This month I have found myself in charge of our meal prep, grocery shopping, and rationing our food out for the two teams that are staying here with us in Myanmar. I personally never would have guessed I would o this at all, much less have so many opportunities to build relationships in the market.
Now when I say market, I don’t mean your fresh farmer’s market under a nice, clean pavilion with samples, a live band, a Chick-Fil-A truck, and Amish donuts bigger than your face. I mean an actual food market.
Dirt roads, colorful umbrellas, and whatever you can find to stack the food on. Most of my favorite stands have ladies sitting in the middle of all their produce, handing out change, negotiating, and organizing.
Our first day here Nancy, one of our hosts, took us through the market….and I remember it being so overwhelming. I couldn’t believe it. Culture shock was hitting me.
But now, y’all. I LOVE it. The booths I visit all know me. Yesterday, my chicken ladies saw me and started cheering and calling me over to buy my 8-10 kilos of chicken from them (I’m always a big sale ya know).
But I’ve also been able to have broken conversations with my tomato and vegetable lady. She’s the best. We have exchanged names (we butchered each others…Burmese is a hard language y’all), she told me I was beautiful, and she asked Nancy where I was from and why I was there. I hit me in that small moment,I get to share Jesus with her this month.
And that’s how I take this whole responsibility now. I love talking to them in English while they talk to me in Burmese. They help me bag up veggies and fruit, they give me their best chicken they have to sell, and I’m met with so many smiles.
I have made such a wonderful friend in Nancy. More on her later, but know I want to be like Nancy one day.
THEN to get break and snack essentials, we stop at this corner market owned by two sisters, Atta and Oma. THEY ARE THE BEST. Our first day there they showed us pictures of past World Race teams and how they also frequented their market. They take the BEST care of us. I love it so much. They have given us ice cream, ordered ALOT of jam for us, and have even offered supplies from their home they didn’t have in stock.
I’ve been blessed to serve my team this way, and also the local economy (here is my reporter coming out). I found ministry outside the classroom this month, and I’ll be sad to say goodbye to my ladies. But thank You Jesus for letting me have this wonderful opportunity.
Enjoy these pictures of my time!
