Noheri Nziza from Rwanda

Check out our December Newsletter by clicking on image or HERE.

 

18 weeks?!

18 weeks pregnant already? Huh? Where did the time go? So far the pregnancy has been a breeze… for the most part. Honestly, the hardest part in the first trimester was the constant hunger and the lack of fast convenient foods here. If I had a craving, I had to make it. Couldn’t go out and just get something fast. That just doesn’t happen here. I am finally starting to feel the baby more every day. Little thumps from within! We hope to find out the sex of our #3 in 2 short weeks! Rusty thinks it’s a girl again, and honestly, he has me convinced too…. but either way… I’ll be happy with either! I’m starting to show a bit…. can’t suck in the pooch any longer. Pants are getting a bit tight around the waist. I’m looking forward to keeping in shape with the start of Body and Soul Fitness here in a few weeks! I’m hoping it will help me to NOT pack on the pounds! I pray this body will let me continue to workout until my 40 weeks!

Thanks for your prayers!

Simple, flaky biscuits

Where is all of this energy coming from? I am far from “nesting”, but I guess I’m just feeling uncharacteristically productive! I decided at 10pm tonight that I’d make my very first batch of biscuits. Yes, my first. I plan to make egg, ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast! Yummo! Oh, and ps, I was inspired by Keli Shreck who is a biscuit making foo! Thanks Keli!

Biscuits for two, but really I made them thinner, so I made about 12.

Ingredient	USvolume	US weight	Metric weight
All-purpose flour	2   1/4 cups	10   1/8 oz	285   g
Salt	3/4   tsp	1/8   oz	4-5   g
Sugar	1   tsp	5/8   oz	18   g
Baking   powder	4   tsp	5/8   oz	19   g
Butter,   very cold	1/3   cup	2   5/8 oz	75   g
Milk,   very cold	1   cup	8   oz	225   g

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Place flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine.
3. Cut butter into small pieces and add to food processor. Pulse half a dozen times and check for the size of the butter pieces. Repeat if necessary until the butter is in pieces roughly the size of peas.
4.  Put flour mixture in a mixing bowl and add the cold milk. Toss together gently until barely combined. I use the little white plastic tool in the picture to lift the dough from the side of the bowl and dump it on top of the rest of the dough.
5. As soon as the dough holds together, turn it out on a lightly floured counter. Gently “knead” the dough a few strokes until it is a mostly a cohesive ball. (Click here for a close-up of what the dough looks like before kneading. Here’s the after shot.)
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/2-3/4 inch thick, depending on how tall you like your biscuits. Cut into 2 inch circles, you should get ~6, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (See note about leftover dough.)
7. Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes. Butter and eat while still warm.

Chicken Piccata!

I am trying to be MUCH more creative with my meals lately… and when I can find the right ingredients to use, I step out! This used to be a favorite of ours when we lived in Oklahoma.  Try it! It’s good and it’s easy and your family will love it!

Ingredients

• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 5 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• 3/4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 whole Lemons
• 1 Tbls chopped up capers and a little caper juice
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
• 4 cups halved zucchini

Preparation Instructions

This is how you make Chicken Piccata when you’re out of capers and you have a pathological fear of cooking anything without adding heavy cream.

Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry two of the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. Remove to a plate, then add the other 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Fry the other two breasts until golden, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Decrease heat as needed!

After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it’s cooking.

Reduce heat to low and pour in cream and capers. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of minute until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings or other ingredients. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it’s too strong! Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

Right at the end, cook angel hair until al dente—do not overcook!

(Oh and steam your zucchini and add to sauce at the very end, then put it on top of pasta with chicken and sauce.)

Your family I’m sure will love this as much as mine did! ENJOY! 

Betty Crocker?

Ok, I am SO not Betty Crocker, but I’m trying! Since moving to Rwanda, I have had to learn a LOT about baking and cooking that I really never knew! Making things from scratch has never been so fun, most days….  I’m going to TRY to put a few fun pics, recipes and ideas on here so all of you can see what I’m up to in the kitchen!

My sister gave me this “homemade” cookbook several years ago and I never knew it would come in so handy. In the states, I always had intentions of making my own bread etc, but when you can buy so many convenience foods etc, why would you take the time to do it yourself?! So now, I am forced to, and I’m liking it! (notice I didn’t say LOVE )

Many items are very costly here in Rwanda because of import costs etc. Pasta isn’t even cheap, so I decided to MAKE MY OWN! My very first attempt.

Processor Dough Pasta is easy! Throw it all in your processor, let it hang for a while, roll it out, then cut and dry it. I used this batch for 2 dinners. 1. was beef stroganoff and 2. was chicken noodle soup. Both were a hit with the fam!

Next I want to try EGG noodles. I REALLY wish I had bought that $5 pasta roller/cutter that we saw at a garage sale back in ’09. Pasta is a little difficult to roll out!

Everyday can be challenging in a Rwandan kitchen, but I’m just thankful I’m here and God’s letting me do it! Anytime you’re in the neighborhood, please come by for a bite to eat at the Lindens! ~ O

We’re still here!

Every month comes to an end and I tell myself, “this is the month I’m going to get back on track and send out our monthly newsletters!” Well, then busy sets in even deeper and it doesn’t get done and I guilt myself and blah blah blah…. so a blog post is going to get it done for now.

We’re doing great! Loving Rwanda, loving the people of Rwanda, loving the people we work with, loving all of our new friends and most importantly loving God! So much has happened this year and so many things have changed with us. God has blessed us so immensely! So we’ll give you more details from the year past in our next newsletter… promise!

The biggest news is that WE’RE PREGNANT yet again! Linden baby #3 is due to arrive on March 16, 2012! God just keeps growing our family, like fast! We were a bit shocked at first, but of course we’re so super excited! Rusty believes it will be yet another girl, and well, he’s never been wrong thus far… so in 3 weeks we should know! I’m happy with whatever God gives me!

Prayers requests for the Lindens:

• Of course for the new baby coming! Healthy pregnancy, healthy delivery, PERFECT baby!

• Our team and the BIG changes that are a comin’. The Jenkins are relocating to the US to continue work with ROC, so dynamics are changing, so please pray for them, for our team and the future of ROC and what God has in store for this amazing ministry.

•  Our church family at CCR. God is doing so many amazing things here and I have one personal request…. that God will send some wise oldies to us, whether Rwandan or Expat, some older leaders with wisdom would be welcome. Like some (for those of you that know them) Lee and Jean Mullicans who have been through it all. Who could help encourage and love on all of us, personally and the church body, who could bring prayerful wisdom to CCR.

•  For Body and Soul ministry to get off the ground by the first week of November! God has been leading me to start this here for a few years now, and the time has finally come that I will be starting this uplifting ministry right here at CCR! I think God’s going to use Body and Soul in so many fun ways! It’s a lot of hard work, so I really need your prayers on this one!

•  That God will bring new financial donors to all of our families here at ROC. We can’t do any of this work here without help from people like you who love God and believe in all of us to do his work here.

•  And lastly, by daily request from our sweet Evey, that you’ll pray for all the kids in Rwanda without moms and dads and that God will give them love, beds to sleep on and enough food to eat.

Be on the lookout for more Linden updates coming soon. We love you all and we feel each and every one of your prayers. Thank you especially for the prayers some of you have been praying for us for good health. Our little family has done so well here this year… for the most part we’ve had a very clean bill of health… thanks to you all and a very faithful God!

Many blessings from Rwanda! ~ Onawa

 

Meal list for the week:

Beef Stroganough with green salad (and homemade egg noodles)

Chicken noodle soup (with homemade egg noodles) and beer bread

Shrimp Enchiladas (one of Evey’s favorites)

Open faced hot chicken salad sandwiches and green salad

Beef roast and veggies

Open faced beef roast sandwiches (one of daddy’s favorites)

February Newsletter 2011

WE MADE IT!!!

By the grace and goodness of the Lord we finally arrived in Kigali Rwanda Africa on October 28, 2010 at about 8:20am!!! We were tired and haggard, but we made it! Update to come soon in the form of a newsletter. Thanks so much for all your support and prayers to get us here!!!

NAKED GUY ON A PLANE!

I know you’re all DYING to hear the story… so here it is!

We left from Spokane to head to Chicago Monday afternoon. We arrived in Chicago on time and we were all unloading. The 4 of us were all in row 16, and there are only 17 rows. The flight went flawlessly, but then, when most of the people had headed off the plane, our 3 rows were up to go… row 15-17. Rusty stood up to take Evey off and noticed something strange right in front of him. The man sitting right in front of him had quickly taken his shirt off. Rusty proceeded to head down the isle and said to me “Onawa hurry up lets go!” and I was fumbling to get all of our stuff and Sali as I noticed this shirtless man…. I couldn’t make it down fast enough in front of him. (Rusty could tell something was not right so was trying to hurry us all off before he did something weird.)

So I ended up behind him and Rusty didn’t get to see that the man, right there in his row, quickly proceeded to tear all his clothes off, hop up and slowly walked down the isle. I was in shock. I looked behind me at the flight attendant in shock and she took a look and called the authorities. The other 4 people behind me were also speechless with chins to the floor. None of us knew what was going on. I grabbed Sali and our stuff and began down the isle, far behind him, but wanting off the plane!

As I got to the front of the plane he stood there, close to the front flight attendant, who hadn’t seen him coming… she stepped back in fear. I couldn’t see Rusty and was TOTALLY scared because I knew Evey was up there with him… not knowing if they’d gotten off or where they were. As I got to the front I hear some yelling… people yelling at him and for help. He walked off the plane and into the loading hall and was trying to escape through one of the doors out onto the tarmac. Before he could escape a baggage guy was coming up the stairs with all of our strollers and baggage and slammed the guys hand in the door to stop him. Then another guy grabbed him in a choke hold and threw him to the grown belly down. Then about 6 other men jumped on him to restrain him. It was NUTS!  We were all confused and freaked out! THen you could hear the man groaning and growling and making weird noises… but he wasn’t using words at all. We saw a little blood too… maybe from his hand?

So the last of us left on the plane were trapped. We couldn’t get off the plane because this was all happening right outside the plane in the walkway. It took the police 20 min to arrive.

We wanted out of there, not only because it was scary and we had a 3 year old who saw it all… including a VERY NAKED MAN… but also because we had 20 minutes to then catch an international flight that would leave without us.

After about 15 more minutes they let us leave… we went running down the airport to our next gate just in time to grab a sandwich, water and be the last ones to board the flight. What a way to start the long journey… but we made it to our next destination on time.

When we talk about that flight, Evey now calls it the “Naked Plane”.

We assume the guy was either on drugs, or had some mental illness. We said some prayers for the 20 something man, and hoped God would free him from whatever was on him.

Good part… we’ve had a few laughs… but wow… it was scary!

 

OCTOBER 25 is coming fast!!!

It’s official folks, we have Salome’s passport and our plane tickets! We’re flying out of Spokane to Rwanda on October 25! We’re wrapping up the last few details before we go, loving on family and enjoying Dr. Pepper, then we’re OFF! Please be with us in prayer for our big journey. With our overnight layover in London, we’ll arrive in Kigali on Thursday October 28! It’s been a long, amazing year, but we’re ready to begin our work in Rwanda!