Roadside Roasted Corn

The Corn Crops in Tanzania are one of the most common sights that you will see during the growing season. Everyone, Everywhere, is growing corn. The most popular way that corn is eaten is through Ugali. The dry corn seed is ground into a corn meal, and then cooked into a hard dough and eaten in the form of Ugali.

Another popular way to eat the corn is is by roasting the corn on the cob. Here are some pictures of a man roasting corn on the roadside. Even after many years of living in Tanzania, I was hesitant to eat corn in this way. I wasn't afraid of the taste but of getting sick. You see this corn is usually always cooked on the side of the road so that the people walking by will have easy access in buying it. If you stand along side a road in Tanzania, you will probably soon be covered with dust, and vehicle exhaust fumes. During the dry season you can see the dust fly up in the air and then land on everything... including the corn roasting along the roadside. Regardless of this fact, I have been curious of what this corn taste like. One day a friend gave us some of the roasted corn. Out of politeness, I put the vision of dust and smoke out of my head and took a bite. To my surprise it was really bad at all. It didn't have a dirt or smoke taste at all. I was pretty bland, hard and crunchy. It tasted nothing like the soft, sweet, taste of corn on cob in America. The kids quickly wanted some, and They Loved It. It is funny what you get use to after living here for a while. Not long after this experience I found myself driving by a roadside corn stand and I was wanting to stop and get some. I thought to myself, "It is hard, bland, and probably dirty, Why are wanting to eat that?" And then I actually answered myself. (Yes, I know, kind of scary that I not only talk to myself, but answer myself) Anyways, I thought,"Well, because it is good, and I like it." Soooo the kids and I pulled the car over and I bought everyone some roadside roasted corn...And it was Good regardless of what I told myself.

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Our Favorite Picnic Spot

Sometimes we like to go out as a family and explore new areas around where we live. One day on one of our exploring trips, we found this place. It is not too far of a drive past the road where you turn onto to go to the church building. This river is the Ruaha River, which is said to be about 300 miles long. In the less populated areas of the River there are crocodiles and hippos. This particular section didn't have these types of animals, but it did have some interesting birds.

 

The water from this river is often used by many people for their everyday water needs.
While we were on our picnic we saw several people coming to the river to collect water in their buckets. Most of these were kids whose daily chore was to collect the water from the river and bring the Heavy buckets back home. They take the water back to their homes for cooking, bathing, washing clothes, etc.








We have only been here once, but I want to go again soon. It even has a perfect sitting rock that we spread our blanket on.

 

A little back from the river was some really large, and smooth rocks. These were perfect for the kids to climb on. This was almost as good as a McDonald's playground. Okay maybe not, but the kids had a blast.

 This particular picnic day was filled with the warm sun and perfect breeze. It had the sound of running water, kids laughing and playing, and the feeling of family fun.

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This Baboon Wants My Camera

This Baboon Wants My Camera

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Aubrie and the Bat

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The Talking Trash Can at Taco Bell

One day I was having lunch at Taco Bell and I went to throw my trash away into the designated trash bin and The Trash Can said, "Thank You." Yes, the trash can had talked.

I couldn't believe it ! Not that the trash can talked, but the fact that someone put that much time and money into making a trash can say "Thank You". For some reason or another it really, really make me question what was important in my life. What was I doing with My time and money?

My husband and I agreed that we should be doing more for God with our time and money, so we decided to save up and take a short term missionary trip to Tanzania, Africa. During our time in Tanzania I didn't see starving children, or hundreds of homeless people, as T.V. sometimes depicts of Africa, but we did see people without some of the basic things that American use every day. We saw people without running water, indoor toilets, no electricity, or cooking appliances, etc. We noticed that without even these basic things, that an American would call necessity, the people were happy, humble, and hospitable. The best part about Tanzania was that you could openly talk to people with a religious conversation. There was nothing uncomfortable about discussing God or His teachings. This trip really helped us see the more important things in life.

We realized that life wasn't all about working just to buy and collect things that didn't really matter. I personally knew that I wanted to stop working and be a better help meet to my husband. I wanted to help him to do more of what he truly wanted to do. He wanted to be a better servant to God through teaching others the Bible. We both wanted to live in a place where it wasn't uncomfortable to talk about God.

So fast forward, 7 years later. We have been working in Tanzania, Africa for over 4 years. We are working as a team together, striving to Glorify God, and we are remembering the more important things in life. 

Thanks for the reminder Mr. Talking Trash Can.

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Travel To Tanzania

Visiting us in Tanzania.

One of the first things that may come to your mind when you think of Traveling to Tanzania,  is the fact that it is on the other side of the world. So, so, far away. This is true, but it isn't as crazy as it sounds. Most people get discouraged at the thought of even trying to make a trip like that. I have heard," Oh I would have to get a passport or get shots, I couldn't do all that." If you just plan ahead and take it step by step, it really isn't that bad. When we travel back to America our next furlough, (Lord Willing) we will be traveling with 2 adults, and 4 kids. Their ages; 6, 5, 3, and 1. So trust me when I say that if I can do it, anyone can. If you are single or retired, and have the time to spend, then why not spend your time doing something that will change your life forever. There is just something about Tanzania that gets into peoples hearts and stays.

Just think about it. :-)

Bonnie

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Confessions of a Missionary Mom... Part 1

 
... I feel Guilty !

I think that all moms go through guilt trips during their parenting years. Some feel guilty because they don't spend enough time with the kids, some may feel guilty because there kids eat too much fast food. Take your pick. I think that as women, it is in us to apply self guilt and try to make ourselves feel bad. Well as a mom in the mission field you still feel guilty but in different ways. For example...

~ I feel bad because my kids don't eat the crust on their toast, and I know that there are probably some kids in the neighborhood that may only get one meal a day. But I don't want to force my kids to eat the crust, since I don't like to eat it. And I don't want to just eat it because of guilt.

~ I feel guilty because my kids play with toys that we have bought from the local market that are usually half broken, or torn, or stuffed with trash. The toys are usually Goodwill rejects that are sent here from the U.S. or UK.  But then I feel worse because their rooms are filled with toys and they have so much more than other children here.

~ I feel bad because my kids get so excited to eat yogurt, raisins, crackers, or cereal. We usually just have these as a special treat. They don't eat a lot of candy or cookies. I would love more "junk food" but it has to be imported and it is just too expensive.

~ I fell guilty that I am exposing my kids to more health risk factors, and get so stressed out when one of them starts running a fever. I hate having to take them to the clinic for a finger prick to see if they have malaria. I just wish that I could say, "Oh it's just a virus". Instead I have to wonder... malaria, typhoid, polio, bacteria, or virus. ??? The list goes on for stomach problems.

~ I feel bad that I have to be careful with the kids and the water. I have to make sure they are not drinking the bath water or brushing their teeth from the faucet.

BUT THEN...

I remind myself that we are not completely Tanzanian, but we don't live in America either. There is a balance, and it's finding that balance that keeps you going.

~ Yes, there are hungry kids in Tanzania, but we help just about every one of them that we see that truly needs help.

~ We do give away lots of toys. If the kids get a new toy then they have to give at least 1 toy away.

~ I remind myself that not having junk food is a good thing. Even if I really miss it. And that it is a good thing that they appreciate little things like crackers and cereal.

~ I think back at the times when the kids have been sick and remember that the sickest they have ever been, was when we were visiting America. And I read other parents facebook post and see that their kids seem to get sick more often than mine do.

~ And when it comes to the drinking water... I guess I don't mind so much that my kids see clean drinking water a luxury. It helps them to think outside of the box, and shows them how many people in the world actually live.

So yes, I feel guilty as times, but there is a balance. There can be two views to one situation, and I like to try to choose the positive side of things. I think this is important for all moms. Sometimes this guilt helps us to strive to be a better mom, or it keeps us from being insensitive to the need of others. The trick is to channel our thoughts. When we let our negative thoughts bring us down, we are not doing ourselves, or our families any good. We all need to stay positive.
A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine. Proverbs 17:22

P.S.
There is something that I do feel guilty about that I just can't get over. Maybe you can help....
This week I was being brave and tasting a Tanzanian delicacy....roasted grasshoppers. Well, it was dinner time and the kids were hungry.... and before I knew it, they had their hand in the bowl... chowing down... by the hand full. They just kept eating them like chips. Now if I was an American mom, I would be totally grossed out, and accuse myself of child abuse... but if I was a Tanzanian mom, I would be proud that I could share such a special treat with my kids... Soooo, I am not sure yet how I should handle this one. :-) Any Ideas ?

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Kids Are Kids

Have you ever noticed that kids are just kids. They can have fun with just about anything. Some of the greatest memories of my childhood are the things that I did, just being silly. I want my children to grow up with similar memories, of just having fun and playing outdoors. I remember catching fireflies, making mud pies, swimming, playing in the woods, and jumping on the trampoline. No matter where we live in the world, I want my kids to just grow up just being kids.

So for those of you who may be curious as to how our kids can be kids in Tanzania, here are some pictures.

 

Riding the neighborhood Donkey

Making Mud Pies

Playing Ball

                

                                                       Rock Climbing

Face Painting

Catching Grasshoppers

 Splashing in Mud Puddles

Playing in the Rain on a Warm Day

Playing with Sticks

Picking Wild Berries, and Eating Them

And Just Having the Chance to Run Around and Be Kids

I encourage mom's everywhere to not let your kids grow up to fast. Don't let others pressure you into thinking that your young children should be acting "grown up" by a certain age. There is a time for school, and there is a time for chores, but there is also a time to
Have fun and Make Memories !!!

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Homemade Hot Sauce

My Husband Is Awesome !!!

One of the things that we miss about America is the Mexican Food. We Love hot sauce, and chips. Well this week my hubby made some homemade hot sauce, and Canned it. It was even nice enough to make some mild, and some hot. He likes it Hot ! The Gee Family in Arusha previously gave us the canning supplies and we finally put it to use. The canning part is nice because it preserves the sauce for a long shelf life. We also had homemade tortilla chips with it. Yumm!!!

I couldn't help but think about the people in the nearby villages, and how helpful the canning process would be for them. Their selection of fresh fruits or vegetables is very limited. For those living in town, there is the central market, with a wide variety of foods. The problem with canning is that Tanzania doesn't have the jars and lids for this type of work. To actually can, all it takes is a fire, pot taller than the jars, and water. The trick is having the water boiling a few inches above the jars.

We have killed our own chickens, butchered pigs, kept a garden, and now canning, sometimes I really do feel like Little House on the Prairie.

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