Our Gotcha Day Celebration

Last Wednesday, January 15th, we celebrated our Gotcha Day.  Two years from that date, we met our son Zalen for the first time.  In fact most of the month of January I am a bit of an emotional mess.  I was so excited to try out some recipes from my new "Congolese Keepsake Cookbook".  Interested in snagging a copy, just head over to CreationsForCongo.  I do believe she has a few more copies for sell.  Last year I cooked mpondu from frozen cassava and chicken in peanut-tomato sauce.  If you want a few more ideas on celebrating Gotcha Day or just some fun ideas to share Congolese culture you can check out that post as well: One Year Celebration.

When the kids arrived home from school we had french fries (pomme frites) that we dipped in mayo.  The Congolese love their mayo and when dining in-country they always served fries with a side of it.  

I decided as a main course I would make Meat Moambé.  Moambé is often considered the national dish of Congo.  What I really missed was the pili pili.  Last year I found a sauce at a store that sold ethnic foods.  I had picked up some palm oil at the natural foods store and some Cassava chips as well. I served the Moambé over rice.

 

After getting the rice on, I started on simple nguba soup, another recipe found in my Congolese Keepsake cookbook.  I wanted something we could dip our Fufu in.

 

With the nguba soup simmering I was ready to test out my arm muscles on some good ol fufu.  For the record I am not a fan of fufu.  Last year Zalen ate it up.  This year even he didn't like it as well.  

 

Even after stirring it like crazy and having Craig come in to help I still don't think I got it to the desired consistency.  The year before I had used a mix that I found at the same store I got the hot pili-pili like sauce.  I was hoping the above combination would make the fufu taste a little better.  It really didn't.  

Here is a look at the finished meal.  Everyone enjoyed the Moambé.  They said the peanut soup was ok.  I don't think anyone was a fan of the fufu.  

 

 

This boy was excited about the food and celebrating his beautiful Congolese heritage.   Of course we had Fanta to drink. 

The best we saved for last - Fried plantains rolled in a bit of sugar.  Yum! 

All in all, it was a fun celebration.  Craig asked if I was going to cook Lebanese next year because we ate that a few times while in-country.  We will see.

Happy Two Years home Zalen Moise Fuller!  

We are so thankful for the gift of you in our lives.

One people, One Soul: Discovering the DRC

Before I get into my post I just wanted to say that I am itching to do another *GIVEAWAY*  So when my facebook fan page gets to 150 fans I will.  So over to the left you will see a "Like my Page" button.  Just click and like my page to keep up with Divine Moments :-)  Then share with anyone you know that might be interested in adoption, loving orphans, social justice, faith & family, Africa, and the DRC.  But mainly this web page is to encourage you not to miss the divine moments God has for your life. 

Today I want to share more about the Congolese culture.  When I was adopting I immersed myself in learning about the country where my son was from.  Since returning home, I am still learning.  I hope to continue to share different ways to learn about the culture of the DRC.  Congo's Independence day is June 30 and is the most important celebration of the year.  I was on my blog break during that time so I didn't write about what we learned.  I thought I'd share today.  These activities are great to do while you are waiting or when you get your child home.  

This is the current flag of the DRC.  The flag has been through many changes.  If you click this link you can see the other eight designs.  I based my T-shirt design off of this description of the flag that I found:
  "Sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope, red the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country"
source: CIA factbook website

Activity #1: 
Print out this printable DRC flag.  Color or paint it and talk about the meanings of the colors.

Cookie that we made for our Gotcha Day Celebration

Activity Idea #2:
Make Africa shaped sugar cookies and then decorate the cookies in appropriate DRC flag colors.  Pictured below is the ones we made.  The Krotzer family is selling the Africa shaped cookie cutters as a fundraiser for their adoption.

Get yours at: One Starfish Web Store

Tips from the kitchen:  I found the best tips for making your icing smooth/shiny and professional looking when I made these peppermint cookies for Christmas last year.  I used the same method for these sugar cookies, using a toothpick to make the star, and red tubed piping icing for the stripes.  Check out this link from Bakerella (this blog rocks if you like to bake) if you need icing help.  We are talking lots of pictures so you can get the concept, a must for me and a great sugar cookie recipe to boot  -----> Sugar Cookies

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 The other thing I wondered about was if the DRC had a national anthem.  I thought I would share this video and you can find lyrics in English/French below.

When I first read the lyrics my throat lumped up and when I got to "Let us live our motto:" tears silently slipped down my face. 

 
On this day the sun rises
And our Congo stands resplendent.
A long night is ended,
A great happiness has come.
Let us all, with wild joyfulness, sing
The song of freedom.

CHORUS
Arise, Congolese, proud every man,
Proclaim the unity of our nation.
Let us forget what divides us
And become more united than ever.
Let us live our motto:
Unity, work, progress.
(repeat previous two lines)

From the forest to the bush,
From the bush to the ocean,
One people, one soul,
One heart, ardent and proud.
Let us all fight, every one of us,
For our old black country.

CHORUS

And if we have to die,
What does it really matter? Our children
Everywhere will be able to say how
Triumph comes through battle,
And in the smallest village
Sing beneath our three colours.

CHORUS

Anthem Lyrics in Official Language
Zairois dans la paix retrouvee
Peuple uni, nous sommes Zairois
En avant fier et plein de dignite
Peuple grand, peuple libre a jamais
Tricolore enflamme nous du feu sacre
Pour batir notre pays toujours plus beau
Autour d'un fleuve majeste
Autour d'un fleuve majeste
Tricolore au vent ravive l'ideal
Qui nous relie aux aieux a nos enfants
Paix, justice et travail
Paix, justice et travail
Source: LinkonLearning

Activity #1: Listen to the video and then read the lyrics of the song in English.

Activity #2: Go to this link and read the speech written for their Independence Day – first celebrated in 1960 - source: www.helpchildrenwithaids.org

Want to read more about Congolese culture?  Click this link:  #Tag: Congolese Culture

Tune in next Friday for a feature on one of my favorite non-for-profits doing amazing things in the DRC!! 

Happy Parents Day

Fun fact: In Congo, there is no Mothers Day or Fathers Day, but they do celebrate Parents Day! On the 1st of August every year children choose to honor their parents through hand-crafted gifts, songs and special events and activities.

 

I will never forget the day I met you for the first time

how your lanky body caved into mine

a bit unsure, but some how you knew

we were there for you

now it is quite different when you waller, er, um snuggle me

you grew so much that first year

and just keep growing, growing, growing

we've been going through some "stuff"

and you seem to keep testing me

I am not going anywhere

except maybe down to my knees

I won't give up on you

so please don't give up on me

we will just keep growing together
through you I'm learning to love

in a way I have not yet experienced

and maybe the depths of that love

compared to how I loved before

reflected back something savagely shallow

for you, my son

I want to go deeper 

Guest Post: "Culture Shock" by Trésor Yenyi

Would like to give a warm welcome once again to my friend Trésor, founder of Mwangaza International.  
He has graciously agreed to guest post every once in awhile here on Divine Moments.  I enjoyed his last guest post as he shared about the different holidays of the DRC. Born in the Congo he has unique insights into the Congolese culture. For this post I asked him to share his thoughts on some of the differences between the cultures of the US and the DRC.

Cultures are beautiful. They are the flowers of many colors that God planted to make creation diverse yet equally valuable.

“Culture shock”, a term I learned in Bible College, would easily define my life. I was born to parents who are from different tribes in the DRC and I have lived in the four corners of the Congo.   More recently I have spent several years in America. These combined experiences have made me a “culture shock” or perhaps I should say they have made me a bridge.

When I arrived in the US the first thing I noticed was that everything revolved around the individual whereas I grew up knowing that my community was the most important thing. It takes a personal effort to be successful in the US.  It takes a village to raise a child and make a marriage work in the Congo. One of the first discussions I ever had with someone in this country was about these stark differences. I remember a friend of mine telling me that he did not want anyone involved in his decisions and that he would decide what was best for himself.  Whereas, I consider my entire family when I make decisions.


Another “culture shock” was the ebb and flow of time.  Time guides relationships in America; relationships guide time in the Congo. A 10 am appointment in the DRC will eventually happen between 11 and noon.  This translates directly into every day conversation as well.   Time in the Congo is allowed to slow when you ask someone, “How are you doing?”  I remember being very frustrated when someone would walk toward me and ask “How is it going, Tresor?” and continue on their way.  The Congo is void of such empty filler in conversations.  The expectation to such a question asked would result in that person sitting and listening to the answer.  A conversation would engage over the well being of the person and his/her family, with no frantic ticking of the clock in mind. 

Family structures are also different. Distant relatives play a role in your life. They are your blood. People whose tribes are related to yours are your brothers. I always giggle trying to explain this concept to my American friends.  I can tell that it is a concept that is hard to grasp.

It is also a world where your words carry more weight than you think. Written contracts are on paper, the modern administrations enforce them, but the reality is what you say is what counts.

After writing all this I feel like I haven’t told you anything new. You could easily read all this in textbooks and travel guides.  There is a big difference between learning about a culture and experiencing a culture.  The fact is you cannot learn a culture by simply reading a book. Unless you put on a learning hat and spend time with the culture; each word will be powerless.

Cultures are beautiful, different tastes but equally important. I believe after these years that there isn’t a culture that is better than the other. We experience God’s creative powers by encountering the differences with the courage to learn what would make us a better person.

I encourage you to experience the beauty.

To give you a glimpse into a bit of the beauty of the DRC I am going to share the slideshow again that I made up of various pictures from those who have traveled there that I shared on the Divine Moments fan page.  If you have not "liked" us on facebook you should.  When the fan page reaches 100 likes I will be doing a giveaway.  

    


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Trésor Yenyi was born in Eastern Congo in 1983 at the peak of Mobutu’s reign. Not realizing he was witnessing history in the making, he was helpless as he observed the country slide first into chaos, then into its grave—the victim of looting, war, and corruption. It was only after he immigrated to the United States that he realized the depth of the destruction that had occurred and began nurturing a strong desire to return to his native country to search for a cure for the disease from which Congo suffers. In his compelling travel narrative, Yenyi details his return trips to Congo, his subsequent charitable work, and the heartbreaking stories of the country’s victims of war. While providing the voiceless a chance to speak through him, Yenyi reveals the humanitarian challenges of Congo and combines his life experiences with journal entries—creating an introspective glimpse into a world where child soldiers, rape victims, street children, and AIDS orphans are the realities of life. Trésor Yenyi has a dream—that the troubled land of his ancestors will find peace once again. It is with this great hope for the future of his homeland that Yenyi remembers Congo’s forgotten.

To purchase Journey to the Heart of Darkness click here -----------> Buy Book!

Congolese Cooking & One Year Celebration

I have no idea where time is going.  It keeps slipping by.  My poor blog is neglected.  I hang my head in shame that I didn't even share about our one year home celebration or my first attempt at trying to cook Congolese food.

First was the preparation, finding ingredients in po-dink-ville.  Po-dink-ville is defined is living 1 hour from the nearest Starbucks.  (yes, please feel sorry for me)  A google search revealed a grocery store that carried a wide selection of foods that I might be interested in, an hour away of course.  So I made plans with a friend to visit the store.  We browsed through many items with labels we could not read and finally reached the African section.

I purchased some FuFu mix, frozen Cassava leaves, Palm oil, red sauce/stew very similar to Pili Pili I think because it was SPICY!  

Then I attempted to make some Pondu.  Keep in mind if you look up what cassava is wikipedia will show you the picture to the left and define cassava as:

a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy, tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.

Got all that?  Now here is the funny part (if you share my warped sense of humor).....

Like other roots and tubers, Cassava contains anti-nutrition factors and toxins.^[5] It must be properly prepared before consumption. Improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication and goiters, and may even cause ataxia or partial paralysis

So as you can see, Congolese cooking is a major endeavor on my part.  If not cooked properly I could poison my family.  I could paralyze people with my cooking?!  Now this is a new level of cooking people!  I pressed on, determined to bring Zalen a taste of Africa here in America. 

First I added a bit of water and began to unthaw and cook my frozen cassava leaves. You have to cook them for quite awhile.  I watched a video of a guy cooking the leaves so kind of based it off that.  Not sure what the difference is between Plassas and Pondu.  I have a lot to learn.  Here is the video: Sierra Leone Recipe: Cassave Leaf Plassas  We added shallots to the cassava because I forgot to pick up some fish.  It was what we had in the freezer and was actually quite good, but probably not authentic.  I would say adding a cooked sardine would more closely resemble the original dish.

 

While the cassava cooked I diced up some chicken and cooked it up with a few onions and garlic.  Then I cooked up a tomato/peanut sauce for the chicken.  I found the recipe here: Chicken in Peanut-Tomato Sauce.

 

In the Congo peanuts are often called ground nuts.  The above picture is at Zalen's orphanage where they shared some of these ground nuts with us.  Craig and I both tried a few.  I actually wanted to use fresh peanuts for this recipe as I had some leftover from Christmas, but ran out of time and just used creamy peanut butter.  

Instead of serving over rice, I made some Couscous that I found in the African food section of the store.  According to the Congo Cookbook website: Couscous (Cous-cous or Cous cous) is a traditional staple food in North Africa; it is also common in Western Africa whence it has spread into Central Africa. Couscous is a pasta, made by mixing flour and water to form a paste which is then formed and dried. Most couscous is made with flour ground from durum wheat, but rice, maize (corn), or cowpea (black-eyed pea) flours are sometimes used. Home-made couscous is rare these days; even in rural Africa most people buy ready-to-use couscous from a store or market.

The last two components to the dish were boiled yams that I salted and peppered and some fufu that I made from a mix. I am not a fan of fufu.

Here is a look at the dishes all together:

Below is Zalen eating his Congolese meal in the Congo.  

The one thing I didn't get done was the fried plantains.  I did make them later on that week.

For dessert we had some Africa shaped sugar cookies

 

After dinner we looked through photos of our time in Africa and played a couple of games.  We had a race to see who could balance certain items on their heads and make back and forth across the leaving room.  Craig did it the traditional way.  One of my favorite memories is when we were packing up to leave for the airport and we gave Zalen something to carry so he could help.  He put it on his head and walked down the hallway.  :-)

 

I also taught the girls how to play Tobeta Maboko

Tobeta Maboko

This is a very popular African clapping game, often played at school or between household tasks. It is essentially played like the “Rock, Scissors, Paper” game, only it is done with the hands and feet to a clapping beat.

First, the clapping beat: The beat is 1,2,3, pause, 1,2,3, pause, 1!
Second, the action: As the players clap the last, single beat, they jump into the air. Then in a quick motion, as they are about to land, they make their choice.

The choices are:
1. Right foot out in front
2. Left foot out in front
3. Feet split apart side-by-side

If you want, you can make up your own way of scoring these three outcomes. Or you can use “Rock, Scissors, Paper” to help you score. When the right foot is forward you can call that “ROCK,” as it begins with “R.” You can call the split “SCISSORS,” since it begins with “S.” When the left foot is forward, you can call it “PAPER,” the only choice left. (You know how those go, don’t you? The kids will know!)

The players should be looking at each other’s faces and not at their feet. The game can be played with any number of participants or in small groups.

And remember: If you think you’re not doing the game right, don’t worry about it. It’s a game! You can even let the kids make their own rules. If they’re having fun with it, that’s all that counts.

from Paul Carlson.org

Love my crew :-)

Guest Post: Holidays in the DRC

I am just honored to have  Trésor Yenyi guest posting on the blog today.  Please join me by giving him a warm welcome.  He has agreed to guest post once in awhile to help us learn more about the Democratic Republic of Congo.  His perspective is unique as he was born in Eastern Congo and now lives in the states.  He is founder of Mwangaza International and also wrote the eye-opening book: "Journey to the Heart of Darkness".

With the holidays approaching, I have been wondering how to include Zalen's culture into our American traditions so I wrote to Trésor for some insight.  So pull up a chair and we will learn a bit more about the holidays/traditions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A moment to remember...
"Do you celebrate Halloween?" or "What do you eat for Thanksgiving?" These are questions people often ask me when they want to know about holidays in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Holidays are important milestones for a culture. A moment to remember the past and celebrate the joyful and painful moments of history. Each culture has in its own context dates that are important. Having adopted the Christian calendars, all major christian holidays are celebrated in Congo. There are slight differences on what they mean for a child. There are also holidays that are peculiar to the Congolese people.

CHRISTMAS

Growing up in Congo, we did not have a chance to always eat a decent meal, to have decent clothes or a good pair of shoes. Christmas or "Noel" as we call it, is for us that one time of the year when we expected and prayed for clothes, shoes and most of all a bottle of coke or fanta. Yes, you read right; soda is a luxury for many in DRC and its an important part of the Christmas meal. Chicken or any meat which are expensive in major cities are always something children expect to eat for Christmas. Parents do their best in December to offer a decent meal and clothes to their children. Some decorate their houses but that's not the most important for the children. Families get together and people visit each other  and make the day a special moment. Christmas is celebrated December 25 except for the Kimbaguist church which
account for about 10% of the Congolese population, their Christmas is May 25.

NEW YEAR

New Year or "Nouvel an" is another major celebration. People either wait for midnight at home or they go for an all night prayer at the church. Bars and pubs also make special arrangement for the celebration. Everyone tries to have the loudest music and at the midnight every one screams "Bonne annee!!!" with hope that the new year will bring more hope than the previous one.

EASTER

The strong Catholic influence makes Easter a very important holiday in the Congo. On Good Friday, thousands of catholics do the Via Dolorosa. Easter itself is more family oriented. Churches hold services then families share a meal at home. My family took that opportunity to visit cousins and friends we had not seen for a while or to go visit our relatives at the army camp.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Our independence day June 30 is the most important celebration of the year. In each city a military parade is organized. the parade last for hours. When the military has completed its parade, civilians have theirs. The radio plays music from 1960 when congolese musicians wrote songs to immortalize the day of independence. Those who have TVs can watch documentaries about independence. Families get together, friends visit each other. The elderly tell stories to the younger generations.

PARENTS DAY

August 1st is another important date in the congo; It's parents day. There  is a twofold meaning to the day. In the morning families remember their loved ones who passed away. most people go to the cemetery with their children to remember those who are no longer there. the afternoon is dedicated to parents who are still alive. Children honor their parents with gifts if they can or just their presence. Parents usually tell stories of their youth or talk about grandparents who have gone to be with the Lord.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES

Other dates are commemorated in DRC such as January 4th when we remember the martyrs of our independence. January 16 and 17, are dedicated to our national heroes Patrice Lumumba and Laurent Desire Kabila. This past decade has seen Valentine's day become very popular in major cities like Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. March 8, International women's day have become an important day in Congo. women take the opportunity to raise awareness about the situation of women in eastern congo. A parade is organized in each major city to celebrate Congolese women.

HOLIDAYS NOT CELEBRATED

To answer the two questions from the beginning...Congolese do not celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. 


In Conclusion:
   Family, friends and food are definitely the most important part of the celebrations. Parents do their best to make sure that regardless of the situation their children have at least a decent meal for the special day. Despite their effort, many parents are unable to feed their children on those special day. My first Christmas in America, I was a little surprised to see the importance of "stuff" during holidays while where I came from "food" was what most hoped for.

Thoughts from Tessy:  I don't know about you but not only did I learn from an unique perspective about holidays in the DRC I was also touched deeply to do something for the children this Christmas.  Trésor did not ask me to do this but I want to share with you a way you can bless some children in the Congo this Christmas.  Seems a small thing to do, buying a child a soda.  But I have seen first hand the smiles of delight a Fanta can bring and it wasn't no small thing.



Trésor will be taking a few teams to the Congo and will be delivering these gifts to the children in December.  You can donate by clicking the button above and it will take you to Mwangaza International home page. 

Trésor Yenyi was born in Eastern Congo in 1983 at the peak of Mobutu’s reign. Not realizing he was witnessing history in the making, he was helpless as he observed the country slide first into chaos, then into its grave—the victim of looting, war, and corruption. It was only after he immigrated to the United States that he realized the depth of the destruction that had occurred and began nurturing a strong desire to return to his native country to search for a cure for the disease from which Congo suffers. In his compelling travel narrative, Yenyi details his return trips to Congo, his subsequent charitable work, and the heartbreaking stories of the country’s victims of war. While providing the voiceless a chance to speak through him, Yenyi reveals the humanitarian challenges of Congo and combines his life experiences with journal entries—creating an introspective glimpse into a world where child soldiers, rape victims, street children, and AIDS orphans are the realities of life. Trésor Yenyi has a dream—that the troubled land of his ancestors will find peace once again. It is with this great hope for the future of his homeland that Yenyi remembers Congo’s forgotten.

To purchase Journey to the Heart of Darkness click here -----------> Buy Book!