Learning to Cook

The pastor that works for our mission has been in Port Au Prince taking care of his sick son for the last month. I've really been struggling in his absence. He is such a valuable asset to our mission and the children. I feel like I've been neglecting them since he's been gone. We always worked as a team when he was here. He would round all the kids up while I prepared the food. Then he would teach a Bible lesson and I would serve the kids after they were finished. It worked pretty well. He is also the one who figured out what child was in the most need and then we would work together deciding how to provide for them. Now that he's gone I'm a little lost. Thankfully he's planning on returning for a short time next week.
Since I haven't been on the land as much as usual I had to figure out other ways to stay busy. I came up with the bright idea of learning to cook. I have no idea why I thought that would work out considering I can't even cook American food! Kenzy's mom has been here for two days in a row trying to teach me how to cook rice and beans. Sounds simple, right? Wrong! Peanut butter sounds simple too until you come to Haiti...lol

All the ingredients are straight from the garden. First we smash up a few wild onions and a garlic clove. We don't have a blender so we hand smash them. It takes forever! Then we heat up a little oil and mix it together. Then we shred a coconut. We squeeze all the milk out of it and thats what we boil the beans in. That mixed with the oil. Then you add your hot peppers and slices of green peppers and some kind of tomato sauce and these little cubes of spices. After it boils for a while you add the rice. I guess it doesn't sound that hard now that I'm writing it all down but remember this is coming from a girl who once caught her mother's kitchen on fire trying to boil water!!!! Haha. God help my future husband :)

The finished product.....

Its a traditional Haitian meal. Rice, beans and fried plantains. I actually don't complain about the food as much as I did in the beginning. I guess I'm used to it now. I've taught myself how to "eat to live" not "live to eat". Plus I feel a lot better when I'm here. I'm not weighed down with all the greasy American food. I wonder if this means I'm becoming Haitian. Its amazing what people can adapt to when it's necessary......
I've been thinking that once the mission has a car I can start cooking meals like this for the elderly. It could be like a "meals on wheels" type of thing. I could deliver that food to the prison, as well.

There is always new ideas and new opportunities to help others. I just have to keep my eyes and heart open to them.