A Good Day

Take two guys throw them into a poor muslim community and let them be in charge of cooking for one night. This past Thursday Drew and I had the opportunity to cook for our famiy. What started as a family dinner soon turned into a community affair. We gave fair warning a week in advance of our longing to prepare for our household. When the day finally arrived they were in disbelief that we actually started to cook for them. Men do not prepare food in this community, especially white men that are guest of the family. During our cooking venture numerous moments became comedic relief for the Dou family. I think we both gained tremendous respect for those who prepare for us everyday. It's a rough job. It's a full time job that is physically draining. We were warned by others that food that we enjoy will probably be disliked by almost every Ivorian. With that in mind we sprang a new gameplan into action. Here in Abengourou a pepper known as pemmont is used in almost every dish. It is a hot almost flavorless pepper that spices up any dish. We made ten pounds of noodles and our secret sauce included plenty of pemmont. Our hopes were that the people would enjoy the food if something familiar were mixed with it. The food turned out to be a major success. We ended up feeding somewhere around 25 people. It was an unexpected community event. It was an unexpected God moment in my life. One of our main goals this summer is to engage the Djoula community. It is the reason we live and breathe with the Djoula people. What we thought to be a normal family dinner turned out to be an event that helped bridge our ministry with the Djoula people. It's amazing to see what God can do in the small things. I will forever remember the night two white guys cooked dinner.