Furniture Delivery Day!

We were so excited to see the delivery truck show up with our furniture!

And even more excited that they came before the rain began again!

Will it fit through the front door?

Not looking very hopeful at this point.

Not only is the sofa large but it is also very heavy.  The set that we purchased was made locally of Belizean hardwoods. Tom said he has not ever lifted a sofa this heavy that didn't have a mattress inside.  The frame and legs are connected so the legs couldn't be removed to go through the door.

Tom directed them to the side door...after lots of maneuvering the sofa finally made it into the house.  

They had to disconnect the stove and move it out of the way so there was more room to negotiate.  At one point the second guy was having a hard time getting through the doorway on his end...the first guy said "hey, what's the jam up?" and the second guy laughed and replied "mi cell  phone!"

After all of their hard work getting two large chairs and that sofa in the house they asked it they could pick some plums from the tree in our yard.  We gave them each a bag to fill...they were very pleased with their bounty!

My photos are not the best...my camera battery was recharging when they drove up so I had to use Tom's cell phone.  Once we get the furniture arranged the way we want it I will post pictures of the living room.  We are so grateful for the generous  gift that was given to us so that we could make this purchase.  We are going out on Friday to look at a table and chairs for the kitchen.  

We have been here a full year now...and this house we are in is finally feeling like a home.

Thought for Today

  

Tasty Tuesday

This is my friend Stephanie's recipe for Cinnamon rolls...they are absolutely divine.  And each time I make them it reminds me of her and of being in her kitchen.  Warm. Comfortable.  And filled with love.


Steph's Cinnamon Rolls
1.5 C warm milk
1/2 C sugar                                          
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C mashed potatoes, unseasoned
1 egg
2 tsp. salt
2 envelopes yeast
5.5 C flour

1/2 C butter, softened
1.5 C brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon

Mix first 7 ingredients. Add flour. Knead for 10 minutes. Grease bowl and transfer dough. Grease top of dough, cover and let rise until double. Approximately 1 hour.
Punch down and roll out. Spread dough with softened butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon and spread over butter. Tightly roll dough. Cut into rolls and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned at 350.

Steph's note:
I glaze the rolls while hot with 1.5 C powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and enough water or milk to form a glaze consistency.
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I have had a major craving for donuts lately.  But there are no Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donut  shops anywhere to be found here in the jungle.  So, I decided to put Steph's recipe to a different use.  I made them into doughnuts!

and donut holes.

I followed her directions until the point where you roll them out.  I rolled them out thin because they will rise as you fry them.  Using the rim of a glass I cut out the shape and the lid of a water bottle worked great to cut the center hole.  I fried them in about a 3/4 of an inch or so of oil until golden brown on each side.  While they were still warm I dusted them with powdered sugar.  


They really hit the spot with a hot cup of raspberry flavored green tea with french vanilla creamer.


Tom said they reminded him of donuts his mom used to make.  He remembers that every year around Halloween she would make donuts and apple cider.  

If you give the cinnamon rolls or the donuts a try and let me know how they turn out!!

what are youth facing in Belize?

I was thinking about a couple of the dramas we watched last week at Legacy.  Alcohol and drugs are a major problem.  Suicide came up more than once.   I realize these are universal problems that young people face all over the world.  But the one that keeps haunting me is suicide.  This has even come up a time or two in our counseling office.

People feeling as if they have no hope or purpose in life.  People feeling as if they would be better off dead because they cannot live without a loved one who has passed away.  People feeling as if a demonic power is telling them that suicide is the answer to all of their problems.

We listen, we encourage, we tell people how much they are valued and loved.  And we keep praying.  Today is not a holiday here in Belize so we are at work in the counseling office.  Please keep us and those who walk through these doors in your thoughts and prayers.

Still counting the gifts:
246. youth who are willing to speak out and bring awareness to others.

247. finally hearing from our youngest son who is on a mission trip.

248. our oldest son started a new job that is perfect for him.

249. being able to work and live in such a wonderful place.

250. homemade doughnuts!

Praise Time

A while back Tom and I spoke at this church in the village of Roaring Creek for a Women's Conference.  I finally took the video off of Tom's phone and uploaded it to YouTube.

The man in the long sleeved white shirt is the pastor, the drummer is one of his sons, and the two young women singing who are dressed alike are his wife and one of his daughters.

Tom teaches at this church now two times a month on Wednesday nights and we truly enjoy the lively praise time there.

 Be careful when you play it...you might want to turn down your speakers.  It is pretty loud! 

You know you're in Belize when...

You see someone asleep in the bed of a truck.  The drive from Belmopan to Belize City is about an hour.  Each time we have made the drive we have seen someone asleep in a truck.  It is the rainy season right now and it is hot and humid most of the time. We have noticed that people here work very hard and they seem to get up very early which makes their days very long.  I don't blame this guy for taking a nap!

Thought for Today

Tasty Tuesday

 

Last week before we could come back to Belmopan we had to stop and buy tacos for Ritchel's kids.  They claim that Orange Walk has better tacos than Belmopan.  The tacos were simple; a corn tortilla spread with meat and/or beans and then rolled up.  Tacos are three for a dollar. And, just so you know, you order buy the dollar amount you want and not by the number of tacos.

She wrapped them up in foil and they were still warm two hours later when we delivered them to the kids!

1000 gifts...

I had started counting blessings on my other blog...but for one reason or another I keep forgetting to post over there.  As we get busier here it is becoming even more important to slow down now and then to count the gifts of life.  So I will take up the counting again.

238. quiet moments outdoors with a flower and a bee.

239. late night with the youth from church performing at Legacy...Fired Up!

240. all of our friends in Tropical Storm Irene's path are safe and well.

241. enjoying music from Belizean musicians

242. little ones trying to get a peek at the service

243. being allowed to give the message at church on Sunday morning.

244. watching the youth dance with joy.

245.  young tourists who choose Belizean hairstyles.

Plaza Las Americas

On Sunday after checking out of the hotel in Orange Walk Town we hit the road to go Chetumal, Mexico... just across the Belize-Mexico border.  Our friend, Ritchel, agreed to go with us so we had someone who knew the ropes and who speaks Spanish fluently.

Leaving Belize

Entering Mexico

 View as we crossed the bridge

Father and son selling cold water ...

I wish I could have gotten a shot of the" no vendors on the bridge" sign

We didn't drive around the city much because we only had one destination in mind for this short trip.  With Ritchel's help we drove straight to Plaza Las Americas a shopping center we had heard so much about.  

 I chose to eat at Mickey D's because I was in need of a taste from home.

Tom and Ritchel chose the Cajun Grill

Tom and I shopped for the things that we had on our simple list, a harness for Harley from the pet shop, 100% cotton yarn for me, and some office supplies from Office Depot.  It was easy to find everything we were looking for. 

Maybe next time we will try going to a movie!

We were told that most of the time the movies are in English with Spanish subtitles.  

I think we may have set a record for the shortest trip to another country.  Shopping with two men meant that we hunted down what we needed and then left.  Next time maybe we'll stay a day or two and check out more of the city and the local cuisine.  The women at church were thinking of making the trip...and that would be fun!

Twitter Party

For the Love of Blogs is doing a Twitter Hop today. So, if you are on Twitter come link up and join in!

Thought for Today

This photo was taken just outside the airport in Belize City, Belize.  The sign on the building is clearly visible as you are driving onto the grounds.  While some may find it offensive I saw it as the owner's testimony as to whom he has chosen to serve.  May we all be bold enough to make our declaration to serve only Him in whatever way He lays on our hearts to do so.

linking up with:

Tasty Tuesday

After the youth rally was over Tom and I decided to explore the city.  We walked around the downtown area near the town square.  We found several little shops and as we went from shop to shop there were those who engaged Tom in conversation.  One young man, John, struck up a conversation with Tom and soon found common ground.  He was from California!  He was a student at Cal Tech taking a little time off to earn some money in his family store.

He recommended several different places to eat in the area.  When he mentioned pizza we were intrigued.  Other than tacos or Chinese food there were not too many choices in this little town.  Although John mentioned a bakery that also made pizza we discovered at the hotel that there was actually a pizzeria in town. The young gal at the desk gave us a map and directions and we set off to see what we could find.

What we found was great conversation and fascinating stories along with pizza that had the same taste of slices I remember from my time in Rome, Italy.  Carlos, a classically trained chef, and his wife Anna, the owner, are very kind, and attentive to their guests.  I could hear an accent that was not Belizean when we talked with them.  Carlos, or Charles, is from Algiers and Anna is from Columbia.  He could tell right away that Tom was an American but he thought I was Belizean.  We are getting used to that assumption since it happens frequently!

When I asked Carlos how many languages he spoke... he laughed and said "only seven and four dialects".  What a fascinating person with an incredible life.  After spending time as a lawyer he chose to go back to food.  His father is French and his mother is Italian but the taste of the freshly made sauce and garlic infused pizza dough reflected his Italian roots.  He began with telling us about his time as a private chef in mansions in LA and Miami.  Then we heard war stories and stories of life in Canada and how he met Anna through her brother when he was stationed in Alaska during his military service.  Can you imagine such a wide and varied life?

If you make it to Orange Walk Town, Belize make sure you stop in and see Carlos and Anna...you won't regret it!

Carlos and Anna, with the Orange Walk special...a chicken pizza with garlic and cilantro.  Yum!

front of Carlos Pizzeria