Maybe I write too many posts about food, but hopefully it is of interest to you, and it is certainly a big part of my life, since I cook everything from scratch 3 times a day. Just today I felt completely successful at creating a new recipe that Josh really enjoyed. The best part is that I made it entirely from ingredients found in the local market!
We have been thankful and surprised at the variety of food we can find here in our new town. We especially like “Hoobsa” – a Sudanese round, flat bread that we can make into pita style bread and cook grilled cheese and pizza or heat up with butter in a skillet. (The butter and cheese come from N’Djamena –Josh buys in bulk and we store it in our freezer.) There is also regular French-style baguettes and another bread that we think is similar to a heavy dinner roll in the States. We eat roasted, salted peanuts often as a snack and oatmeal and scrambled eggs almost every morning for breakfast unless I’m in the mood to whip up some pancakes or biscuits. My house helper knows how to make peanut butter and even fried okra, which made me very happy a few days ago! We can buy pineapples, apples, bananas, oranges, watermelons, guavas, and mangoes in addition to tomatoes, carrots, onions, greens, lettuce, canned green beans, canned red beans, canned corned, various types of dried beans, rice, couscous, pasta, stew beef or ground beef. You pay a little extra to get it ground right in front of you and they add some spices to it as they manually grind it. There is also a restaurant that makes tasty rotisserie style chickens, but we usually buy one per person because they are very scrawny chickens. We have heard of another restaurant that sells French fries, occasionally pizza, and some other good things, but it takes at least an hour to get your food so we haven’t visited there yet. A couple things we have decided we are not interested in trying include fried grasshoppers and the fish that gets transported in from…who knows where?! We are in a land-locked country 12 hours’ drive from the capital, so the fish thing is just not that appealing. Can you blame us?!
I have been reading and studying Colossians this past month, and it is so rich. It is a great book to use in discipling new believers. One observation I made during my study – chapter 2:20-22 talks about the “regulations” that the Colossians had submitted themselves to, even though they had “died” with Christ. Verse 23: “These [rules] have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Legalism seems to be a natural part of our humanity – if we have a list of rules to conquer, our pride can fool us into thinking we are doing ok. I can’t help but read this portion of Colossians and think of my Muslim neighbors all around who have not yet submitted themselves to the “beloved Son” (1:13), “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (1:14). Instead they are bound by legalism, believing that somehow their prayers, fasting, modesty, chanting, alms giving – “good” works and following of the rules is enough to reconcile them to God. However, Chapter 1, verse 21 and 22 tell us that we were “once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,” (indulging in the flesh) but Jesus “has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death in order to present [us] holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Pray with us that “God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ…that [we] may make it clear.” Pray that many will feel the hypocrisy in their own lives, the futility of their works before a holy God. Pray that we will “walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time….that [our] speech [will} always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that [we may know how [we] ought to answer each person” (4:2-6). Pray for us and yourself also – that we as believers will not fall into the lie that ministry or good deeds gains us approval before our Father. Thank you, Jesus that your death has made us alive, “having forgiven us all our trespasses” (2:13).
We began our house search the day after Christmas, after waiting almost a month for the man who we now call our friend to return back to Abeche to help us with our house hunt. “Abd” has been a believer for 15 years and we are blessed to have his help here. We saw many houses with lots of potential, but two really stayed at the top of our list. One was brand new, a good price, good yard,and super nice. We loved the house! The downside is that the location is not the best – it is on abusy foot path/dirt road, but not in a neighborhood. We were getting encouragement from Abd that this was the best choice because it was move-in ready, and we couldn’t disagree with that. We went to bed that night very torn, and I tossed and turned all night, very anxious about the choice we had to make. The next day, we both still felt stressed about it, but felt unsure about what else was available. We prayed for God to grant us wisdom, talked to another worker here who had some good advice for us, encouraging us to continue our search and be very clear with Abd what our goals were for being here. Yes, we want to learn Arabic, and yes a house a little more “isolated” would be the obvious choice for anyone just moving here for the sake of moving here, but our house search is a little different than what it would be in the States. We have more to consider than just how it suits our preferences – we have a ministry to consider, how are we going to interact with the lost, how will we learn their culture and live life amongst them if we are separated from them? Why would we leave America and everything comfortable, come all the way to Abeche, Chad just to live in a nice house away from people? Doesn’t that defeat our purpose?! So, once God imparted some wisdom into our thought process, we realized we needed to consider a different house – one we had looked at first and liked but needs some work. We went back a couple days later to see it again, make notes about what work would need to be done before we could move in, and see what potential the house and compound had. We left very excited and encouraged! The yard is big for the kids, there is a row of shade trees on one side, and there is tons of space to host Chadian visitors and guests who will come to visit from America, as well as have our own office or prayer room and a large kitchen for me! We took a walk around the neighborhood to pray for the people, ask God to use us to bless them if this is where He is calling us to live, and even greet a few people. I got to pray with one woman who is a refugee from Sudan. This house does need some work – we will need to pull up old laminate flooring and paint the walls, as well as put in some kitchen counters. We have the month of January reserved here at the Orphanage, so we don’t feel too rushed to get moved in. We are working on writing up a contract on the house and we have workers who can do most of the labor, since we will also be studying Arabic. Rejoice with us that this big decision has been made and that God has granted us not only his wisdom but the peace that comes with it. Pray that as we work on getting the house ready to move in, God would also continue to grow our heart and vision for the people in the neighborhood.
Our first week in Abeche was a success in my books because Isaac told me the house we are staying in is “just like the beach house” we vacationed at before moving to Chad. I asked him why and he said, “Because we are having so much fun, Mommy!” God knew this Mommy heart needed to hear those words to put my mind at ease – they aren’t just going to survive here, they are going to thrive. He is so good to us!
Judah, 20 months old, has never been a good eater. The opposite of his big brother, the only fruit Judah ever ate was apples, pears, and bananas. He pretty much survived on pizza, grilled cheese, and PB & J before we moved to Abeche. I was pleasantly surprised to know we can get apples here, even if they are $1 apiece. He recently latched on to rice and oatmeal, which I was thankful for because they are both filling but I really wanted him to eat some more nutritious foods. However, over the past few weeks he had stopped even eating apples or bananas (to his mother’s despair). In a moment of desperation a week or so ago, I prayed for Judah to start eating some more nutritious foods. God answered my prayer! Judah has decided this week that he loves scrambled eggs for breakfast and eats several helpings. He also tried pineapple on his own and loves it too. And, to the surprise of all of us, when we visited a family here a few days ago, he dug right into a Chadian millet paste called “Esh” and sauce that most visiting adults would think twice before trying.
Yesterday was probably our toughest day so far. I had a fever from some viral thing with cold-like symptoms. Fever is gone today and I am feeling much better. Funny thing is, yesterday was so discouraging for me, but today, with returned health, I feel encouraged and excited about our new life overseas. Today might have been my favorite day yet! God is merciful.
Here’s what today looked like in pictures:
Sterilizing jars for making yogurt…
Isaac helping me make the yogurt…
Placing the yogurt in a warm spot to set.
Making my first meal in our solar oven!
Final product….
But that’s not all, folks! Today, Isaac and I also put homemade fruit snacks to the test and they were a winner!
When we stepped off the airplane in Chad a few weeks ago and into a bus that drove us up to the airport, I was pointing out to Isaac that a lot of men here wear a different kind of hat. Trying to make it exciting for him and hoping all the new and different things wouldn’t scare him, I pointed out the different designs and patterns that some of the hats had. He asked me if it was like a train conductor’s hat. I never thought of it like that, but you know what? It does look like a conductor’s hat!
Two days ago on our walk through a nearby neighborhood, Isaac noticed a mosque for the first time. He saw the tall part where the minaret is and he said with much excitement, “Look, I spy a lighthouse!”
Sometimes we need the eyes of a 3 year old to keep life entertaining!
In an effort to be informative but not boring, I thought some of you might want to see a few “everyday” photos of things that are part of our daily routine. Enjoy~
Tomatoes, onions, and green beans washed and ready to eat. All produce is cleaned in bleach water b/c of the flies and the fertilizer.
Gas stove top and water cooler for keeping cold water so we don’t have to open the fridge more than necessary.
A pineapple soaking in bleach water before we cut it up.
Diapers and reusable wipes drying on the line.
Bananas, carrots, and cucumbers cleaned and ready to eat/cook.
Eight years ago, while attending a Perspectives on World Christian Movements class, a man from Wycliffe Bible Translators passed out cards to each student in the class and we committed to praying for the people group written on the card until they had the Scriptures translated into their language. I kept my yellow card in my Bible and prayed for the Gabri people in Chad fairly regularly over the following six years. At that time, Chad was a distant, foreign land to me. I had no personal connection to it and couldn’t even imagine what the Gabri people looked like. Two years ago, I received an email from Wycliffe thanking me for my prayers and informing me that the Scripture translation was now complete. Praise God! Now, the Gabri could read God’s Word in their language! Two days ago, my house helper Christine came for the first time. I asked her (in French) what her people group was. Guess what it is?! Gabri! I shared my story with her of how I prayed for six years for her people to have the Scripture in their language and how neat it was that God has allowed me to meet someone from this very tribe. It made the prayers that, at the time, seemed very impersonal just come alive for me as I had the opportunity to see prayers answered. Thank you for faithfully praying for us even though you have not seen or experienced Chad. My prayer is that one day you will look back on what God does and be able to rejoice, saying, “Hey! God did a great thing in Chad and he allowed me to be a part of it!”
(Folks at FBC Liberty City, notice the shirt she is wearing in the photo – she asked to borrow a shirt that day because she forgot to bring her work clothes. Your shirt was the first one I found and I just had to sneak a picture of it on her
Although I have spent time in Africa, I am new to Chad. I see everything through the eyes of a beginner and an outsider. What better time to make observations and maybe paint a small picture for you of what my eyes have seen in the past week? Before long, these things will become normal to me, so I want to share them with you now.
I have noticed a lot more Arabic chanting and teaching to the young boys and girls than I remember in Senegal. Our guest house is right next to a mosque, so we hear the call to prayer 5 times a day. (Praise God with us that Isaac has not been at all scared or upset by the eery sound of the call to prayer. It was something I really worried about, but God has graciously kept him from fear thus far.) We hear the children chanting sometimes in the morning, almost always in the late afternoon/early evening. And it is LOUD. They yell the chants they are memorizing. I walked with Judah one day past where the girls, heads covered, sitting in rows on mats outside, where chanting. A youngish boy (18-20, maybe?) had a whip like what is used on donkeys and I was shocked to see him hit the some of the girls a few times on the head and/or shoulder. Maybe they weren’t keeping up with the chants, or maybe they weren’t sitting properly, or maybe I was distracting them. I am not sure, but I was saddened to see how forcefully they beat the lies of Islam into these young girls, when in contrast, Jesus endured the whip and the cross so that we would be free of legalism and could instead live with much joy and hope.
I might be seeing Chad through the eyes of a mother, whereas I saw Senegal through the eyes of a young, single girl, but I do feel like there is a LOT more trash in the roads here. I hope it is just because we are in the capital! I am constantly telling my boys to not step in the nasty water, stay on the dirt, don’t go that way, be careful! We have a rule now, which is common in Africa anyways, to take our shoes off at the door before we enter our home and then we must wash our hands as soon as we go inside. That, and taking vitamins, using our essential oils, and taking probiotics will I hope keep us from getting too sick (in addition to your prayers and God’s mercy!).
The people are extremely friendly so far. I am thankful we learned French first, but it is not helping me much in being able to communicate with the women since we live in a Muslim part of town. We passed by a salon a few days ago where women were doing henna and they doted on the boys. Isaac didn’t want to leave. None of us could understand a word, but their warmth and kindness made me want to learn to communicate well in Arabic! I keep hoping to find a lady who speaks French, but so far they have only spoken Arabic. It definitely encourages us to want to learn Arabic! We have a book of lessons written in French to start learning Arabic, so we will do that informally here in the capital until we get to Abeche and find language tutors.
So, there are a few random observations of life so far in Chad…stay tuned for more!
My main stress upon arrival in Chad was wondering what I would feed my children, especially Judah, who is my picky eater. Thankfully, for now, we have found things that he likes and we are past the jet lag so he is eating more regularly. Our friends from language school in France met us at the airport and she had some staple items waiting for us, along with some tortilla soup which Josh and I ate for a couple days. They showed us a restaurant where you can get pizza to go. We have done that twice because it is easy and affordable. Since I don’t have an oven here at the guest house, I can’t make it at home yet. We will probably buy a solar oven for about $75 soon.
We had lunch with a missionary family this week, and they served a typical Chadian dish cooked by their house helper. It was rice with fish in a peanut sauce. Pretty good!
I found spaghetti and bowtie pasta to make, which Isaac was excited about. I made a curry sauce with beef, okra, and tomatoes over couscous (Isaac ate tons of that!), and I made lentils with rice on Sunday morning to have when we got home from church. The lady who sort of runs our guest house taught me to boil my water, add the rice, then let the water come to a boil again and take the pot to a nice, sunny place (lots of those around here!). Leave it for a few hours and the rice will be ready to eat, but not dried out. It was perfect for a Sunday meal – kind of like a slow cooker, but without heating up the kitchen too much and without using electricity! Christine, my house helper, makes tortillas (she learned from a missionary a long time ago) and she knows where to take my meat to get it ground, so tonight we will have tacos for dinner! I made quesadillas for lunch today and the boys loved them.
For breakfast, I found a cereal like Kix that the boys like and it is not too expensive. I can make pancakes from scratch and cook biscuits on the stove top. Peanut butter can be purchased by a few different ladies who make it to sell. I found pre-made strawberry yogurt to feed them until I can gather enough glass jars to start making my own regularly. Soy sauce, olive oil, canned goods, etc. are available and sort of expensive. I saw frozen Snickers and Mars bars for about $6 a piece – we’ll have to save that for a very special occasion! We always have tons of bananas, which Judah loves. We can find pineapple, watermelon, apples, melon, green beans, tomatoes, onions, salad, and cucumbers in the market. I found grapes on a roadside stand for about $12 for one normal bushel you purchase in the states. He let me buy just $2 worth, and I put them in a fruit salad that evening with honey.
In a place as hot and dry and poor as Chad, where I hear many Chadians only eat once a day or every other day, I feel very blessed with the variety we have found and I am beginning to feel like I can make nutritious and delicious meals for our family.