After a 6-hour flight from Nairobi to Turkey, I boarded my
second long flight of the day. This flight I was lucky to have a window seat
and started my flight with some much-needed sleep. (I have been traveling for
days now…starting with a 16-hour bus ride from Kampala, Uganda to Nairobi,
Kenya, which arrived at 2:00am; followed by waiting in the Nairobi airport for
6 hours until our 2:50am flight left; which led to the 2 long flights this
morning. So, needles to say, I am sleep deprived and possibly a bit delirious.)
Right around the time my neck and back decided it was no longer comfortable
enough to allow for sleep, the in-flight movie began. As I enjoyed watching a
movie I’ve never seen before I was offered my choice of grilled chicken or
pasta. While living in Africa these past 3 months, I began to lack protein to
the point my hair has been falling out, so I decided some chicken would be
great. After giving thanks for my
meal, I pulled back the tinfoil cover and was overcome with excitement. Before
me was a juice piece of tender grilled chicken breast, accompanied by buttery
mashed potatoes and a variety of grilled veggies (and I’m not talking about
your average peas and carrots here… it was eggplant, artichoke and peppers
cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor). In addition there was a warm roll with butter; a tomato,
cucumber and feta cheese salad; wheat crackers with cream cheese; and a walnut
pear tart with whipping cream to top it all off. I gave thanks to God as each
new, delicious food elated my taste buds. After 6 months of rice ever day
(usually twice a day), three months of beans and veggies drown in oil, and the
occasional treat of boiled chicken that thwacks you in the face when you try
and tear it from the bone… airplane food never tasted so good!
I’m grateful for all the food that has been provided for me
these past 8 months; without it I would not have been able to do the many
ministries I’ve done. I’ve enjoyed a variety of different foods and here are
some of my favorites:
New Zealand: Corn
on the cob and steak on the “barbie” at Heidi’s house
Australia: gelato
on a hot day and enchiladas made by another team
Philippines: Beef
stroganoff, strawberry shortcake and my homemade birthday cheesecake of course!
Cambodia: mangos
from the tree by the water pump (they were tart but not sour)
Thailand: Pad
Thai, make your own salad, grilled-cheese sandwiches, Cinco de Mayo Mexican
night and cheese-stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Company
Kenya: Samosas
(triangular meat-filled flaky pastry) and mendazis (donut type bread), steak
and ostrich balls from the Carnivore and Mango-curry chicken I made for
Amanda’s birthday.
Tanzania:
homemade juice, chips (French fries) and avocados
Uganda: Pineapple
(it is the best I’ve had in all the world) and Antonio, the chicken.
God has provided for every one of my needs. As it says in
Matthew 6:25-26, “Therefore I say to you, ‘Do not worry about what you will eat
or what you will drink; nor what you will wear. Is not life more than food and
the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow
nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not of more value than them?'” God provides for us. He provides the grilled
chicken with mashed potatoes and He provides the rice. He will take care of me;
I am safe in His hands.
