Thought for Today

I'll bring them to my holy mountain

   and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Isaiah 56:7

The Message

Belizean Fast Food

Tom and I went to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony here in town last week and part of the fun at any event we have gone to here in Belmopan are the food vendors with their carts or a picnic table spread with food... they rarely disappoint. 

Here in Belize these little tostadas are called Garnachas.

 And in my Belizean cookbook they are in the category of Maya & Spanish recipes.  I am sure that each family has their own special twist in making them but the basic recipe is fairly simple.


3 fried corn tortillas per person
grated cheese
diced onions
refried beans
shredded cabbage

Spread fried tortilla with refried beans and garnish with onions, cabbage and grated cheese.

These tasty little treats are sold just about everywhere... at the outdoor market, in front of stores and anytime a large crowd is milling about at an event.  Rest assured that no matter where you go in Belize some entrepreneurial person is making garnachas and selling them 'tree fo a dolla!'

29 years ago today...

Two 18 year old kids tied the knot and began a life together...

the joys of going to the Post Office

I have noticed that mail here only gets delivered once a week or so.  We don't see the postal carrier coming by everyday like in the States.  It seems as if they save up the mail and deliver once a week or maybe even bi-weekly.  We have heard that people just get in the habit of going over to the post office to see if there is anything for them.

I stopped by one day last week as I was on my way home from the market.  There just happened to be two boxes and a letter there for us.  The boxes had just arrived and had not yet been officially checked in.  The postal worker proceeded to open the boxes right in front of me.  I was shocked.  It felt like such a violation.  I didn't want to watch my packages being opened by someone else.  I at least wanted the illusion that I was the first person to open them after their arrival here in Belize.

One of the boxes held Christmas ornaments sent to me by a friend and the other contained spices sent to me by my mother in law.

I was excited to see the spices but the postal worker was not.  He went to consult his supervisor... they looked over the spaghetti seasoning with great scrutiny.  Apparently, you have to have a permit to bring herbs into the country.  I was told I could have them 'this time' but next time they would be confiscated.  I couldn't believe that a jar of spices could be a cause for concern. 

Looking back I am glad that the package was opened in front of me... I doubt that my herbs would have stayed in the box otherwise.  And I can just imagine the pasta party they might have held without my knowledge!

The Haven

Last night we had 16 adults and just as many children at The Haven.  Jonathan did a great job leading worship and Tom's teaching went well.  Just before Tom began teaching he had a verse up on powerpoint for the children to read.

You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body,

  and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.

   Everything you do is marvelous!

   Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you!

   I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below,

but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed.

   Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do.

Psalm 139:13-16

Contemporary English Version

All the ones who were old enough to read did so loud and clear.  When they finished Tom told them "God made you for a purpose" "He designed you!" You are special and unique!"  He followed up these statements with a few questions;  "Do you know that God did all this for you?"   "Do you know that God knows you better than you know yourself?"  The eyes of one little guy on the second row grew wide with unbelief and he said "Wow!" 

Each week Tom addresses the kids in some way; to give them encouragement for how vigorously they sing worship or just to tell them how much he enjoys seeing them.  And each week we have several teens as part of the adult group who stay in for Tom's teaching.  With 48% of the population of Belize being under the age of 18 making a connection with the young people here is vital. 

Our prayer is that the parents who are attending The Haven each week will continue to come out, to learn and grow healthier as individuals so that they will affect their families and loved ones in a positive way.  Please join us in prayer!

thought for today

They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:8

Trying something new

Since we arrived here in Belize we both have tried to keep an open mind about new foods. Each time I go to the market I look for things that are unfamiliar. My latest find is a fruit.  

Sapodilla

 

I asked the girl what it was called, and how you eat it.  She filled me in on those details along with giving me the warning to wait until it was soft to eat.  It wasn't very expensive so I decided to give it a try.

 

Looking online we read that it comes from the Yucatan, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies.  Also we discovered that it has the grainy texture of  an over ripe pear but has a malty taste and that some people think it has a caramel taste.  

 

I kept it on the counter waiting for it to soften up... maybe we didn't wait quite long enough.  It was not as sweet as we had hoped it would be and neither Tom nor I liked the taste. It was pretty bitter.  I have a second one that we are still waiting on to soften up and will give it another try.  

 

And of course I am still on the lookout for new things at the market!

sometimes geckos come inside when it rains...

Every now and then I forget we live with geckos and they startle me when I see them. And then I calm down and remember to get the camera.

Leafcutter Ants

Ants are creatures of little strength,

   yet they store up their food in the summer...

Proverbs 30:25  NIV

I thought my days of watching bugs were over now that my sons are adults and we were no longer homeschooling. This would have made a great unit study with our guys.  I can envision our oldest son making a video or wanting to find a book at the library to learn more about them while our youngest would be the one to follow their every move to see exactly where they were going and what was going to happen next.

Hearing about them is one thing but seeing them at work is a totally different experience.  It was actually a little startling to see small pieces of leaves moving around.  You can click here to see a video and read more about these ants.

Initially I saw them on the sidewalk... after following their trail I found them on this tree.

As they moved out of the tree they went through the grass across the sidewalk

And they laid them on the grass on the other side of the walkway

From reading about them online I discovered that they are the world's smallest gardeners.  They use the leaves for compost in their own little gardens.  I am not usually interested in nature; bugs, insects or anything creepy.  I guess once a homeschooling mom always a homeschooling mom!

Getting involved...

Yesterday I went over to the offices of the Child Development Foundation to meet with Diana Shaw and some of her board members to scout out a safe house for girls rescued from child trafficking.

The offices of CDF are located here in this building.

CDF is a Christian non- profit organization that I have been praying about getting involved with. I have been doing some research on the issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of children and it has truly touched and captivated my heart. After learning that 48% of the population here are under the age of 18 it is no wonder that this issue is critical in Belize. You can read more by clicking here to find out why a foundation like CDF exists.

Here is a video of a report by Channel 5 here in Belize on this issue... Diana Shaw is one of the people interviewed.




After looking over a potential property we prayed together to seek guidance and direction as to whether or not this property is the right location. One that will provide for the safety and healing that the girls will need.  Then back in her office she gave me all of the paperwork that needs to be processed before I can be accepted as a volunteer and receive training as a Family Intervention Specialist.

We have been here almost three months and I am grateful to be finding places to fit in and be of use inside the walls of a local church and outside the walls by serving in the community. 

thought for today

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Romans 10:15

Sweet Potato Cheese Cake Bars

My husband is not much of a cheesecake fan so I came up with this recipe in the hopes of making one that he would enjoy.  Most of the recipes I found during my search have 24 oz. of cream cheese. What Tom doesn't like is the richness of all of the cheese.  It just doesn't agree with him.   Most likely due to the fact that both of us have had our gallbladders removed and therefore neither one of us can process fats very well. 

These bars were perfect for our Thanksgiving treat after the spicy mango wings we enjoyed.  If you decide to give them a try let me know how it turns out for you.  We sure loved these bars... they only lasted for two days!!

Cheesecake Bars for Tom
Filling
1 15 oz can of sweet potatoes/yams, well drained and mashed
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Cream yams, cream cheese and sugar together until sugar is dissolved.    Add eggs, milk, cornstarch and spices mix until combined.

Crust
1 cup almond flour
3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 Tbsp sugar
Mix together until blended well.

Place in bottom of 10x 10 square inch pan.
Pour filling on top of crust and bake for 35-40 min at 350 degrees. 

I am sure that it would work just as well to use a graham cracker crust instead of the crust that I made.  But the almond flour sure was a tasty part of the dessert!!

raindrops keep falling...

If you come to Belize from June to November don't forget your umbrella!

Caught this view right outside our door as water drained from the roof. 

First Thanksgiving in Belize

Our celebration of Thanksgiving yesterday was simple just like we wanted. After we both chatted with our families back in the states we took a walk over to get our dinner.

The Wing Stop... Best Wings in Belize

Reasonable Prices... it is 2BZD to 1USD

There is a comfortable eating area in the courtyard.

We decided to split a 12 piece order of Spicy Mango Chicken wings and a double order of fries.  The sauce on the wings and the spices on the french fries are just divine.  Our total bill with soft drinks included was just $24BZD ($12USD)  and there were no dishes for me to wash after dinner!

With our bellies satisfied we went to the supermarket to pick up a few things to make my sweet potato cheesecake and then over to a place across the street for ice cream.  It was a relaxing day for the both of us.  I finished off the day watching one of my favorite holiday movies, White Christmas, while Tom enjoyed Clippers and Sacramento Kings basketball game. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be Thankful for this year.  We began the year in Russia with no clue that we would be moving.  We have traveled from Russia, to Turkey to the US and then finally to Belize.  We are grateful that God kept us safe during all of that travel.  We are grateful that all of our parents and my grandmother are all alive and doing well.  We are grateful for the time we got to spend with our siblings while we were in the sates. We are grateful that our sons are incredible young men who are both out on their own finding their places in the world.  We are grateful that we have each other and for all that we are experiencing and learning together here in Belize.

We decided that for our first Thanksgiving here in Belize to keep our celebration simple.  We are going out for dinner.  Not a turkey dinner although those are available here. We heard that the meals sold here in Belmopan are turkey, rice and beans, and a piece of dessert.  We don't eat out very often since we are on a tight budget.   So for our holiday treat we are planning a trip to The Wing Stop; a chicken wing place not far from here.   For dessert I am going to make a sweet potato cheesecake, we plan to watch White Christmas and of course there will be football on TV.  

No matter what you have for dinner or who you plan to celebrate with may it truly be a blessed day!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Thought for Today

Betta belly bust befo gud fud waste.  ~ Creole saying

What's cookin?

I purchased a round metal plate to make tortillas on and just had to try it out. These plates are sold here in Belize in various sizes.  Mine is a 12 inch.

Alida's Tortillas

2 cups flour 
3 tsbp. shortening or lard
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm milk (approximately)

Stir the salt into flour, add the fat and work in with the fingers as for making biscuits. Stir in just enough milk to make a dough that can be formed into balls. Knead well on a floured surface. Shape the dough into 8 balls the size of an egg. Roll out very thin on floured surface until the size of a plate or larger if you prefer. Fry on an ungreased griddle or skillet.

As you can see my tortillas still are not round so I obviously need more practice.  Which I am willing to do of course.  I used our fresh tortillas to make quesadillas... we both had very happy tummies and I am lovin' my new toy!  

something new...

Tom and I usually enjoy trying something new.  While at the supermarket I found these Cream-Os.  Yep, fake Oreos.  The first bite almost fools you.  But after the that the brain takes over to remind you that something is not quite right.  While the price of the Cream-Os made it tempting to buy them the taste will keep me from making that mistake again. 

In the battle of Oreo versus Cream-O our old friend Oreo is the clear winner!

Happy Garifuna Settlement Day!

Today is the most important day of the year for the Garifuna people here in Belize.  It marks the anniversary of their arrival to the shores of Belize.

 Who are the Garifuna people?

This people group originated in the Caribbean.   They are descended from African slaves who intermarried with native Carib and Arawak Indians to prevent themselves from being recaptured and sold again into slavery.

Re-enactments of their landing on the shores of Belize began at 6:30 am and the celebrating will continue on throughout the day.

If you want to learn more about the Garifuna you can click here

and here is a video I found:




Not having a car yet has kept us from going to one of the Garifuna communities to actually witness the celebration for ourselves. But I am planning to make a few of the dishes using recipes I found online. I am thinking of starting with Bimina Kurutu (Green Banana Fritters). Yum!

The Haven

Change is always hard.... last week not only did the service change it's night from Thursday to Wednesday it also changed the time from 7:30 to 7.  This week we kept the meeting on Wednesday evening but went back to meeting at 7:30.  Many of the adults who come to our church work in various cities around Belize and even a half hour change in time can totally disrupt a schedule. 

We grew in the number of adults from 9 last week to 17 this week.  We were excited to welcome all the newcomers!  After a time of worship Tom's lesson was 'We Heal Best in Loving Grace-filled Relationships', following the teaching time was the group sharing. 

We continue to trust that God will bring out the people who need to be at The Haven. And our prayer is that as a group we will grow closer to Him and closer to one another as we work on healing the hurts of the past together, and that it will continue to be a safe loving atmosphere for all who attend.