What do you do when there’s no google? I’m sure everyone responds differently, but I took an awful lot of picture of bugs. I don’t know if was because of the webfast or coincidence, but we ended up doing some other odd stuff this past month too. Here’s a few:
We kept finding stick bugs–this one was exceptionally massive. And they can run pretty fast if they think you’re attacking. They also have really neat gymnastic capabilities. Oh, I can’t forget the praying mantis or the wide array of caterpillars we found!
We learned how to butcher chickens from some amazing staff here on campus! We got to see a whizbang chicken plucker in action. It took 10-15 seconds to pluck a bird, which was amazing!
Jim, our small group leader, gave us the chance to become his electrical disciples for a day. We got to work on a project for church running two circuits from the breaker–can you guess what it was for?? Yup. So we can have more plugs for crockpots at church potlucks and not trip the breaker! Very important work! We learned it’s better to cut the wire LONGER than shorter. 🙂
Our one webfast indulgence was listening to a free audio book of The Return of Sherlock Holmes. My favorite time was when we sat outside and listened by the campfire with hot mugs of tea. But, one of the other fun things we did by the campfire was learn how to make a sweet Paraguayan drink called mate cocido. Don and Julie taught us at one of their potlucks! You take yerba mate (a green tea from South America) and mix it with sugar and then add hot coals, which caramelizes the sugar and the tea. Later, hot water is poured over the mix and then hot milk is blended in! The smoky carmelized flavor is unparalleled! 
It was so good that I asked some other Paraguayan MKs to make some last night at our Bible Study campfire. It did keep me awake, but seeing as how I had 50 pages to read, I didn’t mind a bit.
Produce was busting from the seams at the farm of sweet Ozark couple, Jim and Connie. For the past few years after the farmers market in town, they’ve given the students what didn’t sell. Well, they had a good year and couldn’t really even sell all of the stuff that had grown, so they invited us to come out and visit and pick veggies. It was such a blessing and so neat to spend time with them!
About 18 of us ventured out on a cold, rainy Saturday and enjoyed the dirt and greenery.
I for one had never picked eggplant and had no idea that they had thorns! What a lively surprise when I kept getting poked violently during my attempts–that was a new for me.
So not only did they lavish us with vegetable, but they also fed us chili and all sorts of other sides (including a personal favorite, fried green tomatoes). I’d also never seen lunch served up buffet style on a sorting machine. Below is a picture of Connie and a few of us girls.
I cannot guarantee that if you do a webfast that all of these things will happen to you, but I’m glad they happened to us. I enjoyed building better friendships and enjoying more of the variety that is ever-present in God’s creation!
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