Ellen the Cook II

(a paraphrased msn chat)

I went to Baunkhun today for marketing. I found some kitchen curtain fabric and went down into the market and found some seeds for the garden and some chicken and veggies. Quite a feat on my own.  Carrying the stuff is the hardest. The chicken was a half and it was about 3 lbs for l60 rupees. Probably paid too much but the lady was sweet and probably won't hurt me to be out a few rupees. It was clean and in a screen covered box. I was impressed!  I like going to this market as it is only half as far as Aizawl and I can leave at 10 and be home for lunch. I can't get all the canned stuff or stuff like TP though.  I need to learn to speak Mizo a little though these ladies don't speak much English. Cooking and Cleaning washing clothes, doing dishes all take a lot more time than ever. Oh well, I have the time so far!  Sometimes supper is a bit late or confusing because I don't allow my self the time for cooking the meat. I am getting better and learning to do things ahead of time. They have these neat hot pots like a thermos bowl and they keep the food very hot so its quite possible to do things up ahead of time.

Ray and Ellen. August 2004

Don't Count On It

The Indian culture and country has so very much going for it. Two of its obvious strengths are generosity and hospitality. If you want to be looked after and even “babied”, come to this great corner of God’s earth. This remote, northeasterly corner specializes in these essential qualities. I have often commented to those who have been here that I fear the day when visitors from here would drop in on me in Canada… because I would never match their care and concern for the guests’ welfare.
I’m repeating myself (if you’ve read what I’ve written recently) but it deserves repeating. Mizoram is a gorgeous place and the people, in general, are fantastic. So, anything I say now is not meant to demean this culture or country in any way. I love them both.
But things are different here, and contentment comes not from trying to impose changes, but from the blessing of that old gem--acceptance. The electricity comes and goes and frequently fades and then spikes! The telephone follows much the same routine. Water supply ebbs and flows. Internet… well, the last few days it has been unable to supply a web browser. So….
I got to wondering this afternoon: “How and when did these utilities take over my value system?” Last Sunday our class looked at the beatitudes of Matthew 5. Even now, after many readings of this passage, it shocks my Canadian mind-bent to be reminded that our God smiles on “the poor”, “the mournful”, “the meek”, “the hungry and thirsty”.
Could it be that we often long for, pray for, and preach about things—health, wealth, safety—that represent a skewed value system? “Consider Jesus,” the encourager urges: Was rich, became poor. Was safe, underwent the worst of tragedies. Was exempt from pain, endured the excruciating cross.
You might experience comfort, consistency, health, wealth, predictability, security. But… don’t count on it (them). I doubt that these are the destinations of our journey. Last evening, with our class, grade ten students, I worked through Charles Dickens’s “Christmas Carol”. Ebenezer Scrooge came so close to missing the essence of it. So might I. Might you?
In brief, we are called to be different and to make a difference. I am grateful to the opportunity to do just that here in NE India… with God as my strength.

Ellen the cook

I found some pasta yesterday so had that for supper last night. The kids loved it. Of course they did - it had velveeta cheese on it! I think most of the canned foods are pretty good, though they cost about twice as much as at home. There is not much variety in fresh veggies and fruit, mostly people here eat leaves, and sqashy type things, pumpkin. We can get green beans, expensive carrots and tomatoes, someone gave me beets that are really nice,and onions and potatoes. Last week I found a cabbage but none this week. So far for meat we have had beef (very tough,even ground) and chicken which I pressure cooked and it was good. I am finding it a bit of a challenge to get used to the cooking, how much time it takes in particular.

Almost a month!

Well, it almost a month since we arrived in Aizawl. We have just gotten our email up and running after a rather frustrating month of trying to communicate. However here we are and it seems to be working wonderfully well. We were able to talk on msn with Harm, jand s and Billy, and Heather,and Steve using the web cam so we could even see them. It is quite amazing and exciting for us and especially for A and A. We will talk to Tim tonight and Steve said he would try and get one for at home so we could see the kids, wouldn't that be great? It just really makes it so much easier. We feel so blessed to be here. We have been so well received and everyone is so kind and accomodating. We really could not have asked for anything more. When we arrived we stayed at a guest house and ate with the manager of theschool. His name is Lalfela and his wife Muanpuii. They have been so kind and the children have really loved being with them. Their driver Biacca came to get us whenever we need ed to go anywher and their servant girl became a real favorite with the kids. Netae is her name. We spent three weeks ther e and a week ago we moved out to the school (45 min from Aizawl in a small village) . We live in the staff quarters. They have made an apt for us. It has four rooms. Quite large. It is built from cement. There are several other apts. in the building. Our neighbors are teachers as well. They are Sir Sinha and Miss Mary (Autumn's teacher) , they are epecting their first baby any day, and Sir Jeremy and Miss Kathy. They have a 2year old boy. We are blessed with a bathroom off each bedroom since they joined two apts for us, a living room and a kitchen. There are small hot water heaters in both bathrooms, as well as Flush toilets and hand held showers. WE have everything we could want and the people are so kind to us. The carpenters are still her fixing whatever we ask them to do , like building shelves, putting in extra plugs, etc.
The children have adjusted very well. They are in school here and are doing well. They are very popular and do not lack for attention. They are doing well in classes and are learning Hindi and Mizo. Andrew has homework every night in Hindi, mostly learning the alphabet. The teachers give a lot of tests here and Autumn has found that a little hard to get used to. She got them all right on Friday so she was happy. They have lots of friends and for the most part are content to be here.
We have been going to a little church in Aizawl. Ray is preaching every Sunday now and I am teaching the sunday school. They are very happy to have us to help them out. They mostly do it in English but sometimes if there is someone there who does not understand then they translate. IWe have visited with Ginpu and Alemla a lot. They have children same age as Aand A and so after church we go there for tea. This Sunday she served tea and sticky rice with pork in it. Last week it was noodles just like at home and the kids love it. The food has been very different for them and they are happy for me to be making mashed potatoes for them since we moved here. WEll, this is getting long so I better stop fior this time. Hope all is well with each of you. If you promised me you would answer my emails please do ! I will look forward to hearing your news. We are well, and feel very thankful for all our friends who are supporting us.

From Ellen

Well, it is almost a month since we arrived in Aizawl. We have just gotten our email up and running, after a rather frustrating month of trying to communicate. We live in the staff quarters. A large, four room cement apartment has been prepared. We are blessed with a bathroom off each bedroom--since two apartments were joined, a living room and a kitchen. There are small hot water heaters in both bathrooms, as well as flush toilets and hand-held showers. We have everything we could want, and the people are so kind to us. The carpenters are still here repairing whatever we ask them to do-- building shelves, putting in extra plugs, etc.

The children have adjusted very well. They are in school here and are doing well. They are very popular and do not lack for attention. They are doing well in classes and are learning Hindi and Mizo. Andrew has homework every night in Hindi, mostly learning the alphabet.

We have been going to a little church in Aizawl. Ray is preaching every Sunday now and I am teaching the Sunday school. They are very happy to have us to help them out. Services are mostly in English, but sometimes, if there is someone there who does not understand, they then translate.

Arrived!

We are into our apartment at Silver Oak School in Durtlang, a northeasterly superb of the fascinating hill (mountain) city of Aizawl in northeastern India. In his family-parenting videos, Gary Smalley suggests that men, more than women, are eager to arrive, to conquer the road and reach their destination. However, in this case, I think Ellen’s eagerness surpassed even mine for getting in our own dwelling, setting up house and making a home! Our new home is a four-room apartment on the second floor of a two-story cement structure built for staff-quarters. A larger dwelling is being built for us on the top floor. It will be sometime before that is a reality. Basic kitchen appliances include of a 242 litre refrigerator, a butane powered four-burner stove, a 6-litre spin-drier washing machine, a small electric-toaster oven, and a 30-litre, candle-type water filter.

We hope that no one is feeling sorry for us! The scenery is majestic. You need to come to realize how good God was when he created this corner of his earth. And, to re-quote a famous apostle, as I have said before so say I now again, the only thing more spectacular than the landscape is the people that inhabit it. Now, the weather (for those of us accustomed to the arid prairies) is tediously rainy! The result is that clothes maintain a dampness that can easily turn into mildewiness, and more annoying, our roof is leaking at several junctures. Oh, well, the rainy season will soon (maybe) come to and end and winter (with its chilly plus 10ºC nights will soon be upon us! How does that sound to you brave prairie folk?

Silver Oak School has two more months of regular classes before examinations take place in early December. The new school year will commence on January 17. Opportunities to make a difference with students, staff and parents are many. My English and Bible classes seem to be going well, as does my English class at the Mizoram University.

Today, a 12-hour bandh has been imposed on all of northeast India by the students’ union of all seven states. They are sympathizing with grievances of students in the state of Manipur. For those of you who, to date, have not been privileged to experience a bandh, it is a forced shut-down of all traffic—not offices, school, and very few shops. Joy!

However, since it is anniversary time, I have arrange to take Ellen out for supper—rice, curry, dalh down 140 steps at the student mess (cafeteria)! Enjoy!

One last item. Our plan is to return to Canada in June and, then, return to Silver Oak in September 2005. The May – August segment would be a very opportune time for two or three college students to replace us—teaching classes here at SOS. Or, there may be teachers who would like to spend the better part of July-August making a difference here in NE India.