Over the top fried rice

It's been awhile since I've posted anything about food. Fried rice (or what I have to call American fried rice living with Asians) has been my go-to dinner when I can't think of something better. However, tonight I decided to throw in a little of everything that I had. It's amazing! The flavors that are being processed by my taste buds at the moment are so rich and just about perfect :)

Take in the goodness will you... give yourself a few minutes to enjoy :)

So nummy I may just got back for my third bowl right about now!

Ingredients/Recipe:

1) Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2) Dice up: 

    1 small carrot

    1/4 of a medium onion

    1/4 of a bell pepper

    2 small potatoes

    2 green onions       ....and fry it up together in the oil combination

3) Cook 1/2 - 3/4 cup rice in separate pan

4) Once the veggies have gotten some color add 2 strips of cut up uncooked bacon

5) Stir occasionally so the bacon and potatoes get cooked on all sides

6) Once the bacon is cooked add 1 egg and stir until fried

7) Add the cooked rice to the fried veggie mixture and add 3 tablespoons soy sauce

8) Stir until all the rice is coated

9) Cut up 1/2 of a ripe avocado and a few uncooked green onions for toppings

10) satisfy your taste buds!

So instead of the third bowl of fried rice I remembered dessert. 

Behold...vanilla ice cream with a salted caramel sauce (thanks Amanda!)

This is the way... Isaiah 30:21

To walk along the path of freedom, you must keep your mind firmly fixed on Me. Many voices proclaim: “This is the way for you to go,” but only My voice tells you the true way. If you follow the way of the world with all its glitter and glamour, you will descend deeper and deeper into an abyss. Christian voices also can lead you astray: “Do this!” “Don’t do that!” “Pray this way!” “Don’t pray that way!” If you listen to all those voices, you will become increasingly confused.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” —I SAIAH 30: 21

Young, Sarah (2004-10-12). Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (p. 336). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. 

Obviously not the first time someone has tried to hear which way to go.

I'm confused! It's officially six weeks since I said goodbye in person to all my people at the coast and have been missing them like crazy ever since. Besides talking to my best friend from the village everyday, I get a call from at least one other village friend a day. These people love me, they care about me, they desire for me to keep up my kiswahili and giriama. They ask how they can be praying for me, and often they do over the phone! I can't begin to tell you how loved I feel by those that I can't be with in person and how much those simple phone calls mean to me. They care, they don't want anything from me, other than to share this life with them. How cool is that??

So each time I talk with them I get to update them on what's going on. This door is opening so we're praying about that right now. A few days later, that door closed, we're praying about another door. A few hours later, that door shut too, can you just pray that I would focus on God and let all the pieces fall into place when God so desires. At this point I often hear the inevitable question, "why don't you just come back?" *heart breaking again* ...it's the question everyone there asks and up until a few days ago I wasn't sure how to answer it. God finally gave me that answer.

"I absolutely loved getting to live alongside you, eat your food, hang out at your house, work in your shamba(farm), attempt to teach your parents English, worship the Lord together, mourn together, celebrate together, and everything else we got to do. But as far as ministry goes, you are filled with the same Holy Spirit that is within me. That means you have the same power I do to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well as share God's truth with those around you who don't know Him yet. My prayer is everything we talked about, whether it be living in the Spirit, being a good friend, loving your husband well, serving with arms wide open, caring for your brothers and sisters, whatever you want to take away from my time there, don't waste it! You do it, you be me. Don't be scared. You can do this and I'm praying for you every step of the way!"

So what about what's next? I get that question here in Nairobi a lot! And I can imagine those back home may be wondering the same question. Can I just tell you, our God has no time limit! And I'm sure other people are just as frustrated as I am when I say, "I don't know". I don't know what's next, I continue to try to walk through doors and lately God has been slamming them in my face (or at least that's how it feels). But over the last couple weeks He has shown me what He has called me to do, live in a rural area where the gospel hasn't been before. Whether that is here in Kenya or somewhere else in this world I don't know right now. But can I ask you to pray with me? Pray that I would keep my mind fixed on Him as much as possible and that I would hear that voice behind me when He answers and be willing to obey it.

It's scary. Who knows what He may ask me to do next, but its also part of the adventure of being a Christian. Constantly laying down my own life, my own plans, my own desires and taking up His Cross and following Him.

Prayer points:
- Keep my mind fixed on Him
- Be patient but willing to hear that voice behind me
- Healing of my heart. I still cry a lot, I'm still mad, and sleep hasn't been easy these days.

Prayer for Samuel

Taken November 2012

Can I ask you to pray for sweet Samuel. He is one of 32 kids in one family. He was the oldest student in our school because his family struggled to pay school fees. He became one of the students we supported and will be finishing KG3 (last class in nursery school) this year and entering into Class 1 (primary school) in January. Over the last year he was often in my class because he couldn't behave himself in his own class. We've had many talks, me encouraging him that he is able to sit down, do his work and do it well. I've worked with him often on learning to read and loved to see this smile when we correctly sounded out the word we had been struggling with. 

Taken August 2013

He struggles mostly because he wants attention and receives it most when he makes poor choices. Since leaving the village I have talked on the phone to him a few times when his teacher wanted to send him home. I challenged him as I had before that I didn't think he could do his work and do it well. The texts are always the same, "thanks for talking to Samuel he did so much better after talking to you." He attends church on a weekly basis and is often times around the church compound because it is a safe place. 

Taken March 2014

Shortly after leaving the village I got word that he was really struggling at home and his mom was wanting to give up. Competing with 31 other kids isn't easy and he falls fairly close to the middle. He has been on my heart so much lately and since I can't be there physical may our hearts join together for him. Pray for his home situation, school fees, and that he would come to trust in Jesus for salvation.