Merry Christmas!

 Our second Christmas in Africa is in Nairobi hosted by Mennonite Guest House. Yesterday we got together with some EMMers and MCCers here in Nairobi for a christmas/birthday party.

The stealy-gift game was played and enjoyed. Homemade pretzels were created and eaten (including one I worked hard on, "sweet baby Jesus" a cinnamon sugar pretzel), and then, randomly, feats of physical strength and gymnastics were undertaken. There were headstands and broom tricks and many assorted flips. Luke and I learned a new one (fingers crossed this video upload works! come on nairobi-internet, give us a Christmas miracle).

Today (for me) began with sunrise Christmas Eve yoga on the grass in my barefeet, and will be a relaxing day with Scrabble, singing of carols with the MCCers who are here, and talking on the phone to loved ones at home. Tomorrow we're heading off to church and then relaxing for the day. 

In this second Christmas overseas I am able to enjoy the slow place; the time for reflection and rest. The hubbub I associate with Christmases in Canada is not entirely absent (see juggling santa's at a shopping mall),yet I find myself enjoying the calm. We have one more Christmas in Africa after this one, and while I look forward to the day when I am with my family and the joyful chaos that ensues around this season (special shout out to playing family games, eating hors d'oeuvres, making apple fritters, and general Nafziger sister shinanagins)  for now I will rest in the calm and the reflect on a peace that passes understanding, and a God born to us. My mom has been sending advent poems and I am going to share the most recent one here. We are grateful in this season for our friends and family both near and far, and for God whose love is embodied in humanity.

The Sun Never Says

Even

after 

all this time

the sun never says to the earth,

"You owe

me."

Look

what happens 

with a love like that,

it lights the 

whole

sky.

Hafez

MCC/EMM East Africa Retreat In Photos

together again.

Shadrack loving the doughnuts

and more loving the doughnuts

the quilt room

budding musicians

family games- our winning team!

The crater at top of Mt. Longonot. The view after a gorgeous and steep hike.

                                         

Luke is political in his referendum shirt (and his toque from Ethiopia)

back at the retreat centre I revel in the veggies

swahili carvings 

Talent Show!

  Chris reading his inspired poem "Computer Lab Chicken" (he has promised the text will come to a blog near you soon. unfortunately you will miss the dramatically fantastic reading of said poem)

The MCC bring-cool-stuff-from-your-country-and-sell-it-fair. I brought Lulu Lotion made by St. Monica's and it sold like teaballs at the NHMRS

Tanzanian Country Rep Maggie and crafts 

with treasures

enough BBQ sauce to swim in (In Honour of Jano)

Heather-the-Fractured. Ever-the-Trooper.

Luke, Simon and Joel

Team Sudan.

Not Pictured: games, games, games (including a very serious Rook tourney), great conversation, my first communion since coming overseas, a fantastically beautiful and moving four part hymn and carol sing, rest, soul-nourishment, teaching Sudanese and Kenyan people to play Dutch Blitz and the joy of feeling cold. 

His Lordship

Back in Canada I attended a pretty laid back church, Hawkesville Mennonite. The current pastor refers to his occupation as "somewhat irreverend minister of religion and social construct." So one thing that has been interesting for me is seeing the difference between my church in Canada and the more formal churches here in Sudan. Both of the large denominations in southern Sudan (Catholic and Anglican) follow a much more "high church" format with a lot of liturgical reading and a highly standardized worship service.

A recent "enthronement" service got me wondering a bit about the wisdom of all this formality. How did we get from the original Jesus walking around in sandals, to the extravagant outfits that church leaders wear to any important service here in Sudan? Is it really necessary for me to address a leader as "His Lordship" in order to convey my respect for a position? What are the advantages of this type of service that I will miss when I return to Hawkesville?

I have no theological training so maybe I'll leave it at that and invite those who know what they're talking about to comment if they wish.

Pancake Parlance

Pancakes have become a prominent part of our diet here in Rumbek, and without the amazingly delicious local maple syrup of our youth we have made many a topping to go on our varied pancakes (as Luke previously mentioned - #9 on this list). Since pancakes have become so important to us I decided to post some pictures and comments of some of our pancakey good times. Read on, get hungry - then go make yourself some pancakes!

First up we have sourghdough pancakes. The sourdough starter originated from a little packet that was sent from my sister in Alaska to us here in Sudan (via the kind people who collect our mail in Kenya). We have been growing and nurturing this sourdough for the past 3ish months, and eating sourdough pancakes about 3 times a week... the lack of refrigerator requires we eat and refill our sourdough more often than sometimes desired. We regularly top these pancakes with non-certified organic peanut butter (ground nut paste called "mukwanga" that is a staple to many meals around here) and locally harvested wild honey (doesn't that sound better than me saying "we put peanut butter and honey on them"). On this day they were topped with a yummy homemade chocolate sauce. Chocolate mornings are some of the best mornings. 

Topping: Pineapple and Hibiscus sauce

Then we made savory pancakes. Instead of cinnamon in the batter we put sage, rosemary and thyme. We made this creamy herbed tomato sauce to put on top. It was an experiment and I have to say it was quite yummy!

These wonderful valentines pancakes  were filled with coconutty goodness (a culinary delight from Extending the Table) 

Topping: apple compote with caramelized bananas. I had to link to a page that explains compote because when I say to Luke "I want to make an apple compote" he says "oh, yum, apple compost!" I have this thing where I like to talk about the food I am making as if it were in a food magazine; it makes it more delicious and it's a fun game. Luke likes to mock my game. But please compare: one - apple compote with caramelized banana and two - mashed cooked apple saucey-stuff with cooked bananas on top. The former is much more awesome. Indeed I would probably say it is much more awesomer. That's right, it's so much more awesomer the rules of grammar flee. 

Potato pancakes with a spicy peanut sauce (rumbek market top-up chili sauce mixed with peanut butter - so much more delicious than it sounds)

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes (thanks More With Less) with homemade yogurt (turned out a little runny - but we're learning), honey and bananas on top.

The End.

Go Forth and Pancake.