Hello people, and happy New Year
as promised this is my post devoted to all the Christmas and New Years things that happened. It seemed like so much that it needed its own page.
So December.... It was hard to believe that it was December already, that meant that my time at Safe was on the clock and also that it was time to tell them. Finally one evening when ate Red was there, it was about the second week of December, we gathered everyone after supper and I announced the news. buffering it with reminding them I would not be leaving the country and could still come and visit and call and text. Recently I have marked the moving day is February 11
Homesickness started setting in as the snowy facebook photos from Vavenby started appearing. I have always loved snow, always felt a thrill with that first snowfall and so when I feel another winter passing my by without snowflakes my heart always hurts a bit.
We had our Christmas party December 16th, we wanted to have it early before ate Charisa went back to the USA for two weeks. The day dawned. I had decided to make egg pie for the event. Egg pie is one of two pies that are eaten in the Philippines the other one being Buco pie. Egg pie is essentially a thick custard pie really tasty. I was eager to make pie as my mom brought me a whole bunch of my favorite baking ingredient ever. Tenderflake Lard! The best Lard in the world, at least as far as i have seen. I guess several people heard about my plea for tenderflake and people kept giving my mom lard before she left, the result was that I ended up with more pounds of lard than I could have hoped for! Thank you my Tenderflake angels!!! So I cracked one pound out for the occasion and made up 5 pies. I made a few mistakes along the way, but in the end they turned out really nice and all got eaten up pretty quick. I also helped out with the pesto pasta (also made a few mistakes) we were also having BBQ chicken, grilled over a foil casserole dish on a grate, the heat supplied by charcoal. There was talk about making a sauce, I volunteered. My mom's BBQ recipe slowly coming back to me, I rushed out to buy tomatoes, and oyster sauce, combined with onions, mayo and fresh lemon juice and of course garlic, thanks to our new blender given to us by a visitor it blended into a perfect sauce that everyone liked. The party started out with prayer and worship, we then ate, and then we had a new event called "Safe's got talent" it was a lot of fun and all of the girls participated, I decided to enter as well for fun. I did an interpretive dance. The girls did really well, some of them really surprised me with showing their creative side. we have some amazing talent here!
Games were played and squeals of happiness sounded. It was a successful party.
Christmas Shopping
I decided I wanted to get something for the girls, and I saw some daily breads for sale in the book store, in Tagalog and English, I remembered that a supporter had given money to buy some a long time ago but I hadn't been able to find Tagalog versions at the time. So I bought what I could and then later I planned a trip to another city to go to a mall that I knew had more book stores. I took two sisters from Safe with me. I also had some prize money for Safe's got talent, I honestly felt guilty about me getting it and not one of the girls and so decided I would use the prize money to buy a group gift. The three of us traveled the hour and half bus to Dasamarinas and found the SM mall. its a huge mall and was a lot of fun to roam around. in the department store I found the perfect group gift, a small charcol BBQ on sale. I knew this was a need for safe so they wouldn't have to use a foil dish. after buying that and roaming around the department store we headed to the book store and I found a bunch of Tagalog daily Breads. I bought a stack and after visiting the grocery store and eating at the food court we headed back. It took us awhile to get back but we got there.
shopping with the girls
The gift list kept getting bigger, it started out just getting some daily breads for the older girls, but then I thought I should get the kids something, and then I realized that some of the staff kids would be there, so I had to get them a little something (I bought each a little packet of chalk. then I wanted to get something for ate Red and then it was like I might as well get something for the other staff and then I realized other girls from Manila would be there and I wanted to get them a daily bread....In the end I got something for everyone....that snowballed fast...
Festivities
December 23rd was allotted as the baking day. I ended up deciding to do three cookies Ginger bread, sugar cookies and short bread. I had already purchased all the ingredients and decided to be more organized this year, the girls are doing well in their baking skills so I divided them into three groups, on three tables. and the event began, I went to each table checking and guiding, ate Red was there and went to the store when I realized I had forgotten to buy a certain ingredient. we had to convince the kids to wait their turn, I promised them they could roll and cut the sugar cookies and ginger bread.
There were a few technical difficulties but we pushed through, the short bread went into the oven and the other cookies dough went into the freezer to get chilled. The ginger bread's consistency seemed a but off to me but we shrugged and went with it. In the afternoon the kids came out and we started rolling the dough and cutting the shapes. My job mostly consisted of taking cookies out of the oven, keeping the kids from arguing and making sure everyone got a turn on the rolling pin which was the coveted job. at one point I bribed the kids to stop arguing for an hour and I would give them 5 pesos for an hour and one peso for half an hour. Only one made it. but it did help for 40 minutes. But the kids did have a lot of fun as you can see in the photos. Decorating came next after the icing making, and coloring, the older girls came to help. We only had two pipping begs so I had to work on keeping kids from pouting because they had to wait their turn. At one point I turned my back for a minute and one of the girls started pouring food coloring into an icing. my expression of surprise was met with a sheepish grin. There were a lot of cookies!!!! most of them turned out too thick but imperfect cookies is part of the joy
Enter Christmas eve! ate Red and I went out that morning as I had some last minute Christmas shopping, (a few more daily bread and some other indregiants for things.) Traffic was insane of course and the mall insane but we managed, after we arrived home our ate on shift did a Christmas teaching and then I had this idea to do a Christmas craft activity and had bought some paper items for it while I was out. after the teaching they were separated into four teams and told to create something that had to do with what they were taught, they came up with the most beautiful displays, I had been expecting a one dimensional thing but they created elaborate 3D illustrations complete with intricate Spiritual meanings behind their displays. I was very thankful I was nor a judge.
Everyone got a participate prize but the team that did this display won the grand prize (which I cannot remember what it was :)
While they worked on their creations I worked on the apple cider and egg nog. ate Rosanna and ate Linda made Mahi Mahi (probably spelling that wrong) by the time the activity had finished everyone from Manila had arrived. I put a Christmas movie on and our merienda (snack) of Christmas cookies, cake that was brought from the Manila girls, Mahi Mahi , egg nog (sadly I forgot to buy the rum flavor) and apple cider was served!
Mahi Mahi is in the middle for those of you who have never had the pleasure of eating it before. Its a type of really firm custard, do delicious.
Safe is always an abundance of energy but with the arrival of the the Safe sisters from Manila, sugar and the feeling of Christmas in the air, the energy was insane! games started soon, and it became a bundle of activity and happy screams and shouting. The living room was a swarm of happy girls and children.
Oh and I forgot to mention the lamb! ok before I go further I have to tell
"A Moilliet's journey to her Leg O Lamb"
But we first we have to back track a little. I'm a Moilliet, eating lamb and mutton is written into me DNA and I was starting to despertly miss the familuar food (remember that I grew up eating Muttin almost every day) Several months ago I made an exciting discovery, a huge store similar style to Cosco called S&R sells all sorts of North American style foods, when visiting the store with ate Nikkie and her son John (whom picked up and dropped off my mom and brother at the airport) I found that the store sold lamb roasts which were imported from New Zealand. I took a mental note and vowed I would attempt to return ....
Flash forward two months
About a week before Christmas I contacted ate Nikki and we made plans to meet at S&R, on the decided day I headed to Nuvali (remember Nuvali....? the place I mentioned in my last blog where I traveled back from in the dark after mom and Isaac got dropped at the airport) Its actually really easy to get there, going from Tagaytay. Anyway I made it to S&R and waited for my companions. S&R is like a Cosco where you need a membership to shop, ate Nikki and her son were so kind they made the trip to Nuvali just so I could shop at S&R.
They arrived and I was overjoyed to discover that sure enough the Leg of Lamb was still there. I chose the one with the bone so I could make soup, it was the biggest leg of lamb I had ever seen! I purchased it. I also bought myself some of my favorite foods ever! dill Pickles and blue cheese! aw man....I could live off that stuff! anyway I got the lamb! oh and sugar and butter for baking. As we left the the giant store we discussed how I should get back to Tagaytay
"There has to be a direct ride." I said, I told them last time I wasn't able to go direct.
They agreed with me that surely there was a jeep that would go direct especially since it was the day now.
So they drove me to the jeep terminal that I had gone to last time and I was pretty sure that since it was during the day there would be direct ride. There wasn't. My friends had driven off by then so I just shrugged and figured, "well at least I've done it before and at least its daylight". Everyone was very helpful and made sure I got off on the right place, I then stood on the side of the road with several people at a much more populated place then last time. I even met some nice people while waiting, and noticed they could speak Ilocano meaning they were from the North (I know some Ilocano as that's what they speak in Kalinga). We talked for awhile until the jeep came and off we went. The jeep went to the end of its line in Tagaytay but I still had a ways to go, and keep in mind I am maneuvering this 4 kilo lamb roast on my shoulder with a glass jar of pickles in there. From that terminal I started waiting for another jeep, but then a lady overheard me saying I needed to get to Oliveras,
"Do you want to get a tricy with us?" it would be cheaper if we all went together., verses 80 pesos for just me.
"Sure"I responded, in my mind I wanted to jump for joy! I was so thankful as a tricy is so much faster than a jeep. I didn't realize how many of us were going into the tricy however, it was incredibly full and I had to sit by the driver on a about foots worth of space, I barely fit but my concern was more for the Lamb and glass jar of pickles, which was slung over my shoulder in the eco beg, needless to say I was hanging onto that beg fiercely
After arriving at Oliveras I took one more jeep and then spent the extra few cents for a tricy. I finally got the lamb home and managed to just fit it into the small freezer at Safe, I did notice a little problem however, the lamb was too big for the oven!
Christmas Eve day I prepared the lamb delicately after it thawed out all night, the girls watched with intrigue as I inserted pieces of garlic into it and rubbed rosemary, salt and pepper over it. Of course this was after I solved the oven problem, I had finally managed to track down a saw for the meat. Ate Rosanna asked her neighbor who had a nice little one I could use. I had to sand the rust off the saw first ( everything rusts here so fast due to the humidity) I then sawed the shank off and was as much surprised as everyone that it worked so well, I felt like a real Moilliet at that point, like someone who really knew her legs of lamb and saw them in half! (I take pride in the small things). I stored the lamb in my little fridge as there was no room in Safe's at that point and brought it back in time to put it in the oven anyway at 7. Following is the picture story of the said lamb. Some of you may want to turn away
About 8 PM we had our candlelight service, where we all lit our candle as we said what we were thankful for the last year and the girls said what Christmas means to them.
Then we sent everyone to bed for a few hours, and those in charge of cooking cooked, that included me this year, ate Linda was also cooking, I made roasted potatoes, gravy, the sauce for the pudding, which I had to redo since I messed the first one up, i also steamed the pudding, ate Rosanna had brought some beautiful baby green beans from Bagio, they prepared them and I sauted them with garlic and onions and butter. The Manila girls went together to buy a Lechon Baboy. what is that you ask, well the picture says it all.
at Midnight we ate!
after the food and dishes we sent everyone to bed for good this time with strict order not to come out. several of the designated persons worked on arranging gifts under the tree
and I decided to start on my pandasal bread, because it seemed like such a great a idea to have warm bread baking in the oven and all the that...I mean never mind sleep right? anyway I was determined so I was kneading dough at 2:30 in the morning. I let it rise while I slept. at 3:30 it was done, and I was in bed by 4 AM.
I woke up at 7AM Christmas morning, I went over to Safe where the most excited were awake, ate Rosanna was already baking the bread (she made cinnamon rolles out of the failed pudding sauce) I started on the homemade hot chocolate and then the gift unwrapping began. I love how they do it here, there is no diving under the tree like vultures. everyone gets their turn, sits in a chair, they are handed their gifts and open them while everyone oos and awws. It takes about 2 hours to get through everyone but everyone is patient and really enjoys watching everyone open gifts,
Ok so I know this isn't a baking blog and I realize I have talked a lot about baking but the next part of this story only makes sense with a bit of baking terminology. I had been thinking for days on how to do the ice cream cake, when my mom was here we made an ice cream cake out of necessity when one of the cakes was raw in the middle and we had to scoop out the middle and fill it with ice cream. It acted as a kind of well of ice cream. I wondered if I should do it that way but in the end after looking at how my cakes turned out and contemplating for ages I decided to go with a different plan. I had two two layers of my own recipe of vanilla cake. I took the bottom layer and cut out the middle then put the ice cream inside then I lightly iced around it and finally placed the second layer on top thus sealing the ice cream inside, the idea is that it looks like an ordinary white cake but then when you cut into it you are supposed to get this lovely bit of ice cream surprise, Brilliant right?! that's what I thought.
My next challenge was how to freeze it. Sure we have a freezer, but it was a full of meat, I had just managed to make a section for it, but failed to tell anyone what I had done, so it got filled while my back was turned, so I went to put my cake in the freezer there was no room, I started panicking, as I was holding an ice cream cake with no freezer access. For some reason when I tried to make room again I couldn't do it. Ice had to be our solution, I would buy ice to put the meat in it so I could use the freezer space. I ran out into the rain, oh yah, so we were having a bit of a typhoon at the time, nothing dangerous but full on down pouring and cold wet wind. I marched to the store up the road, which always had big begs of sometimes three big freezers full of ice. But this was December 25th; they were all out, so I go back to Safe and wail "No Ice" that half hour was not my proudest moment, I wasn't mean but lets just say I wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit It was in that half hour I figured that would be the last ice cream I would be making for awhile. But with calm support from the others we managed to actually make room in the freezer and the cake went safely into the cold. I calmed down, and helped out with cooking for the party.
We celebrated our birthday girl and she was beaming. like truly her whole body was filled with joy
The next day was my day off and I did nothing, it was wonderful!!
The 27th was full. we did an outreach to a nearby community and the girls gave away clothes that they were no longer using, and we handed out rice and noodles to some of the families.
In the afternoon I took some of the girls shopping. I had a doner from Canada who give money for shoe needs for girls who needed it. I took 6 girls out for this occasion and one of our little girls. It was an adventure and took awhile since the traffic was intense that day, it resulted in us having to walk a ways to get a ride to the department store. Three girls found their shoes at the department store. we went to an out door market and found the other shoes successfully, then after purchasing some drinks since e the day was crazy hot day! I often find that after a typhoon (which we had Christmas day.) the following days are often intensely hot!
Sunday night I had the three girls from 5-10 at house for a sleepover. I had promised them they could have a sleep over during the holidays months ago so it had been a much anticipated event. a few hours before, Amar, the older one, was having a stomach ache, I told her I wasn't sure if she could come if she was feeling sick, she started crying and I knew how she felt, she rested for a bit I prayed for her and she said she started feeling better, I figured there was no harm in her coming over, she could rest at my house just as easily as at Safe. So I took the three over. They love that my shower actually has a shower head, Never has it be so easy to get them to take their showers. I heated some water for Amar could have a warm bath for her tummy ache, after she said she felt all better. we watched Fival, such a great classic, did story time, and they all cuddled up and slept.
Little Song had to get up super early in the morning to go with her mom to Manila, so I woke her up in the wee hours and took her over to her mom's at safe. The two other girls woke a few hours later, I gave them hot chocolate then we went to safe for breakfast.
New years eve we celebrated Irene's 8th borthday! I made a cupcake cake and one of the girls did the decorating. I learned to make a new icing, Italian butter cream! it proved to be a good hit
earlier that afternoon we had said goodbye to ate Edna who is retiring after many years of service at Safe it was emotional but we sent her off with love. That evening everyone felt tired from the long say so I put movies on to watch, Amor and Song fell asleep while waiting for midnight.
The next day was cold and drizzly, but I was determined to have a fire and hot dog roast so I kept praying the rain would stop, after supper, it had ceased enough to get a fire going, it was windy and our scrap wood was wet so it took three of us carefully nursing the flames lighting and relighting almost an hour before it was burning with no aid. I had managed to find sticks I could carve (thank you my big brother for giving me that knife when I was back in Canada) into hot dog sticks. All of the hot dogs got eaten up. One of the little girls got a little ill actually after eating so many. It rained a little and at one point the umbrellas came out, the fire kept going and I enjoyed some nice deep conversations around the dimming flames.
We celebrated Liz's first birthday in Safe yesterday. I made a Kalamansi Cake, she is a big fan of butter, so I made sure to make the Italian butter cream again. again some of the girls helped me with the decorating. I also got to make the Filipino style spaghetti, I assured everyone in would not taste like the American style, I think I passed the test as several people said it was good. I have the ladies at the clinic in Tabuk to thank for that as they showed me how to make it several years ago.
Now that January is upon us, my mind is now shifting to all the prep for my move to Tabuk. The date is set for February 11. There is so much to get done before then, we want to do another outreach and evangelize to the community where we handed out clothes and food. I have a bunch of admin things to get done for myself and safe. We do have some good news though, our landlady has agreed to pool together with us to build a new septic tank!!! Praying that that goes smoothly and well, she is also wanting to help us get a business license so we can get registered with DSWD, a total answer to prayer, also praying for a smooth road for that, as we have hit road block after roadblock when it comes to getting registered.
I has been wanting to so a session with the girls on morals and teaching Biblical principles on that, and having a safe space to talk about things like and that and our feelings about it. It went super well, God was truly leading.
There is now only a month left before my move to Tabuk, I am excited to be in Tabuk again, no doubt, but the part where I have to say goodbye to everyone....aw man....it makes me almost ill. It seems all I have been doing for the last 5 years is say good bye, say hello then say goodbye again. I thought it would get easier, but it actually gets harder. I was having a talk with someone when I was in Kalinga last time about how hard it is to invest in relationships when you know you have to say goodbye. I was saying, "It will hurt to say goodbye, but it just means that you have loved and have been loved."
I have learned so much since being here, and I have loved a lot and have been loved, so the hurt that I will feel is just proof of that, I comfort myself and the girls with the fact that I will still be in the country with the ability to stay in touch pretty easily.
Despite the overwhelming feelings I have been doing pretty good lately considering, I had this amazing time with God on one of my offs. I have been struggling with getting on top of my emotions the last few months, I felt like I was drowning and couldn't get above the water, and it seemed like God wasn't doing much to lift me up. But then the other week I got this word while praying
"I am in the water too, and I will surely carry you" something clicked when I heard that. I didn't have to fight the current because God was in all of it, the struggle, frustrations, homesickness, he might not cause them, but He is in them. I realized I had to let go and stop trying to get out of the water. I needed to sort of embrace the struggle ad know that God is in it and will see me through.
I know this is turning into a super long blog post but I just really wanted to share that because I know many of us struggle with these overwhelming feelings, and I cannot tell you the relief when I felt reminded that I don't have to control the waves or struggle to get out of the water. I just need to let God carry me, and just keep coming back to Him every time.
My next post will be coming from Kalinga, so until then have a great New Year and God Bless you all. As always thank you so much for your prayers and support and I am not just writing that out of habit, there are really no words to describe my thankfulness to me supporters. I end with some more photos
Until next time,
- the sheepish midwife
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| Cora and I sharing a moment |
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| Netflix has a fireplace!!!! |
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| Have a cozy New Year |
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