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| They just kept coming! |
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| Mufa Pufa |
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| Christina just jumped right in and started helping! |
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| Jonathan & Esteban helping with Mufa Pufa |
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| Tired |
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| Gabby sharing with a young girl |
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| Scott & Josue handing out tracts |
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| Stan, Esteban & Ken witnessing |
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Sharing the Gospel in Rodeo
We have had a mission team this week. On Monday we went to the village of Rodeo with the Word of Life CED students. We had Mufa Pufa and then one-on-one evangelism. About 1,000 people showed up! The school was trucking the children in on cattle trucks!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
11 steps to preparing jungle meals
My mother in all her wisdom said I should share the process of preparing jungle meals. I didn't think it was that big of a deal until she pointed out that most people don't think they can survive without a drive-thru window - not naming names, Jeremy.
So, this is what I do before I take a trip to the jungle. This process usually takes about 2 weeks to complete from start to finish. To some it may sound like too much work, but when every pound and every penny counts - it is very much worth it. I save weight for the plane trip and I save money by preparing everything myself (not to mention that most of this cannot be found in Cochabamba anyways).
Another thing I am working against is the heat - or lack of a refrigerator. We are in the tropics and there is nothing cool about it - so all the food you take MUST be able to withstand heat.
This labor of love first started back a few years ago. I went on a two week trip with Brenda and some others. I was in charge of the food. I started trying to get things together but there was just not much variety in the menu of 14 days. We had pasta with butter, instant potatoes with butter, rice with Parmesan cheese AND butter, etc.
I tried dehydrating some apples on a bread pan in the window of my car (I read where that works). Well it worked, but they had a weird taste - like soap. Despite that, I was so relieved to have some variety to the menu. It was then that I told Brenda our meals could improve drastically if I had a dehydrator. Six months later a team brought one down, courtesy of Brenda. Thanks Brenda. ( Think she wanted some variety too.)
Enough of that, let's get started.
The idea is to prepare wholesome, good tasting meals to eat in the jungle. These meals need to be inexpensive, light weight, withstand the heat and be something pretty much everyone on the team will eat. Sounds simple, right?
Here it is, step by step:
1. Prepare a menu and a shopping list. I use these books to get recipes from - then I tweak them a bit to suit my tastes.
2. Buy the supplies at the market or grocery store.
3. Clean and disinfect fruit and veggies - we don't want Montezuma's revenge where there are no bathrooms!
4. Peal and cut fruit and veggies- the thinner the better.
5. Lay out produce on dehydrator trays - nothing can be overlapping.
6. Dehydrate for 8 - 12 hours, depending on thickness.
7. Continue above process until everything is prepared. This will take the estimated 2 weeks to get everything bought, washed, cut, spread and dried. I buy things in small batches so I can dry it when it is freshest.
Some people may not know but you can dry spaghetti sauce, salsa, apple sauce, etc. I also cook ground beef and then dry it.
8. Grate cheese for any recipe and then use a food sealer to store. I have dehydrated grated cheese, which works but then I tried sealing it. Sealing it works because it is the air that makes it go bad, so if it is in an airless package, it will keep. The last trip I took, I tried it this way and it worked great. I purposely left one package of cheese until the 7th day to check it - still good. Dehydrated is good, but a bit gummy. Sealed is better because it is more like freshly grated cheese. Thanks Granny and Peggy for the sealer.
9. Check to see that all the meals have all the ingredients. If you are missing something, make a last minute run to town.
10. Create meal bags. The idea is that all the ingredients for a meal are already measured out and divided. This way, you just pull out a bag and it has everything you need for a meal.
Here are 5 meals I created for a team of 11 men. That is 55 meals!! They have 9 pounds of ground beef, 4 pounds of tomatoes pasta, rice, and lots of veggies - all dehydrated!
I did "cheat" on one meal, the chili - I didn't have time to dehydrate the beans - so I am using canned. Normally, with enough time, I would have cooked dried beans (cheaper) then dehydrated them too.
11. Pack it all away in one box! Those same 55 meals all fit into this one tool box!
There you go - food preparation for a jungle trip. Please understand, I am not complaining at all about doing this work - I actually really enjoy doing it. The challenge of making good food and also the blessing of helping teams that have come to serve the Lord in the jungle.
If you want to try some of these meals, come on down, we'll go to the jungle together. And I promise you, the food won't be the only thing you remember. . .
So, this is what I do before I take a trip to the jungle. This process usually takes about 2 weeks to complete from start to finish. To some it may sound like too much work, but when every pound and every penny counts - it is very much worth it. I save weight for the plane trip and I save money by preparing everything myself (not to mention that most of this cannot be found in Cochabamba anyways).
Another thing I am working against is the heat - or lack of a refrigerator. We are in the tropics and there is nothing cool about it - so all the food you take MUST be able to withstand heat.
This labor of love first started back a few years ago. I went on a two week trip with Brenda and some others. I was in charge of the food. I started trying to get things together but there was just not much variety in the menu of 14 days. We had pasta with butter, instant potatoes with butter, rice with Parmesan cheese AND butter, etc.
I tried dehydrating some apples on a bread pan in the window of my car (I read where that works). Well it worked, but they had a weird taste - like soap. Despite that, I was so relieved to have some variety to the menu. It was then that I told Brenda our meals could improve drastically if I had a dehydrator. Six months later a team brought one down, courtesy of Brenda. Thanks Brenda. ( Think she wanted some variety too.)
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| Marcy Brink, Me, Brenda Kowalske - June 2011 |
Enough of that, let's get started.
The idea is to prepare wholesome, good tasting meals to eat in the jungle. These meals need to be inexpensive, light weight, withstand the heat and be something pretty much everyone on the team will eat. Sounds simple, right?
Here it is, step by step:
1. Prepare a menu and a shopping list. I use these books to get recipes from - then I tweak them a bit to suit my tastes.
 |
| The top book is my favorite. |
 |
| The salsa and tomato paste will shrink down to just a few cups of powder - but when reconstituted will fill back out , almost as much as before - still amazes me! |
3. Clean and disinfect fruit and veggies - we don't want Montezuma's revenge where there are no bathrooms!
4. Peal and cut fruit and veggies- the thinner the better.
6. Dehydrate for 8 - 12 hours, depending on thickness.
 |
| Love this dehydrator! |
Some people may not know but you can dry spaghetti sauce, salsa, apple sauce, etc. I also cook ground beef and then dry it.
8. Grate cheese for any recipe and then use a food sealer to store. I have dehydrated grated cheese, which works but then I tried sealing it. Sealing it works because it is the air that makes it go bad, so if it is in an airless package, it will keep. The last trip I took, I tried it this way and it worked great. I purposely left one package of cheese until the 7th day to check it - still good. Dehydrated is good, but a bit gummy. Sealed is better because it is more like freshly grated cheese. Thanks Granny and Peggy for the sealer.
9. Check to see that all the meals have all the ingredients. If you are missing something, make a last minute run to town.
10. Create meal bags. The idea is that all the ingredients for a meal are already measured out and divided. This way, you just pull out a bag and it has everything you need for a meal.
Here are 5 meals I created for a team of 11 men. That is 55 meals!! They have 9 pounds of ground beef, 4 pounds of tomatoes pasta, rice, and lots of veggies - all dehydrated!
I did "cheat" on one meal, the chili - I didn't have time to dehydrate the beans - so I am using canned. Normally, with enough time, I would have cooked dried beans (cheaper) then dehydrated them too.
11. Pack it all away in one box! Those same 55 meals all fit into this one tool box!
 |
| 55 hearty meals in one box! |
12. In the case of this trip, I also prepared a sheet with step by step instructions on how to prepare each meal. The instructions may seem insulting to some, but I wrote it with my dad in mind. What would seem obvious to me for preparing a meal is not so obvious to him. So, since this trip is made up of 11 guys - the instructions are VERY SPECIFIC.
On the menu for this men's trip:
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| Chili con Carne |
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| Spinach and Rice Feast - one of my favorites - it has spinach, rice and ground beef |
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| Chicken & cheese quesadillas with rice, chips & salsa - I have the teams bring canned chicken for this one. Notice the bag on the left is actually salsa - I made it, cooked it, dehydrated it then ground it to flour |
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| Mac n' Cheese - this is another favorite |
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| Spaghetti with ground beef - the sauce and beef is dehydrated |
If you want to try some of these meals, come on down, we'll go to the jungle together. And I promise you, the food won't be the only thing you remember. . .
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| Rio Secure |
Children's Day and Finding Puppies
Friday was El Día de Niño - Children's day!
Our school had a hot dog cook out on top of the mountain. The kids were so excited. We cooked hot dogs - several fell off the sticks and into the fires. Then they roasted marshmallows
We had many who had never had a cook out before, including some of the teachers! Then we played games in the dark. I played too. I also fell, many times - but it was a blast!
After we came down the mountain, I was ready to go to bed. But, two of the boys heard a puppy crying. He had gotten stuck in a water canal that goes under my sidewalk. He was stuck and could not move. We eventually broke the slate rock to get him out.
Then, we found another puppy stuck under the fire wood. It was a crazy time. I imagined two dead puppies and all the children crying.
Eventually, all 4 puppies were recovered and put back in their house. I then barricaded the door so they couldn't get out.
Finally, look what I found crawling into my house this morning. Don't touch, he is poisonous!
Our school had a hot dog cook out on top of the mountain. The kids were so excited. We cooked hot dogs - several fell off the sticks and into the fires. Then they roasted marshmallows
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| Here is the whole gang - a mix of students, teachers, parents and dogs |
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| Our 4 year olds were especially excited to be able to "be like the big kids" |
We had many who had never had a cook out before, including some of the teachers! Then we played games in the dark. I played too. I also fell, many times - but it was a blast!
After we came down the mountain, I was ready to go to bed. But, two of the boys heard a puppy crying. He had gotten stuck in a water canal that goes under my sidewalk. He was stuck and could not move. We eventually broke the slate rock to get him out.
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| Wilzon broke the slate to get the puppy. Sorry Brenda! |
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| Hole where the puppy was - don't ask me why he was in there |
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| We found the brown one under this pile of wood. Again, why? |
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| Is it me, or do those eyes look guilty? |
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| Looks tough but they actually figured out how to climb over it the very next day! |
Finally, look what I found crawling into my house this morning. Don't touch, he is poisonous!
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| I was cooking, looked up and jumped. This thing is about an inch and a half long with those huge spikes. |
Thursday, April 11, 2013
4 year old class and puppies - WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Here are some cute pictures of our 4 year old class (actually it has turned into the 2 - 4 year old class) and my puppies. Some photos are a bit blurry because puppies and children will not slow down to take a picture.
Thanks again to the team that donated the money for the trampoline - our kids us it EVERYDAY!
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| L-R: Mariana, Lucas, Misael, Lizbet, Milena |
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| L-R: Mittens (said w/ Spanish accent), Tiny, Chewbaca, Goliat |
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Lord turned on the lights!
Last night, I arrived back from school camp (more on that later) to a dark house. Most of Cochabamba was without lights. No problem, this happens once or twice a month, no big deal. I was exhausted - mentally, physically and emotionally from keeping up with 17 8th grade girls for three days.
All I had on my mind was "Eat, Shower, Sleep" in that order. I sat down and ate some crackers and cheese in the romantic or spooky ambiance of candle light. My exhausted mind was going towards the latter. I kept assuring myself the movement I thought I kept seeing in the other room was just the flicker of the candle. "Calm down Jess, it is just the candle, don't be silly, nothing to worry about."
Since there was not electricity, the shower was out. I opted to call my parents to let them know I had survived camp. I am standing outside my house (no signal inside) casually flashing my light around the yard, waiting for someone to pickup. My light focuses on a stick - then I realize it is actually a black and red snake - with his head lifted, looking at me!!!
In that moment Dad answers. "Hey Dad, I am back from camp. Can't talk, don't have much credit."
Dad asks, "How was camp?" "I can't talk, gotta go! Bye."
At least I think that is what I said. I was actually thinking, a snake, do I step on it, no I have on flip flops. Wait, there is car over there, I can get help. I run over to get Juan. By the time we get back, the snake is gone. Disappeared. Juan looks around, rustles the grass and bushes, nothing. I start envisioning him going under my door into my house. . . in the dark. . .
I go in to get something and see a rat sitting on the window outside. Great! Snakes and rats! I go to my room and find a giant spider crawling across the floor. I quickly step on it. Snakes, Rats and Spiders. The candles keep flickering. Looks like a haunted house!
This is the point at which I stop thinking rationally - exhaustion and fear have set in. I decide there is no way I can sleep with a snake outside. What will keep him from coming inside. My great idea: pour salt on the thresh hold. My thinking is that it will rub his belly and he won't want to cross. (I know, not rational, but, there was nothing rational about my thought process at this moment.)
I go get the salt. I am preparing to pour when there is a knock on the door. I scream! I never scream!
It is a friend, I tell her about the snake, rat and spider. She says she would have screamed too. She helps me spread salt and says her mother always put garlic out to keep the snakes away. Why not!?! I dump all my garlic along the door too. (It will keep out the vampires also!)
I then go to my room, sit on my bed in the dark and start crying. "Lord, I am so tired, so, so tired. I really need to sleep But I can't sleep, I am too nervous about the snake. Please let me sleep." At that exact moment, The Lord turned on the lights!
Everything is so much better in the light! I looked all over the house, no snake to be found.
Then I called Mom, she laughed hysterically and then assured me I would be ok. I then took that hot shower I desperately needed and went to bed. I slept until 9:00 this morning, peacefully - snake, rat and spider free!
The Lord knew exactly what I needed and He provided it for me!
For those of you that think I am so cool under pressure - this one proves you wrong and shows you who my calmness comes from - it is all from The Lord!
P.S. I still have not found the snake and the salt and garlic are still on the thresh hold. . .
All I had on my mind was "Eat, Shower, Sleep" in that order. I sat down and ate some crackers and cheese in the romantic or spooky ambiance of candle light. My exhausted mind was going towards the latter. I kept assuring myself the movement I thought I kept seeing in the other room was just the flicker of the candle. "Calm down Jess, it is just the candle, don't be silly, nothing to worry about."
Since there was not electricity, the shower was out. I opted to call my parents to let them know I had survived camp. I am standing outside my house (no signal inside) casually flashing my light around the yard, waiting for someone to pickup. My light focuses on a stick - then I realize it is actually a black and red snake - with his head lifted, looking at me!!!
In that moment Dad answers. "Hey Dad, I am back from camp. Can't talk, don't have much credit."
Dad asks, "How was camp?" "I can't talk, gotta go! Bye."
At least I think that is what I said. I was actually thinking, a snake, do I step on it, no I have on flip flops. Wait, there is car over there, I can get help. I run over to get Juan. By the time we get back, the snake is gone. Disappeared. Juan looks around, rustles the grass and bushes, nothing. I start envisioning him going under my door into my house. . . in the dark. . .
I go in to get something and see a rat sitting on the window outside. Great! Snakes and rats! I go to my room and find a giant spider crawling across the floor. I quickly step on it. Snakes, Rats and Spiders. The candles keep flickering. Looks like a haunted house!
This is the point at which I stop thinking rationally - exhaustion and fear have set in. I decide there is no way I can sleep with a snake outside. What will keep him from coming inside. My great idea: pour salt on the thresh hold. My thinking is that it will rub his belly and he won't want to cross. (I know, not rational, but, there was nothing rational about my thought process at this moment.)
I go get the salt. I am preparing to pour when there is a knock on the door. I scream! I never scream!
It is a friend, I tell her about the snake, rat and spider. She says she would have screamed too. She helps me spread salt and says her mother always put garlic out to keep the snakes away. Why not!?! I dump all my garlic along the door too. (It will keep out the vampires also!)
I then go to my room, sit on my bed in the dark and start crying. "Lord, I am so tired, so, so tired. I really need to sleep But I can't sleep, I am too nervous about the snake. Please let me sleep." At that exact moment, The Lord turned on the lights!
Everything is so much better in the light! I looked all over the house, no snake to be found.
Then I called Mom, she laughed hysterically and then assured me I would be ok. I then took that hot shower I desperately needed and went to bed. I slept until 9:00 this morning, peacefully - snake, rat and spider free!
The Lord knew exactly what I needed and He provided it for me!
For those of you that think I am so cool under pressure - this one proves you wrong and shows you who my calmness comes from - it is all from The Lord!
P.S. I still have not found the snake and the salt and garlic are still on the thresh hold. . .
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Awkward and Desperate
On Saturday night, in the jungle, it rained - actually it poured! The lightning lit up the sky, the thunder made me jump off the wooden board I was sleeping on - the river rose beyond its banks. During all that, the canoe with the motor attached filled with water and began sinking. Eventually the motor was completely submerged. Sunday morning at 6:00 A.M. when Tito and his mother discovered the submerged motor, they quickly took it out and carried it to Tito's house. There Inocencio and Tito began taking it apart, piece by piece, drying it and oiling it.
Around 10:00 Inocencio came to me and said, "Sister, since we are working on the motor we can't have a church service. But, there are some sisters here that have come to study. Can you do a study with them?"
I started scrambling! Usually, if there is a man around, he does the Bible study, so I had not really prepared anything for the day's worship service. I decided to share what I had read that morning in my morning devotional. The women came with their children and sat down in silence.
I began teaching and more people came. I finished teaching and more people came. I explained that I was not going to sing because no one would like that - they thought that was funny. I prayed to dismiss us. I then just sat there. They just sat there. We just sat and stared at each other. I was thinking, "what do I do? I don't think I should reteach the same thing. I covered the plan of salvation and the Bible lesson. . . what are they waiting for?"
We just sat and stared at each other for 10 minutes! So awkward! Finally, one by one, they got up and left. I asked Dad if his congregation has ever just sat in silence after a worship service ended - he said no.
After they had all left I got up and did an outline for two more Bible studies, just in case they came back later!
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House Calls
On Sunday, Dilma brought a neighbor to see me. She said that her grandbaby was sick and would I come. I went wading through the mud and arrived at her house. Sure enough, the 10 month old needed antibiotic. I waded back through the mud and water, mixed the antibiotic and returned. I explained how to take the medicine, etc. and turned to go. The grandmother was so grateful, she gave me 3 chirimoyas as a thank you/ payment for help. SO GOOD!
Tony said it best when they were asking him for notebooks and pencils in one village. They are desperate. They really have no options. So when we come around they have to ask out of desperation.
________________________________
Tito and Ino went out Sunday night to go fishing. Monday morning Tito came to see how I like my fish cooked. A la brasa! We had breakfast Monday before the team arrived. So good!
Around 10:00 Inocencio came to me and said, "Sister, since we are working on the motor we can't have a church service. But, there are some sisters here that have come to study. Can you do a study with them?"
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| Part of the congregation - in the 10 minute stare down, I took their picture. |
I started scrambling! Usually, if there is a man around, he does the Bible study, so I had not really prepared anything for the day's worship service. I decided to share what I had read that morning in my morning devotional. The women came with their children and sat down in silence.
I began teaching and more people came. I finished teaching and more people came. I explained that I was not going to sing because no one would like that - they thought that was funny. I prayed to dismiss us. I then just sat there. They just sat there. We just sat and stared at each other. I was thinking, "what do I do? I don't think I should reteach the same thing. I covered the plan of salvation and the Bible lesson. . . what are they waiting for?"
We just sat and stared at each other for 10 minutes! So awkward! Finally, one by one, they got up and left. I asked Dad if his congregation has ever just sat in silence after a worship service ended - he said no.
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| View from the church door |
________________________________
House Calls
On Sunday, Dilma brought a neighbor to see me. She said that her grandbaby was sick and would I come. I went wading through the mud and arrived at her house. Sure enough, the 10 month old needed antibiotic. I waded back through the mud and water, mixed the antibiotic and returned. I explained how to take the medicine, etc. and turned to go. The grandmother was so grateful, she gave me 3 chirimoyas as a thank you/ payment for help. SO GOOD!
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| Chirimoya - they have the texture of snot and taste like tapioca pudding . . . sound gross but they are great! |
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Tito and Ino went out Sunday night to go fishing. Monday morning Tito came to see how I like my fish cooked. A la brasa! We had breakfast Monday before the team arrived. So good!
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| Grilled Dorado and boiled plantains! I love it. We eat "buffet" style. Everyone picks from the same piece. |
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