If you are a family of adopted Liberian children (or soon to be), be alert to the schemes of the enemy this week, be prayerful in all things and especially over your children. Do NOT listen to the LIES of the enemy. For the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline. Persevere and pray, my dear friends. He never promised this would be easy and comfortable - dying on the cross was neither of those for Jesus! - but He has promised that it will be good!
Showing posts with label liberian culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liberian culture. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Prayer and Perseverance
I would love to have the time to post more in depth, but I don't, so all I can ask is that if the Lord brings our family or another family to your mind (especially any who have adopted or are in the process of adopting Liberian children), just please be obedient and pray for us/them and for the children of Liberia in general. There seems to be an intensified spiritual battle this week and we know that we fight this kind of battle on our knees. May the Lord give us all grace and may he be glorified as He wins these battles for the souls of our children.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Liberian Adoptions
Please pray for Addy's Hope (the adoption ministry that helped us bring home our children) right now as they are in Liberia and hoping to bring home more children TODAY (if they are allowed out of the country). There are a lot of "political" issues and games being played right now within the Liberian government and the adoption agencies and ministries are taking quite a beating. You can read more here.
However, we serve a GREAT and LOVING God who wants these children to know His love. We know that He has a purpose and a plan for their lives and trust in His Sovereignty in all situations - be they seemingly awful or wonderfully blessed.
Please pray for the Lord's favor for these families and children this week. We pray for them to be allowed to leave Liberia soon and be "carried home" to their adoptive families who are waiting to pour out God's love upon them. Pray also for the children who are left in Liberia, that they might be provided for. . .
ask yourself how you might show the Love of God to them . . .
Monday, February 25, 2008
Econo-Meal: Liberian Style!
"Buck-a-whee an' Beans" is what my children call this meal which (as far as I can figure out) is very close to what they ate twice a day for three years while they were at the "orphan home" in Liberia.
We were at the grocery store one day when Speedy Mo (then 5) discovered "beans!" It was a bag of split yellow peas! We, of course, had to buy them and then had to find "buck-a-whee" to go with them. . . Big Jo (7) was able to confirm that Bob's Red Mill Kasha grain was something close to the buckwheat they had known. I brought home both and, with a little input from the children (and the back of the Bob's package), we were able to come up with the following recipie. * I have since found that purchasing Toasted Buckwheat from the health food store in bulk is MUCH cheaper than the small package of Bob's Red Mill Kasha.
This economic meal is also healthy, tasty, satisfying, and (depending on how much you make) can easily be incorporated into multiple dishes of leftovers . . . not to mention, it is well-loved by all of my children.
In the words of Speedy Mo, "um!" (smack lips) "YUM!" (smack) "I lov- ih- mama- thanks!"
1 bag of Split Yellow Peas
Toasted Buckwheat (Kasha from Bob's Red Mill works but bulk is cheaper if you can find it)
onion (red or other)
Sea Salt
Red Palm Oil and/or butter
Fish
As you can tell from the ingredient list above, I don't really cook with measuring cups (sorry!). I am assuming most of you reading this are more than able to figure out how much as you go along. If not, please let me know in the comment section and I will try to add some more specifics!
The yellow peas are EASY to cook: throw the bag of peas in a pan full of water and boil. Well, yes, take them out of the bag first! Simmer them about 40-60 minutes until the peas are soft. The first time I made them, I didn't use enough water and they got a little dry and mushy, so now I add a few extra cups of water to what it says on the back of the bag!
Now, while the split yellow peas are cooking, heat up a large frying pan or wok type pan. Melt some butter in the bottom or Red Palm Oil if you have it. Sautee some chopped onion (I like red onions and sometimes add garlic!) in the butter or oil. Then add the toasted buckwheat - "kasha". Last time I made this, I made a LOT (about 8 cups). As you are stirring the kasha, break a 2-4 eggs over it and "coat" the kasha with the egg mixture. After this mixture gets nice and golden (just takes 5 minutes or so), add enough water to cover all of the kasha, put a lid on the pot, and let it simmer until the kasha has softened. It will be somewhat like rice when it is done (soft, but dry).
Serving this dish is REALLY easy. Put some of the cooked kasha mixture in a bowl. Spoon the peas over the top (use a slotted spoon so the extra water doesn't come w/ the peas!). Salt it A LOT (my Liberian children say that you MUST have a lot of salt - use sea salt for better flavor and better health!). That's it. It pretty much tastes like mashed potatoes. LOL!
To doctor this up a little, we love adding Red Palm Oil, a little flaky fish (cod, orange roughy, or something similar), and Speedy Mo loves adding red pepper flakes! Red Palm Oil is a really healthy oil that is similar to coconut oil. It is used a lot in Liberia and can be found in most health food stores here in America.
I serve this with a BIG salad full of chopped veggies and a homemade vinagrette dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and that is our dinner for the night.
Now, depending on how much you make and how much your munchkins eat, you will most likely have enough leftover for the next day or two. Here are a few ideas to extend this econo-meal:
2nd day: brown some ground beef in a frying pan, add the buckwheat and beans. Fry it all up in some red palm oil. Salt for taste. If you have any left, put the leftovers in a pyrex casserole dish for day 3.
3rd day: put your casserole dish in the oven at 350 and heat through. Melt some cheese on top and serve alongside a piece of fruit as a SUPER easy lunch for your kids.
Enjoy!
We were at the grocery store one day when Speedy Mo (then 5) discovered "beans!" It was a bag of split yellow peas! We, of course, had to buy them and then had to find "buck-a-whee" to go with them. . . Big Jo (7) was able to confirm that Bob's Red Mill Kasha grain was something close to the buckwheat they had known. I brought home both and, with a little input from the children (and the back of the Bob's package), we were able to come up with the following recipie. * I have since found that purchasing Toasted Buckwheat from the health food store in bulk is MUCH cheaper than the small package of Bob's Red Mill Kasha.
This economic meal is also healthy, tasty, satisfying, and (depending on how much you make) can easily be incorporated into multiple dishes of leftovers . . . not to mention, it is well-loved by all of my children.
In the words of Speedy Mo, "um!" (smack lips) "YUM!" (smack) "I lov- ih- mama- thanks!"
1 bag of Split Yellow Peas
Toasted Buckwheat (Kasha from Bob's Red Mill works but bulk is cheaper if you can find it)
onion (red or other)
Sea Salt
Red Palm Oil and/or butter
Fish
As you can tell from the ingredient list above, I don't really cook with measuring cups (sorry!). I am assuming most of you reading this are more than able to figure out how much as you go along. If not, please let me know in the comment section and I will try to add some more specifics!
The yellow peas are EASY to cook: throw the bag of peas in a pan full of water and boil. Well, yes, take them out of the bag first! Simmer them about 40-60 minutes until the peas are soft. The first time I made them, I didn't use enough water and they got a little dry and mushy, so now I add a few extra cups of water to what it says on the back of the bag!
Now, while the split yellow peas are cooking, heat up a large frying pan or wok type pan. Melt some butter in the bottom or Red Palm Oil if you have it. Sautee some chopped onion (I like red onions and sometimes add garlic!) in the butter or oil. Then add the toasted buckwheat - "kasha". Last time I made this, I made a LOT (about 8 cups). As you are stirring the kasha, break a 2-4 eggs over it and "coat" the kasha with the egg mixture. After this mixture gets nice and golden (just takes 5 minutes or so), add enough water to cover all of the kasha, put a lid on the pot, and let it simmer until the kasha has softened. It will be somewhat like rice when it is done (soft, but dry).
Serving this dish is REALLY easy. Put some of the cooked kasha mixture in a bowl. Spoon the peas over the top (use a slotted spoon so the extra water doesn't come w/ the peas!). Salt it A LOT (my Liberian children say that you MUST have a lot of salt - use sea salt for better flavor and better health!). That's it. It pretty much tastes like mashed potatoes. LOL!
To doctor this up a little, we love adding Red Palm Oil, a little flaky fish (cod, orange roughy, or something similar), and Speedy Mo loves adding red pepper flakes! Red Palm Oil is a really healthy oil that is similar to coconut oil. It is used a lot in Liberia and can be found in most health food stores here in America.
I serve this with a BIG salad full of chopped veggies and a homemade vinagrette dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and that is our dinner for the night.
Now, depending on how much you make and how much your munchkins eat, you will most likely have enough leftover for the next day or two. Here are a few ideas to extend this econo-meal:
2nd day: brown some ground beef in a frying pan, add the buckwheat and beans. Fry it all up in some red palm oil. Salt for taste. If you have any left, put the leftovers in a pyrex casserole dish for day 3.
3rd day: put your casserole dish in the oven at 350 and heat through. Melt some cheese on top and serve alongside a piece of fruit as a SUPER easy lunch for your kids.
Enjoy!
Friday, February 22, 2008
President Bush in Liberia
President Bush dancing in Liberia with Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson! Pretty funny! Please pray for Addy's Hope Adoption Ministries and for the adoptions in process in Liberia right now!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
I Can Cornrow!
O.K. well, I think this is technically called an "underbraid" but it is still really exciting that I am finally good enough at this to feel like I can post some pics! I learned how to do many other hairstyles right away, but this type of "plaiting" was really hard to learn to do well (as in tight, consistent, close to the scalp). If you can tell from the pics, I basically underbraided (like an underhand french braid - but technique is a little different) up to the middle of "Little Missy's" head and then all of the braids sort of stick up from there. This is a classic Liberian style that my boys and Little Missy have been asking me to do for a while now. So, what do you think?
I am also really excited because I have finally figured out a really good system of hair care for "Little Missy." Here are the basics:
I do this every other week on Friday or Saturday:
1. Use the "bone comb" set I got at Walmart - use the comb with the metal pick end to "take out" her old braids or style.
2. Pour olive oil over her head and massage into her hair and scalp well with my fingers. Cover with a plastic shower cap and wait 30 minutes to an hour (this is to restore lost moisture).
3. Little Missy takes a bath during which time I use the olive oil in her hair to "wash" her hair - sounds weird but it works very well and doesn't destroy her hair the way products with sodium laurel sulfates do (basically any "sudsing" shampoo has this even the ones made for African American hair). I then use a conditioner - I have two that we like to use: one is a natural tea-tree oil conditioner, the other is a natural rosemary conditioner - and rinse it out. I always let her play before we wash and condition her hair so that it is still very wet when we begin to fix it.
4. After drying off and dressing, I pour on this WONDERFUL oil I found at Walmart called Africa's Best Herbal Oil for Hair and Body. It is a blend of many different natural oils like walnut, coconut, soybean, ginsing, etc. . . It smells great and softens her hair so that it is easily combed out (much better than anything else we've tried).
5. Then, I section part of her hair with the sectioning bone comb (not usually all at once), comb it out, and put in the braid or cornrow or twist. I then do another section. Sometimes (if it is taking a long time), I have to re-wet and sometimes re-oil some sections towards the end of the process to make them easier to fix and to help it not to hurt.
This does take a while now, especially as her hair has gotten much longer and thicker, so I try to make this as pleasant as possible. We sing and talk and I save some frozen Dove chocolates to dole out every so often when she is needing a little pick me up! I also occasionally let her drink some of my *gasp* coffee - which is a definite treat I do not allow at any other time!
So, for those of you who have been wondering about the hair. . .
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
My Children's Nicknames
So, what happens when you have one biological child and then adopt a sibling group of 3 from Liberia?
1. Your biological son learns to speak perfect "Liberian English," of course!
It is VERY funny! Our oldest child insists that he cannot help but speak what we affectionately call "Liberian English" because "it is inborn, mom!" Hmmm. . . I'm pretty sure he was born here in America and hadn't heard any "Liberian English" until we adopted his siblings 9 months ago. . . he definitely has a sense of humor! It does really help though- since he can interpret for them to all the people who think they really are speaking another language!
2. They give each other nicknames just like they did in the "orphan home."
Just wait until you hear these. . . My husband and I didn't even know they had these names for each other until recently but apparently they have been their "names" for a while now! Really, you are not going to believe this - we were both shocked and totally laughing when all of this came up at the dinner table last week!
Youngest (adopted) girl - "Sucky-finger, big nose"
- because "she suck her finga and have a beeg no-"
Youngest (adopted) son - "Mountain head"
- because "he have a beeg hea- and lotza bee hai-"
Middle (adopted) son - "Jaw b0ne"
- because "he have a beeg chee-"
Oldest (bio.) son - "Snot-nose"
- because "he peek hih no- an eed it!" LOL!
I contemplated using these lovely nicknames on our blog. . . but, after we finished laughing, we decided it might be a good idea to come up with more honoring nicknames to call each other - and I think I'll go with these when referring to the children in future posts:
daughter - Little Missy
youngest son - Speedy Mo
middle son - Big Jo
oldest son - Mr. Z
Well, those are but two of the VERY funny things that have happened since the Lord blessed us, through the miracle of adoption, with 3 more wonderful children.
Praising the Lord for His Wonderful Grace in bringing home 5 more children from Liberia TODAY!
1. Your biological son learns to speak perfect "Liberian English," of course!
It is VERY funny! Our oldest child insists that he cannot help but speak what we affectionately call "Liberian English" because "it is inborn, mom!" Hmmm. . . I'm pretty sure he was born here in America and hadn't heard any "Liberian English" until we adopted his siblings 9 months ago. . . he definitely has a sense of humor! It does really help though- since he can interpret for them to all the people who think they really are speaking another language!
2. They give each other nicknames just like they did in the "orphan home."
Just wait until you hear these. . . My husband and I didn't even know they had these names for each other until recently but apparently they have been their "names" for a while now! Really, you are not going to believe this - we were both shocked and totally laughing when all of this came up at the dinner table last week!
Youngest (adopted) girl - "Sucky-finger, big nose"
- because "she suck her finga and have a beeg no-"
Youngest (adopted) son - "Mountain head"
- because "he have a beeg hea- and lotza bee hai-"
Middle (adopted) son - "Jaw b0ne"
- because "he have a beeg chee-"
Oldest (bio.) son - "Snot-nose"
- because "he peek hih no- an eed it!" LOL!
I contemplated using these lovely nicknames on our blog. . . but, after we finished laughing, we decided it might be a good idea to come up with more honoring nicknames to call each other - and I think I'll go with these when referring to the children in future posts:
daughter - Little Missy
youngest son - Speedy Mo
middle son - Big Jo
oldest son - Mr. Z
Well, those are but two of the VERY funny things that have happened since the Lord blessed us, through the miracle of adoption, with 3 more wonderful children.
Praising the Lord for His Wonderful Grace in bringing home 5 more children from Liberia TODAY!
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