"Fish out of water," is a phrase we are really starting to understand in full color. While God has really provided for us and blessed us beyond our expectations, there are still adjustments. There have been a few things that have forced us to get creative. Our creativity has been shaped by seasoned missionaries, nationals and mistakes. Though, we are trying to cut down on learning from mistakes. Here is a few things have learned:
Desperate for some ice cream...
...We froze a pouch of shelf milk (doesnt have to be refrigerated) in our gas freezer and pretended it was ice cream. We learned next time we will mix in a little sugar before we freeze it.
Pizza cravings....
...With no oven I learned how to take a simple flatbread recipe, and make pizza crust using our gas stove. We topped it with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, sukuma (greens) and fresh mozzarella cheese (brought from Nairobi). We learned this is a weekly must, it is our new favorite!
PETA would be proud...
Our doggies get homemade dog food every evening. Complete with rice, oatmeal, eggs and dried fish. We learned they will eat just about anything.
Washing clothes....
While spoiled with a washing machine, we currently have had no gas to run it. So, the washer makes for a good table for now, while I've gotten use to this modern marvel pictured above. I've learned there is no need to waste the time or energy wringing out the clothes, they will be dry within no time once you hang them outside.
Language learning....
Knowing the tone of a word as well as the pronunciation is key. Jonathan found that out when he was trying to ask how someone was, but instead asked where their boyfriend was. Our language teacher, Francis, has a lot of patience with us.
As we settle in, temporarily, here in Loki (sounds like an oxymoron), we see so many blessings from God. Jonathan has been asked by a few local men to start a Bible study since they are hungry for knowing God's Word. God is just laying before us opportunity after opportunity. While our focus is language and culture learning for the next year, we need to make sure we are balancing that with ministry. Next year, we face another transition as we head north and say goodbye to the 'town life' and hello to isolation and the bush.