A Picnic

The weather is really warm again- probably in the high 70s, and really humid. I never truly know the temperature- it's never announced anywhere, and websites vary in their reports by about 15 degrees. But it's pretty hot. I think I brought too many sweaters with me!

Yesterday I went out in service in the morning with Jasmine. Then she said we were going to a picnic by the river with some of the kids in the congregation. So I pictured a big pavilion next to the river in their town.

No. We drove down a small farm road, then walked down a little path that included a steep embankment, then picking your way around rocks by a little stream. I was carrying stuff and trying to help the kids... hoping I would not drag them in with me! The cooking took place on a rock that was probably 4 x 8 ft. The kids took their shoes off and played in the stream- I walked in the stream too. We washed the vegetables & stuff in the stream- it felt very much like the paradise. My job was peeling this vegetable that I don't know what it is but it always goes in soup.

They made some delicious barbecue chicken wings (woo-hoo!) and sausages, and a noodle dish and soup. It was one of the first times that I really enjoyed the food- usually I eat it to be polite and because I need to eat but I don't really enjoy it. I think some of the tastes and tectures are growing on me.

One of the brothers had helped the kids make those scale models of Noah's Ark that were in the Awake magazine- they did not hold up so well to the fast-moving stream. But it was cute.

Overall it was a lot of fun. I tried to take some pictures but I only had the camera phone, and it was so bright out that I don't think they would have come out. I hope I get to do more things like that.

At work I got my Level 2 kids to pronounce "orange" correctly~ that is one of the infamous words for Chinese people learning English. It always winds up with 3 or 4 extra syllables. I was so excited when they said it right. Then they started messing with me and saying it wrong. Crazy kids.