Quality time in the kitchen

I am always trying to find ways to have quality time with the girls. Sometimes it is easier to just do things myself, but just to ask a few girls to come help me gives them the opportunity to learn, and for us to have quality time together. With 50 girls in the dorm, it's not always easy to spread out quality time with each one. This week I had some things to do in the kitchen so I invited a couple of girls in, and they had a blast.

Making and Baking a chocolate cake:

Mana Cheila is 25, and has lived in the girls dorm for about 10 years. She is handicapped, and used to run away to the streets. She has settled down so much, and hasn't run away in over a year. She's very sweet. Rosa, age 2, is not in school yet, so when all the girls went to school, I invited Mana Cheila and Rosa to come help me make a cake (for the wedding, see a few posts back). We measured out each ingredient and they took turns dumping them in, and mixing.

The finished cake! And 2 very happy bakers!

This is the first time I ever got Rosa to smile for the camera.

And a brag moment, my sweet little Rosa can now count to ten on her fingers, and when I asked her "How old are you Rosa?" she responds "I'm two!" in her sweet munchkin voice, and holds up two fingers. I'm so proud of her!

Friday Night Snack:

Every Friday night I do snack and movie night in the girls dorm. I usually give them something healthy (hard boiled eggs, pop corn, fruit, peanut butter). Sometimes I make them cookies or cupcakes. Last week Eliza and Fatima (2 of the new girls) helped me prepare peanut butter on crackers for all the girls. They were so impressed with out kitchen. Refrigerators, a stove and oven, plates, cups, silverware. "Mana Anna, you have everything in this kitchen! Plates, cups! You thought of everything!" is what Eliza exclaimed when she walked into our kitchen and took a look around her. Fatima pointed to an apple on one of the other missionaries shelves and said, "You even have an apple in here!" :-)

Now compared to America, our kitchen is pretty basic. I mean we just got our first counter top put in, and have been surviving for a few years without a counter. But these girls have probably only ever seen a cooking pot over a wood fire, and a few mismatched plates to eat off of! They both came from pretty poor circumstances. It was a reminder to me where they come from, and how much it is for them to take in all that we have here! Even having beds, instead of sleeping on grass mats on the floor must be a big deal to them.

They spread peanut butter on 50 crackers, and even washed up the plates and knives afterwards.

Sometimes I can get really busy doing "good things", but neglect the whole point I am here. To be a mother to these precious girls, and to give them God's love. God has been reminding me to take time to create special moments for the girls. And as I bless them, I feel so blessed!