For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2.15 You've all experienced it if you've been outside for any reason at the moment: you're running along, or walking to the supermarket, and someone comes around the corner on to the same path you're on and they're coming towards you. Either you or they cross the road - maybe the streets by you are so empty like they are by me that you run in the road. Maybe you try to smile, to imitate some kind of friendliness, but we each - and rightly so right now - are avoiding each other like we stink.
I'm not saying don't do this. Stick to government advice: stay at least 2m from anyone when you're out for your necessary trips. But it was an experience like this that made one of my church pastors think of this Bible verse for today's LOOK UP IN LOCKDOWN post. And I wonder if there are ways, right now, that our "aromas", our presence (physical, virtual, in a letter or card, or a gift ordered online), could be as the pleasing aroma of Christ is to God. Something that when it is received, it is loved and wanted and good. I baked ginger parkin the other day (today is the 3rd day since, so we finally get to eat it), from my grandad's recipe. And the smell, even just as I mixed up the mixture, was amazing! I'm not sure I can even describe it! It filled me with a warmth, and a want, and a thankfulness! Can my actions, thoughts, words, deeds bring that to someone after, but also during, this lockdown time? In my pastor's words: 'How to encourage that to happen in each of us is worth pondering.' As always: Stay safe, and take care!
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It's taken me a while to get a morning cuppa routine going... but here it is! For a start I didn't have a kettle - and then my hobs ran out of gas (in fairness, to solve that one all I need to do is ask; but the faff!) - and then even just finding NORMAL tea! People don't really drink tea here. The locals certainly don't and then most of the tourism comes from the States and Canada, where they don't really drink it much either (I KNEW they were CRAZY for some reason!!!). And then there's the milk issue, which I think I've mentioned before, and me not wanting to ruin the beautiful beverage by dolloping in UHT! But... needs must! {I don't think I've ever written that saying; is that how you'd write it?} So I braved the milk; and my good friend Claire lent me a kettle; and she sourced me some English Breakfast tea bags - and THIS is the result! Oh that first sip. When it's still too hot to really drink but ohhh, it tastes so good! I mean, it's not the same as a cup of tea I'd have made in England, but it was close enough to still be heavenly! I know most people will look at that photo, and think I couldn't possibly care about the actual flavour of tea if I have it that pale; but I have come to the conclusion that I just have sensitive taste-buds, and I CAN taste it, and I LOVE it! Started the Sunday RIGHT! Now off to get ready for church!!! :-D Anyone ever had condensed soup before? I didn't even know there was such a thing! But there is, and I had it last night!
I have to admit, as it all glooped out of the tin, and I poured the UHT (milk that's not worthy to be called milk! ;-P) in I did wonder if I'd be able to eat it. But, after stirring for about 10 minutes and finally deciding the heat might help the two substances merge in a more... consistent way, I heated it up and it wasn't actually too bad! Could possibly do with a bit of sugar, as it was quite bitter, but it was warm, faintly tomato flavoured and alongside the nice soft bread I had, filled me up good and proper! And that's all you really need in a meal anyway! :-) Team #1 left today and should currently be flying somewhere over the ocean! It was sad to see them leave as they're all such lovely people whom I have really enjoyed being with for the last 2 weeks! And there are many people here who will not forget the "gringos" (not in any way derogatory here!) they've spent various points in the last 14 days meeting and playing with! Hope the flight was nice guys and that you can all sleep off the time difference in one fell swoop (who knew it was "fell" and not "fowl", or even "foul"?! :-O)! But that goodbye did also mean that it was time to say hello to the apartment! I've spent my time in the country so far in a beautiful, all-inclusive hotel resort beside the sea with the team, but from now on, I've got an apartment in Sosua! IT'S LIKE I'M A PROPER ADULT!!! :-O :-D I've got one fairly good-sized room with a double-bed at one end, a little table with 2 chairs next to it, and then a breakfast bar, sink, microwave and 4 hobs (2 up from uni!!!) at the other end, with a sofa going down one wall. Then coming off from that there's a little bathroom with a shower, a toilet, a sink and a mirrored cabinet, and a kind of little wardrobe-cupboard-room with a rail and some wooden shelves! I LOVE IT! It's like my own little home! Hahaha! :-D Though now getting used to the non-all-inclusive aspect; my dinner tonight was a macaroni cheese 'just add water' pot with some French Onion crips (don't worry Dad, what little onion extract is present in the crisps wasn't actually sourced in France! ;-P) and my trusty water, of which I have a whole cold dispenser of actual drinking water all to myself! In fairness, it was only a brief trip to the supermarket on the way back from the airport and I haven't yet checked with Claire what out of the fresh produce it's safe to eat! For example, cows' milk here is a no-go because it's not pasteurised... (the saddest feature of my life for the next few months!!! I really love cows' milk! Especially with a little dash of Strawberry Crusha!!! :-D) However, I did ask Claire about the yogurt, and that's good, so I got a big bottle of strawberry! :-D It's not quite as sweet as ours, but it's good and I enjoyed it very much for my pudding today! Also, check out the name below, read that and then say 'yogurt' as if you're American - see what they did there?! ;-D Hahaha!
Mmmm. Today we had our touristy day and went to the garden of this REALLY cool guy called Rudy! And after having a tour around said garden (with 12 different types of banana, snakes, a peacock and AN ALLIGATOR! - amongst other things) and down the river where we could jump off the boat he made and swim around, he and his family had made for us the MOST wonderful Dominican meal! It was chicken (a leg and HUGE thigh each!), which had been spit-roasted above an open fire for a VERY long time! I couldn't tell the seasonings which had gone into it but there was definitely a lemon-y flavour and some kind of almost garlic...! I'll try and remember to ask him next time (CAN'T WAIT TO GO AGAIN WITH THE NEXT TEAM!!!). Then on the side was beautifully cooked rice and beans (the MOST classic dish here!) in a mountain with some potato salad (from which I fished out the bits of potato and left) in a hollowed out top! There were also banana chips, which weren't actually that bad - I ate about half of them, and for someone who doesn't eat ANY chips/potatoes/etc. that's good going! Oh and a dressed salad as a starter. Oh wait, and how could I forget: we had a yucca croquette (thank goodness for Google in the spelling of that!) as well!!! Yucca is one of the many vergetables Rudy was growing in his garden and I don't really know what I can compare it to... We had it covered in dry breadcrumbs and then fried, so the outside was really crunchy and the inside was somewhat soft almost like a slightly more sturdy version of a purée! Previously, Claire had told me about chicken croquettes, which are basically the bits of a chicken you wouldn't eat if they were laid out in front of you, in this fried breadcrumb surrounding. Only she'd said it was "chicken lips". So when she said we were having yucca croquettes today I shouted out, "It's yucca lips!", before coming to discover what yucca is, and also realising that chickens don't have lips...! Ooops! ;-D So I know NOTHING about food (not sure why I thought a food review would work!), but I do know that that was DELICIOUS!!! Everything just had so much flavour and so much variation! Something that seems to be true for most things in this country - I am so blessed to be here in this beautiful country God has made among these beautiful people whom he loves! I can't wait to go back and experience more of this rich culture again with the next team!!! :-D |
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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