Who would have guessed that what my grandmother Harrell taught me years ago would help me on the World Race? Not me. Not her. Not my mom. But God knew and I could almost feel him giving me a small laugh as ministry was unfolding. One of the many things that she taught me to do was how to make roll/biscuits from scratch. This skill has not yet helped me cook for the team – but rather in ministry and connecting with others despite a language barrier.
Our second time at the Special Needs place we split up into small groups and was dispersed throughout the facility. I went in the back and at first I had the job of ripping up paper into small bits. Why? So that it could be remade back into paper, thick enough to make cards, so that they could be sold. But my job there didn't last long because they felt my time would be better served helping a group bake.
When I walked over to the group I was told that they were making bread! I used to do that all the time when I visited my grandmother. So I was exited to be doing something that reminded me of home. When I first walked over there, they had already made the dough and were just rolling them up into small round balls (and I mean perfectly round). I had a bit of a challenge making it as round as they did and it was sometimes obvious the ones that I did. But the kids and staff enjoyed watching a gringo try.
After this they decided to make another batch of dough from scratch. This I knew how to do. The staff had each of the kids take turns mixing and kneading the dough (all by hand). Then came my turn. They all seemed to get excited when I was asked to kneed the dough and seemed surprised that I knew what I was doing. They did have a good laugh when my knuckles cracked at one point though.
During this time I would look around and see their faces filled with smiles and joy. Though I still have a hard time with Spanish and was only able to ask them one or two things in Spanish, I felt that we had a long conversation based on making bread, eye contact, smiles, and laughing.
I have come to think about the breaking of bread brings people together at the table. We sit, chat, laugh, and just simply enjoy each others company. I also think of when Jesus broke bread with his disciples for the last time. I can see Jesus at the table giving thanks for the bread, breaking it, and passing it around the table. An act that brings unity as they all ate from the same bread. A place full of Christ's love, joy, and full of smiles.
In the same way was the baking of bread. We were all standing around a table making bread. It brought unity as we were all working on the same task and needed each other to do it. We passed the dough around the table to either roll it into perfectly round balls or to kneed it. Its also amazing how something like baking can help us have conversations even though we may not speak the same language. Like I said earlier, the table was full of love, joy, and smiles. It was the best time that I had at the facility. To be Jesus to them and to see the joy and smile of Jesus coming out of them.
Thank you Jesus for that amazing time! Thank you grandmother for helping me prepare for the World Race!
