Yesterday was my first day back visiting with my refugee friends after my trip to Indonesia. I was so ready to see them. It was sweet to get to see Asha (it’s okay, I’ll use her name) and all the other ladies. Seeing them reassures my heart that I should be doing exactly what I am doing. With the heart of my trip in mind, it simply sets me even more on fire to press forward with showing and sharing the love of Christ to so many of my refugee friends who do not know what they are missing by not knowing Him. If I can travel the three long days to get to Indonesia to share my heart for Jesus to others there then I can certainly and will certainly do it right here in my city to those people who have traveled here from far away countries-especially those who have traveled here who do not know Him! I am free to lovingly do it boldly. This excites me! God have your way in me.

We baked my families favorite chocolate chip cookies with Asha, Jenna Rose, Anna Lisa and Deborah. Deborah and I decided to try and teach our friends how to make an American style cookie. We had measuring spoons and such and were explaining how to use those. The way they awkwardly used them I began to wonder if they really ever measured anything when cooking in their culture.

It was interesting to see their faces when we added sugar! Asha let Deborah and I taste a Somalian cake she recently made. We wondered if it had any sugar in it at all. She said it did…just a couple of teaspoons as opposed to our cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Before my trip to Indonesia I would have claimed that America used a lot more sugar in their recipes than all the other countries but I think Indonesians top Americans with the sugars in their drinks. My teas and coffees always had 1/2 of a mug full of thick sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup of coffee grounds or tea and then 1/4 cup of water. The mixture was a thick consistency sort of like syrup. I never could stomach a whole cup.

Our chocolate chip cookies ended up baking well and tasting even better. It seemed like the ladies were very excited about learning to make these cookies for their families. I think their children have been exposed to cookies like this at their schools and have been begging their moms to learn to make them at home. I know that Asha’s girls always want Asha to learn to make American pizza as well.

The cooking time yesterday provided a lot of good conversation time. Two of our friends sang. We also enjoyed tea prepared by Asha’s brother and met two of his friends. While we were all chatting, I couldn’t help but wish that Asha’s Refuge could encourage more Christian men to get involved with the refugee men. These men are so sweet and could use some good American friends to mentor and encourage them
as they try to resettle here. I am very prayerful that this could happen in the future. I am thankful for my time with my friends Friday and look forward to visiting with them more. I enjoyed our conversations Friday that danced around interesting cultural topics and even more on prayer. God is so good how He works. He gives me the words at just the right times. I look forward to what He may be up to in the future with Asha’s Refuge. I’m willing to wait until He moves. I’m willing to go as He goes. I’m ready.