Hello, 2012: Cheesegift

New Year's eve: i arrive home and am told there is a note by my bed. Yay! Beside my bed lay a scribbled note of appreciation- serving notice that my friend had given me some cheese, which i could find in the fridge. Cheesegift! This was a New Year's eve joy.

Here in Asia, cheese isn't a part of life- so, spare the slice of american cheese on a McDonald's burger when we happen to eat there, we don't eat cheese. But we remember it fondly. So cheese is a truly a delightful treat. Already a lover of cheese- and all the more in these circumstances- I was so pleased to receive this thoughtful gift. A cheesegift of New Year's cheer!

Happy 2012. We are off to a good start.

last hours of 2011: dumpling making

What did you do on New Year's eve? I learned to stuff chinese dumplings! These little morsels, often known Stateside as pot stickers but here as jiaozi ( jow-zih ), are popular cuisine whether steamed, boiled or fried. My coleader and i got to join a small local fellowship as they gathered to make jiaozi, pray for one another's needs, and of course, eat jiaozi. It was fun to be immersed in their lives in this way, and to learn that i am... not a good jiaozi stuffer. Mike of course got the hang of it immediately- the group reached a consensus and bestowed on him their unfortunate praise: "Mike, you make jiaozi like a girl." It was amazing. I on the other hand, was rather less skilled. The girl instructing me looked at my product with amusement and compassion. When i laughed and said it was bad, she shook her head and composing herself countered: "Its special." These are the joys of the groups limited english- their comments could not have been more perfect. Haha. Turns out i am pretty decent at eating jiaozi, though- even if the way i use chopsticks is special, too:)

Mmmm.

Actual Christmas

All the plotting and planning and late night wrappings paid off. My girls were so excited when i stuck my head in their room and called them out of bed... wearing a silly Christmas sweater and reindeer antlers:)

My co-leader Mike and I were up early cooking - eggs, pancakes, and muffins. It was a lovely little breakfast. Then we "moved to the leather" (retired to the couches) to open presents.

I had been wrapping little gifts and stuffing their three stockings since before we left Maui. It was such great fun to see my team all so delighted. Then there was tears when i "found some more gifts stuck in the chimney" and they turned out to be gifts their families had sent to me in Maui, which we "smuggled" over here in secret. So rewarding to see them blessed and feeling so loved. My dear and sneaky family even did the same for me- sending a precious little stocking of joy over with my co-leader. It was such a merry little Christmas.

The afternoon was full of skype calls, the whirring of Mike (all aglow) playing with the radio controlled helicopter i gave him, the girls happily rereading their cards from home, and then... me and Mike hitting the kitchen again.

We took on yesterday's unfortunate chicken and soon had him rinsed out, poised in a small glass baking pan ( all of this has to be cooked in a counter top toaster oven) and amply stuffed and surrounded with onions, carrots, butter and garlic. The tiny turkey stand-in went in the oven shortly after noon. By sometime after two (with only a couple bastings in between) the finished product emerged- a far cry from the fowl first seen at the market. The apartment was flooded with homey and delicious smells. In in a tiny kitchen and tiny oven, we pulled off a fantastic Christmas meal at about three o'clock in the afternoon. It was great fun to prepare and everything tasted amazing. We were all so stoked in our happy little Christmas haven all day.

In the evening, friends from the other Maui team came over for spiced cider and a movie...it was a great and cozy and family-like close to our Christmas festivities. Such a blessing from the Lord to all of us. Such a merry little Christmas.

Breakfast- a great start to a merry little Christmas!

Opening stockings:) i am such a great reindeer.

Me and Mike take on the pigeon-esque turkey stand-in ...don't you love our sweaters??!

We cracked ourselves up all day.

Not posed. They really were that excited for the roasted chicken as Mike carved it up at dinner!

The finished product. (Food picture- sorry, Trina.)

You'd maybe have to live on rice and dumplings in Asia for several weeks to appreciate how joyous and welcome this homey feast appeared to us, and how lovely it tasted:)

Yay for our Merry little Christmas!

Pre-Christmas fun (or, More fun at the wet market )

For over a month i have been plotting a cozy Christmas away from home for my team. I even packed stovetop stuffing mix and a can of cranberries in our luggage. But there is still local preparations to make... like acquiring a turkey stand in. In this case, said stand in was to be a chicken. Me and Mike headed to the fresh market- not referred to as "the wet market" for nothing... the floors are always awash in unidentified juices and the run off of frequent hose flushings. While we are at the markets often, its certainly less often that we go to buy a whole chicken (generally we purchase recognizable parts of meat that are lying out pre-cut). Happily, my local friend accompanied us and the chicken acquisition was accomplished rather easily. And by rather easily i mean with a certain amount of yelling and pointing while a lady dug through cages of fluffy white (and truly unfortunate) fowl, dippings and de-featherings, amusing translations, and finally some rather gruesome encounters with a cleaver: "Can you tell her we can do without the head?!". At last we departed with a (still warm) chicken about the size of an overfed pigeon. Haha. Some people's pre-Christmas shopping consists of a visit to the mall and a stop by Starbucks; for others, well, its looks a little bit different.

Ignore the flayed rabbits and try not to notice that she hands you your change in already grimy (and now damp) bills with same hand she gutted your chicken with... yay for fun at the wet market!

studies, friends and teaching

Life is picking up pace a bit, with lots of bible studies to host, friends to meet with, and opportunities to teach and share with both believers and nonbelievers. Its exciting to be a part of all the Lord is doing here, and to see us woven into His plan! Thank you for your prayers- we have been blessed, encouraged, and led though so many open doors already...praise the Lord!

my group...and the greater Maui posse

Just wanted to post a few familiar faces- my little group is just four people... but there is another Maui group here (besides our contacts)...friends and familiar faces. Its great to have a familiar little community in the area and have times of worship together each week.

Maui staff!! Me and the four other Maui staff involved with leading these groups.

The whole posse- me and my co-leader's little group of four...and the other two dozen Maui folks spending part of their trip here!

Its Asia!

Even though the urban city skyline is chic and modern, its still Asia- with a long and old heritage lost under the shiny international city veneer. We took time to recognize that heritage with a morning walk through a park in the city, visiting an old guard tower from the ancient city walls. Sites like this are rare in the city- many historic buildings were traded long ago for the efficiency of an urban center. While in the park, we also played a hacky sack type game with some locals- and bought one of the little shuttlecock type birdies used for the game. We may go play this popular game in parks and campuses to help us make friends and get to know local students. You can pray for me- i am the least coordinated of my group :) Haha. It makes me shy of playing- but i'm working my way into it. Soon it may be too cool outside to play, so I hope we can use this fun way of meeting people in the meantime.