Thanksgivings and Blessings

Oh how we take things for granted. How often are you thankful for the spin dry cycle on your dryer? How about for electric mixers, maybe even a big Kitchen Aid one?



This morning I began my day doing laundry. Been here a week, and needed to do laundry! You know how you love those big thick, plush towels after your bath....ever think about washing them in a tub on the floor and then wringing them out by hand? I think my next choice might be an older, thinner more worn one. As I wrung out the washed items, my arms ached. What a wimp I am! Finally, got the load on the line and thought I need to be more thankful for some of the things I so take for granted at home. Be thankful for washers and the spin dry cycle:)

Next project of the morning. Making banana bread for the counselors to sample when they come at 14 hours for Prayer & Bible study with Catherine. We thought they could make sweet breads, banana, pumpkin and zucchini, those items are plentiful here. The ladies could bake them and then take them to the markets and sell them. There are just a few things that stand in our way. Some of the ingredients, I haven't been able to find here. The pumpkin would have to be precooked before adding to the bread recipes. Measuring.....we reach in a cupboard or drawer and have wet measuring cups, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, how do they measure?  I am guessing with there hands. So, how do I convert my recipes from 3 cups to 3 handfuls of flour or a teaspoon of salt might equal 1/8 palm of salt? What makes me think a handful would equal a cup, more experimenting.  Be thankful for measuring cups:)


Well, once again I think about what they have or should I say don't have here! I've brought bread pans, but what do they mix in. All I have here is a pot, and that is probably all they have also. I begin to add my ingredients to the pan. This is when the mix master comes to mind, as I start to stir and mix. With each additional ingredient it takes a little more energy. I remember how quickly the lumps disappear under the rapidly turning beaters at home. Not the same, as I stir and stir and still see lumps. The recipe is complete, pans greased and oven converted from Celsius to Fahrenheit. For your information - 350 degrees F is 176 degrees C. I place the bread in the oven and begin to ponder how this will work over the counselors braziers. A brazier is similar to our charcoal grills. It is a round cylinder with holes in it, there is no grill on which to set the pans, they are set right on the coals, nor are there covers to keep the heat baking around the pans. Humm?? How will this work. If the counselors enjoy my offering today, next week Catherine and I will experiment with how the baking can be done.

So before 9 hours, my arms are worn, tired, weak and flabby! The strength of these women blesses me so, how hard they have to work just for the basics of which I so take for granted.


My next thanksgiving comes as I take the finished bread out of the oven. I have to quickly cover it with a clean dish towel, to keep the flies from sitting on it. They loved the smell as it wafted in the air.  It brought them all inside this morning, there are so many, I could say hundreds, and I don't think, I'd be exaggerating much.  I think back to home where we have screens on our windows and doors, and voice a prayer of thanksgiving for them.  I am also very thankful for the flyswatter that Kathy emailed me to bring:)

I go from thansgivings to blessings, the counselors here bless me so much. The ladies have a meeting at 14 hours (2:00) and they begin arriving before 11 hours, saying they want to work on their potholders. Catherine takes her place at the machine, Joyce, Emely and Catherine (from AFM-Klingalinga) take there places on the floor and begin pinning the potholders together. While I am doing a little housekeeping, sweeping and getting ready for the ladies later today. The women begin to sing as they are working! They have the most beautiful harmony, one beginning and leading and the others joining in. I stop and listen and feel glory bumps running up and down my arms. How they praise God with their voices and bless me as I listen in.

OK, so I thought I was blessed earlier, when the ladies were singing.  Has anyone had what I call glory bumps?  They are goose bumps that touch your heart and soul.  I've had them over and over all afternoon.  At 14 hours the counselors that were here began to pray, there were five of them.  One shares a topic for prayer, then they burst into song, and then into prayer over all different areas of the GEMS ministry.  They started out asking God to bind the devil and keep him away from the GEMS Service Center and the GEMS Clubs.  They are all praying out loud, standing with hands upraised, kneeling, on their knees with their faces to the floor begging God for protection.  They continue as more counselors arrive and join in, with each new petition, a new counselor shares it with the others and they sing and pray for those requests.  They pray for the GEMS team!  Double glory bumps!  They pray for the churches who have GEMS clubs, the club cooridnators,  the counselors, the CIT's, the girls, and so much more.  They are praying for well over an hour and a half on behalf of GEMS!  As I sat and listened tears of joy ran down my cheeks.  Oh how I was blessed by their fervant devotion to pray for the ministry.

When they were finished, there were eleven counselors present.  I explained that I had made some banana bread for them to try.  Banana bread?? they ask?  Never have they heard of anything like that.  They said they have heard of banana cake but never a bread. After I serve them,  they are saying "yum,yum" and "yes, yes" they like it very much. 

I explain about micro-financing, that we would supply them with the first batch of ingredients.  When  they have gone to market, and sold the bread, they will have to save money from  the profits, to purchase the next batch of supplies themselves and give 10% back to GEMS, the rest is theirs to keep.  As I finish,  Catherine translates what I have just explained to those who do not speak English as well.  The only word that I recognize is the word tithe.  And the counselors all nod and say "yes, yes, that is how it will be."

Now, I need you all to be praying!  Catherine and I are going to experiment as to how the women  can bake the bread on their braziers.  That is on our schedule for next Tuesday morning.  It is so difficult, everything I think would work, is North American, and not available to them.  Please pray that God shows us a way, for this to happen. I'd hate to disappoint them after seeing such excitement for what they call the program.  Be thankful for your ovens.

Such a day of praise and blessing with thanksgivings.  God is good!  All the time!