I promise to soon return to writing about life and ministry, but in the meantime, I have to share this amazing lunch we just enjoyed: Satyamma's Famous Cauliflower Curry. Since last September (with a 5 month break living in someone else's house during language school), I have been cooking almost all vegetarian food and almost all out of Moosewood cookbooks. This is from my new one, although it's really the first published, Moosewood Cookbook.

Time: 30-40 minutes to prepare
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice
4 1/2 cups water
2 three-inch diameter potatoes, cut into small chunks

Spice Paste:
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
3 med cloves garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger (slice into thin rounds to break up the strings)
1/2 c lightly toasted peanuts
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cloves or allspice
2 Tbsp toasted cumin seeds
1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 c water (more, as needed)

1/2 c shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
1-2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 large cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 med carrot, thinly sliced
Optional: 1 c cooked chick peas
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice

Condiments:
Lemon or orange slices
Toasted nuts
Toasted coconut
Raisins
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
Thin strips of bell pepper
Raita (recipe below)

Raita:
2 c yogurt
1 t cumin seeds
salt and cayenne, to taste
Optional: 1 small cucumber (peeled, seeded, grated), 1 small ripe tomato (diced), 1/4 c finely minced onion, 1/2 c finely minced bell pepper, 1/2 t fennel seeds

Directions

1. Begin cooking the rice with the water. Boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Place the spice paste ingredients in a blender and puree until fairly homogeneous. Add extra water as needed to form a soft workable paste.

3. Heat oil in skillet and add onion and salt. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, then add cauliflower and carrot and mix well. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, then add the paste. Mix well. Cook, covered, over low heat until the cauliflower is tender, stirring every few minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent sticking.

4. Add potatoes, chickpeas, and lemon juice, and cook a few more minutes. Taste to adjust salt, and serve hot, with rice and condiments.

Yes, I know that long list of ingredients is a little intimidating, but honestly, it didn't take me that long to make and is definitely worthy of dinner guests. Or just a night at home that you want something tasty to eat. Those ingredients are all pretty affordable here and I would guess at home. I (of course) had to adjust the recipe a little bit- shredded sweetened coconut, ground cumin, no sesame seeds, sesame oil, no chickpeas. For the Raita, I used natural yogurt (has a different flavor) and included the cucumber, tomato, and onion. The Raita, by the way, is key. So tasty. For condiments, I used everything but the lemon slices and raisins.

Someone please make this and let me know how much you enjoyed it! I'm bursting!

Our South American adventure has revealed lots of new sides of Tim in the last year. Here are some things I have come to respect deeply.

• Tim loves church. He has such a desire to see people come together to worship. I really admire the way he pushes the envelope with innovation and creativity but simultaneously cherishes and honors the inheritance passed on to us from the last 2000 years of church history.
• Tim loves people (even though he might say he doesn't). Watching our friends come to understand and eagerly accept the gift offered to us in Jesus Christ has transformed his take on our purpose here. His #1 desire is to help people in ways that make a difference eternally and all the other stuff he does in Puerto Supe falls under that goal.
• Tim loves our dogs. Maybe that's not something I respect as much as enjoy. Owning a toy poodle, in particular, has made him a new man. I can't wait to see what kids do to him (no time soon).
• Tim loves me. Okay, I already knew this one. The very fact that we are here pursuing my dream is a testimony to his sacrificial love for me. His patience with and dedication to me during our time here are making me into more of the woman I want to be.

Boy am I glad Tim was born!

I'd guess many of my Charlotte readers have been thinking a lot about Anne Belk recently. After a valiant second battle with cancer, she died August 2. Recognizing how trite this may sound to some, I can't help but smile to know that she is healthy and happy with Jesus now.

Anne kept an online journal over the last 14 months. It's a remarkable story and a piercing testimony to the power of God in her life. As of this evening, 38,768 people have read it! I get chills thinking of the ways God is using her story to bring hope and strength to others. If you have some time, let it bless you, too.

Leaves me remembering something true...

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philipians 1:20-21

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come. (Proverbs 31:25)

Every time I read that verse, I think of my friend Jenny. Were we laughing at the days to come the first time she shared that vision with me? We certainly didn't have an idea of what these days would entail (although I at least thought I did). And yet here we are.

Jenny's on the "scenic route" through her 20s, following her Navy pilot husband around the continental US (4 states and 5 jobs in 2 years). I thought I'd be "doing missions" in Spanish, but not in the desert, not so alone, not facing so many challenges, and not knowing that these 2 years might be my only 2. Our third musketeer, Mary, finds herself in Kentucky of all places, raising her 2 year old and dreaming of China. And she's a Southern Baptist now :-) Who would have ever guessed?

What does it mean to "laugh at the days to come" and how do I do it? Today I took my anxieties to Jesus and asked Him to give me in return some piece of wisdom for where to go with all these questions. The word that kept returning to my mind was "strength." Could I clothe myself with strength? One thing I love about that image is that it's something I put on. I am growing and learning and gaining personal, emotional and spiritual strength, but in the meantime, I can at least put on strength and pretend it's mine. Respond to criticisms as though I were strong. Set good boundaries as though I were strong.

And when my fears come back about tomorrow, next week, October, 2010? Maybe I can put them aside as though I were strong and wait to take them back on a day when I am. Or never. That might do just fine.

I have now seen Ellie try to eat all three. Last night we caught her with the scissors in her mouth (and a bloody lip). Further proof that Neapolitan Mastiffs really are the 8th dumbest dog breed.

During our time with “the boss's boss” earlier this week, we talked a lot about Tim's role and responsibilities here. We determined that Tim's job is Alpha, worship music, and design/production for the sandals business. Although it's not on his list, he's also been working on developing a (very spiffy) general website for Puerto Supe.

I think I can speak for him to say that he could use some prayer for all of those areas.

--Alpha is emerging as our chief ministry here. We feel happy and successful in it but know that we are entirely dependent on God's grace and power.

--With the worship service, we are implementing a new plan this month for how Tim can plan the service and play in it without being in charge of all of it. Pray for the logistics of that working out and that he would feel comfortable with and supported by the new arrangement.

--Lastly, with the sandals, sometimes I think it feels like an insurmountable obstacle to Tim to make rope look and feel good on feet! Pray for all his smarts to bear fruit in that arena. There are some promising outlets for sales coming up, but if we can't make comfortable, good-looking sandals, we're not going far.

The majority of my working energy right now is going into Alpha and my time with my housekeeper (more about her in a post to come). I'm involved in a number of other things that leave me wondering where to go: Al-Anon, meetings with two specific girls every week, a girls Bible study (formerly led by Sierra), the knitting club, a weekly community prayer meeting at our house. Apart from Al-Anon, all of those things are sort of flailing, and I'm unsure what to do. I think that if I put the energy into recruiting participation, I could get people to come, but I'm not certain that's the right move. I want to be sensitive to investing in the right things and not just any good thing (which I think they all are).

As far as Al-Anon goes, I have some more thinking to do about if, how, and when I should start a recovery program in Puerto Supe. A lot of that requires research, which I just didn't have time to do in July.

Anyway, there's some “food for prayer” if you have time. And THANKS! In advance.

The Cubas and we just finished up a few days of meetings with Bob Moyer, the Director of the Fields for South America Mission. It felt meaningful to me that he would come all the way down here to guide and help us. And I think we needed it. We have some more direction in a few important areas.

In the meantime, I am definitely sick with some kind of virus. Aching all over, shooting pains behind my right ear, fever and chills. No nasal/sinus issues, which is keeping me from thinking its the flu. I've been taking as much Advil as possible and trying to sit still. I think I'll give it until Saturday but might go to the doctor at that point.

Are you curious what has kept us away from blogging since last Thursday? Here are some highlights:

• 16 hours in buses (2 round trips to Lima and back)
• Batman
• 5 days with family (Phil, Christal, and Tori)
• fixing Gado Gado, the Indonesian extravaganza
• checking out our amazing new computer! (thanks to all!!)
• boys fishing trip, including Tim, Phil and some Alpha guys
• a fun and meaningful Alpha night with tacos (yum)
• two fabulous dinners out in Lima
• both of us getting sick

That's where we are now-- back in our own bed but sick. I've got a fever and ache all over. Tim's been violently vomiting. Not sure what's going on, especially since our two illnesses don't seem similar. Pobrecitos.

All in all, we had a delightful few days (too short) with Tim's family. We were sad to see them go off to Cuzco today but so grateful for their visit. More later (when we're not feeling so lousy)!