It's the Network!

We held the Pasta Dinner and Christmas Baking tray auction on Saturday, November 29, 2010. I was overwhelmed to see so many people show up, and grateful for the amount of money raised. Altogether, we have raised more than 75% of the amount I needed - over $3600! A special thanks goes to my dedicated and hard-working Fundraising Team - Alice, Doug, Karen, Kathy, Myrna, and Theresa. When I told my contacts at CRWRC, the agency which is coordinating my trip, that I had a Fundraising Team, there was a moment of surprise and exchanged glances. I guess most people don't have the advantage of an entire "nothing but net" team in their court!

As I reflected on how it feels to be surrounded by so much support, the image that came to mind was of the Network, from the Verizon cell phone commercials. If you're not sure what I mean, watch this commercial on youtube.

That's how it feels to be me - even though I'm going to Africa alone, it feels like there's a whole network of people accompanying me - all the people who have participated in the Pasta dinner fundraiser, donated money or other items, attended an E-Team fundraiser at work, prayed for me, cooked or baked for me, talked to me, helped me - all of you - everyone reading this - has become part of my Network. It's a comforting feeling - to know that you are all part of this with me.

Because it's kind of scary to dive into the new and unknown alone - even for an introvert like me!

I only wish my mother could be here to see this - it would have meant a lot to her to know that my church family and friends from work have been with me every step of the way. There was a moment on Saturday, before our guests arrived, when I was standing alone in the CCS gym, surveying all the place settings, and admiring the beautifully wrapped Christmas baking trays, when it hit me, hard, that she wouldn't be joining us for the dinner. As my nephew Cade mentioned during his eulogy, my mother loved eating out! But even more so, she would have been moved to feel the love that I felt on Saturday.

I never fully understood what people are missing when they worship alone, until the last few weeks. I'm not saying that you can't experience God when you're alone, but I do think that the fellowship of shared community is essential. "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." is how the Bible puts it in Matthew 18:20. When Karen thanked everyone on behalf of our family, I know that my parents were part of that.

A few other special memories:

Theresa telling us how her husband Ray doesn't like pasta - and our subsequent harping on Ray's obscure nutritional requirements

Kathy coordinating the kitchen - keeping everyone slicing, dicing and julienning

Myrna's look of horror when I confided that I had broken the handle on the school's salad spinner (which, incidentally, I replaced)

Debating with Karen over whether to stud pineapples with the fruit kebabs - and her adamant refusal to endanger the fingers of those who would try to pull them out

The woman who wrapped my gingerbread house telling me how great Doug was as an assistant wrapper: "I'd work with him again!"

When my sister Lisa helped draw lottery tickets

Listening to Pastor William, who temporarily exchanged his pulpit for the auction block, and his sermon for "I’m at $50 and I want $55, $55, bid on $55, I’m at $50 would you go $55, $55."

Hearing about how Margaret Koomans outbid her own husband, all for the sake of an almond ring

Watching Matthew Wiersma consume two gigantic heaping spoonfuls of sugar before supper, and subsequently jumping up and down with sweet joy after winning a coffee grinder and coffee

Watching the re-drawing of the winning lottery ticket as person after person volunteered to "give up" their opportunity to bring home the dentist-defying Grace CRC Gingerbread Church

The amazing Grace CRC clean-up machine, plowing its way through hundreds of dirty plates, mugs, pots and utensils - executed with the flawless precision of a Nadia Komenich gymnastics routine

Alice proclaiming, after the last dish was washed and put away, "It was fun!"

The thing is, I haven't gone to Africa yet - but thanks to all of you, I already feel like I have had a profound experience unlike anything else in my life. When I told Margaret VanDaalen that, after church today, she observed, "That's the Holy Spirit working!"

Hey - maybe it's the Holy Spirit's way of saying, "Can you hear me now?"

There's just no words big enough to express how I am feeling - so I will resort to monosyllabic simplicity - THANKS.

Photographic Memories

Kathy, urging Karen to cut even more sundried-tomatoes!

 Margaret and Theresa - Mango Maniacs!

 Myrna, brandishing a sharp fruit kebab, moments before an impromptu self-inflicted tongue piercing.

African Desserts

Christmas Baking Platters

 Me and two of my sisters

 Wilma volunteers at the auction table

Pastor William hawks while Myrna quietly shows off her new tongue piercing to Doug

Gingerbread Church

Before I knew it, I had opened my mouth and the words, "I can make a Gingerbread House Church to raffle!" had fallen out. This happens to me a lot - words spilling forth, unrestrained.

The idea came to me as a way to contribute to our pasta dinner fundraiser. I have a soft spot for gingerbread houses, and my personal claim to baking fame, was in 1994 or so, when I coordinated the school-wide Gingerbread house making - one house per family grouping - in one of three sizes, depending upon the size of the family. I wonder if any of the kids at Whitefish Bay remember that? The Grade 9s and I made the dough, rolled, baked and bagged 63 or so packages of house parts, then we had everyone assemble in the gym for decorating.

I thought it would be nice to do something unique, so tonight I spent about ninety minutes converting some photos of Grace Christian Reformed Church, into a cardboard model. Tomorrow, I'll create waxed paper cutouts, measured more accurately, to conform to the cardboard model. Then later this week, I will make the dough, roll and bake. The plan is to have my Church School class do the actual decorating - although I'm considering doing the main assembly myself. I have begun acquiring candies for that epic event.

Here's the church I am trying to turn edible:

Here's my version:

Here's the back view:

And my attempt:

As you may have gathered, in addition to Accounting difficulties, I struggle with basic design concepts!

I'll post the finished product - this much effort has to be chronicled!



Laptops for Government in Malawi

Periodically, I read an online newspaper from Malawi, to get a better sense of the country, and current affairs. It's interesting - a much more editorialized writing style than here in North America - and I also enjoy the intermingling of English and Chichewan in article comments.

Tonight I read an interesting article about the purchase of 193 laptops for the members of the National Assembly. The intention is to reduce the use of paper, to promote cost-savings, to be more effective and to help Malawi enter the "Information Age" (I'm paraphrasing judiciously.)

This is very exciting to me, a sign that their government is supportive of open communication and progress. Is it too much to dream that technology can be a unifying force, that websites like Facebook can spark conversations and lead to relationships which have the power to change the lives of people in far-reaching corners of the earth? That the best aspects of all our cultures can somehow be transferred digitally, through connections that technology makes possible?

As a teacher, this excites me - as a Christian, this makes me wonder. We have created an amazing tool which can unite people, make ideas viral, and cause geographic distance to be almost irrelevant. So where is it taking us, I wonder?

Then I notice that the #1 youtube video, as of November 2010, is Justin Bieber (who dethroned Lady Gaga from top dog spot) - and it's kind of sad, really.

Of Mice and Menus

Last Thursday, Margaret, DW and I had our annual book club lunch meeting, to talk about Water for Elephants and eat Thai. Thanks to a dismal early morning weigh-in, I decided to implement weight loss strategy #239 - eat only half of a restaurant portion. I brought the rest back to work, stuck it in the fridge, and forgot about it until Sunday night.

Monday lunch time - I wondered - is my Cashew Chicken still edible? I invoked a six part testing strategy, which, later, it occurred to me would work well while in Malawi:

Step One: Visual inspection - nothing appeared amiss with my Cashew Chicken - no off-putting mottling, for example
Step Two: Sniff test - no foul trace odors
Step Three: Nibble test - I had a small bite of chicken, assuming that the chicken would be the dish's weakest link - seemed to taste OK
Step Four: Meaningful pause - I waited for a few moments to see if my stomach would up and rebel against the nibble test. Seemed OK.
Step Five: Lunch - having established the apparent safety of my Cashew Chicken, I proceeded to eat it, noting, in passing, the rather mushy texture of the noodles and cashews - neither of which appeared to fare as well as the surprisingly resilient chicken
Step Six: The Day After - no ill effects - apparently you can walk away from Cashew Chicken leftovers for three or four days and then consume without danger, if you are willing to overlook its textural shortcomings - and you have my high level of intestinal fortitude

So I ask myself, will I be able to follow this plan when faced with the prospect of trying some of Malawi's native snacks?

Note: I am known for adventurous eating, which has included turtle, beaver, bear, and, during a lamentable university stunt, two wizened and dusty flies from my dorm room's windowsill.

I have read that in a country where famine is common place, it is considered rude to turn down food. Luckily this strategy fits in well with my over-active appetite. But I wonder - how do I feel about eating, for example, insects? I'll admit that my insectivorian days began and ended with those two flies. Nevertheless, I have been captivated by the idea of sampling:

1. Fried White Ants - These have been compared to popcorn, when cooked. To make these at home, you will need:

          1 cup day-old white ants (these are large termites, in the winged stage)
          ½ cup water
          2 Tbs. margarine (you could probably substitute butter)
          salt to taste

• Clean ants by removing wings and any foreign matter.
• Place insects in salted water and boil over high heat until water has evaporated.
• Reduce heat and add margarine (or butter!)
• Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Likelihood of me eating these if offered - Medium High

2. Caterpillar Skins - a popular snack. Every November, the national parks are opened up so people can gather caterpillars. The innards are scooped out, and the skins sun-dried and salted.

Likelihood of me eating these if offered - High (Could they be any worse than, say, Pringles?)

3. Mice - I have already been warned off this roadside treat, by Bill's mother-in-law's Irish cousin, Joyce, who went on a mission trip to Malawi earlier this year. Yet these are considered a local delicacy. Here's a photo:

I can't figure out if the pictures I've seen, all of which resemble this one, are showing the mice ready-to-eat, or freshly caught. I am guessing the former. I have heard they are juicy. I also recall that Farley Mowat ate mice while up north, researching wolves, and even came up with a recipe for "souris a la creme" (Mice in cream). Since his chief ingredient appeared to be alcohol, I'm not sure he's a good spokesperson for the culinary possibilities of mice. Still, as my Whitefish Bay friend Irene Harper was fond of saying, "What doesn't kill, fattens."

Likelihood of me eating these if offered - Medium low

Generally speaking though, according to this article, most of the food will be familiar and palatable. Still, what if I develop a fondness for these exclusively Malawian delicacies - what then?

Twenty-six Days and Counting!

According to my online counter, there are now only twenty-six days before I part ways with North America, and fly over to Malawi, Africa. That also means that I am in the thick of preparations. For those of you who are wondering what those preparations entail, here's a peek:

1. Immunizations: These were actually less intense than I expected, perhaps because I didn't have to get the Yellow Fever shot, which has a small mortality rate for older people. I sailed through my Hep A and B, typhoid, tetanus and flu shot with nary a headache or fever. Tonight, I had my first of two doses of anti-cholera and traveller's diahrrea medication, which is stirred into 5 ounces of tepid water, and ends up tasting vaguely like slightly chlorinated pool water with an undertone of raspberry. In two weeks, I will take my first dose of anti-malaria medication - which is called mefloquine. Its claim to fame is that it can induce vivid dreams in about 25% of the population - and can apparently trigger a psychotic break for those who are already on the tipping point. When I expressed my concerns about having my psychotic break while away from home, the travel doc upped the prescription, so I take it two weeks before I leave, to determine if I will be afflicted with side effects. But I'm paranoid about getting malaria and being crossed-off the blood donor list forever. Still, I'm not so sure that I want to be experiencing wacko dreams when I'm not in the safety of my own bedroom.

2. Reading: The Service Link organizers (associated with my Christian Reformed Church denomination, and hence responsible for this volunteer opportunity) provided me with a couple of books on short-term missions and the differences between "hot" and "cold" cultures.

3. Shopping: I now own two water filters - one for particulates and one which will zap viruses and other eensy-weensy organisms, the ones which are so miniscule, that they would slip right through a filter. The zapping is accomplished with ultraviolet light - similar to letting water sit in the sun for 12 hours. Ultraviolet is apparently a very effective and inexpensive way to purify water.

Having been the unhappy victim of giardia lamblia (aka "beaver fever") during my Whitefish Bay days, and experiencing first-hand the unpleasantness of shigella (which my son Brandon had during his late babyhood), I am taking no chances when it comes to water purification!

I also bought a headlamp, as Malawi is known to have frequent power failures - at least I won't be bumping into any walls if that happens! And I now own a small Swiss Army jackknife, with a myriad of small tools, most of which are almost impossible to release without significant damage to the index finger nail.

Here's a photo of some of my Malawi-intended merchandise - note the green spork, which is not itemized above, but is, none-the-less, a treasured part of my travelling ensemble.

4. Questioning: I have been in contact with the two missionaries and some of the locals, with whom I will be working, asking them urgent questions like, "How do I get from the airport to wherever I am staying?" and "Should I bring a bike along?"

Someone will be at the airport holding a paper with my name on it - and no bike required, as apparently the roads are small, narrow and heavily trafficked.

5. Accounting: This has been the most arduous aspect of my preparation - spending hours trying to understand why Assets = Liabilities + Equity, how to journal depreciation and the purpose of the Income Summary account. I have now written two tests, and gained an appreciation for "closing the books" which I am adopting as a metaphor for 2010. I'm also trying to learn QuickBooks, as there's some accountants in Malawi who I will be teaching. Since I failed Accounting two years ago, it seemed expedient to take another run at it, as preparation for QuickBooks. Those who can, do, those who can't, teach. I may never be an accountant, but by golly, I should be able to teach 'em!

6. Fundraising: An important part of a mission trip is enlisting support from other people, financial, moral and prayer. This is also a difficult aspect for me. Luckily, I have a group of friends who have been very helpful. We're holding a Pasta Dinner with African desserts and coffee on November 27th, with a Christmas Baking Tray auction to follow. And I'm going to make a Gingerbread Church, modelled on the Grace CRC building. I went to a Pasta sampling luncheon at Kathy Vandersluis's home on Wednesday, and enjoyed sampling her vegetarian penne, as well as Alice VanStempvoort's meaty-tomatoey pasta. Neither of the dishes resembled in taste or texture, the typical pasta I have had at Pasta dinners in the past - which is a good thing!

7. Prayer and Worry: I do both, probably the latter more than the former. I'm not sure what I'm worried about, possibly just the whole idea of going to a place where I don't know anyone, and having to get along. As an introvert, the idea of being in a place with crowds of people, is kind of unnerving. I've also done some reading about pickpockets, and added that to my list of worries. (One online site warned me that travellers have been murdered for their jewelery, so I've decided to leave my Timex at home.) Oh, and apparently contracting rabies is one of the worst ways to die, as I read in my Malawi Bradt guidebook.

I tread lightly in the prayer department, as I suspect it was prayer that got me into this Malawi trip in the first place! [Note to self - the next time you pray for a character rehaul - be more specific about the change methodology!]