To make a long story short, Team RADIANT almost missed
Thanksgiving. I realize that
Thanksgiving is not just about food – it’s about a lot more than just
food. We had plans to have some
intentional team time and talk about what we were thankful for and to pray for
our families, blah blah blah…but what in the world were we supposed to do for a
Thanksgiving feast in Nepal? We live in
a house that has no oven and two burners and it seemed like anything that we
could throw together would just make us miss home more. So we decided not to bother.
Thanksgiving. I realize that
Thanksgiving is not just about food – it’s about a lot more than just
food. We had plans to have some
intentional team time and talk about what we were thankful for and to pray for
our families, blah blah blah…but what in the world were we supposed to do for a
Thanksgiving feast in Nepal? We live in
a house that has no oven and two burners and it seemed like anything that we
could throw together would just make us miss home more. So we decided not to bother.
Then on Wednesday Phillip and Christy, our squad leaders,
announced that they would be joining us for Thanksgiving and what were our
plans and maybe they could bring a dish to pass?
announced that they would be joining us for Thanksgiving and what were our
plans and maybe they could bring a dish to pass?
Wednesday, 9 am:
Decide to cook Thanksgiving dinner after all.
Decide to cook Thanksgiving dinner after all.
Wednesday, 2 pm:
Take my life in my hands and jump on the back of Subash’s motorcycle to go on a
quest for bread- white bread for stuffing and rolls for dinner. End up in a garage-type bakery and place a
roll order for the next day. Proceed to
buy them out of white bread to make enough stuffing for twelve people.
Take my life in my hands and jump on the back of Subash’s motorcycle to go on a
quest for bread- white bread for stuffing and rolls for dinner. End up in a garage-type bakery and place a
roll order for the next day. Proceed to
buy them out of white bread to make enough stuffing for twelve people.
Wednesday, 6 pm:
Google marathon – “How do I make stuffing,” then “How do I make chicken broth”
and then (on confirming my suspicions that making chicken broth from scratch requires
boiling chicken bones and skin…eww) “Substitutes for chicken broth.” Start praying for bouillon cubes.
Google marathon – “How do I make stuffing,” then “How do I make chicken broth”
and then (on confirming my suspicions that making chicken broth from scratch requires
boiling chicken bones and skin…eww) “Substitutes for chicken broth.” Start praying for bouillon cubes.
Wednesday night:
Go to bed feeling achey and flu-like…just like half of my teammates. Pray that God moves through the next day and
that He blesses our attempts to celebrate together…and that He provides some
bouillon cubes.
Go to bed feeling achey and flu-like…just like half of my teammates. Pray that God moves through the next day and
that He blesses our attempts to celebrate together…and that He provides some
bouillon cubes.
Thursday, 8 am:
Wake up in a Nyquil stupor, still feeling groggy and gross
Wake up in a Nyquil stupor, still feeling groggy and gross
Thursday, 9 am:
Nearly pass out at a Nepalese “butcher” on the side of the road. To spare you the gory details – the chopping
block was literally a tree stump and
I saw more chicken organs and intestines than I did when I dissected things in
Biology class. I’m scarred forever.
Nearly pass out at a Nepalese “butcher” on the side of the road. To spare you the gory details – the chopping
block was literally a tree stump and
I saw more chicken organs and intestines than I did when I dissected things in
Biology class. I’m scarred forever.
9:07 am: After
trying to explain to Subash what “broth” is, proceed to buy two full chickens
and pray that God will make me strong like an Israelite woman (Why an Israelite
woman? I don’t really know…it seemed
like the right thing to pray for as I wove through oncoming traffic on the back
of Subash’s bike, trying to hold the plastic bag full of chicken bodies as far
away from me as safely possible). Also
continue to pray for bouillon cubes, as I really
do not want to boil chicken skin for hours on end.
trying to explain to Subash what “broth” is, proceed to buy two full chickens
and pray that God will make me strong like an Israelite woman (Why an Israelite
woman? I don’t really know…it seemed
like the right thing to pray for as I wove through oncoming traffic on the back
of Subash’s bike, trying to hold the plastic bag full of chicken bodies as far
away from me as safely possible). Also
continue to pray for bouillon cubes, as I really
do not want to boil chicken skin for hours on end.
10 am: Lie around
and try to recover from the chicken incident at the “butcher.” Miss my family a lot.
and try to recover from the chicken incident at the “butcher.” Miss my family a lot.
12 pm: Venture
back to the market for veggies. Buy
enough potatoes, carrots, green beans, unidentified herbs, onions, scallions,
and apples to make mashed potatoes, stuffing, and some newly-invented dessert
for twelve people for a grand total of 640 rupees…aka, roughly $8.
back to the market for veggies. Buy
enough potatoes, carrots, green beans, unidentified herbs, onions, scallions,
and apples to make mashed potatoes, stuffing, and some newly-invented dessert
for twelve people for a grand total of 640 rupees…aka, roughly $8.
12:48 pm: Get
back to the house and wish I had an apron, because my mom always wears an apron
when she cooks. Pray for an apron.
back to the house and wish I had an apron, because my mom always wears an apron
when she cooks. Pray for an apron.
12:49 pm: Find an
apron I have never seen before hanging in a corner. Thank you, Jesus.
apron I have never seen before hanging in a corner. Thank you, Jesus.
1 pm: Start to
hack apart the chicken. Pray for someone
to rescue me from the chicken massacre.
hack apart the chicken. Pray for someone
to rescue me from the chicken massacre.
1:30 pm: Get
rescued from my hack job from Subash, who took pity on me and my grossed out
squeals (ORGANS KEPT GETTING ON MY HANDS – WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!)
rescued from my hack job from Subash, who took pity on me and my grossed out
squeals (ORGANS KEPT GETTING ON MY HANDS – WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!)
2 pm: Phillip and
Christy arrive, bringing gifts of a.) bouillon cubes, b.) ingredients to make a
REAL ceaser salad, and c.) Oreos and pudding to make a pudding pie for
dessert. YEESSS.
Christy arrive, bringing gifts of a.) bouillon cubes, b.) ingredients to make a
REAL ceaser salad, and c.) Oreos and pudding to make a pudding pie for
dessert. YEESSS.
4 pm: Start my
cooking fiasco/highly choreographed dance of figuring out how to do all of this
on only two burners and nothing to rewarm food once it is done. Tell Jesus that if He can feed 5,000 people
with some bread and fish, He can make a Thanksgiving dinner with what I
have. Beg Him to do so.
cooking fiasco/highly choreographed dance of figuring out how to do all of this
on only two burners and nothing to rewarm food once it is done. Tell Jesus that if He can feed 5,000 people
with some bread and fish, He can make a Thanksgiving dinner with what I
have. Beg Him to do so.
5 pm: Successfully
finish green beans and mashed potatoes and move on to the piece’de’resistance – the stuffing. Improvise half of the
recipe to make up for not having an oven and hesitantly taste it as it starts
to cook.
finish green beans and mashed potatoes and move on to the piece’de’resistance – the stuffing. Improvise half of the
recipe to make up for not having an oven and hesitantly taste it as it starts
to cook.
5:01 pm: Shriek
in unexpected joy and dance around the house yelling, “My stuffing tastes like stuffing!!!“
in unexpected joy and dance around the house yelling, “My stuffing tastes like stuffing!!!“
6:00 pm: Fill
plates with all of the traditional goodies of Thanksgiving and go around to
talk about what we’re all thankful for…just like at home.
plates with all of the traditional goodies of Thanksgiving and go around to
talk about what we’re all thankful for…just like at home.
My first Thanksgiving away from my family started out
rotten, but God not only redeemed the day He redeemed my attitude. As the twelve of us sat around that night,
completely full from our feast, we were a family. Our hearts were fully invested where we were,
so we were content with one another. I love
my family and I cannot wait to celebrate Thanksgiving with them next year…but
last Thursday night, surrounded my teammates and squad leaders and Nepalese
family, I can honestly say that I did not want to be anywhere else but there.
rotten, but God not only redeemed the day He redeemed my attitude. As the twelve of us sat around that night,
completely full from our feast, we were a family. Our hearts were fully invested where we were,
so we were content with one another. I love
my family and I cannot wait to celebrate Thanksgiving with them next year…but
last Thursday night, surrounded my teammates and squad leaders and Nepalese
family, I can honestly say that I did not want to be anywhere else but there.
The moral of the story?
We serve a God who loves to celebrate and He exalts when His children
come together to thank Him for His goodness.
So I propose that we take that opportunity whenever we can, because He
promises to bless us when we do so. He
can make a party wherever He is. He can
make a Thanksgiving feast out of hodgepodge ingredients and minimal cooking
experience. He can make a family out of
a bunch of strangers who only met recently.
And He can certainly satisfy any longing for home or warmth or mashed
potatoes that you might have, regardless of where in the world you are.
We serve a God who loves to celebrate and He exalts when His children
come together to thank Him for His goodness.
So I propose that we take that opportunity whenever we can, because He
promises to bless us when we do so. He
can make a party wherever He is. He can
make a Thanksgiving feast out of hodgepodge ingredients and minimal cooking
experience. He can make a family out of
a bunch of strangers who only met recently.
And He can certainly satisfy any longing for home or warmth or mashed
potatoes that you might have, regardless of where in the world you are.
Bonus moral of the story: Never ever underestimate what you can do with enough butter and prayer in
the kitchen….Thanks for teaching me that one, Mimi 😉
the kitchen….Thanks for teaching me that one, Mimi 😉
