Picnic at the American Embassy

Tom and I were asked to represent the Child Development Foundation at a picnic hosted by the American Embassy.  Sadly, we were not allowed to take in any electronic devices, cellphones, or cameras for security reasons.  So I have no photos of my own to show from the event.

I scanned the invitation for you to see:

The seal on the back of the envelope

The invitation

The program

The amount of security surrounding the Embassy was amazing.  

At each check point we had to stop and show the invitation to the officers before moving on to the next.  And that was just to park the car!  We don't live very far from the Embassy and if it had not been raining we could have just walked over.  But it was coming down pretty steadily so we chose to drive over. 

After parking the car we went to the front of the Embassy building to the final check in point.  Seated there at that table were four people with lists in front of them verifying each person to see if you were actually to be let into the event.  Then we went through metal detectors and my purse had to be xrayed.  I forgot that my cellphone was in the bottom of my purse.  It had to be turned off and left in the security office.  

As we stepped outside we were greeted by men with umbrellas.  They gave Tom and I each an umbrella and escorted us over to the huge white tents where the event was being held.  There was a lot of food, music and plenty of drinks to choose from.  For our snacks I had nachos and Tom choose pizza.  And later for dinner the choices were hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, brisket, or chicken.  Along with soft drinks and water there were also waiters with bottles of red or white wine who kept coming around to refill glasses.  After dinner there were cookies, ice cream, and a huge display of cupcakes that formed an American flag.

We saw a few people that we knew.  Some business owners from town, people from church that work at the Embassy, and a couple of the women who attend the same Bible study that I go to.  There was also a local pastor and his wife in attendance...she told me they were invited because they own the bed and breakfast in town.  It was an interesting mix of people from the business community, representatives from other Embassies, various organizations and NGO's.  

Prime Minister Dean Barrow was among the dignitaries at the event along with Belmopan's Mayor Simeon Lopez.  During the Ambassador's address he let us know why they were holding the American Independence Day celebration in May.  It was planned as an outdoor picnic during the dry season to avoid the rain.  Well, the rainy season came earlier than expected but the event went on as scheduled!  We were told by friends of ours that in the past Independence Day was celebrated with a formal dinner.  They chose a less formal event this year to accommodate more people.   

It was exciting to be a part of it all and to see the wide variety of people who turned out.  Official photographers wove in and out of the crowd grabbing paparazzi shots along with posed photos.  One photographer had an ID that said White House Staff.  We were informed that photos may go up on the internet but they didn't say when.  I had my picture taken with the Ambassador as I as thanking him for the invitation.  Once the photos are posted I will share what I can here!

  

Hitching a ride...

 

Just another day on the highway here in Belize!

thought for today...a birthday verse

Have you ever been given a verse for your birthday?  

One of the precious gifts that I received yesterday was Zephaniah 3:17.  What a treasure!  Just like the priceless young woman who gave it to me.  She wrote that she was praying these words over my life.  And I am blown away by her thoughtfulness.  Her message went on to say:

"Praying you feel his celebration and delight over your life more and more."

This present arrived the night before my birthday.  A gift from a country eleven and a half hours ahead of the time here in Belize.  I fell asleep contemplating this verse and awoke to the melodic sounds of much needed rain.  God's singing was refreshing the dry earth and bringing with it a cooler temperature.  Such a joy after the long hot days of the dry season that we have endured over the past few months.  

I don't think that I am the only one who needs to feel celebrated and delighted over by Him.  I think many of us need that.  Just as she blessed me...I want to bless you.  Isn't God's word powerful enough to bless and feed us all?  It reaches out to where we are, touching our hearts, and filling our souls.  His word is the spiritual DNA that transforms us to the core.  If we give it room inside of us to do its work....it will rejuvenate us and make us fit for Him. 

May you feel His celebration and delight over you more and more. 

May He quiet your mind with His love 

so that you can hear even the faintest notes of His glorious singing over you!

linking up with:

Happy 49th Birthday to me!

As it is after midnight and I just ate strawberry flavored frozen yogurt topped with bananas and chocolate syrup.

I have a Spanish class today and a date with Tom. 

 And perhaps a bit more frozen yogurt...who knows?!! 

the gift of surprise and other blessings

I have never been fond of surprises.  But, Tom keeps trying to change that...and he just might succeed!  He entered a contest with BelmopanCityOnline and won a Mother's Day gift for me.  Here is his winning entry:

"Alida has been a great wife of 30 years, mother of two grown sons & now helps people who have been abused or rescued from sex trafficking. She has been giving to others all her life & deserves a month of receiving!"

The prize is a month of free housecleaning...I am glad he entered and excited about the redeeming the prize!

Gifts from the week:
741.  Tom's surprise Mother's Day gift.
742.  Spencer taking me out for ice cream.
743.  Nathan's Facebook messages.
744.  doing well on the mid term in Tom's counseling class.
745.  two new counselors working with us at CDF.

746.  taking pictures of the guys for no reason.

747.  Harley's faithfulness to Tom.

Gifts from Sunday:

748.  a baby dedication on Mother's Day  

749.   a Bible in Chinese

750.   children playing in the field

752.  vibrant colors from God's paintbrush.

753.  a cross hung high

754.  a loving church family
755.  potluck dinners with plenty of food for all.
756.  lots of real food choices at the potluck so this gluten free girl didn't feel deprived.

Gifts found during my time in the Word:
757.  His Spirit helps us in our weakness Romans 8:26
758.  He intercedes for us  Romans 8:26
759.  He works for the good of those who love Him Romans 8:28
760.  He gave up His son for us Romans 8:32
761.  We are more than conquerors through Him  Romans 8:37

 joining in with the gratitude community:

Mothers...generous, resilient and tenacious

Have you ever set out to do something for someone but they ended up blessing you instead?

I went to visit someone and took over some fruit from our yard.  She recognized them immediately and called them "bluggos".  Her husband explained that they are a cross between a banana and plantain. And he told me that if you have bluggos in your yard you will never go hungry.

I left their house that day with all of this:

Those little bananas, plantains, the mami fruit, plums, the cashew fruit, and the cactus were all growing in their yard.  The cassava and cocos were harder to come by.  She had walked and hitch hiked and walked some more with a friend to a village several miles away where the friend's family farm was located.  They picked the 'ground food' so that they would have something for dinner.  She was actually cooking when I got to her house.  She explained various recipes to me while gently teasing me about giving me a Belizean education.  Tears fill my eyes when I think of  how much I don't know.  And not just about Belizean food.

What impressed and overwhelmed me that day was her generosity.

She didn't have much but she wanted to share what she had.  She shared her knowledge, the fruits of her garden, and the food that she labored to bring home for her family's meal.  I had asked her to braid my hair.  I thought I would help her earn a bit of money so that her family could buy food.  She taught me about the resiliency and tenacity of Belizean women.  She was not sitting around whining or waiting for a missionary handout.  She got up early to search for food...to make sure that her children would eat that day.  

I have met other women here who are doing the same thing in their own way...

Women here, just like in the US, who work full time and go to school in the evening.  Some are working on Bachelor's degrees while others are trying to finish up high school.  Some sell what they can, they bake, clean houses,  sew, or do crafts.  I see them hard at work in the market.  Most days my neighbors have clothes already on the line as I am getting out of bed.  They work outside and inside the home.  They stretch dollars and kiss ouchies.  

Women, mothers, are so industrious...all around the world.  

Mothers do whatever they need to do to keep their homes and put food on the table.  They make sure their kids get what they need.  I met a single mom this week who has a son with hydrocephalus.  She goes to his school regularly to learn from his teacher how best to help him with his school work.  A tenacious mom trying to make sure her son gets the best education he can get.  There are foster moms here who have not given birth to their own children but their home and their hearts are open to children in need.   There are grandmothers here who make hot lunches everyday for neighborhood children whose parents cannot get home during the noon break from school.

As Mother's day draws near I think of my mother's work ethic, my grandmother's hands that were never still.  My aunts, my sister in laws and my cousins...all hard working women with children making sure that the kids get what they need.  Generous women. Resilient and tenacious women.  I am grateful to be a part of that lineage.  And I am grateful to be a part of a sisterhood of mothers that spans the globe.

Paul's thorn in the flesh?

thought for today...LOVE is the point!

Agape love came to earth in the form of Christ to reconcile us with God. 

It is this love, according to Richard Foster, that “transforms our lives and gives us true spiritual substance as persons.” It is not how much Bible knowledge we have that transforms the world but the quality of love we show to those in our sphere of influence. Foster goes on to state that this is “the test of whether or not we have really gotten the point of the Bible.”

Have we really gotten the point? 

Does the word of Christ dwell in us so richly that it is metabolized in our hearts and souls as love for others? As it is written in Colossians 3:12-14 as God's chosen people we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” We are to “bear with each other” and “forgive whatever grievances” we have with one another. And finally we are also told that over all these virtues we are “to put on love.”

Love is the point. 

The reason we read and study the word should not be just to collect knowledge but to become like Him. 

And God is love.  

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Gluten Free Pizza Crust

 

I heard that Dominoes Pizza now offers a gluten free crust.  But, there is no Dominoes here.  So we have to make our own crusts that are safe for me to eat.

When we first moved to Russia a good pizza was hard to find.  So I learned how to make it myself.  I made the crusts and the guys chose the toppings.    That was part of our Friday night ritual.  And we were happy with my recipe.  But that was before I went gluten free...so it is time for a new recipe.

Our other issue is that Tom has been trying to avoid tomato based sauces.  That part was easy to fix.  I bought some fresh basil and made a pesto sauce.  

I found several different pizza crust recipes online.  I chose the least complicated one I could find and then I had to modify it based on what I had on hand. 

Almond Flour Pizza Crust

2 cups almond flour

2 eggs

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp spaghetti seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients together.  The dough will be the consistency of cookie dough.   Place dough on wax paper and put another piece on top to roll out thinly.  Transfer to greased pizza pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes and take out of oven and add the toppings* of your choice.  Return to oven for for another 8-10 minutes.  

*I used pesto sauce as the base, then a thin layer of mozzarella, and finished it off with pepperonis.  

This crust had a soft cracker-like texture.  And we really enjoyed it.  It will not be the same as the pizza crusts you are used to but it is tasty and very filling.   The photo above shows the pizza I made...I took a bite before I remembered that I needed a picture.  Enjoy!

the gift of seeing His fingerprints...

How many times have you heard someone say "this is the worst thing that could ever happen to me"?  Maybe you have been the one to say it.  But is it really true?  I was watching a TV show last night and someone made that comment because they had made a simple mistake.  No one was going to lose their life. They were just inconvenienced and she claimed it was the worst thing in the world.

This past week someone we know found out that they have an invasive carcinoma.  And yet, this person is not claiming it as the worst thing in the world.  They are glorifying God and trusting Him throughout this process no matter where it leads. This is one of their quotes from the week:

I have no doubt that God has a purpose in allowing me to travel this path -

I see His fingerprints everywhere I look!

 I hate cancer.  It does seem like one of the worst things in the world that can happen to someone.  And yet this person is not complaining.  Instead they are praising.  And God is glorified.

As I continue counting God's precious gifts I think of this friend with cancer and all of those facing truly horrible situations.  I commit anew to cherish each day, each moment, and each event God allows me to face.

722.  hearing our friend praise God in the midst of struggle.
723.  our women's Bible study growing to include more Belizean women.
724.  the Wednesday night Bible study at Bethel church growing and going deeper in the Word.
725.  plantains from the trees in our yard
726.  gluten free pizza
727.  posting photos of the supermoon on Facebook at the same time as my oldest brother in Kansas.

728.  enjoying the view from our backyard

729.  reading Stormie Omartian's book The Power of  Praying for Your Adult Children
730.  receiving donations of toys for play therapy at CDF.
731.  cloud cover on hot days.
732.  not seeing over smelling smoke from any fires over the past three days.
733.  watching the finale of the Amazing Race with Tom and Spencer.
734.  seeing Tom enjoy watching the NBA playoffs.

735. seeing God's beauty captured in Tony Rath's photos of Belize

Scarlet Macaws in Early Morning Light by Tony Rath

           

Garifuna Settlement Day by Tony Rath

Eyeing the Lionfish by Tony Rath

Gifts found in the Word:
736.  No matter how many promises God made, they are "Yes" in Christ 2 Cor 1:20
737.  We can make our thoughts obedient to Christ 2 Cor 10:5
738.  We were chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  Eph 1:4
739.  In Christ we are brought to fullness.  Col 2:10
740.  Reality is found in Christ.  Col 2:17

 joining in with the gratitude community:

where there is smoke...

When we lived in California we used to lament about the four seasons there...mud slide, earthquake, fire and riot.   I guess you can call this is our second fire season here in Belize.

We saw this one burning in the distance as we drove home from Hattieville earlier this week:

As we drew closer this is the view we had of the fire:

This time last year I can remember flames licking at the edge of the asphalt as we drove on the highway bringing Nathan home from the airport.  Some of the fires are set on purpose as people clear their land.  Others are spontaneous...due to the heat.  There have been fires burning not just in Belize but throughout Central America.  


We pray the rainy season comes soon and that the fires here don't get out of control like they did last year.

66 yr old man with a 17 yr old girlfriend...

John McAfee of McAfee Virus Scan had his Tower Hill Estate in the Orange Walk district here in Belize raided by the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU).  The GSU claims there were rumors of illegal activity on the premises.  McAfee contends the raid was a political retaliation for him refusing to donate funds to the political party that is currently in power here in Belize.  As I read the details of this story this line stood out to me:

Present on the premises at the time were John McAfee, his girlfriend who is a 17 year old Belizean minor, and five security guards.

The article goes on about an unlicensed weapon on the premises, evidence of antibiotics being manufactured on the premises without a licence and that only two of McAfee's security guards are licensed to act as security guards.  Three security guards were arrested  and charged with providing security services without a license, McAfee was initially detained for the unlicensed weapon and there is an ongoing investigation into that matter.  And a decision will be made about charges regarding the antibiotics after the forensic analysis becomes available.

Nothing further is mentioned about the 17 year old girlfriend.  I find this appalling.  A man of his age, his wealth, and his prestige with a minor for a girlfriend.  The legal age of consent for sexual activity in Belize for a female is 16.  So "she has her age" as they say here.  But, to me...all I can think of...is sexual exploitation. I wonder if her family is benefiting financially from her relationship with him?  Who introduced them? And what do they have in common? I cannot imagine a 17 year old girl providing any intellectual stimulation for a 66 year old man.

 I cannot stop shaking my head in disbelief...my heart truly hurts for this girl.

thought for today...wake up!

It is time to surrender complacency.

It is time to wake up and fully live for Him.

For the past few weeks I have been asking God to wake me up to the things that I need to change in my life.  

Wake me up to the lessons and the gifts of life He has for me along this journey.

I don't want to miss the lessons.

I want to express gratitude and acknowledge all of the gifts.

I want to live as wise and not unwise, as the following verse says, so that I can make the most of each opportunity that God provides.

As I surrender to doing the things that I need to do for my health I have experienced more energy and more clarity of thought.  This has affected me spiritually as well.  I find myself slowly waking up in Him and taking note of the Light of Christ all around. And it is truly beautiful...

May God wake us up so that the Light of Christ shines on us and glorifies Him!

linking up with:

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Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Have you ever had cake that was made without flour?  Until last week I didn't know such a thing was possible.  My friend, Jadine, treated me to a piece of this yummy chocolate cake.  I was so excited to actually have a tasty dessert that is also gluten free.  She emailed her recipe to me and I was able to bake it last night.  All of the ingredients are easy to find here in Belmopan without going to the health food store or needing to drive to Belize City or Spanish Lookout for an item.

The texture is just like a regular cake and the taste was divine!  Next time I will make some frosting but this time:

I topped mine with powdered sugar...

Spencer loves to top brownies or chocolate cake with peanut butter and chocolate syrup...

He was absolutely thrilled with the cake.and had to have seconds...

If Tom and I had not told him that there were black beans in the mix I don't think he would have noticed the difference. He was just happy to have cake.  He even asked me to invite him over the next time I experiment with a new recipe.  I sure am grateful to have two taste testers who are always enthusiastic about trying new things.




Black Bean Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cups black beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
5 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp coconut oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9" cake pan.
Mix together cocoa, baking powder and soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the coconut oil (or butter or margarine) until
fluffy.  Add 2 of the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition.
Put the beans, the remaining 3 eggs, vanilla, sugar, and salt into a
blender or food processor and blend/process until the mixture is
smooth.  Add this mixture to the oil/egg mixture and mix well.
Stir in the dry ingredients and water and beat on high for 1 minute or
until smooth.
Pour into pan and bake 30-35 minutes.  The top of the cake should be
rounded and firm to the touch, and the cake should be pulling away
from the sides of the pan.

the gift of connections...

After counseling class on Saturday we drove up to Belize City to attend the last part of a meeting about the 12 steps.  We were able to sit in on the final session of the day and then make some contacts afterward.  We are grateful that we met some new people and are looking forward to the possibility of starting AA and Al-Anon groups here in Belmopan.

Gifts of connection:
701. Attending the meeting with others who are also interested in starting a 12 step group.
702. Connecting with some people from Belmopan.
703. Picking up some literature to help us get started.
704. Seeing the enthusiasm of the attendees.

705. Going into the historic St John's Cathedral for the meeting.

706.  The warmth and beauty of this old Anglican church.

707. The crosses at the end of the pews.

708. After the meeting Tom and I grabbed a bite to eat before the hour long drive back to Belmopan.  Here is the view from our parking space at Birds Isle Restaurant.

Gifts from the week:
708.  Jadine sending me a piece of gluten free chocolate cake!
709.  Thursday prayer times at CDF.
710.  Leading the Ladies' Bible study meeting on Wednesday.
711.  the blessing of being flexible.
712.  seeing couples who are willing to work to save their marriage.
713.  chatting with Nathan via Facebook.
714.  joining the world of Tumblr.
715.  spending time with Spencer.
716.  taking walks with Tom.

Gifts found during my time in the Word:
717.  He is a just ruler and guide Psalm 67:4
718.  He is a refuge and a stronghold Psalm 9:9
719.  He will never forsake those who seek Him Psalm 9:10
720.  He gives power and strength to His people Psalm 68:35
721.  He is with us no matter where we go Joshua 1:9

 joining in with the gratitude community:

Blessed are the flexible, right?!

This saying truly blessed me this week:  "Blessed are the flexible, for they will not get bent out of shape."

Being flexible is a must here in Belize.  We have to be flexible with whether or not the electricity or internet will work today, and we need to flexible with a grocery list and whether or not the store will have the items they had last time, and we must flexible with scheduling and ministry planning...and so on.

The other day I showed up for a meeting with someone.  She and I were just getting back on track after having had a few scheduling problems over the past few weeks.  When I showed up for our appointment she had someone else there with her...waiting for me.  This person was in pain emotionally and she wanted me to talk to her.  I put aside the agenda that I had for our meeting and spent time listening to the other young lady.  And this young woman had enough pain for several lifetimes to weed through.  And yet her story is a common one here in Belize.

Hearing these types of stories bring to mind a passage in Spiritual Moms by Lynn Wilford Scarborough:

In our society of "fatherless children," the focus has been on the need for a father figure in a child's life.  But when you evaluate the number of working moms and the amount of time that children actually spend with their parents, it seems that in truth, we have a "parentless generation."  

There is a great need for spiritual parenting in Belize.  And it is not all about the fathers who have been absent...we must consider the plight of the children who have had to raise themselves.  This is not unique to Belize, and yet, Belize is such a young country that it is sorely affected by this situation.  The country is only 30 years old.  And the majority of people who live here are under the age of 25.   We see children parenting other children in the literal sense of the word and also in the spiritual sense.  

Which means that those of us who are older more mature need to drop our preconceived agendas of how to meet the needs we see around us and be flexible enough to listen to and learn about what the needs truly are.  

I invited this young woman to go to Bible study with me.  I told her that her clothes would not matter and that she would be welcomed by our group no matter what.  And our ladies did not disappoint on that promise.  She felt loved.  She felt like she was finally in the company of women who were not pretending to be holy or perfect but were real and authentic.  She felt accepted and "a part of".  She didn't say more than a few words at the meeting but she talked my ear off on the drive home.  And I was grateful.

Blessed are the flexible indeed...for choosing not to get bent out of shape in this situation showed me more about Him and set me more firmly on His path.  I know that I might not get it right every time, but I am willing to keep learning and to keep listening to the women that I cross paths with and to the One who places them there...so that He will be glorified...and we all grow up in Him.

So are you ready to be blessed or are you feeling bent out of shape by life?

thought for today...carry each other's burdens

At church on Sunday we were each given three sticky notes and a pen.  We were instructed to write down our burdens...the things we wanted to give over to God. The things we cannot carry alone.  

After writing them down we took turns placing them on a large heart at the front of the room.  Once we finished placing them on the heart then we went back up to get three prayer requests to take home with us.  To help share the load by supporting one another in prayer throughout the week.  

Each day I open my Bible and I have three anonymous burdens to pray over, to offer up to God, to help carry the load.  I also know that someone is praying for my requests...my burdens are being shared.  

 My load has felt lighter this week.  And I hope that those I am praying for feel the same way.  

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Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Ten days of being gluten free.  What a milestone.  For the most part it is fairly easy.  I just eat real food.  Meat, veggies and fruit.  Every now and again I have to face up to thoughts of "oh I can't eat that" but, thankfully, it has not been a major ordeal.  Tom even checked labels when buying me a candy bar last night...he came home with a plain milk chocolate Hershey bar. And it was perfect!

It is amazing to have energy again.  It is so wonderful to feel less pain...I never would have imagined that wheat would be factor in my dealing with fibromyalgia.

I got an email last night with a recipe for gluten free chocolate chip cookies and I am looking forward to giving them a try.  I realized as I was reading over the recipe that I have actually had gluten free cookies before.  I made them for the first time back in 2005 when we were in Russia and wrote about giving the recipe away to our friend Alexei.

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 egg

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of peanut butter

Mix all ingredients together.  Roll into balls and flatten with a fork in a criss cross pattern.

  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.   

You could even put a square of chocolate or a Hershey Kiss on top if you like!

I found the same recipe on AllRecipes.com here.

Enjoy!