Becoming a Sudanese woman

Yesterday our family went to visit a dear couple in Gondolo, a Ganza village about 4 km from Yabus. Gideon is blind but is a beautiful musician and leads the music in the Gondolo church. His wife Rhoda has a misfigured hand so she has to do everything with one hand. They have twins - a girl and a boy. The girl's name is Inia and the boy's name is Inias. They're a wonderful family.

When we arrived Eli and the boys sat on a mat in one of the huts while I joined the women in the cooking hut. The cooking hut is always full of intense smoke so my eyes were burning the whole time. But I enjoyed helping them cook the meal. First we made tea and served the men. Then we made "asida" which is made of sorghum flour and water into the consistency of playdough. We made okra soup to go with it. They cook their okra by whisking it with a branch (like a wire whisk) until it turns into a green slimy soup. It doesn't look appealing but it's very tasty and I acutally crave it sometimes!

After dinner, I helped roast the coffee beans, then pound them along with dried ginger, and brewed the coffee in their special clay "jebuna" pot. We served the men in their hut and we ladies stayed in the kitchen and each drank at least three cups.

Meanwhile the boys did great. They played happily outside with their crazy dog named "zuruf" which means hunger in their language. The dog lived up to its name as it was all skin and bones. We drove home just as it was getting dark and later, even after my bath, I remarked to Eli, that my hair still smelled like campfire smoke. That's when I realized...I'm becoming a Sudanese woman.

Eating and enjoying the finished product: asida and bamia (sorghum and okra)