The Great Samosa Hunt of 2010

At some point last week, several of my roommates and I developed a craving.  I have no idea where this craving came from, or why it hit us all at the same time.  (Power of suggestion, maybe?)  But hit it did, and once it hit, we were all obsessed... so much that now, four days later, I'm blogging about it.

Samosas.  Sadly, they're relatively unknown in the States, but here in Africa, they're one of the few options we have for fast food.  And, by the way, they're amazing.  Think triangular, meat-filled eggrolls.  (Or vegetable-filled... but who in their right mind would choose veg over meat???)  I assume they were originally brought to Africa by Indian immigrants... but now they're an African street food staple.  And we are so glad they are.  Back to the craving...

I think it hit me last Wednesday or Thursday.  Like I said, I have no idea why.  I think it was really just a whim, like, "Oh, while I'm in town, I'll pick up a couple of samosas for lunch."  I mentioned it to Kelli, who jumped right on board.  Only one problem: when I got to the market, there were no samosas.  Anywhere.  Sadly, I returned home empty-handed.  But the seed for a craving had been sown.

Saturday, the longing was still there.  I was walking around the neighborhood and stopped at the little roadside stands... no luck.

On Sunday, Kelli, Jessica, and I went out to a school for the weekly church service and scoured the street vendors all the way through town there and back.  We dropped a couple of students off for a funeral on the way back and kept looking at the little shops in their neighborhood.  Success... sort of.  The samosas were there, but only the nasty, bean-filled kind.  No thank you.  What's the point?  The hunt continues...

Fast forward to Tuesday.  The samosa craving is now in overdrive.  Kelli and I had to run some errands in town, and we were determined to be successful today.  No luck on Main Street- again- but we had a sure-fire, last resort spot.  The coffee shop out at the airstrip outside town has fresh meat samosas every morning.  So we drove the ten minutes out of our way, to find they only had two samosas left.  Bummer.  But two samosas are better than no samosas.  We cleaned out the coffee shop and headed back to town.

But now Kelli had an idea.  Deep in the market, there were women who (sometimes) had the coveted golden pastries.  While I waited in the car, Kelli went to investigate.  Disappointment- beans only.  They told her to try the newspaper office.  Because it makes perfect sense to sell snack foods at a storefront newspaper office.  No luck.  (Shocker!)  The newspaper office staff sent her in the direction of a street full of guest houses and cafes, all of which were empty.  But at the end of the street was a little cafe with a warming box.  And in the warming box was a pretty little pile of samosas.  Meat samosas, to be exact.  Jackpot!

Twenty minutes after she left, Kelli returned with a bag of 13 samosas- plenty for lunch, and then some!

After five days, the Great Samosa Hunt of 2010 was successful... but there was a bonus find.  Asianzu (ah-SEE-ahn-zoo) House, where Kelli found the prized samosas, doesn't just sell snacks.  It's a full-on coffee shop, complete with an espresso machine that actually works!  My friend Katie and I went back there today, and had real, legit lattes that were awesome, for about 50 cents each.  Let's just say there's a new hot spot in Arua!

Not My Battle

God's been having to smack me around some lately. My time in Uganda is coming to a close; 7 months from now I'll be back home with my family and friends… and unemployed. Don't get me wrong; I can't wait to see my people again. I've missed them almost more than I can stand! No, it's the "unemployed" part that's been making me uneasy.  I've heard plenty about how crummy the American economy is and how high unemployment rates are… and I'm not really excited about joining the ranks. Go figure.


The difficult thing for me lately is knowing that, once I get off the plane, I have no plan. No job. No home. (Rooms to sleep in at other people's homes don't count!) And I'm one who has always had a plan.   Even if the plan changed, which it did, and often, there was some kind of idea of what was going on. But right now, I got nothin'. (Not that I don't have ideas of what I want to do when I go home. I do.  The roadblock is convincing someone to pay me a salary to do them!) But in the past few weeks, God's been trying to get my attention. He
keeps telling me not to worry. (Easier said than done!) That He really does have it all under control.


Recently, He's been even more specific. He reminds me of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. Joshua, the gifted swordsman and general, was instructed to walk around a city in silence while God fought the battle for him… "and the walls came tumbling down!" (Sorry, I just felt like singing for a second!)


And last week He showed me 2 Chronicles 20, when Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah was surrounded by Moab and Ammon and greatly outnumbered. The Lord prophesied through Jahaziel and said, "Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's…. You will not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf.  Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out and face them, for the LORD is with you." (verses 15, 17)


He keeps telling me, over and over, that He will fight this battle for me. And I have to believe Him. He has never failed me. He has kept me from getting jobs in places I had no business going. He has kept houses from selling at the wrong time. He has literally picked me up from one job and put me down in another. When it was time for my house to sell, He sold it in five days. He has kept me, comforted me, and provided for me all my life… why on earth would He stop now? I just have to remember to keep walking, to keep going, to watch and see and allow Him to fight my battle for me.

Jesca's Joy

Jesca, like most Africans, has more than her share of financial problems.  Her husband, Michael, has worked two different jobs in the past 6 months that never paid him.  Jesca is paid well, but it's barely enough to meet their ongoing needs.  And last month, after receiving her salary for February, she had to use most of it to pay for school fees for her younger brother.  She had no money left to buy food; the sweet potatoes from her garden have been harvested, so that's all she has at home to eat for the next few weeks.

Last week Jesca asked me to pray for her financial needs.  She didn't ask for a salary advance, and she didn't ask for me to help her.  She just asked me to pray.  So I did.  I asked God to show Himself as her Provider, to meet her needs in a way that only He can, whether by having her other crops mature early, by sending someone to repay a loan, or by giving them an unexpected financial gift.  I was so encouraged that Jesca was beginning to trust God to provide for her needs, not me or my roommates.

When Jesca arrived at our house the next morning, she was grinning from ear to ear.  I just knew that God had moved in an amazing way, and I couldn't wait to hear about it… so I asked her.  "Why are you smiling so," I questioned.  "What has happened?"

She just laughed.  "Nothing happened," she said.  "I may have problems, but God is with me.  How can I not smile?" she reasoned.

In a few short weeks, Jesca has learned the secret to true joy.  She knows tat it's not about her circumstances, but the One who is walking with her through it all.  And I am reminded that I need to learn a few lessons from her.

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  (2 Corinthians 8:2)

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:4)

Indian Ideas

 I know I've been back from India for a while now, but let's just say that internet in Arua has been, well, annoying, lately.  I've FINALLY gotten all my blogs, and even a few photos (!) posted.  Sorry for the delay.  Getting home from vacation has meant getting caught back up with work and house stuff, so it's taken a while.  But at least it's all there now...

If you know me and my weirdness at all, you know that I'm a listmaker, and that, while no one would necessarily say I'm overly observant, I do make observations from time to time.  They're usually more about generalites rather than specifics, but they make an impact on me... sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I just think, "That's weird."  Yes, I know.  I'm the one that's weird.  But I digress... I got to make LOTS of observations last month in India... and because it's my blog, I'm going to share them with you.  Enjoy.  (Or at least humor me!)

• ·      It’s really difficult to drink coffee in the middle of turbulence.
• ·      It’s a sad thing when you get overwhelmed by an airport.
• ·      Airplanes fly around Iran to get to India.
• ·      McDonald’s French fries are even better than I remembered!
• ·      It doesn’t matter where you go—kids are just cute.
• ·      I have really missed winter weather.
• ·      Delhi is a very livable city—especially compared to Arua!
• ·      Random cows wander the streets in the middle of the city of 14 million people.
• ·      Parks are a great thing.
• ·      I had no idea I was as thirsty for worship as I was… am.
• ·      I like to shop.
• ·      Cow patties are multi-purpose: fuel, home insulation, paper weight, you  name it.
• ·      That haze in the air isn’t smog.  It’s just dust.
• ·      Public urination is more common in India than in Africa.  Didn’t think that was possible.
• ·      Children here are either a commodity or a burden.
• ·      A car horn isn’t just a way to let someone know they’ve ticked you off.  It’s a whole way of communicating.
• ·      No matter where you go in the world, kids love McDonald’s.
• ·      Part of an ATM guard’s job is to work the card reader for the white tourists who can’t.
• ·      Everything fades.
• ·      I’m amazingly grateful that I don’t have to live this life in fear of the next one.
• ·      Traffic sucks.  And after an hour and a half of it, horns suck too.
• ·      I despise the smell of mothballs.
• ·      Being in a warm bed on a cold morning is one of the best surprises you can wake up to.
• ·      Friends who challenge you to think and be better are a blessing.
• ·      I miss my girlfriends.
• ·      Slow is good.
• ·      Sometimes it’s just fun to be a tourist.
• ·      I really like to shop.
• ·      India is a feast for the senses.  I wish I could stay at the table for another 3 weeks or so.
• ·      Culture is cool.
• ·      I haven’t sweated in over a week!
• ·      I’ve really missed working with a youth group.
• ·      For future reference: Emirates only allows 66 pounds of luggage total per person- NOT 2 fifty-pound bags!  That’ll throw a wrench in your plans!
• ·      I ate McDonald’s 4 times in one week—an all-time personal record.
• ·      There’s nothing like a delayed flight and almost-missed connection to make you really enjoy traveling.
• ·      Sign of a great airline: warm towels.
• ·      The Arabian Peninsula just looks like a whole lot of sand.
• ·      We flew over Djibouti.  I just think that’s a fun word to say.  Djibouti.
• ·      I like paisley.

Holiness

2/13/2010

***Disclaimer: As much as I wanted to, I did not get to go to the Ganges River when I was in India.  There just wasn't enough time to travel so far from Delhi.  Which means I'll just have to go next time…***

The Ganges River is one of the most famous rivers in the world.  It is possibly the center of religious life in India.  And it is polluted beyond the point of foulness.

Hindus in India believe that the Ganges is the source of life, and because of this, it is holy.  Being in the river consecrates you as well as whatever it is you are doing.  So, in the pursuit of holiness, people literally live out their lives in the Ganges… every part of life.

People are dirty.  We are broken and foul.  And, sadly, we have a tendency to contaminate everything we touch… except God.  His all-surpassing holiness cannot be diminished by the time I spend with Him; He cannot be less than He is.  In fact, it's quite the opposite:  by living my life in His presence, He (often very slowly) shapes me into His image and puts His holiness on me, all without becoming polluted Himself.  Because true holiness is a refining thing.  Something truly holy cannot become filthy and still remain holy.

When I brought the mess of my life to Jesus, He chose to take my mess upon Himself and cleanse me.  He made me holy.  But, because His very nature is holiness, He couldn't stay dirty.  He was able to cleanse Himself and remain holy.  The Ganges River can't do that.  Neither can any other thing, created by man or God, that we tend to worship.  Only the Most High God can cleanse us, purify us, and remain holy.  And holy He is.

"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am 
the LORD your God.  Keep my decrees and follow them.  
I am the LORD, who makes you holy."

Leviticus 20:7-8

There is no one holy like the LORD,

Indeed, there is no one besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2

Fear

2/11/2010

Fear is an incredible motivator.  Fear can move us to change our lives or plan our days based on what may or may not happen.  And fear can cause us to do things that, at least in some parts of our brains, we know make no sense at all. 

Here in India, fear is probably the biggest religious motivator there is.  People feed street kids, give alms to the poor, light candles, and pay homage to gods who are, in all honesty, pretty fearsome things.  Mothers even put eyeliner on small children to keep their souls from being stolen by demons; the thought is that the eyeliner makes the children ugly, so the feared spirits won't want them.

Fear has infiltrated the "Christian" church of Uganda as well.  Parents have their infants baptized in hopes it will protect them if they die.  They honor ancestors in fear of what will happen if they don't.  My sweet friend Jesca was terrified that she might not have confessed all her sins, and thus might go to hell when she died.

I haven't lived in fear of eternity for a long time, and so, it's easy for me to forget just how big a deal fear actually is.  It's easy for me to take for granted that my eternity is secure.  One of the blessings of this journey to India has been being reminded of my need to be grateful.  The Father doesn't want me to live my life surrounded by fear; in fact, He tells me over and over in His Word NOT to fear.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will up hold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day.

Psalm 91:5

There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  

The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

Jesus came to this world not to condemn us.  Not to judge us.  Not to point out our many, many, many flaws.  He came to make a way, to bring us back to the Father.  There's no fear in that.  May He always remind me that I have nothing to fear, and may He make me resoundingly grateful for that.

Taj Mahal

Never in my life did I expect to visit the Taj Mahal.  It wasn’t on the list of things I expected to come my way in life.  But last month, I went.  My friend Mandy, the more than gracious hostess, and I drove about 4 hours east of New Delhi to the town of Agra and visited the world’s largest romantic grand gesture.

Shah Jahan was a Persian emperor of India in the 1600s.  The shah had 3 wives, but the first 2 never had children.  The third was his beloved and favorite wife, because she gave him 14 children, 6 of who survived.  (She was a very busy woman!)  In 1631, she died in childbirth, and Shah Jahan ws devastated.  He decided to build an enormous monument to this wife as a testament to his great love for her.  He called for the greatest architects and craftsmen in this part of the world.  He imported precious and semiprecious stones from all over.  He had tons of white marble hauled to Agra by elephants and camels.  And these thousands of craftsmen spent 22 years building and perfecting this statement of Shah Jahan’s love.

The Taj Mahal is extraordinary.  Black onyx, jasper, carnelian, coral, and malachite are inlaid in white marble in intricate designs.  Lattice-work pieces are flawlessly carved from one solid piece of marble.  The courtyards were planned with a drainage system that carries rain into the nearby river.  And the entire complex, including the reflecting pools, pathways, flower beds, outer courts, and 4 entry gates, is perfectly symmetrical.

It amazes me that God can give mere men the creativity and the talent to build something so amazing.  That we can not just have the idea and desire to create something as grand as the Taj Mahal, but actually have the skills and perseverance to complete it, even if it did take 22 years.  To say that it is an impressive piece of artwork and architecture is no small understatement.

But, even though the Taj is almost 400 years old, it is by no means permanent.  It is fading.  Because of air pollution, the beautiful white marble is turning gray.  The paving stones and drainage grates are chipped and cracked in places.  Some of the semiprecious stones have been stolen, or have fallen out of place.  Pieces of the inlaid onyx on the outside of the buildings have turned from black to gray.  And I’m reminded that everything on this earth fades.  We are all in a cycle of destruction.

The only things that stand, that remain, are the things done for Christ.  The acts of kindness.  The loving words spoken.  The sacrifices made.  At the end of my life, what will matter is not what I had or how impressed people were by my possessions.  What will matter is how I honored God and pointed people towards Him.  I can use my “stuff” to do that, but I can’t build my life around these things.  They’re all gonna fade.  They’re all gonna burn.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

2 Peter 3:10