Leadership

Recently I found myself saying to Curtis that I wish I could just be a person who follows instead of someone who leads...

Leading is one of the hardest things. Leading in a cross-cultural environment can seem impossible at times.

But it's not, especially with Gsus. More specifically because His ways are higher than our ways.

His way says go lower to be lifted higher. His way says to be first you must be last. His way says serve the least of these. His way says if someone slaps you on one cheek turn the other cheek for them slap also. 

I was able to witness some of these truths in my own work. It was so very hard. But I got through it and did it His way and I am so very satisfied.

All glory to the king who makes it possible for me to work and even thrive in this sometimes foreign environment.

Funk

Sorry to be silent for so long. Things have been busy and when they aren't I feel like there are too many things that I want to write about and can't decide on just one. Sometimes when there are so many things going on, I think "I'll just wait until I have time for a complete update." But I never have time for that and who wants to sit and scroll through endless pictures and a list of things that has happened in the past couple of months. 

I would however like to highlight a few things that happened since I wrote last since they were pretty significant events. 

There was a little event called a 'handover.' Basically the organization that was running our site/center handed the work that they were doing over to the local organization that was already overseeing things there. Because of this, and because our good friends who were running the organization under it's old title have left, as well as a change in leadership, we have been going through tons of changes as an organization and as a team. It's all really wonderful and exciting. It was so very difficult to say goodbye to our closest friends in the city. But we have already seen how much this is Papa's plan and it's good. 

Saying goodbye :(

I've also taken charge of the monthly newsletter that we send out as an organization, so if you want to subscribe for that please let me know. It's a really short and sweet monthly update on the things going on at our site. I will let you know when our website is up and running, I will be involved in the blog and photo updates as well. My involvement in the communications part of the work there may have caused me to lose a bit of interest in updating my personal blog as well, but I hope this doesn't continue to be the case.

Okay here comes the quick part with pictures and just a few quick explanations....

Spring came and went along with some very lovely guests :) 

We got some new furniture from our friends that moved away 

and a new barista at the Cafe

We had an amazing time in the village with these wonderful people

Curtis turned 29!

A successful 'staycation' - essentially a vacation without the vacating part :) 

I started going to the Children's home for children with disabilities once a month 

and I think their smiles are contagious :) 

I'm starting to learn this truth

For now we are at home enjoying this unusually cool, rainy, summer day! 

Virtual Coffee Date

I saw this on one of my favorite blogs and I wanted to try it out. I thought you guys would like it because it’s a bit like a heart to heart talk. Let me know what you think. 

So, if we were having coffee together this morning I would tell you how loved I feel after a week of special events celebrating my 30th birthday. The best part was last night, being surrounded by some of my closest friends, gourmet pizza and funfetti cake. It was the best recipe for funfetti I have ever tried. I especially felt loved when we played “Katina Charades” and the list included: Red Jeans, Coffee, Italy, Ugg Boots, Pizza, California, Christmas movies, Pinterest and Taking Photos. What can I say? I guess I’m not that difficult to understand... 

I’d tell you that one of my favorite things about this culture recently has been the heartfelt toasts that people make for birthdays, weddings and other occasions. It meant so much having some of my closest friends saying special things about me yesterday. It was uplifting and a great reminder of how much I am loved and how much I Papa has done in and through me the past few years. It really made me realize some of the good things that Papa has placed in me and that those things are valued by the people that I am closest to. 

I would tell you about Nowruz and how I start looking forward to this holiday as soon as the Christmas season ends. This holiday brings spring without fail and I am always relieved when winter is over :) The weather has been perfect lately and I am in love with this time of year when the seasons change and vibrant plants and flowers start popping up everywhere! 

I'd tell you that some of my closest friends are leaving the city soon and I couldn't be more grieved about losing them, but I understand that it is completely Papa's doing. I don't really want to think about what it's going to feel like when they aren't here anymore. I am just so thankful that they were here for my birthday. Being with them feels like family and I just don't know how I'm gonna cope without them. Throughout our time here I have thought several times about how I don't know if I'd really have made it without them. But I trust Papa enough to let them go and hope to be able to grieve properly as they get ready to leave. 

I'd tell you that on the up side we have had a great time the last couple of days sitting our friend's two kids. We watched movies, colored eggs and made fun food for them! 

I would tell you that it’s been a great five day holiday, but I am super excited to get back to work and looking forward to some of the visitors that we have coming in the next month. 

Thanks for joining me for coffee this morning :) I hope to do it again sometime. 

Movie of the year

Yes. I do realize that this is not a movie review site. But I write about what I am passionate about and at this moment, that's this movie! You MUST see it!

If you haven't seen it, rent it, NOW! Or buy it! I could watch it over and over. I laughed, I cried, I was super inspired. It is just a reminder that anyone's life can be changed and anyone can be a life changer.

It is a french film about a man who is quadriplegic and he hires a young African man to be his caretaker. Both of them could have been deemed useless by society, but they change each other's lives! Neither of them stereotypes or gives up on the other.

Yes, it is in french and yes there are subtitles, but they are barely noticeable because you are just reading along as you laugh and waiting for the next joke.

There are so many touching and precious moments, but there are even more laugh out loud moments. Seriously guys, you just have to see for yourselves. You may not agree that it's the movie of the year, but I doubt that you will go through the entire film without laughing out loud.

small budget, big taste

No one ever said that you have to spend lots of money to enjoy one of life's most amazing gifts. Food!

We have been experimenting with a much smaller budget lately and I am amazed at how great we continue to eat. Food is one of my favorite things, so it's hard for me to skimp on taste, but you don't have to if you add the right spices and use the right flavor combinations.

The past week or so I was craving soups a lot, probably because it was so cold outside. As a result I tried two recipes that are super easy and I have never made at home before. Why? Because it's so easy to buy canned soups or cartons of soup at Trader Joe's.

So this post may not be very helpful to those of you who have that option. But to those who don't or who want something a little less artificial/processed. Here you are :)

Tomato Soup:
Serves 4 small bowls of soup

5-8 medium tomatoes (mine were overripe)
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup water + 1 vegetable bullion cube (or 1 cup vegetable broth) 
1 cup milk
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper

Cook onion until soft with 1-2tbs olive oil, add garlic, add tomatoes, add tomato paste, add broth or water & spices, add milk. Cook until it's boiling, simmer about 10 minutes or more. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. 

Delicious tomato soup! The perfect companion of a grilled cheese sandwich :) 

Veggie Noodle Soup:  I was craving chicken noodle, but didn't have any chicken
Serves 4 small bowls of soup

1 large onion
2 medium potatoes
2 large carrots
1 cup of broccoli
2 cups water + 1 chicken bullion cube (or 2 cups chicken broth) 
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
1 big handful of rice noodles

Cook onion until soft with 1-2tbs olive oil, add garlic, add potatoes & Carrots, add broth or water & spices, add broccoli. Cook until veggies are soft, then add rice noodles and cook about 10 mins until rice noodles are soft. 



We may not have had chicken we did however have toast! Our friends who are moving away ;( sold us their old toaster and we have already put it to good use. 

Our dinner was complete with a delicious salad made with these amazing cherry tomatoes that I stumbled upon. I can't remember the last time I ate cherry tomatoes. These were amazing and crunchy and perfect! So much so that I went back and got some more the next day! 

They only cost about $1 a pound or $2.50 a kilo. 

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

serving size: enough for 2 salads

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic

Tip: This dressing tastes really great over crushed hazelnuts or almonds :) 

Dinner is served!

These recipes may be simple, but they are delicious and easy. I guess I'm still learning how to eat well here.

The food is different. But I like that it forces us to try making things on our own rather than always buying the packaged version of everything.

I don't know if I will ever go back to buying pre-made items such as soups or salad dressings and I can definitely taste the difference now between a box mix and homemade pancakes. Although I still don't mind a good Betty Crocker box of brownies every once in a while.

I can't wait to share what I learn from my newest cookbook, also something I purchased from my friend. 

But that's for another day :) For now I gotta enjoy the sunshine that finally decided to show it's face again! I'll be saving these soup recipes for the next rainy day.