry Yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 1/2 Cups warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes)

7 - 7 1/2 cups flour, or enough to make a smooth dough

Knead 5 minutes, refrigerate 8 hours, use within 10 days. To use - take out of refrigerator and shape into whatever you're wanting to make. Let rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled. Bake. Enjoy!

One recipe worth of dough can be used to make any of the following:

• 3 batches of crescent rolls (400 degrees for 10-12 minutes)
• 2 loaves of bread (375 degrees for 25-30 minutes)
• 2-3 dozen dinner rolls (375 degrees for 15 minutes)
• 2 - 9x13 pans of monkey bread (350 degrees for 25 minutes)
• 3 pizza crusts (400 degrees for 12-15 minutes)
• or whatever else you desire!

snapshots of my (new) life

I no longer find it strange or unusual to...

• see warthogs or baboons alongside the road on the way to the store
• live without a hot water heater, microwave, or coffee-maker
• sleep under a mosquito net
• have the electricity go out at least once a day
• pray with my eyes open
• drink shelf-safe milk from a box
• answer to "Auntie Bethany," "Bethany Auntie," "Sister B," or "Miss B"
• worship God in another language
• always carry my own toilet paper with me
• be the only white face in the group
• eat with my hands. or a spoon. but almost never a fork and knife.
• have every meal end with toothpicks
• have someone walk right into my house after knocking once
• take my shoes off before going into the house (makes it easy to figure out which apartment fellowship is at each night, though! ;))
• drink chai 3-5 times a day
• spend most of the day without using my voice, yet still having many good, deep conversations

I'm still getting used to...

• shaking hands with my friends in greeting, rather than hugging them
• every trip anywhere feeling like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland
• ugali & instant Nescafe coffee
• plugging something into the electrical socket and then remembering to turn the socket on
• preparing for "the holidays" when there's nothing around me signifying it and the weather is more like summer
• roads being "tarmacked," wearing "trousers," using "serviettes," and "topping up" my cell phone
• not having the freedom to go anywhere, anytime, by myself
• seeing another white person and thinking they are either a European, Aussie, or Kiwi, and not automatically assuming they're American
• being asked, "Do you know _____?" Saying I don't. And then getting, "But s/he lives in America!?!"
• constantly having absolute strangers vie for my attention and a greeting
• having an audience gather whenever I want to cook something, because everyone wants to watch and learn

I love...

• seeing Jesus in men and women from completely different backgrounds and places, and finding the fruit of the Spirit in their lives
• that worship automatically means drums (and, often, dancing)
• being surrounded with family in every shade of brown and tan
• eating Kenyan and Indian food
• watching my Deaf brothers and sisters pour out their hearts in prayer and praise to the Lord
• seeing the sincerity in their faces when they share their burden for the Deaf who don't know Christ
• being invited and welcomed into their lives
• being absolutely confident and peacefully content, knowing I'm exactly where He wants me
• that He allows us to join Him in His eternal purposes

And I love that I could take this picture on my way home from a Masai Church a few weeks ago

bread-making

Baking here in Nairobi, which is over a mile in altitude, is quite the adventure for this American girl. Last week, I made my first batch of "cake mix cookies" (which went over well!!) in my propane, timer-controlled (energy-saving?), Celcius oven. 204 degrees anyone? It really doesn't matter that everything is on the metric system here, as I don't own any measuring cups/spoons anyways. ;)

But what's even more of an adventure? Combining all the above factors in a yeast-bread-making lesson for a small group of Deaf people in a sign language you're still learning!! ;) But, what fun and laughter! =) Some days I can't believe I get to live the life I do. Thank you, Jesus!!

24 x 7 = 2025

I may not be good at math, but this is an equation that makes sense to me.

Pray24x7.Vision2025