Potluck Epiphany

           This last week I had an epiphany! It all started around Tuesday morning when I was cooking breakfast. There often times will be a little bit of leftover oatmeal, which consequently gets added to the next morning’s fresh oatmeal. It seemed like the oatmeal was becoming a sourdough starter: no matter how many times you use it, you always still have a little bit of the original. This particular morning, we really seemed to overdo the amount needed for breakfast. With thoughts of the next breakfast, Phoebe put the remains in the fridge.

Lunches tend to have a similar outlook. If there are leftovers that need to be used, use them however seems fit. The split peas from the previous day were not enough alone, but the black beans were almost enough. We mixed those and threw in some two-day-old rice for good measure. (Now you need to understand that the guys here at the property are not very picky eaters. My menu options are “take it or leave it.” I cannot recollect a time when they chose the latter.) I thought we could finally finish that bean concoction and clear out the fridge a bit. However, much to my dismay, there was excess at the end of the meal. So once again, I put it in a container and threw it into the fridge.

By suppertime, I was getting tired of seeing those same old beans. That was when I had one of my first great ideas: Why not make black bean burgers! It was a great way to get rid of the beans and still follow the menu of hamburgers. DOUBLE BONUS! I could use the beans and the leftover oatmeal to make the patties. I started mixing and flavoring and frying all proud of what I was doing with the survivors. We all enjoyed a supper of something that seemed brand new. But once again, the terror hit when I found that there were a plethora of burgers after all had consumed to satisfaction. AYE AYE AYE! Back to the cold casket they went.

Oatmeal breakfast was no longer making the cut. Us girls had a wild spell by cooking biscuits and gravy without any oatmeal in the mix! Preparing food for fourteen people is much different than preparing for six. Since we recently had a significant drop in the number of herbivorous homo sapiens, we have been making a bit too much at mealtimes. The gravy was good, but there was too much goodness for breakfast. So (you guessed it) it became leftovers.

The culmination of the hodgepodge of scraps was about to go down. This was when I had my potluck epiphany! We used the gravy from breakfast to smother the burgers from two nights previous which were compiled of day old oatmeal mixed with reused rice and recycled beans leaving me with leftovers to the eighth power, plus or minus two days. This was an exact replica of the mystery gravy and patties dishes that so often plague the potluck table. The only thing Ray could say was, “You girls are creative!”

Are you stuck in a spiritual slough? Do you find yourself eating “plain oatmeal” everyday without any satisfaction? Ever thought about trying it out for more than just a breakfast. What about letting Jesus be your oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Just because you read your Bible for one hour every morning does not mean that you are tight with Jesus. Try and make Him real in your life today. Spice things up a bit by trying new ideas in your devotions. Share your ideas with a friend, because by sharing you will gain another blessing.

I can’t Belize how creative my cooking has become since I left the United States.

Fire!

Little can make a person move as quickly as when adrenaline is pumping through their veins. God created a really good mechanism to get us to act when our brains turn off in moments of terror.

With a delicious supper in our bellies and a day of work behind us, six of us missionaries gathered around the cafeteria tables for a relaxing night of games under the propane light. We starting by playing some of those games that you played as kids where only 2 knew how the game worked and would play it over and over just to make all the other kids jealous because they could not figure out the trick. Next, we got cups for everyone so we could do the cup game that all the girls play at camp and make the whole cafeteria rumble in unison. I was trying to teach the guys in slow motion so we could all get the cups moving around the group. Just as they were finally getting the hang of the game, the light on the propane tank fell over. Luckily, Ray was close by and could set the lamp back upright and tighten the knob. We continued to practice our new skills, but not for more than a minute. Suddenly, flames started shooting out from the top of the propane tank towards the ceiling. We frantically scrambled away from the fire and got out of the cafeteria, unscathed. Moments later, Perry came running from his house after Keila’s screams for help. With a clearer mind than ours, Perry started clearing the tables around so he could bring the table with the propane tank outside. Soon after, he was able to put out the fire. We were able to save everything but a few electronic devices that were on the table. After the pumping adrenaline had calmed down, we all gathered around and say a prayer of thanksgiving for safety.

As I sit here with my stomach still in knots, I realize how true it is that life is a gift and can be taken from us at any moment. We do not know what plans God has for us, but we can rest assured that all are for our benefit. If you have been holding something back from God, STOP IT NOW! If this moment was your last moment, would you be satisfied with how it all ended? Did you tell your sister how much you loved her; your friend how much you really appreciated her random acts of kindness; your enemies you were sorry and wanted forgiveness; your God how merciful He is and that you want to dedicate every moment to Him? I challenge you to take a few moments to remind someone how much they are worth to you.

God’s love for me is unBelizable!

Snap, Crackle, KABOOM!

I have already been in Belize for almost 7 weeks, yet in some ways it seems like forever and in other ways it seems like just yesterday that I arrived. No matter, I know that God has been looking after me. I have had some really close encounters with potential danger.

First encounter. I was helping tape the inside of my soon to be house so we could keep the ceiling clean. While in the bathroom, I would go up the ladder, down the ladder, move it, and then go back up. Just as I got to the top, the ladder tipped leaving me with only one place to go – down, and quickly at that. They say falling doesn’t hurt, just the sudden stop at the bottom. I don’t know who “They” are, but I think “They” must have done that same thing once or twice before. Luckily, I fell off to the right side onto the floor and not over to the left side where there was a foot of rebar sticking out of the wall! Turns out, there was something on the floor that I didn’t see and had set one of the legs down on it. With only minor flesh wounds and a rapidly beating heart, I went back up to finish what I had begun.

Second encounter. Phoebe and I went for a long weekend to Chetumal, Mexico to visit some new friends and learn some Spanish. Nothing like going to live with someone who doesn’t speak English to sharpen your Spanish skills. This is also a golden opportunity to work on your theatre skills. There were lots of laughs, awkward pauses, and looks of confusion. Getting to Mexico was when all the excitement actually started. We boarded a bus in Carmelita (the village I live in) and were told how to get through the border. Once through, we would meet Hermana (Her) Feli at the bus station and go home with her. We made it across the border all right, but were rather stunned when the bus driver said the bus didn’t go any farther. We would have to get a taxi to the bus station from there. What taxi doesn’t want to stop for two gringas with huge backpacks?! With broken Spanish, we told the driver where we needed to go. As we were driving through the city, I happened to look to the left. Suddenly, I realized that the scene to the left looked exactly like the picture I had been shown before I left home. This was the place we were supposed to meet Her Feli. Phoebe and I start hollering at the driver who was totally confused. We finally convinced him to turn around and take us back at this other place. We sat down and waited what seemed like an eternity for our ride to come. “She will probably be here in five minutes” we thought. After those five minutes, we decided that if she didn’t come in 10 minutes we would try to figure something out. We waited, and waited, and waited. Checked the watch only to realize that three minutes had passed. A watched pot never boils and a watched watch never ticks. The next move was a long shot, but the only option we could think of. We had her number, but could not tell her where we were because she would not be able to understand English. We got a taxi driver flagged down and eventually managed to convey our point. She was to arrive in 15 minutes – Thank goodness! Those 15 minutes did not go any faster than the 10 from before. I don’t think I have ever been so happy to hug a total stranger.

Third encounter. After a long, hot day of work, we all piled on the back of the truck and drove to the river for a quick swim. Since the water had risen a few feet since the first time we went, I decided that I would be daring and jump off the bridge into the water. It is probably about a 25 ft. drop from the road. I had seen my friend jump when it was low and there was no report of hitting bottom. Despite the uncertainty rolling in my stomach, I pushed myself off the bridge. What a refreshing feeling to have the water rushing past my hot, sticky, gritty skin. We all played in the river for a while before getting out. I had noticed a bit of pain in my toes, but did not notice anything on the right foot when I examined it. I looked at the left and noticed my toe was losing a fair amount of blood. After getting out of the water and drying myself off, I noticed that my other toe that had been hurting was also sliced open. Two sliced toes equals one funny looking walk.

Fourth encounter. Cooking lunch can be quite the dangerous task, despite what you think. I saw that there was a pot of beans on to cook for a second time. I wanted to check to make sure there was enough water so they would not burn on the bottom of the pan. The lid had just been set on the pressure cooker without being locked. I tried to open it to check the amount of water. Realizing that it was rather difficult to turn I decided that I better just put the lid all the way on. Instead of it locking closed, the entire lid blew off the top with a loud bang. Beans went flying up to decorate the ceiling and the lid came down with a clang. I, too, was decorated with hot beans. Thankfully, the little girl that I was babysitting that day was only hit with a few warm legumes. She said that she was tough and didn’t get hurt. Only my left hand was burned.

Fifth encounter. This encounter might be a little more familiar to others; I call it life. Everyday I wake up a sinner. I often feel the burden that I messed up the day before and desperately need a Savior to help me resist the temptations that plagued me in the past. He is the only hope that I have and I have recently realized how much He loves me. He allows me a second chance every day; that is almost 8,000-second chances! “I desire to do thy will, O my God. Your law is within me.” Psalm 40:8. I pray that you, too, may desire to do His will. If that is really your desire, He will give you a second chance when you mess up. Don’t worry, He told you He loved you when He woke you up this morning.

I don’t just think, but I totally Belize the angels have been working double duty since I got here.

A Chat with Loo

Snakes and I are like two peas in two pods…very distant pods! I think the best types of snakes are either out of site or dead. I have tried to get over my fear of them, but as of yet I have not had any luck. Knowing this background you can now understand this story a little bit better.

Once upon a time (last Sabbath), there was a girl who went to church for AY (Adventist Youth). We sang beautiful songs, listened to peoples’ testimonies, and fooled the stubborn old man preaching that we understood every word of Spanish that he said. (He was trying to convince us that the world did not move, but rather the sun moved around us. Keila taught us that we should just nod every now and then and say “Amen” whenever he looked our way. Amen can mean yes, no, or otherwise; generally a good answer for a religious service. 

After the service, Phoebe and I were going to visit the king’s throne quickly before we drove home. Although the church is only a few miles away, it takes about 30 minutes. I knew that I could not hold it that long so I made my way to the can. Phoebe was going to leave the guitar in the car then come over after I had a talk with Mother Nature. I was afraid that if I left the door cracked open someone other than Phoebe would come along and open it up with me squatting over the hole. {The week before I had a funny conversation with some of the ladies who said that we were all using the porcelain (or rather cement) seat the wrong way. Apparently you are supposed to face away from the door. I thought that was a terrible idea because then I cannot see if people start to open the door on me.} Despite my new knowledge, I decided that I was going to use the squatty potty the wrong way. With miniscule light, I started the call with Mother Nature. After a few seconds, I looked to the bottom of the door and noticed a cute little lizard crawling in under the door. Unfortunately, that cute little lizard had no legs! As the saying goes “I was up a creek without a paddle” and that creek was flowing fast. I hung up on the conversation as quickly as I could and shimmied out the door as soon as I could. Phoebe was just walking up to the perfume house when I came bolting out. I squealed a few words then finally communicated that there was a snake crawling into the outhouse. All the church members present heard the clamor and inquired of the situation. As best as I can remember, that thing had to be 10 feet long and 8 inches around. OK, so maybe it was only 8 inches long and 1 centimeter around, but all the same he was disturbing the peace (I try never to exaggerate the truth). I told one of the elders what had happened and he went and killed it for me. Turns out that it was a baby rattlesnake! In the end, I was creeped out all evening and even dreamt of the slithery little beast.

Have you ever considered what is creeping up in your life that could potentially be lethal? I have found that it is easy for me to sleep in a little and pass off our group worship as my time with God. Perhaps you have a different situation. Pray that God shows you what needs to be weeded out from your garden of life.

I Belize I might have wet my pants if I had not already been visiting the john. 

Of Weeding and washing

Life is finally starting to find its groove... or as much of a groove as it can. I have been weeding, planting, weeding, working on my house (don't worry, there are others who tell me what to do here), weeding, learning to cook new foods, weeding, trying to learn spanish, deshhierbar (look it up), and much more. As I have left some friends in America, I have found some new chums to hang out with.

I have learned to live a much simpler life down here. Since there is no electricity, I tend to go to sleep very early.The other night I felt like I might fall over only to realize that it was not even 9 pm yet! The showers have only one temperature and it is not scalding. I am learning that rice and beans is not the same thing as beans and rice. Washing clothes has also been a new experience. I have learned how to operate a wringer washer. Even though hand washing is a good upper body workout, I think I prefer to take the chances of my fingers getting wrung. Although there is probably a lot of other tasks that may seem foreign to me now, I am sure that in a few more weeks they will seem normal.

Working in the field for many hours is quite character building, so I've been told. I have found that singing a song really helps to keep the time moving. We did an AY service on Sabbath all about music. I would like to challenge you to sing when you are happy, sad, angry, discouraged, or just plum bored. You never know what message God will give you through a song.



I cannot Belize how much easier laundry is with a wringer washer compared to doing it by hand.

A Father's Check List

Check List for Belize

Bib overalls: check
Yeast flakes: check
Pillow: check
Sunscreen: check
Underwear: double checked = )
Hymnal: check
Fisher farm hat: check
Needle & Thread: check
Good memories with friends: last time I checked, check
Willing spirit: God's with me so check

Learning to pack all my life into 100 lbs is not a task to be taken lightly. There was a lot on the checklist when I started and I have no idea how it all fit. (I guess the true test will be at the scales tomorrow morning.)

Other than packing, I have been thinking over the past few months of life. That might be a little scary at times! I was considering all the memories I have made with friends, family, and acquaintances alike. My roommate and I had a sort of bucket list for graduation. I found that sometimes I had to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to new limits in order to achieve my goals. They were reached in a variety of ways: sitting around wondering what to do while rain poured down, saying "I don't normally do this, but I'm leaving America for a long time and may never get the chance...", allowing people to question my real age as a senior in college because they thought I was 5 years old, not studying for tests that had no meaning after graduation, losing some sleep in order to spill my guts to my best friend... Despite some of the awkwardnesses, discomforts, and down right gut wrenching terrors, I am glad for the way college ended. God has truly blessed beyond anything I could have asked for from my own human desires.

I was reading in Genesis 49 when Israel was giving his blessing to his sons. He basically had a checklist format that is recorded in Scripture. The name of each son is mentioned then the deeds from his past followed. Some of the events were horrifying, others heroic, but all were a description of the son. I'm sure some held their heads in shame as their father recalled their deeds. One day, God is going to be doing the same thing. The consequences are a bit more everlasting though. When He calls your name and starts reading your history will you hold your head in shame? Have you made God a proud Father lately?



"Belize me, I checked the list more times than Santa!"

PS~ If you would like to be added to the email list to recieve updates from Belize, please message me on facebook or email me at kroddy@southern.edu.

Joining the MOVE

Although the journey has been filled with dashed hopes, teary nights, and stressed situations, I am finally able to see where God has been trying to lead me all along. Let me fill you in on a few details about the next 16 months of my life:

I will be leaving for Belize on January 17, 2013 (that is only 24 days away!). I, along with my good friend Phoebe, will be joining the Missionary Outreach and Volunteer Evangelism (M.O.V.E.) training school. This is a place to study Bible work, basic health care, agriculture, construction, and much more. I am mainly going to be working in the agriculture program; basically a farmer. 

Please pray that God manifests Himself as January is the start of the first classes offered at this school. I know there are great miracles in store and hope to keep you all updated on His blessings.

"You better Belize I'm super excited!"