Before the race I was in the foodservice industry for almost fifteen years. I have been in catering, restaurants, and private cooking. I have been in high stress situations and had to overcome some huge setbacks from oven failure, power outages, and much more. However, this past week in Peru has been more challenging than all of that.
My team had to shop, prep, and cook for forty five people. It would have been a snap with the kitchens I’ve worked in in the states. However, we had to do it in an old storage room that they put a couple burners in. No water or drains. Water had to be retrieved from the shower, which was in the girls bathroom. We needed water for boiling to drink, cooking, washing food, and dishes. This was quite annoying having to get a girl to get water. Then, every time I had to wash my hands, had top go to the bathroom and come back.
If the water was the only problem, I think I could have managed. We also had to go across the compound to the refrigerator and storage. If we kept any food in the “kitchen” it would be covered in ants. Washing ants out of rice is no fun. Then there was no oven. We couldn’t do anything that wasn’t done on a burner. I hate cooking rice on stove tops, especially for large amounts of people. It is hard to keep it from burning. Plus it limits the type of meals you can do. If only there was a real kitchen, I could have blown these racers away.
All that being said, I am glad that there was no real kitchen. It was a huge challenge for me and I overcame it. I had to learn that not everything this year will be how I want it and will have to adapt to the circumstances. It can either make you hate every day or make you excited for the challenge and the smiles on peoples faces when you feed them a great meal. There is no better feeling to me then when a fellow racer walks up to you and hugs you and says “That was the best soup I have ever had.” And I made it in a kitchen that wasn’t a kitchen.
The leaders have all been talking about getting vulnerable. Well, this past week i was. I was angry at times, tired at others, and supper happy at more times than not. This past week of cooking has helped me to look at what I do in ministry on the race more closely. Am I frustrated over the little things that I cannot control or am I doing my best and being content with that? Being content in knowing you did your best to achieve something is a freeing feeling. I plan to practice contentment every day now
All thanks to a kitchen that wasn’t a kitchen.
