the kitchen or the keyboard

More than once a day I choose between the kitchen and the keyboard. Between distraction and production. Between one world and another.
I've been reading recently on a mom blog ( http://moreformissionarymoms.blogspot.com )about  how living in a second culture requires a certain amount of detaching from your first culture. All while creating that all important third culture for your family. I've been doing that for the last 2 years & it's a whole other post but lately I'm feeling like I'm taking a guess at each one and leaving each undone at the end of the day.
The blog is silent, the ants are winning, and I've no energy to read the requested pile of story books on my 4yo's bed.

It's easy to think my husband should be the one pouring out his heart for ministry and sharing culture stories here. What he has to say would, it seems, be much more interesting. Mental knowledge that my call in the 'kitchen' mission field is just as vital as his isn't enough. Knowing it and showing it in my attitudes & words are two very different things.

That's a hard perspective for me when I'm simultaneously coaching subtraction with regrouping, breastfeeding, trying to savor my one-cup-a-day coffee, hearing someone in the fridge (big deal when the light is off & leaving it closed means the food won't spoil), hearing someone banging on the gate, & telling my dear 4yo daughter I really do want to come see her tree climbing feat...and I will...soon. Today I got it right. Subtraction finished with a better spirit in the afternoon, I got to the gate before the veggie lady, Grace, gave up on me, the fridge-stalker settled for a banana, and the tree-climber performed her stunt later for me with no broken bones or bark brush burns. And Leila has grown to almost 10 lbs. Good evidence any chaos around here isn't distracting her from what she needs. ;)

This week I has the opportunity to support Jon in a more visible way. Once during the 10 week term, the students gather for an evening of fun. This week we planned a movie night with a meal of fried rice with salad, pineapple, and popcorn. I planned for about 11 adults, making what seemed like a huge batch of fried rice with fresh red pepper, ginger, garlic, veggies, beef, & egg. I always have ingredients to chop since eat almost all fresh local veggies but this was a few more than normal.
(Frozen and canned are available for higher price and are usually of lower quality. Though it means the variety is less, we adjusted to staples of carrot, cucumber, green pepper, cabbage, tomato, lettuce & a type of green bean. Occasionally, eggplant, squash & cauliflower can be found as well.)

Since finding bus transport after dark takes longer, we covered the classroom windows for an early movie showing that would allow everyone to get home in good time. Right now one student is using the dorm and the farthest student comes from Adeiso. It seems word got out about the fun night. A few more showed up than expected including workers, children & one random church member who no doubt smelled the rice from the village. :)

As is the custom, the cook serves. I was paranoid I was giving them the wrong amount. Too little, since they like a rather large serving of rice( - it isn't a ball of starch as banku or fufu) or too much since it was made by an obruni- what if they didn't like it? Call me paranoid but a guest did spit out a cookie at my table once because it was too sweet. I was also praying it would reach all the extra bowls I needed to fill.

I'm thankful to say it reached with just enough to spare that one student asked to take the remaining for his son at home. So I think the quality was okay and God made sure the quantity reached. By movie end, all the food was finished.

If you've ever watched Flywheel, you can guess their favorite part. When the car dealer returns the overcharged money to the customers, one happens to be a lovely African American. They laughed and hooted at all her reactions. They understood her. I could only imagine what they were thinking when the main character and his wife are crying out to God. Um. Quietly, with a few tears & prayers. Pretty sure our students thought that was the worst acting they ever saw. Who repents like that?!

In this place where relationships take priority to schedules & personal interests, we see the value in this time spent together. It's lesson we are still learning and want so much to never neglect. And I was  thankful my kitchen missionfield got a work out.

At the end of the night, the food had been okay, the movie was fine.
 It was the people that were great.