Well, today, Sherry and I were supposed to be on our way to Haiti, but as some of you know, we had to do the Covid test before flying. Sherry’s test came out positive. She was not feeling sick or anything, but we were “grounded.” We have a little place of our own in the country, so we are going to be quarantined here for 10 days. We are used to moving and doing Food Distributions, and always being busy up at 3:30 am, so for us to be “inside” and not “busy” with a Food Distribution, or the Orphanage, etc., was going to be rough.
Sherry decided to make something special today because when we are in Haiti, we have “mission-critical people” coming in and out and we all eat together because we are all busy and it’s usually chicken or hamburger from Farmer John’s. We have had Nini as our Haitian cook for over 30 years. She has cooked for all our visitors and teams and she is like family to us. Well, Sherry sent me out today to buy some food and things that we never usually buy in Haiti, because we are limited in going shopping in a grocery store. I came back with a bunch of stuff!
She sent me out for things to make a salad, fried squash and onions, and two nice little steaks. (We never buy steaks in Haiti.) But, Sherry saw a new recipe she wanted to try… “seared steaks.” Since we don’t have a grill, she was going to fix it a special way so it wouldn’t be tough, and then “sear it.” She made me buy a cast-iron skillet. She started making it and the recipe said, “there will be a lot of smoke, so open your doors and turn off your alarm.” We did that. She turned on the stove vent, we opened our door, and I unplugged the ADT alarm system. Man, that steak smelled so good, but there was a LOT of smoke! As we ate the “best steak I had ever eaten,” I got a phone call but didn’t want to answer it. Sherry said, “Better answer it,” but I said, “It’s just a salesman and this steak is SO GOOD!”
All of a sudden, there were two firemen at our front door! As we were talking to them, through our “country gate” came two of the biggest firemen I had ever seen! Then, in came two of the biggest firetrucks I had ever seen! Three more firemen jumped out and said, “Where’s the fire?” Sherry was almost in tears, apologizing. I told them that I had unplugged the ADT alarm, but it still went off, and “We punched every button to stop it!” Then, one of the firemen came over and said, “Next time, we need your gate code because we almost had to take the gate with us to get in!” We apologized to them over and over but they were so kind.
Well, Sherry told me that today was the “last seared steak” she is making… it’s back to chicken, hamburger, and Keto. This is what happens to missionaries who are used to being on the go 24/7, and now have to be “quarantined” inside!!! We are counting the days to get back to Haiti.
Bobby