God's mysterious ways

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They say that God works in mysterious ways.


And I, for one, am always trying to figure out why He does what He does. And Romans 8:28 says that, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."


All things. 


So even though I know I will never fully understand why God does what He does, because His ways are higher than mine, I like to try to see ways that He has used situations  for good.


Most of the time, I don't understand the "why" of the situation, nor do I see how God has worked all things for the good.


But I think sometimes He allows us to see the way He works, and allows us to see that he is weaving every detail of life's happenings. 


So, God gave me such a peek.


The plan was for our team to stay in the same apartment where we have stayed this past year. Suddenly, the landlords decided to raise rent by 50% which threw everyone all in a tither. We started looking for other apartments and housing options.  I asked several people to be praying for this situation, including a pastor at a local church, who offered space in the church where our team could stay until they found a place.


Later, the landlords lowered the price again, resulting in our team being able to stay here as planned, thank the Lord!!!


And here it gets even cooler....today at church we met a missionary family who is staying for some time in Lima. Come to find out, they are also Venezuelan and missionaries in another part of Peru...and they needed a place to stay during their stay in Lima. And, since the church had prepared rooms for our team to stay in (which they ended up not needing), the church already had an area prepared for this family to stay!! And so if the landlords wouldn't have decided to raise the rent, we wouldn't have emailed the pastor, and the church wouldn't have had a room prepared for this family to stay in!


And, (small world) this family actually knows our team because they met over a decade ago! 


And so we invited them over tonight for arepas. 


I love when He allows me to see how He has used unfortunate situations for the good. I think He lets me see how He works through the details to remind me that He is so in control of the big picture as well.

Airport, Arepas, and Pink Toenails

Since our team arrived on Monday night, the days have been flying by! We are so thankful for this time that we have to catch up because sometimes you need to be in person and not just skype.

Here are a few notes/highlights-

Learning. David and I are like two students, and each conversation is like a class or seminar. We so value all the experience that Braulio, Jackie, and Beatriz have- from mission work to life in general. David and I are also brimming over with questions about the Yukpa culture and language and are trying to get as much info as we can.

Jackie. Jackie continues to be an inspiration to everyone she meets and continues to bless us with her strength and wisdom. Despite losing her right arm, she has not complained once, and has definitely not lost sight of her goals or vision.

Arepas. We told our team to bring lots of "Harina Pan", which is the corn-based mix used to make "Arepas", which is the staple of Venezuelan food, and they definitely did! We have also had arepas for breakfast a few days which has been a nice surprise after a year without arepas! Click here for more arepa info :) 

Emily. Emily has been my sidekick these past few days. While everyone else has been going out in the mornings to run errands, Emily has stayed here with me to "help make lunch and so I wouldn't be here all by myself". We've also been reading a lot of stories and painting fingernails. 

Music that you need to listen to

Hi everyone!!!

I am thankful to announce that our team arrived Monday night and the days are flying by!!! I have more posts and pictures coming soon....

but for now, I want to share this link. I met Amy in college... we were in the same freshman Bible study!! She is not only a great friend, but an awesome singer/songwriter/guitarist and she is doing some shows and on the brink of being famous. She is so talented! So yeah, click here to go to her page where you can hear her music!!!

And stay tuned :)

Lima Catchup Pictures #4- Graduation!

And now for the last-but-not-least post in the Lima Catchup Series!!! A few from our end-of-semester dinner.....

and GRADUATION!!!

And I am pleased to announce that tomorrow night our team flies into Lima!!! We are so excited to see them and catch up and talk ministry plans!! Lots of exciting things! And there will also be lots of laughter- Braulio is a definite prankster!

So stay tuned this week for updates and pictures!

And please pray for their safe travel and God's blessings as they transition from life in Venezuela to life in Lima!!

Lima Catchup Pictures #3- My favorite spot in Lima

Barranco definitely wins the prize for my favorite place in Lima. It has an artsy, slightly-hippie feel and reminded me a little bit of the Carrboro and Asheville areas of NC. We went there the Saturday after our last day of class and it was such a nice day to walk around and spend time with our classmates before everyone parted ways.

There was lots of colorful "artesania" for sale. 

I want to paint this picture.

And one last shot that one of our friends took of us as we were looking at that beautiful sunset.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures... and if you ever go to Lima, make sure you go to Barranco!

Lima Catchup Pictures #2- Field Trip to Huaraz

Today I'm going to post pictures from our trip to Huaraz. All the students went to Huaraz, a city north of Lima, to practice the Quechua language that we had been learning during the semester. There are linguists/missionaries involved in literacy projects and a Bible translation project in the area (translating the Bible into the Quechua language), so it was a blessing for us to see a real life example of such projects. Below is a picture of the room where the Bible Translation process takes place, being led by a linguist and several different native Quechua speakers.

One thing that really caught my attention in the city was the diversity. Since it is a very touristy city, there were people from all over the world. At the same time, there were tons of Quechua women easily spotted in their colorful clothing, paired with a hat and skirt as seen below in #1. 

We met a Quecha lady selling a local fruit. You peel the outside and eat the white, cotton-like seed covering on the inside (#2).

 We met Quechua people who worked in the literacy project. This lady (#3) worked with the kids and is showing off some pictures used to teach kids about the culture in Bible times. She is also showing some puppets used with the kids, which I loved because they had they also were in typical Quechua clothing!

We visited Quecha communities outside the city. David's group visited a pre-school. Thankfully the teacher understands the importance of teaching in the kids’ native language- a dialect of Quechua. Studies show that children learn better when they are taught in their native language. This seems like common sense to 

us, but unfortunately many indigenous people around the world are forced to attend schools that use a 

language which is unfamiliar to them. Very early dropout rates are often the result. This year we have 

learned not only how important it is for the Yukpa people to have the Bible in their own language, but 

also the need of a variety of materials to read and education in general in their mother tongue.

The view was breathtaking. People actually go there to climb those mountains, which I still can't believe. I had a hard enough time breathing [due to the high elevation] without trying to climb any mountains. Thank goodness for coca tea, made from coca leaves, which contrary to popular belief is not a drug, but a great natural remedy for altitude sickness!

And a few final shots, 

#1- A pretty mosaic on the street, 

#2- A sign with a word in Quechua [warmi] which means "woman." Ironically, despite the strong presence of Quechua people in Huaraz, this was the only sign we saw with words in Quechua....and it also had a word in English (shop). Everything else was in Spanish, which is the national language. One of the reasons why indigenous languages in Latin America are disappearing is because younger generations prefer to speak the language of "prestige"- Spanish.

#3- It wouldn't have been a trip to Huaraz if we didn't have our pictures taken with the llamas!

Longing to reach the peaks

     The following exerpt is from the book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. These words and verses were a great reminder to me this morning, and I hope they speak truth into your life as well!


      "I AM LEADING YOU ALONG THE HIGH ROAD, but there are descents as well as ascents. In the distance you see snow-covered peaks glistening in brilliant sunlight. Your longing to reach those peaks is good, but you must not take shortcuts. Your assignment is to follow Me, allowing Me to direct your path. Let the heights beckon you onward, but stay close to Me.
     Learn to trust Me when things go "wrong." Disruptions to your routime highlight your dependence on Me. Trusting acceptance of trials brings blessings that far outweigh them all Walk hand in hand with Me through this day. I have lovingly planned every inch of the way. Trust does not falter when the path becomes rocky and steep. Breathe deep draughts of My Presence, and hold tightly to My hand. Together we can make it!


Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" John 21:19

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17"

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:19

Lima Catchup Pictures #1- The importance of a good mentor

Two weeks exactly until we head back to Venezuela.

Part of me screams, "Finally!!!!!!!!!" We are so excited for the rest of our team to get here, so we can catch up and show them around Lima! And we are also so ready to be back in Venezuela, visit with David's family and our friends, eat Venzuelan food [which is way better than Peruvian food in my humble opinion], and mostly to get started with our ministry. To begin to put all that we have learned into practice. Which is a very very overwhelming task. But we are eager to get started. We are also eager to be back with the Yukpa people and begin learning their language in person and continue to get to know them. And then, Lord-willing, we will be in the States to continue studying. International moves are not easy, but it helps when there's a lot to look forward to!

On the other hand, it will be a little bit bittersweet leaving Lima. We had our first apartment here and we lived our first year of marriage here. We studied together here for a year. Lots of defining moments for us individually and as a couple. 

So, in honor of our time in Lima, I'm going to post some of the pictures from this year that I haven't yet posted. :)

So, meet Juanita and Olinda, two Quechua women from Peru. "Quechua" is the name of an indigenous people group which has many members here in Peru. Many people think that there is only one Quechua language, but there are actually many different Quechua "dialects", which are really more like different languages. If you are a linguistics-lover (or just interested), You can click here to see a list of all the different Quechua languages, and then click on each for more info.

Last semester in our Second Language Acquisition class, we were assigned to meet three times a week with our mentors (Olinda and Juanita), for "sessions" in which we were able to put into practice the theories we learned in class- by learning Quechua. The goal was to learn as much Quecha as possible in the time period given, and practice how to learn a language.

It was actually really surprising how much Quechua we were able to learn in a few months, and also a huge encouragement that yes it is possible!

So, over the semester, we met with these women and did lots of different exercises to learn new vocabulary and sentence structure, always recording the sessions. We were so blessed by our mentors because they were both so patient with us (even though they had to repeat words and sentences over and over and over) and had a great sense of humor (very important!).

One of our first goals upon arriving to Venezuela, will be to contact possible Yukpa mentors, who can help us learn the Yukpa language. I hope and pray we can find Yukpa mentors as patient and kind as these women were.

Valentine's Day Snapshots

Image Background is from www.creationswap.com

Valentine's Poster on top right was designed by David

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Muffins

I concocted this recipe for David for Valentine's day, using my banana bread recipe as a base. Since this was my first time trying the recipe and I wasn't sure how it would turn out with the pumpkin, I made 2 key changes to ensure a delicious result- I added lots (and lots) of chocolate chips, and a 1/2 cup butter instead of 1/3. And the outcome was very tasty!

Ingredients

-1.5 - 2 cups of pumpkin puree (I used the rest of the pumpkin puree that I made and froze last fall. In that case, it should be thawed. But canned pumpkin would also work)

-1/2 c. (1 stick) melted butter

-1 c. sugar (If you have brown sugar, you can also use half brown, half white)

-1 egg, beaten

-1.5 tsp. vanilla

-1 tsp. baking soda

-pinch of salt

-1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

-1.5 tsp. cinnamon

-crushed pecans 

-chocolate chips 

-nutmeg (I don't have nutmeg here, but for those in the States, I'm sure it would be good to add some in if you'd like more of a pumpkin pie flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix butter and pumpkin together in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional). Sprinkle baking soda and salt. Mix. Then, add the flour. Add crushed pecans and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into buttered pan. Start with 15 minutes and check every 5 min or so, depends on oven. Done when knife comes out clean.

[Very] Last minute Valentine's Day gift idea, and a sneak peek

Just in case you are looking for a quick, easy, surprise you can send to someone special, you can make a 30 second video for free at this site, www.animoto.com. All you have to do is upload some pictures and they are inserted into a video! There are lots of cool video templates, including a few V-day ones!

Also, as I was getting some ingredients ready for a certain Valentine's Day surprise that I am making for a certain someone tomorrow, I was inspired to send you a little love via the pecans. I can't go into any more detail for now-the ones I love the most in this world are also the sneakiest ones. So you'll have to check back later to see the final project!

So. Many. Papers.

One item we are trying to mark off the to-do list is going through all our papers (notes, articles, homeworks, and exams) from this past year and decide what we should actually keep. This is quite the challenge for me because I  usually keep much more than I should. I'm pretty sure I still have high school notes and exams in my closet back in NC. And it's a bit harder now, because this is material we will actually use in the future. Thankfully, we have digital copies of a lot of the articles, and I figured out I can take pictures of the important stuff with my camera (aka my makeshift scanner).


What about you? How do you decide what papers to keep and what to get rid of??

p.s. On a totally different note, someone found my blog today by searching for the phrase "carolina venezuelan cow." Very interesting. I hope you found what you were looking for!

Have a good weekend everyone!

If you try and don't succeed, keep trying until the bread is edible!

My experience baking with yeast has been recent and (until today) unsuccessful.

First I tried to make cinnamon rolls and the dough was too doughy. I halfed the recipe but forgot to half the amount of sugar I added. TOOOOO sweet.

Then I make a homemade pizza dough. I forgot to preheat the oven, so I put the pizza in a cold oven to bake. Let's just say the crust came out literally like a rock. Later I learned that you have to have a very hottttt preheated oven to make pizza. (Blonde streak showing itself)

Then I made some rolls. The dough looked like dough and felt like dough. In the oven, they smelled like rolls and looked like rolls. But had a very strange taste. Even David didn't eat them. That's when I know there is a very serious problem. (Thank you Lord that my husband isn't a picky eater).

And so today, I decided to try again, with my Dad's recipe. I was very discouraged when the dough didn't rise at all after an hour and almost threw the dough away. I even pouted for a while. But I left the dough alone. And, another hour later, they had risen!! Halleluiah!!! And I just got them out of the oven, and I am proud to say they are edible and actually taste like bread! Another Halleluiah!!!

I have had many a failure in the kitchen- some half-way disasters and some complete-nonedible-gotta throw-that-junk-away disasters. But today was a little victory. And we must celebrate every little victory.

So for all of you who have failed a time or two in cooking or anything else, hang in there, and keep trying until the bread is edible!!!!!







Now, I'm hoping to find the UNC/Duke game on TV here. GOOO HEELS!!!! We have on our Carolina Blue and are cheering you on from Peru!!!

Love,

Sarah

A little artwork and answer to yesterday's challenge

Today I did a little painting for Emily's room.

This verse is Psalms 121:1-2
 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— 
   where does my help come from? 
My help comes from the LORD, 
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

And just in case you are wondering, the answer to yesterday's challenge is.......


drumroll please........................

JACK BAUER

You'll just have to trust me.
I don't have time to explain.

Prayer Journal Idea & a fun little challenge

I am a very visual person.
I learned how to make "bubble diagrams" back in third grade.
I have a lot of people to pray for.

So, I'm not sure why it took me so long to think of this idea! This is a great way to remember several prayer requests for the same person.

Here's a sample.

And since I wanted to include a more "realistic" example, without including an actual page from my journal, here's a "prayer bubble" I would make for a certain fictional character. Can you guess who it's for?

Listen furiously

One of the projects we are now working on is listening to the Yukpa language. Unfortunately there are no speakers of Yukpa here with us, but we have the next best thing- recordings that we took when we were last in the Sierra. We recorded many common phrases, like "How do you say.....", "Where are you going?"....., etc etc etc. Below, you can click to hear one of these recordings. You'll first hear David's voice saying a phrase in Spanish "What is this? (Qué es esto?) and then you'll hear the voice of Miguel, a Yukpa, saying the phrase in Yukpa 3 times. Pretty cool huh? 

After studying at Cilta, we've since realized that the best way to do recordings isn't saying the phrase in Spanish and having the person translate it into Yukpa, but instead soliciting the phrase in Yukpa in a more natural environment. But for now, this is a good start.

Research shows that the best way to learn a language is to listen to it. A LOT. hours and hours and hours, before you try to pronounce it. This is hard to do because my natural response is repeating it. But for now, we are trying to just "listen furiously", like we learned in our Second Language Acquisition class. The reason why this is so important is that every language consists of a unique combination of sounds- consonants and vowels. Since I speak English and Spanish, all the sounds from those two languages are already programmed in my brain, so to speak. The Yukpa language, on the other hand, has sounds that neither English nor Spanish have. So if I try to pronounce the Yukpa phrases immediately, I will pronounce only the sounds that are already "programmed" in brain and not the ones that are unique to Yukpa. (This is part of the reason why "foreign accents" exist- because the person is speaking a second language using only the sounds of his/her first language.) But if we listen for many many hours before trying to speak, our brains can more easily identify new sounds in Yukpa and correctly pronounce them. For example, Yukpa has a vowel that neither Spanish or English have. Of all the sounds that are now programmed in my brain, it is closest to the "u" sound in English, like in the word "you." So, upon pronouncing a Yukpa word with this sound, I used the "u" sound of English, because my brain didn't yet identify that this was in fact a totally different vowel. But with time, and advice from the rest of our team, I realized that it is indeed a different vowel, so I need to pronounce it correctly.The goal is that we will eventually be able to speak Yukpa as close as possible to a native speaker.


 So,for now we are listening, listening, listening to lots of Yukpa phrases. 

Apartment Makeover part 1- ¿Pór qué? [Why?]

Having cepillados (Venezuelan version of slushies): Right to left- Braulio, Jackie,
David, Aleko, Mom, Dad, Beatriz, and Emily in front

Right now we are in a time of transition. We graduated from our course and we are still in Peru, working on several projects until the rest of our team (Braulio, Jackie, Emily, Aleko, and Beatriz) get here at the end of February to study the same course we just finished. [Note: They don't know about our plan to have their apartment ready, so if you know them, please don't tell them! :) ]

One of the reasons we decided to stay and wait on them is so we can have their apartment ready for them- cleaned, furnished, decorated, equipped with food and other household items, and maybe even with some cow patties waiting for them. So, why is this so important to us?

Making funny faces. I told you they share some common ground.
(Aleko, Dad, David, Braulio)

Well, because they are very important to us. Braulio and Jackie have been mentors and dear friends to us these past few years. They are such an example for us. They have lived with the Yukpa people for 12 years, and- despite so many trials that they need to seriously write a book- they continued to live with the Yukpas and they learned the language and the culture, and earned the trust and confidence of the people. We really admire them and we are so thankful that God has allowed us to be part of their team.

When my parents came down to Venezuela for our wedding, Braulio and Jackie were the ones who drove my parents around Maracaibo and spent time getting to know them. And even though I had to interpret most of the time, there was a communication without words and the beginning of one of those special friendships that will last a lifetime. Partly because Braulio is the Latin American version of a Redneck (for reasons that I will explain in a future post), and so he is so interested in the Redneck culture and wanted to know all about bluegrass music, so had some major common ground with my Dad. (For those of you who don't know my Dad, he is a redneck. Oh yeah, and he has a bluegrass band.)

Charlie's Angels (Mom, Sarah, Emily, Jackie)
Check out Emily's facial expression

This picture still gets me. Somehow Braulio and Dad seem to
be in a deep conversation without an interpreter. I wonder
what they were talking about.

And then, there are the kids, Aleko (14) and Emily (5) who are both Yukpa kids, who Braulio and Jackie adopted (Aleko when he was a toddler and Emily as an infant). I'll save those adoption stories for another blog post. But I will say that those two had a huge part in my parents' smooth transition into Venezuelan culture. I think Emily had already my won my parents' hearts when they met at the airport.



The same day that they took us to drop my parents off at the airport to go back to the US, they were in a car accident. Long story short, Jackie lost her arm. To say that it has been a hard year for them would be an understatement. To say that everyone was supportive is an overstatement- unfortunately they recieved lots of criticism. And even after that there were still other difficult situations.

But, they never skipped a beat. Jackie is definitely one of the strongest women I know, and she never lost her faith. When David and I went to visit her in the hospital, we prayed that God would give us words to encourage them. But every time, we were the ones who left humbled and encouraged. They are still coming to study at CILTA, with Beatriz, the other member of our team. They continue to fight for the Yukpa people, and for them to be able to have God's Word in their own language. Maybe you are starting to see why they are such an inspiration for us.

So yeah, we figure the least we can do is have their apartment all ready for them so that they can have as smooth a transition to Peru as possible. So stay tuned as we prepare their apartment and I try my hand in the art of decorating!

Does it look like they've bonded yet? Yeah, my
parents wanted to put the kids in their suitcases.

Carolina Delights aka "Cow Patties"

Sorry for all the recipes these past few days....I'm trying to update my blog little by little, and I'm starting with the recipes :) But trust me, this one is definitely worth reading.

I debated on posting this recipe for a while, but I came to the conclusion that life is short, so I should stop being selfish. It is time to share this with the world.

In high school, I asked my Foods and Nutrition teacher how to know what food group that a dish with lots of ingredients should go into. She said that you should consider the ingredient that it has the most of, and the dish  should be considered part of that food group. So, as you glance over this recipe, you'll see that the ingredient with the largest amount is the oats, so these cookies tecnicallly fit under the "Bread/Cereal Grain Group", of which we need 6-11 servings daily. Just thought you'd like to know.


These are also known as "Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Cookies" or "No Bake Cookies." But to the experts, they are known as "Cow Patties." If you're not sure why, you'll just have to make them to find out.


Ingredients:
-2 cups sugar
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/2 cup peanut butter (I use creamy but crunchy works if you want the peanuts)
-3 cups quick cooking oats

Melt butter in pot on medium-low heat. Add sugar, milk, and cocoa. Stir constantly, can burn easily. Boil on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, peanut butter, and oats. Drop spoonfulls onto aluminum foil (or plates or a cutting board) to cool. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

Mom's Famous Dirt Cake

One of my favorite desserts ever!! And super easy :)

-1 package oreo cookies
-12 oz. cool whip (can use fat-free)
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
-1 c. powdered sugar
-1 stick margarine, softened
-2 c. milk
-3 oz. box instant vanilla (or french vanilla) pudding
-1 tsp. vanilla

Crush the oreos and put about 3/4 of them in bottom of 11x17 dish. Use a mixer to blend cream cheese. Add cool whip, powdered sugar, and margarine. In another bowl, mix milk, pudding, and vanilla until it has a thick, pudding consistency. Combine 2 bowls together and pour over crushed oreo layer. Sprinkle remaining oreos and refrigerate. (Better if refrigerated overnight.)

Also fun if you throw in some gummy worms to give it a more "authentic dirt" feel.

Here's a pic I found online- this would be cute for a kid's birthday party!

Searching for a King

One of the things I miss most about the US is being able to go to church in English. Even after years of speaking Spanish, it's still slightly mentally exhausting to listen to the sermon and music in a language other than English. Which is yet another reminder to me of the importance of one's own "native language"- or "mother tongue."

Thanks to the world wide web, I can listen to sermons online from the church I went to in college, Summit Church, in Durham, NC. If you are in the triangle area and looking for a church, you should check it out. And if not, you can still listen to the sermons online or read the PDF versions.

So, I am reading through 1 Samuel and was excited to find that Pastor JD at Summit is going through a series from this book, called "Searching for a King" in 1 & 2 Samuel as well.

I just read the notes from the first sermon in the series, and it was so good, I wanted to share.

Here's my very brief summary:
Hannah is deeply troubled because she is unable to have children. She takes action and prays for a son, and has Samuel. In the same way that she is yearning to have a son (especially because in that time and culture having children ensured the income, security, and future of one's family.) In the same way, Israel was searching for prosperity, security, and success- and was looking for these things in a king to lead the nation. Today, we search for prosperity, security, and success. We try to find these things in a perfect marriage, a huge house, a big family, successful career, a perfect appearance, etc etc etc.

In the notes, the questions are asked, "What is the "king" that you seek? What thing must you have for life to be good?"

Well at first I thought of one thing, but nothing else really. Then I read on where it said that "Most of our hurt and disappointment comes from seeking another "king" besides God...Where you are disappointed; hurt; worried; stressed.....these are like smoke from a fire, that you can follow back to the places where you are seeking other kings besides God."

That came like a punch in the stomach. Then my list grew to a whole page in less that a minute.

Ultimately, these things (prosperity, stability, and a "good life") can be found only in God, our creator. And we must first realize that God is the king we are seeking.

Here's one last exerpt:

" The point of Hannah's story is that the one who has God has everything. God is significance and stability. If a loving, all-powerful God is in your life, you don't need the approval of others. If a loving, all-powerful God is in your life, He will take care of you in the future."

If you want to read the whole PDF, click here. Or, you can also listen to the sermon while you are making/eating lunch, going for a walk, whatever...or watch the video.

To listen to the sermon or watch it as a video, go to this link, and then scroll down to the sermon entitled "Search for a King- Samuel: 1-2". To the right of the title you can click to listen or watch.

Pollo Guisado- a Venezuelan chicken dish

Very tasty!! Can also be made without the carrot and potato.

Ingredients:

chicken legs and thighs
1 onion chopped
a few cups of water
chicken broth cube
1 tsp white vinegar
2-3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 potato peeled and cubed
1 carrot peeled and cubed
several Tbsp cilantro and chives, chopped
a dash of soy sauce
2 Tbsp oil
salt, pepper, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaf, etc etc

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Brown chicken legs and thighs on both sides after removing extra fat. Don't cook all the way through. On top of chicken, add 2-3 cups of water and chicken broth cube, vinegar, tomato paste, cilantro, and chives, bay leaf and other spices. Let cook for about 30 minutes. Add potato and carrot in last 10 minutes. Taste to check for lacking spices. When I'm cooking with cilantro, I like to add extra in the last few minutes so there is a strong cilantro flavor.

Note: Be careful to not add any salt or garlic salt until  after tasting because the chicken broth cube by itself will probably be enough salt. I may or may not have made it way too salty before. Keep same thing in mind with the soy sauce, which is also very salty!

Serve with rice. Great with guacamole!

Guacamole

I used to hate this stuff because I thought it looked gross. And then I went to Mexico and fell in love-with the guacamole, not with a man. I did fall in love with a man in Venezuela, but that's another story :)

 I watched one of my Mexican friends make this, so this is the real stuff :)







Ingredients:

1 tomato
1 white onion (or half of a red one)
a few limes
cilantro
avocado
salt
red pepper/hot chili (depending how much of a kick you want)

Put avocado in bowl, smashing up with a fork so that it has an even consistency. Chop tomato in small cubes and add in. Chop onions in even small cubes and add. Chop up a handful of cilantro and add. Add 1 or 2 limes of lime juice and a few pinches of salt. Add finely chopped pepper.

Notes:
-Unfortunately I don't have exact measurements, so you have to taste as you go.

-I never add any kind of pepper because I'm not a big spicy fan.

-For those of you in the US, make sure you smell the cilantro in the grocery store before you buy it. I have bought some beautiful, yet tasteless cilantro before in North Carolina. If it doesn't have that fresh cilantro smell, it won't magically taste like fresh cilantro. That's one good thing about cooking in tropical Latin America- fresh cilantro year-round!

-Great with chips, quesadillas or any other Latin dish!

Chicken Terriyaki

Chicken Terriyaki- healthy, fast, filling, delicious :)


For those of you overseas, this is a great recipe to make when you are craving Chinese/Japanese food, and the ingredients can be found pretty easily, at least in Latin America.


Ingredients:

1 or 2 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
a few cloves of garlic (I usually use 4 or 5...I like garlic)
cloves (optional)
1 head of steamed broccoli
2 Tbsps or more of store-bought terriyaki sauce
1-2 Tbsps sugar
1-2 Tbsps soy sauce
3-4 Tbsps fruit juice (orange or pineapple)
salt, pepper, garlic to taste

Chop up onion and cloves (optional) and mince garlic. Cook for a few minutes in oil (olive, soy, vegetable, whatever). Chop up chicken and add to the onions and garlic. Brown on high. Add terriyaki sauce, soy sauce, juice, sugar, and spices. Taste as you go and add more spices if you'd like. Let simmer until sauce thickens. Add broccoli and cook another 10 or 15 minutes. Serve over hot rice!!

Now, the only thing I'm missing is a really good shrimp sauce recipe....if you have one, please share!

(Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Bolick Rincon!)