Me cooking and having flour all over myself.
I was going to title this blog, “I’m a mom!” buuuuut, I figured that would freak my Dad out.
So, I’m learning that I’ve had a misconstrued view of what serving the Lord and ministering means. Yeah, we’re called to sacrifice. Yeah, it’s sometimes difficult. Yeah, there are periods of time when God calls us to difficult things. I’m gonna be honest. That month in Peru, when we shoveled and wheelbarrowed sand for a month, was kind of awful. It helped to realize all the crazy awesome ministry that would go on in the stuff we were constructing. But I am simply not built for hard labor. But that’s okay. A lot of the World Race is serving in ways that are difficult. A lot of life is about that too. BUT! I truly believe that…
The will of God for our life is where our passion meets the world’s need.
Hello! What?! I always knew that through God’s strength I could learn to enjoy whatever ministry I was in. But who ever thought of choosing to minister in ways you already ENJOY?! How have I missed this for so long?!
So back to the “mom” thing… most of my month here in Romania is cooking for and cleaning up after 23 people. I used to say, I don’t know how Mrs. Duggar does it (19 kids and counting…) but I actually think it’s ridiculously fun.
just a few of our groceries for a week…
GROCERY LIST:
6 whole chickens
200 eggs
70 loaves of bread
60 pounds of potatoes
8 bags of rice
20 pounds of pasta
6 tubs of butter
8 packages of cheese
10 pounds flour
30 pounds of beans
These are just the staples. This doesn’t include the onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, garlic, sugar, mayo, mustard, oil, and other side items that we also purchase. Here is a typical menu for the week (breakfast is always cereal and milk, bread with butter/jam, eggs, oatmeal, coffee and tea):
6 whole chickens
200 eggs
70 loaves of bread
60 pounds of potatoes
8 bags of rice
20 pounds of pasta
6 tubs of butter
8 packages of cheese
10 pounds flour
30 pounds of beans
These are just the staples. This doesn’t include the onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, garlic, sugar, mayo, mustard, oil, and other side items that we also purchase. Here is a typical menu for the week (breakfast is always cereal and milk, bread with butter/jam, eggs, oatmeal, coffee and tea):
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Potato Salad | Chicken Alfredo with Green Beans |
| Tuesday | Chicken Salad Sandwiches | Chili |
| Wednesday | Baked Potatoes | Stir-Fry |
| Thursday | Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Potato Soup | Mac-n-Cheese with Asian Salad |
| Friday | Pasta with Red Sauce | Fajitas |
| Saturday | Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup | Chicken Pot Pie |
| Sunday | Pasta with Sauce | Breakfast for Dinner |
While most people are outside shoveling in the freezing cold every day, one out of the three of us girls stays inside and supervises the kitchen. And cooking on the World Race is NOT like cooking at home.
For example… today is my day in the kitchen, and I’m making chili. You can’t just open up a can and warm it up. So this is what the girls and I have been doing for dinner tonight…
8pm last night: put a ton of kidney beans in water to soak overnight
9am: wake up, clean up breakfast, get two chickens into pots of boiling water to cook for a few hours, put the beans on low on the stove.
11am: debone one of the chickens, get together a lunch of chicken salad, egg salad, bread, and leftovers.
12pm: clean up lunch
1pm: cut up onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes, and put them in with the beans.
1:30pm: put in a ton of spices
2pm: sit around for a few hours (and love it), adding spices, stirring, listening to sermon podcasts, etc.
4pm: debone 2nd chicken, add meat to chili
5pm: add more spices, let simmer for an hour. cut bread and set up dishes.
6pm: feed 20 people chiii.
7pm: finish up dinner dishes
AND I LOVE IT.
I love that other people can have the time to go dig ditches, hang out with families, hang out with the kids, take people into town, have deep conversations with hurting friends, and do whatever else they need to do, and not worry about what they will eat that day. I love empowering other people to minister in ways that they love, while I serve them in a way that I love. And I am learning that God is pleased with me in this.
I now can make cream of potato soup, chili, whole chickens, pasta fagioli, baked ziti, alfredo, red beans and rice, brownies, and a bunch of other stuff from scratch. Like, RAW scratch. For 23 people. On $46 a day.
P.S. I’ve discovered all sorts of healthy, cheap tips. If you need to thicken your chili, don’t add white flour like a lot of recipes suggest. Slowly wisk in egg whites. It thickens it, and adds tons of protein and not carbs.
And. I. Love. It.
I LOVE that my family here is taken care of and well fed, so they can go ROCK Romania.
For a while, I kind of felt bad, like I shouldn’t be doing something I enjoy. Serving God is about giving up what you enjoy to do His will, right? Wrong. At least it’s sometimes wrong. If what you enjoy is something that hurts others, takes advantage of others, is lazy, or sinful in any way, we need to GIVE IT UP and get in gear. The World Race is about that challenge, but also about experiencing new ministries each month so we can see what we enjoy and how God wants us to serve Him longer term.
And this is what I’ve realized. I want to serve Him by cooking. By having a home. By providing for my family so they can serve how God calls them. By opening up my home for people that don’t have one. By taking in a missionary who’s on sabbatical and providing them a free (cheap?) place to live. Or a 16 year old girl who got pregnant and has nowhere else to go. Or one day (hopefully) a husband, so he can serve in whatever way God has called him to serve.
So… God gave me (us) this kitchen this month to empower us to serve in the ways we’re good at. So we can serve our teammates in the ways they’re good at. And they can empower those they’re ministering to to serve… you get the picture.
So that’s why oregano is a ministry.
And I’m tired of letting myself think otherwise.
I enjoy being hospitable. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy making it aesthetically pleasing. I enjoy having hot cocoa ready for the people who come in out of the cold. I enjoy making things taste good by knowing how much garlic, oregano, or chili powder to put in. My family here has sold almost all they own, are living out of backpacks, and working hard. So my ministry this month is to bless them in any way I know how. And I’m passionate about it. It gets me excited. And it’s God’s will for me this month.
The will of God for our life is where our passion meets the world’s need.
So if your passion is kids, serve them with all your heart. If it’s hospitality, do it with all your heart. If it’s counseling, counsel with all your heart. Whatever it is, do it with all your heart.
Allow yourself to be joyful in ministry.
And know God is pleased.
Loving making this chili today 🙂
Hope everyone’s hungry! Speaking of which…
We live 5km from the border of Hungary, and tomorrow on our day off, we’re taking a van to Budapest. It would be kind of like driving to Lancaster for the day when you live at the Jersey Shore… except way cooler and cheaper 🙂
Thank you for this. I just love you to pieces! I cannot even express how much I have been blessed and taught reading your blogs. I think you might have to continue even when you are back in the states :). Keep up the servant attitude because it will be used for His glory and make a difference for eternity.
Much love,
Alison
Ok, so you’re on duty next Thanksgiving!!! Hey, check this out… Did you know that Syrian Oreagno is the Biblical Hyssop? SYRIAN OREGANO (Origanum maru): “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.†Psalms 51:7. Check out this site: http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/orimaru.htm
Love that you love the Lord and His ministry through you. Welcome to discovering yourself in him! Love, Dad
Ok, so you’re on duty next Thanksgiving!!! Hey, check this out… Did you know that Syrian Oreagno is the Biblical Hyssop? SYRIAN OREGANO (Origanum maru): “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.†Psalms 51:7. Check out this site: http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/orimaru.htm
Love that you love the Lord and His ministry through you. Welcome to discovering yourself in him! Love, Dad
yep… i’m going to jack your AMAZING words from this blog!!! love you! miss you! enjoy Hungary!
Steph,
Thank you so much for your service in the kitchen this month! It is greatly appreciated.
Your post reminded me of this scripture: Exo 35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
love this, stephanie! you’re inspiring me to cook!! and i love that you are encountering papa so much in it!
I discovered this when I was in Wisconsin making food for 40 people for dinner. It IS such a great feeling to realize you love doing something and can do it well for others and bring glory to the Lord. Thanks for sharing Steph! P.S. LOVE the title. 🙂
Wow, Stephanie, you have discovered how great it is to minister with food. I love to do that. Have an amazing veg beef barley soup that I make for folks here in our neighborhood. To give a bowl of soup with the love of Jesus is so fulfilling.
I’m hungry from reading the menu. Now I need to put supper together. Happy cooking. Love You, Peg
Steph,
What a blessing & affirmation as I wrap up my last semester and seek God’s will for my life. It’s encouraging & a joy to hear about God’s beautiful work in your life, and I love the heart for empowering others that He’s given you. I’m thinking of you & praying for you, dear.
-Marissa
Awww, I recognize those cabinets from Caminul Felix! My team was there back in March and we made chili and went to Budapest too…it was one of my favorite months. Enjoy it!
Steph,
I can hear the excitement you’re experiencing so clearly through your post. Thank you for always being so transparent as to what you’re experiencing and how you feel. I’m praising God this morning that you’re finding true joy in serving Him and others through what you truly enjoy and with the talents the Lord has given you. What a gift!
We pray for you always…everytime we see your picture hanging in our kitchen.
Be blessed,
Lisa