When I was little girl my mom always made us fun, amazing cakes, accompanied by gifts and friends we had invited.  We would play games, eat cake and ice cream, and have a special celebration… Birthday’s were always a special event.

But imagine turning 8 years old and never having celebrated your birthday with a party,  not enough money for a gift, or no friends to invite over.  This is the story of many of the refugees children living away from their home countries.

When her brother told me it was her birthday I immediately decided to do something for her.  I made cupcakes and a special “mini cake” for her.  I got her a couple of small gifts and headed over to her house for her birthday party.  It was only her family and I, but we all had a great time.  No, we didn’t play any games and there weren’t piles of gifts, but there were lots of smiles.

I have been to MANY birthday parties over the years, but this one will go done in history as one of my most special….

Before I started working with Eritrean’s I had never heard of Injera either, but I’ll let you in on a little secret…. it’s amazingly delicious!!!

Injera is a staple in Eritrean and Ethiopian food and is an incredible 3 in 1: food, eating utensil, and plate! (pretty cool, huh?) It’s a large flatbread made out of teff flour, but with a spongy texture. The teff is mixed with water then allowed to ferment for a few days before cooking.  It can be eaten alone or also with various foods and stews.

During Friday’s Feed My Sheep Outreach, I was welcomed to a unique surprise: one of the women was busy making Injera…. but not just a couple Injera… 600 Injera!!!

Her 20 year old son was getting married the next day and she was preparing for the Wedding Feast, a preparation that would take her about 6 hours that night!

Pouring out the flour mixture into the heated pan

These bags are filled with Injera

Peeling off the finished Injera

I’ve eaten Injera several times, and each time it’s been delicious! I especially like it as a “dipping utensil” to accompany the other rich foods Eritreans love to eat, but I stil can’t fathom having to make 600 of them in the 90 degree weather heat! Now that’s cultural dedication!

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to a special group of children who not only donated their old recorders so we can start a music club with the kids here, but also for their FABULOUS prayers! I was blessed when I opened the box of recorders and included were many cards and notes. Well…. I’ll let you see for yourself:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

My very first (of many) trips out to the villages in the bush of Botswana was one I will never forget.  ’Till this day there is an image that will be forever engraved in my head, and it was this memory that I was taken back to.  I remember walking around the village, from hut to hut, when all of a sudden I noticed a little boy sitting in the sand munching on something. As I looked closer, I noticed that it was a bird… a dead bird… and he was eating it.  I was totally disgusted, but intrigued at the same time.  I mean, he was eating it like a kid would eat an ice cream cone. Feathers and all, that bird was this little boys “afternoon snack”. I would have taken a picture, but I think at that moment I was in shock.

Back to yesterday… when I looked up again I noticed that she was holding in her hands a bird.  Not just any bird, but a pigeon.  She was holding him by his wings pinned back so his feet were dangling.  I didn’t know what to do or say, so I just said, “What is THAT?”  She doesn’t really speak Hebrew well, so she just smiled and chuckled a bit.  I then decided to ask her if she was going to eat it, and she said, “Yes!” (Like, what else would she do with it?!?)

Once again, I was in a bit of shock.  First of all, this is Tel Aviv.  The city.  Not the bush of Africa, but the city.  I really couldn’t believe she had just captured this bird and was going to eat it.  My mind was racing.  I looked at Brent, and he just smiled.

After she and her bird left, we began discussing all the possibilities for that bird:  pigeon soup, fried pigeon, pigeon and rice…. etc.  I’m not sure how much meat is actually on a pigeon, but we had a few laughs with our lists.

There are moments in life which you will never forget, and that bind together with other moments.  This was one of those. I guess the saying is true for any place in the world… You can take the woman out of Africa, but you can’t take Africa out of the woman.

(and this time, I actually got a picture)

E: Why are you wearing a hat?

Me: Because its cold outside.

E: You like hats?

Me: Yes. I like them.

E: But girls shouldn’t wear hats. It’s not right.

Me: Why not?

E: Its just not good.

Me: But, why not?

E: Only boys wear hats.

Me: Then what can I do? Its cold out.

(to which he just looked at me for a few seconds and shrugged his shoulders with a “what are you talking about” look)

E: Its just not good.

Me: But, why not?

E: Its just not good.

Me: Hmmmmm.

Communication at its finest there!

The other day I was riding my bus to school in the morning and I saw a woman that comes to the Food Distribution each week.  I smiled and waved at her; she smiled and waved back, acknowledging my presence on the bus.

After a few stops people got off, so I went back and stood next to where she was sitting. We greeted each other and I asked her what she was doing all the way on the north side of the city.  She told me she found a job for the week, cleaning a house in Ramat Aviv.  I was so excited to hear she found some work, even if it was only for a week.  We then continued to converse in our broken Hebrew until we arrived at the University and I got off.

The funny thing, throughout the ride, was the way people were looking at us.  I can only image what we looked like: two very odd peas in a pod… one American girl and one Eritrean refugee speaking in a language that is neither their own.

But for me it was comfort.

Though the differences were clear and obvious to most, for me they didn’t exist on that ride:  There were no color differences…. no boundary or origin differences…. no language differences… no status differences….

There were only two friends… talking about life, family, jobs, etc. on a bus in the morning hours of the day.

And I jumped off that bus happy…..

Because, this is what makes everything else WORTH it all!

There is a young Sudanese girl, 10/11 yrs. old who comes each week for Food Distribution for her mother.  She is the cutest thing and since she is in school here, her Hebrew is super good.  Today she brought her brother with her and I asked her (in Hebrew), “Is this your brother?” and she said, “yes“.  So, I said to him “Shalom!” And he said “Shalom” back.  Then he turns to his sister and asks her (in Hebrew), “does she know Hebrew?” (referring to me)  And the girl replied back, “Yes.  Just not good Hebrew.”  

There really isn’t a response to that, so I looked at her, smiled, and said “Toda raba!!!” (thanks so much).  She just smiled back.  Oh, the joy of honesty from a child!!!