Well Week 2 has not included the high drama of last week (thank the Lord!) but has provided its own set of smaller calamities, and joys!! The Team Leaders have all been most diligent calling, texting and emailing in so I have felt well connected with all those joys and sorrows and have been able to pray specifically for all the daily needs.
Tuesday I received a tearful call from the Team Leader in Saskatchewan with the news that her team member who has been working online to pass a summer school French course had mixed up the exam date and had missed the exam. HORRORS!!! I prayed with the Leader over the phone and committed to continued prayer as she contacted the member’s Mum and teacher, That evening news came that his Mum had remained calm and would be praying too.
Wednesday morning armed with texted instructions of the bus and metro route, I headed out to locate “Joy Christian Centre” where Team 1 was leading a Day Camp. JOY is a small Filipino congregation meeting on the second floor of a commercial building. Fortunately my directions were
accurate (thanks Janice!) and I found the correct entrance and slipped in just as the MainPresentation was starting. The local helpers included two of last year’s Travelling Team Members and as each one spotted me I was greeted with hugs and laughter. I stayed until snack time and then headed home.. As I sat waiting for a metro train my phone “bonged” (summer sound choice called Temple Bell) and there was a message all in capital letters KELVIN CAN RETAKE THE EXAM!!! Our prayers were answered and thus the week’s nastiest calamity was overturned to more joy!!
accurate (thanks Janice!) and I found the correct entrance and slipped in just as the MainPresentation was starting. The local helpers included two of last year’s Travelling Team Members and as each one spotted me I was greeted with hugs and laughter. I stayed until snack time and then headed home.. As I sat waiting for a metro train my phone “bonged” (summer sound choice called Temple Bell) and there was a message all in capital letters KELVIN CAN RETAKE THE EXAM!!! Our prayers were answered and thus the week’s nastiest calamity was overturned to more joy!!
Thursday brought good news that a Week 4 Camp, which had faced potential cancellation, was back on track, YAY! This will be the camp for which we need to switch in a different Team Leader so another item was added to my to-do list- someone to drive the replacement Leader to Eastern Ontario and to bring back the current Leader so she can begin a school stage that week.
And so the messages flow back and forth. These are my summer days, but oh it is good to be back at home base! Much as I do look forward to the Retreat Week, despite its many stresses, being back home “grounds” me in my little world.There are stolen moments in the garden, and longer ones for mowing the lawns, snatched times for sewing- this week recovering a chair for a friend and making a summer skirt from a lovely piece of fabric given to me by Jill, from her super stash of prints.
Time is now also being spent in various types of preparation for my involvement in another Ministry of CTM-Senior Youth Camp. That week is swiftly nearing and the staff is nervous about low registration. They have extended the early bird discount to July 31st. Any 13 to 18 year old would benefit from this wonderful weeklong, life-changing experience, so head over to the Website and download an application form for a young person. For yself, as usual I will be leading a workshop at Camp plus teaching interested staff and campers a Liturgical Dance for the Closing Service. And prior to Camp I am the Cook for Staff Preamp, so once again Menus are being finalised and in the next week or so advance food prep will begin. I have agreed to pray for the floodgates to open and for many more Campers to sign up, maybe someone reading this post will join me in that prayer!
I am once again cheating a bit and getting this post started on a Friday evening since tomorrow some Teams will be transitioning from my house and then Steven Craig and his aunt are coming for dinner. Steven is also going to be doing some bike tune-ups in my garage. Yay! All of which leads into this week’s recipe. As mentioned last week I was on lunch duty at church and have recently been smitten by Vietnamese Spring Rolls so I have chosen to prepare these for dinner tomorrow. Apart from the homemade Peanut Dipping Sauce, the rest of the “recipe” is pretty flexible but here goes…
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 1 tsp. Vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic scapes or cloves
- 2 Tbsps. Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsps. Hoisin Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups water
In a small saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat .Add the garlic, tomato paste and hoisin sauce and cook, stirring until the mixture comes to the boil. Add ¼ cup peanut butter and 1 cup water, whisk until the sauce is smooth and returns to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 3 minutes until thick and darkened. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining peanut butter and water. Cool to room temperature, and then divide among small bowls for dipping. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week; bring to room temperature before using.
Spring Rolls
- Rice Paper Spring Roll wrappers
- A variety of raw vegetables all cut into matchstick size pieces e.g.-carrots, daikon, cucumber, zucchini, avocado etc.
- Rice vermicelli, soaked and cut into short lengths
- Fresh chopped herbs-basil, cilantro, mint
etc. - Cooked shrimp and/or shredded cooked chicken (optional)
- Thin strips of omelette
- Bottled Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
The above it just a list of possibilities and can be as varied as you choose.To assemble the Spring Rolls-have ready a shallow dish of warm water and arrange all the filling ingredients on one or more platters. Diners each take a wrapper and place it in the warm water for 10 seconds. Shake off the excess water and lay the wrapper on a dinner plate. Choose a selection of filling ingredients and assemble in a log shape in the centre of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the sides then roll the wrapper to enclose the filling neatly. Dip Spring rolls in the Peanut Sauce or in Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce.