Sunday, March 24, 2013

God Bless Russia!

The photos from our Russia celebration are few, but we didn't want to skip sharing about the largest country in the world. Russia, in its vastness, spans two continents: Europe and Asia, with Russia's Ural Mountains marking the division between the two. It is so large, it is nearly twice the size of the second largest country: Canada.

White fish with a cheese sauce and boiled potatoes with dill were our selections from our Russian cookbook. We also decorated the table with a doll my uncle brought back for the girls from his mission trip to the Ukraine, a part of the Soviet Union until 1991.


Legend says that in AD 988, Prince Vladimir saw a light shining over the city of Kiev. He thought this bright light was sent by Jesus Christ and he decided to follow him. So Russia became a Christian country. Everyone shared in this faith, from the tsar to nobles and peasants. For nearly a thousand years, Russians worshiped the God of the Bible, until the1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the ensuing communist rule. At that time, religion of any kind was banned and atheism was "preached" for the next 70 years. All churches were closed, but Christians don't need a building to worship God, and many remained faithful. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, lifted the ban on religion and its people are free to worship openly again. (Paraphrased from Window on the World by Dahpne Spragett, Paternoster Lifestyle Publishing, 2001.)

We pray that many Russians will come to new faith in Jesus and that Christians there will be encouraged in their walk with the Lord.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

God Bless Japan!

We enjoyed our trip to Japan, Nippon, the land of the rising sun. 

My nephew uses his chopsticks to drum his plate as we prepare for our Japanese feast.

Origami, chopsticks, geta (Japanese wooden platform shoes) on a beautiful red tablecloth (we'll ignore that it's our Christmas tablecloth) set the tone.

This chicken stew, called torisuki, was delicious and included scallions, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. We served it over rice.

Sesame broccoli called for just four ingredients: broccoli, soy sauce, sesame seeds and a little bit of sugar. Historian threw it together for us and it was quite tasty.

We intentionally waited until my sister-in-law, a true Japanophile, and family could come to visit to put together this feast. My sister-in-law, who lived in Japan for two years, was a big help with the cooking.
The first course, miso soup, has been served. You start with cold noodles, pour hot miso broth over it, and top with shredded chicken. Our miso paste was a bit strong for us, but we enjoyed the experience.

My in-laws headed to a Japanese food store to pick up mochi for dessert. It came in three flavors: plain, strawberry and green tea.



This ichthyoid dessert was also contributed by my in-laws.
Our fish didn't have bones; rather, it was filled with red bean paste, not a dessert filling typically found in the U.S. It lacked sweetness, but it wasn't bad at all.

My sister-in-law eats natto, fermented soy beans. I tried a spoonful and it looks much worse than it tastes.

We were delighted to celebrate the nation of Japan and pray for its people. Perhaps some day we'll get to visit in person, but for now, we must say, "Sayonara." 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

God Bless China

So we didn't get to cook for our China feast, but we did seize the opportunity to try a local Chinese take-out spot. Kung Pao Chicken, Lo Mein, Egg Rolls and Fried Rice were some of our choices. We were glad to have the company of our family friend and mother's helper, A.










A few days later, the children's department of our local library celebrated Chinese New Year. 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Here, Historian and Lizard are trying out Tangrams, a Chinese puzzle game.




Butterfly and her friend make paper chain snakes in honor or the Year of the Snake.

The kids got to have their own Chinese Dragon Parade.