December 2016
FUNNY: As a Friday evening activity, Friday evening being free, I started cooking biscuits. Basic stuff, flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, sugar etc. so in 45 minutes we are sitting eating hot biscuits.
The first night the students were very cautious. Then the following Fridays freedom reigned.
Remember these are adults.
"Let's add coffee!"
"Butter is bad for you so let's use olive oil."
" Here's some colouring so let's make them pink."
We also added dried persimmons, raspberry milk flavouring and chocolate "hundreds and thousands".
We are then sitting eating them and they asked, "Where did you buy the eggs for the cookies Robin?"
"At the Supermarket." (Obviously!)
"Robin, didn't you notice? (I can't read Korean!!!) These are very famous eggs. They are garlic flavoured eggs and very good for your health." ? Curtis Stone (Coles) eat your heart out. I expect our son to mention this to Curtis Stone - soon.
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| The gift |
I was out walking in a somewhat remote village. There were some people sorting small dried fish (they call them Anchovies.) I took some photos of the man doing the sorting and he fed me tiny dried squid. Then I gave them a small gift. They rushed off and I got some dried anchovies - lovely people.
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The Inspirational Students (my friends):D and his wife are headed back to L.... He is a sports coach. He has coached the National youth team of L... and before his marriage, coached in the country of T..... He's a happy guy with a charming wife. Life is not easy where they are going but they are aware of the issues.
M is visually impaired. He has been married 10 months. About 7 years ago he was a missionary in Africa for a year. Then he worked as a missionary in the Philippines for 6-7 years.
His friends told him. " You're blind. You'll die!" - He didn't. Next year they will go to **.. with the aim of staying long term. He preaches with passion.
E and W are a young married couple (3years). They have found a church that will support them and are certain they are going to one of the poorest countries on Earth.
Y and E have served as missionaries in C.. and an African country. In the African country he was beaten very badly. He had broken bones and a fractured skull and cheek bones. In the African country they stitched him up but he returned to Korea and they put plates in his cheeks. His eyesight was, miraculously, undamaged. He no longer has pain and is slowly recovering. Financially they are on the edge but plan to return as soon as possible in 2017.
B and E are going back to C.. They already speak the language.
J and his wife and child are headed for the Middle East.
Y... is a specialist in a medical field. She is trained and experienced in very complex procedures. Unmarried and strong of character, her passion is social justice. She is planning to go to a country where justice, particularly for women, is of some question.
There are several charming young families with kids and they are off to various places around the world. Some know where they are going and have the financial support. Others struggle with leaving aging parents, finances, destinations, visas or other issues. They will work as teachers, nurses, builders, translators, social workers or whatever their gift is. They will be Ch... miss ..... serving the people with love. They have heard God's call, they will go.
Me:
I miss both Aileen and not seeing my new grandaughter but at the end of December Aileen will be here with Katy, Emily and Max. ****Actually they have arrived***Christmas Eve I went on a boat trip.
It was a gift from a church member and I was included. Steak, Spanish wine, and stone cold vegetables. A floor show and at the end I got to dance with the cartoon characters. The idiom "There's no fool like an old fool" was well demonstrated that night.
Christmas dinner was noodles, spicy kimchi, rice and stew. Dessert was after church when we had a cream cake cut into pieces, served in a paper cup and eaten with chop sticks - the red decorations on the top are actually tomatoes!
Always interesting.
Excitement in the kitchen as the news is out.
We are having live squid for dinner. The live squid comes out of the large plastic bag and is chopped up and served. "Robin, chew it well as some people have died when eating live squid." (They stick to your wind pipe!) Talk about over-rated. The best description I can come up with is tough "jelly babies" with ZERO taste, that wriggle a bit in your mouth.
There is a very famous Korean movie with a scene where the hero eats a live squid. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach. I did NOT eat my squid like in the video, but then again I'm not a famous Korean movie star.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_a_XoNgsY
SOME PHOTOS:Ladies after a church service in traditional Hanbok.
In a restaurant you pay for the main dishes. In this photo it is the black pot and the fish on the flat white dish, everything else (side dishes) are free and they will top them up free.Grave site.
live.
That means heat and humidity. At the moment it is 4 pm and 6C. Aileen is in Seoul where it is -4C and she is out ice skating with our grandchildren (watching!!)
Prayer points:
- Health as the Asian* flu is here - 2 types
- Health for our daughter Katy and grandchildren Max and Emily who are running an English Kid's program in the church.
- The program they are running.
- Wisdom in Robin's interaction with students.
- Protection for all here at MTI.
Robin
* Yes they call it Asian flu!!!
PPS More cake: Cost $10 approx.
Let's start a business?
