- First, you gather all of the baking supplies (measuring cups, mixer, bowls, ingredients).
- Second, you mix together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- After mixing the first ingredients, you add the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Once everything is mixed together, you add the chocolate chips to the dough.
- Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet.
- Place the dough into the oven for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees F.
- Lastly, take the cookies out of the oven and eat. Enjoy!
As a teammate and I were working on the English lesson of “sequential order” to a group of 12-15 year olds, I asked how many people had ever baked chocolate chip cookies before? The room was silent. Not because they didn’t understand the question – these are very bright, young individuals. But, not a single person raised his or her hand because it is not something they have had the equipment or money to do. We moved on with our scavenger hunt and lesson plan and ended the class by playing a game of Simon Says.
As I lay in bed that night, I was somehow struck by the fact that these kids have never baked or tasted fresh chocolate chip cookies. I thought back to my very first Easy Bake Oven when I was about 6 years old and all of the “delicious” (at that time – maybe my tastebuds hadn’t fully developed) candies and cakes I got to make with that. I also thought about my love of baking at home and how I regularly bake cookies, cupcakes, cakes, etc. of all different sorts. I never realized it was a privilege to be able to go out to the grocery store and buy all of the ingredients and have all of the equipment to bake. So, why was I so bothered by the fact that these kids have never tasted a homemade cookie? Then, I heard the Lord speak. It goes so much deeper than the actual chocolate chip cookie. The children that we are teaching in this school range from the ages of 3 to 15. Most of the kids here live in the surrounding village, or slums. They are hard workers and their parents make money by farming long hours every day or selling food on the street. A lot of the children do not get to see their parents very much because of this, and oftentimes are looked after by an older sibling. Some of them can afford a public school where they get to learn Khmer but most cannot afford the private schools where English is taught (hence, coming to the ministry to learn English with us). This is what they are born into and is a reality for them every single day.
It made me think back to where my story really begins, in Seoul, South Korea. I never realized being adopted was such a testimony of God, but it really is. You see, I only know a limited amount of information about my birth mom. I knew that she was 19 when she had me and that she was not married or even dating my biological father. All I know from the papers is that they “went their separate ways due to differences in personalities.” I know that my birth mother came from a very poor family in a small village. I also know that she decided to keep me instead of getting an abortion and made the tough decision to place me up for adoption. She wanted me to live a better life than the one she could provide for me and I will forever think of my birth mom as a brave and respectful woman. But, oh, how different would my life have looked if I did grow up in that small village in Korea. Maybe I would have lived in the slums and would have grown up similar to these children I am teaching in Siem Reap. Maybe I would have had to walk 4 miles to the nearest well to pump water and not have access to clean drinking water. And most likely, I wouldn’t have experienced the delicious taste of homemade chocolate chip cookies.
So what is the revelation I received that night from God? I am truly thankful. I am thankful that the Lord knew exactly how my life would unfold and that I would grow up in a wonderful home with loving parents. I realize now that I am so blessed to be able to have gone to great schools and a good University. I am so passionate about education, which many people around the world do not have access to because of money or location. I have seen first hand that the children are hungry to learn and are honestly brilliant, young boys and girls. I think, “God, how is it that so many children around the world do not have access to basic needs: food, clean water, clothing, shelter or even education?” But, He has blessed me with the ability to receive education and put it into practice. So why not go around to different countries and small villages and teach them? He has given me a vision of living alongside villagers and building relationships with them. Learning their language and teaching them about basic healthcare (hand hygiene, how to cook meat properly, effects and solutions to dehydration, etc – the list could go on and on) and English. Why not bring my passion for nursing, education and people to other areas of the world who are desperately seeking and praying each day for opportunities to learn such as this? Now, I am not saying this will happen soon. This is month 10 of the Race and I am not even sure where the Lord is calling me next. But that’s okay because I trust Him. I am excited about this newfound passion and vision He has put inside me and am thankful for the means to be able to carry it through.
What are your passions and how has the Lord blessed you? Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in our own lives and the busyness of our society. We can take things for granted and unexpectedly find ourselves only seeing the negatives in our lives. But what is He calling you to do? Maybe it is to be a light in your work place and to love your co-workers well. Maybe it is to sell everything you own and move to India to share about Jesus there or bring your skill set to those less fortunate. Whatever it may be, let’s remember to give thanksgiving to Him for all of the blessings He has given us. Whether that is for our family, a roof over our head or running water – let us be a generation who rises up and puts these blessings we have into action. Oh, this is so much more than chocolate chip cookies; this is about freedom, justice and Jesus.
