Oh, bugs!

It was one of those good days....i was totally ready for the 5 guests coming for lunch.  5 people and 5+cultures around our table!  Something to look forward to!  Two would be staying on for a couple of days.  The beds were made, the flowers and sweets on the pillows, i was in control.  I even had the food kind of ready, as we still had to fit in a full morning of school!  Well, the Word says....pride comes before the fall....little did i know!

I decided to cook the noodles before school so i could get the dish all together and then just run from the school room, stick it in the oven and have it ready by 1.  The first pack went smoothly into the rapid boiling water.  The second pack went in too with...yip, bugs!  Lots and lots of bugs!  I mean LOTS!!!  Usually we get a few bugs per pack, so the 1st one without any was a huge encouragement, that with guests and all coming to lunch.  But the second pack!  Wow!  I think the ratio of pasta shells to bugs were probably 1:100.  No kidding here!

At first i was not fazed.  Just another day in Africa.  So i did what any respectable missionary would do, i started scooping out bugs.  Why waste food, right?  I scooped and scooped and as the pasta cooked and cooked, more bugs floated to the top!  All Dead!  Boiled alive!  One of the boys came around and in true MK spirit told me to just add a LOT of black pepper!  Bless his heart!  Another one came and said it wasn't as bad as it looked!  This however, gave me a clue that i should probably put on my reading glasses before i add the black, ground pepper....

"........." that was speechless me.  With my glasses on, i saw what it really looked like.  I would have to add a whole lot of pepper and black-out the windows if i was to give this to anyone who was not blind for lunch!  Black pepper, by the way, does NOT have little legs. Ok, now what?  I did not have any more buggy or bug-less pasta.  Nada!  What to do?  Well, i have lived here now for nearly 8 years and i did what any respectable longtermer would do....NOT!  Sorry that was not me...might be me in about 40 year's time, though.  Never say never!  I sadly fed it to the dogs, who were by the way very happy for the extra added proteins!  :) In the end i made home made Linguini, quite impressive, really!

When our friends arrived, steaming freshly made pasta filled their plates and no-one was the wiser of what they Could have eaten.  I could also with confidence have a light on while dishing up!  And no black pepper was seen on my table!

When i climbed into bed that night i sighed a huge sigh of relief!  I made it! and i didn't kill anyone with my food today!  Thank you Lord, for Your help in this crazy day!  Yes, sometimes we need to grind that black pepper, but other times You give a fresh idea that saves the day!  :)  And i am sure You had a good chuckle or two at this frantic meal prep!

Bella, humbled.
ps the next day  as i was getting out some beans - they were also infested (from the local market!) and when one of our young guests saw it she exclaimed "Amazing, you grow your own proteins!"  So young and so innocent, until the boys showed her a bug under the microscope!!  haha!