Kathy's Mercy Ship Adventures

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Stepping out and doing something Different!!

03 May 2014 - Journal Entry

Oh Lord, Thank you so much for the beautiful time spent with Sabine, Chris and Greta at the retreat center. It was so awesome to wake up to the birds chirping and see lush “green”. Oh Lord, thank you for the abundance you have given me. Thank you for the beauty that you surround me with. Thank you for so many friends. Thank you for filling me with the fruits of your spirit. Thank you for giving me grace, mercy, kindness and gentleness. Thank you Lord for showing me that it is only YOU that I need to focus on and follow! Oh Lord, I am so blessed, I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face! I believe you have placed me right where you want me to be. Thank you for showing me what a “good fit” this is for me at this time in my life. Thank you Lord for journeying with me. Thank you for carrying me through this time of transition in my life! Oh Lord, thank you for showing me the power of YOU!

Last night we had a wonderful dinner with the priests and the ladies that work at the retreat center. This morning we cooked for many hours; chicken, fries, rice, cabbage, fish, and beef. We cooked for 60+ people. We put on our aprons and followed Sabine’s directions! We laughed, sang songs and enjoyed our time together. Oh Lord, thank you for NoOreen, Princess and Clemetine - 3 lovely ladies that shared the work with us and ate with us. Even though our French was basically nothing....the power of the “smile” said it all!! Oh Lord, thank you for the kind hearts that Greta and Chris have. I really enjoyed their company. Oh Lord, thank you for showing me love! Oh Lord, I sing the song.......I want to know what love it, I want you to show me”.......Oh Lord, you have shown me so well!! I thank you Lord :)

Greta

Chris

Sabine!!!

Cassava leaves to make the Saka Saka

This Mama spent hours chopping the cassava leaves......I tried and lasted about 30 seconds.....pitiful!!!!

Princess and Clemintine

Beautiful Walk to the lake!!

Smiles and Bonjours along the way!

Fun on a Saturday afternoon!

Yikes.......I had to cross.....everyone else did!!

The walk back was so beautiful!!

We enjoyed the weekend with the group of Nuns from Angola.....They run a local orphanage and were here for a Retreat!! We were blessed to hear them singing all weekend long!

Smores Anyone??? I think they thought we were a little crazy!!.....Perhaps they are right!!

Right when we thought we were done, dishes were clean and we were ready to retire for the night.....NoOreen brought out bread and meat to make sandwiches for the engineers that were leaving in the morning.....by this point....we were all slap happy!!

Quick trip to the market by the fellow workers produced lots of fresh ingredients!!

This is the whole group that we spent our lovely weekend with.
AWE....So much FUN!!!

We peeled all that Ginger By Hand and Made Ginger Juice.......We were the JUICERS!!

Yum!!! Fresh Ginger Juice........I added to boxed of sugar cubes :)

See those dirty feet on the bed......they never seem to come clean here in Africa!!

No air conditioning and the electricity came and went throughout the night :)

Headed to the bathroom via Candlelight :)

Time is ticking..........As of this post today.....I leave in 7 days :(

Monday, April 28, 2014

Out and About in the Congo!!!

"I am because we are"

I have learned over and over on this adventure that we are all in this "life" together!

The joy that "giving" brings is so amazing!!

Sometimes it is money, sometimes it is love, sometimes it is food, & sometimes it is just giving of my time & attention!

It all puts life into a much better perspective for me :)

There is always a reason to celebrate......Birthdays, Going Away's, etc

PRAISE GOD for Healing and Transformation!!!

I could share hundreds of these pictures of smiling faces!!

Learning to cook SaskaSaska (sp?) :)
Full of yummy ingredients.............greens, peppers, onions, eggplant, garlic, fish, peanut butter
and 3/4 bottle of palm oil!!
I've been eating this the whole time I've been here thinking that it was so healthy......then, when we were cooking it I had to add the palm oil and realized it was not so healthy after all!!......Still Yummy!

Maren and I had to put on our "cooking" clothes First!

Below...........Helping Erika de-bone the fish!

It is an all day affair cooking the SaskaSaska! Many ingredients that are added at various times!

So, in the meantime we sat around and sang African Songs and took funny pictures :)

The Kitchen

Mamma Olga has invited us to her home on many occasions. Each time we go there she gives us gifts......dresses, jewelry, and always feeds us!!
I made her this collage :)

Another Beautiful Sunset in the Congo!

Helped with the purchase of a sewing machine to help one of the ladies gain some independence. Lots of fun going to the grand marche to make the purchase :)