Moving on to the weather, the sun rises everyday around 6:30am and from that point it's just as if someone keeps turning up the dial on the oven! 70's, 80's and the average temperature is 90 degrees! Some days we have a splash of a breeze now, then and again. As I mentioned, it
As the day flies by like the wind, we all jump head first into mission work! Rise and Shine! Ready to rumble at 8:30 am! OUR BREAKING NEWS is MISSION WORK IN AUSSIE LAND! When I say missions or missionaries, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Preach the Gospel, planting churches, construction, work in orphanages, ministering to women and children who are trapped in prostitution? Yes, these are things that I think of first too! This month God is teaching me that serving Him in Australia can be in the normal, day to day, mundane chores that I do at home! Throughout this month scrubbing down showers and toilets, washing windows and walls, dusting and "power washing" tents has become our way of blessing YWAM and serving our Heavenly Father! Also, the men on my team are installing a security system throughout the compound and ensuring that all the cameras work and are ready to rumble!
A couple times a week my team and I also volunteer at Vinnies (part of St. Vincent de Paul Society) a shelter for homeless and low-income men, to help sustain them and get them back on their feet! Being there lifts my spirits! I enjoy doing more chores there and seeing the progress and being able to bless them in small ways! Cutting the dead shrubbery and cleaning the pavilion area, washing the walls of a newly remodeled rooms, cleaning rooms, picking lemon grass from the garden and last but certainly not least, working in the kitchen with Daisy are some of the ways we help out! Chopping veggies, peeling carrots, taste testing sweet treats (all to verify if they are tasty enough to serve, of course;)) and all the other food preparations that need to take place in order to make a delicious lunch are such fun! Daisy has been a joy to work with, he has been the cook there for the past three years and comes into work everyday with a smile on his face! Working with him in his territory, the kitchen, has been my favorite part of this month! He has such a kind heart, a willingness to serve and teach, a sense of humor to keep you laughing on the job and I can always ask for recipes and he enthusiastically loves to share! I enjoy his brilliance when it comes to spices, cooking, foods and how you can give him a spoonful of a dish and he will rattle off what is inside! His taste buds are top notch! He is great at surprising us with a slice of peanut butter fudge, a glass of homemade limeade, a spoonful of a Cypriot grain salad, or even an ice cold can of Sprite while we work in the gardens! Learning from and being in that environment is a blast! I am so excited to take his recipes home with me and bless others in the same way he has blessed me!
Hugs from the Future,
Kaleena
This is tasty and delicious, give it a whirl if your little heart desires
Cypriot Grain Salad
- Serves:4
- Degree of difficulty:Low
1 bunch coriander shredded
.5 bunch parsley shredded
.5 red onion finely diced
1 cup freekah (or cracked wheat)
.5 cup puy lentils (small dark green)
2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
2 tbsp baby capers chopped
.5 cup currants
Juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
Sea salt to taste
1 cup thick Greek yoghurt
1 tsp cumin seeds toasted and ground (or regular ground cumin)
1 tbsp honey
Method
Cook lentils and freekah according to packet instructions.
Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl mix coriander, parsley, onion, pumpkin seeds, finely chopped capers, currants and cooled lentils and freekah.
Mix lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste in a jar – shake to combine, stir through the rest of the mixture. Add pine nuts and almonds.
Mix honey, cumin and yogurt together separately and drizzle over the top of the salad.
