What’s For Dinner?
There was excitement on the Taylors’ street the next day. Several families were preparing for the party. Mrs. Taylor went with her neighbors to get her hair done at a hair salon. She came back with her hair in curls on top of her head. Susanna stared at her. She wasn’t sure who it was at first. Mrs. Taylor announced they were all going to another neighbor’s house for dinner at three o’clock.
At three Rebecca and Joshua followed the Taylors over to their neighbors with their notebooks in hand. They entered through a metal gate and walked across the cement area in front of the house. Rebecca stayed close to Grandma Kay. She was worried about being pecked by the three chickens milling around on the cement walkway in front of the house.
A woman dressed in a long black skirt and yellow t-shirt came out from the house. She stood next to a string of peppers that were shaped like bananas hanging on the outside wall of the house. She shook hands with everyone. Joshua remembered to say, “Zdravo.” Mrs. Taylor kissed the woman on both cheeks. Everyone kicked off their shoes outside the entrance. They stepped into the home onto a thin red rug. Every inch of the floor was covered with rugs.
The woman took everyone into the house’s other room, which had a tablecloth spread on the floor. A younger woman stopped placing plates on the tablecloth to come over and greet the guests. A boy, smaller than Peter, hung onto her pant leg. Grandma Kay handed the boy the chocolate bar she remembered to bring.
“This is Erika,” Mrs. Taylor introduced the young woman. “She is a believer. So is her husband, who’s not here right now. His name is Adam. We can go ahead and sit down at the plates.”
Mrs. Taylor sat down, and Erika brought a plastic rattle over for Susanna to hold. Rebecca stayed next to Grandma Kay and Joshua sat with Grandpa Joe and Mr. Taylor on the other side of the spread. The older woman who had greeted them sat down with Mrs. Taylor and began inquiring about the guests.
Erika finished setting out plates and glasses and started bringing out the food. She brought out enough small loaves of bread for everyone to have their own loaf. She brought out a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers with grated cheese covering the top. She brought out a pot of food that looked mysterious to Rebecca and Joshua.
“What is that?” Rebecca asked her grandmother.
“Let’s ask,” Grandma Kay answered in a whisper. She looked at the older woman and pointed to the pot. “What’s in there?” she asked with a big smile.
The older woman responded eagerly and began demonstrating with her hands how the dish is prepared. Mrs. Taylor translated.
“The dish is called sarma. Ground beef is cooked on the stove top with onion and seasonings. Then it is mixed with rice. You take a handful of the mixture and roll it up in a leaf of pickled cabbage. The rolls are then put in the pot, covered with water and boiled.”
“Sounds delicious,” Grandma Kay said.
Adam came in the room with his father. They greeted everyone with a handshake. Adam asked Grandpa Joe in English with a strong accent, “How are you?”
“Just fine,” Grandpa Joe said slowly and clearly.
“Welcome to our home,” Adam said, again in English.
“Thank you,” responded Grandpa Joe.
The Taylors explained that Adam was a young leader in the church started in Shutka. They shared Adam’s testimony with the group of Americans as well. Adam had an uncle in the church and had been to his house to visit his cousin at times when there were Bible study groups in his home. He sometimes listened to the discussions and was interested. But he decided that he was young and wanted to just live and have fun and could study religion when he was older. Soon after he had a dream where he saw Jesus come to him and tell him to follow Him. Adam decided to give his life to following Christ.
“Wow,” thought Rebecca. “Did Erika have a dream about Jesus too?” she asked.
“No, Adam told Erika about Jesus and she decided it sounded good,” explained Mr. Taylor. “They were soon to be married when Adam gave his life to Christ. She followed him in his decision. There are others in the church though who came to Jesus through dreams. There are others who were healed miraculously and then believed. One woman was healed of cancer. God can work around the fact that there are few missionaries here to evangelize and to disciple the people here.”
“God is good!” Grandma Kay exclaimed.
“God certainly knows how to take care of His children,” Grandpa Joe added. “How do their families feel about them being Christians?”
Mr. Taylor relayed the question to Adam and then translated his answer. “At first they threatened me that bad things would happen if I became a Christian. Sometimes it was very hard to go against them. Now though they accept me and don’t give me a hard time. My family celebrates Muslim holidays and observes Muslim traditions which can be hard. The money I earn goes to the family and they use it to celebrate these Muslim holidays, and Erika has to work to cook and clean to prepare for those holidays. Things like that are hard. Our son knows how to pray, but sometimes we catch him copying the Muslim prayers where you bow with your head to the ground.”
“Please,” Erika said with a gesture to let everyone know to start eating.
“I’ll pray,” Grandpa Joe offered. “Thank you, Father God, for this food, for your constant provision for all our needs, for your love and grace, for calling us Your children. Please bless this family and use them to bless this community to the glory of the name of Jesus. Amen.”
“Ameen,” chorused Erika and Adam.
“Ameen, that is how they say amen,” Grandpa Joe told his grandchildren.
Rebecca started writing in her notebook.
Muslims sometimes become Christians through dreams and healings.
Food:
Sarma, ground meat and rice rolled into a cabbage leaf and boiled
Salad, cucumber and tomato in chunks with grated cheese on top
A whole loaf of bread for each person!
As the family began eating Erika brought in a bottle of what the kids thought was soda. She poured each person a glass full. Joshua picked up his glass and started to drink. Immediately his face scrunched up, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand. He swallowed with a grimace.
“What is that?” Joshua asked his grandfather. Adam’s family laughed when they saw him. They knew it was an unusual taste for Americans but that some really liked it too.
“Was it sour?” he asked chuckling.
“I’m not sure if it was sour, but it sure wasn’t sweet! I thought it was soda.”
“Well, it is soda,” Grandpa Joe told Joshua. “Original soda. It’s soda water. We like to call it bubble water. It’s soda without the sugar or flavoring. They drink it a lot here. People like it.”
“I guess people can get used to anything,” Joshua added.
“I’m not so sure I want to try it, let alone drink enough to get used to it,” decided Rebecca.
“Try it once, and I’ll let you write Mom and Dad about what it’s like,” prodded Joshua.
“No, thank you,” replied Rebecca. “You can tell them. I already know what it’s like. I saw your face! I think I’ll start with the salad. That’s mostly recognizable.”
The family ate and made sure Erika and Adam’s mother knew how good the meal was.
Rebecca took one last look around their home before they left. She wanted to remember everything from the vases of plastic flowers everywhere to the old black and white photographs on the wall.