Good news, Tom was able to catch “our” bat and throw him outside, in the net of course. I mean, he literally threw the whole net outside and shut the door. In the morning the bat was gone, at some point during the night, he must have freed himself and flown away. I doubt that he was flying as high as he used to. The whole experience must have been pretty traumatic for him, I know it was for Tom.
Bad news, we have an attic FULL of bats that are just waiting their turn to dive into one of the many holes that lead into our house. We are going to get hooked up with a bat removal man, which is a nice way of saying EXTERMINATOR. We also have to get all of our holes plugged (or whatever you do to little holes) so that more bats don’t move into our attic. But the good news is that they are just fruit bats and only bite sometimes, I personally feel much better about the situation now.
Tom is in Nairobi today, trying to get as much done as he can in the few hours he has there. It is always dangerous to have a list of things you want to accomplish in a short amount of time here. The Africans are on a completely different clock than us Americans; they tend to see no reason to hurry. It will be interesting to see what Tom gets checked off his list. I’m really hoping he is able to find out more about our lost bags, or better yet find them.
The Lord is teaching me patience. Learning is a slow process, it happens a little at a time, one day at a time. I don’t love waiting, I just want to know everything right now. I want to understand and not be confused, I want to have friends like I do at home, I want to have a church community like the one I came from, I want to know my way around and not feel like I’m constantly lost. But that’s not my reality, and as much as I want those things, I need to trust that the Lord is teaching me through this confusion. He has been faithful to give me friends here, to help guide me through this whole process. I need to let go of the wanting and be content with the learning. James 1:2-3 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
3 comments:
Hello Julie! I haven't seen you since you were about two years old and although you may have heard my name, you don't know me at all. Regardless, I enjoyed reading your blog and it sounds like you have a real adventure to look forward to! I also love to cook and thought you might enjoy this recipe for Cuban Beans and Rice. I'm sure you can make modifications based on whatever is available. Good luck!
Ginger Fleishans (formerly Christie)
1 cup brown or white rice, cooked
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (for added flavor you can substitute roasted red bell peppers or some chopped pimentos)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 16-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp white vinegar
A few dashes of Tabasco or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
2 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Sauté onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to soften, then add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the black beans, vinegar and Tabasco or cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Stir in rice and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6.
Hey Ju
Like Mom, I am feeling very computer literate right now. Look at me I'm blogging!! Anyway, I am looking for some recipes that will rock your African world. I did get a good giggle out of seeing Tommy in his batgear! I love that bat hunting falls under "a mans job to do". I know in my house I would some how get stuck with the bat removal responsibility. My honey doesn't even do spiders well. Good job Tommy! I love you...Have a great day. As Jules says, Chin up or down which ever is culturally acceptable.
I love Loobesant's????? comments about bat removal. Since I'm the one who has to remove frogs from the pool I'm probably the one who would have to remove bats from the bedroom. That's why Tommy looked very much the super hero to me. Hurray for the Awesome Net Man!!!!!
Ju, I read your posts this morning to Grandma Sue. She loved them.
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