Boliatas and Coconut Bread

July 1, 2018

My last couple of weeks here in Helene have not been without challenge.  We have been quite sick off and on this last month.  Brody with a terrible middle ear infection.  Levi with a strange reaction to the spray we use to kill the scorpions.  Zoe, Zac, Alex and myself with fevers and fatigue.  The heat and humidity has intermittently been oppressive as well.  It seems I wake up with energy and then by noon it is completely zapped.  Some days are just simply like that, but not all of them.

"Setting up a cooking date."

Despite these negative things the Lord has been gracious and oh so merciful to provide me with unique opportunities to cook with a wonderful woman in The Point.  Last Monday, June 25, around 4 p.m. I took flour, blanquita (lard), sal (salt), azucar (sugar), red beans, crema (sour cream), queso (hard white cheese),

My friend's beautiful home

and flour; to a woman's home in The Point.  This would be my first invitation to come to an islander's home and cook with her.  I traveled down the the dirt path (the road) with my supplies and when I came to her home, I noticed right away that it was a beautiful, modest home.  Peach with white trim, and there were open windows in which I could see there were many people there.  It was extremely inviting.  She greeted me with a smile and she had a very calming presence.  I could tell she was not worried about what her home looked like or what I thought about anything.   Her home was very clean, and she had some of the regular amenities that a home may have.  A couch and love seat, t.v., dining table, and her sons, son-in-laws and some neighbors were gathered in her living room area watching Futbol on the t.v.  She introduced me to the family members I hadn't met yet and was very gracious.  She immediately began to place my ingredients on her kitchen table.  She got a brand-new unused Christmas towel and her pan and it was as though she was deciding to use her best because I was the occasion for such a use.



She started mixing the ingredients and teaching me how to make Boliatas.  Her dish washing system was much different than I am used to.  It consisted of two 5 gallon buckets of water on the counter, a large round bucket that had some dishes soaking in it and another bucket for the dishes to dry in.  To wash my hands I dipped a bowel in the large 5 gallon bucket for clean water, then poured it over my hands over the bucket for dish washing.  Water is a precious resource and is not to be wasted.  I used this blue soap that you just rub a cloth on or rub your fingers across and then rub my hand with the cloth, and get a little more water to rinse with.  She did not speak much.  Her method of teaching was quiet and patient, showing more than talking about it.  We did not fill the time with chattering, but rather I watched her knead the dough and she would then instruct me to do the same.  She placed the dough in my hand and I tried to watch and do just as she did.

I did not do well, but she encouraged me and soon Zoe joined us in making the Boliatas.  I was surprised to see she had a blender that she used to blend the boiled and drained beans with.  The stove and oven were well used, a smaller apartment sized one, but still very effective.  Everything had a place and everything had a use.  There was a small deep freeze in the kitchen that also acted as more counter top space.  I burnt my fingers a few times on the pan by trying to flip the tortilla by hand just as she did.  We worked side by side and it was very enjoyable.  We made about 30 boliatas with all the beans, tortillas, cheese and crema.  I packaged them up and hugged her.  She smiled at me and said I could come back.  I told her of my interest to learn how to bake coconut bread.  She immediately set a date for my return that next Saturday morning to bake with her again.

My family enjoyed the meal I prepared for them and had at least two boliatas each.  There was a great since of honor in being able to prepare something from scratch and though it wasn't a feast, it was sufficient to meet our needs.  God is very good like that.  He provides through many means.

She came by the clinic Friday to find out if I would be joining her on Saturday June 29 still.  I had been sick throughout the week, but assured her I would return.  Saturday morning rolled around and I felt so exited to head back down the path.  Being in community is so wonderful.  I felt like an islander.  With my pan, ingredients, wearing a skirt and walking the path.  Everyone always says hello and greets each other.  If someone is there that you know, you stop and talk with them.  It felt good to go to her house again.  This time she was beneath her home doing laundry.  Her husband was home and has a small workshop for fixing bicycles.  There were people upstairs and outside and it was busy with activity and yet not hurried or chaotic.  I joined her and her daughter-in-law and just sat quietly while she did laundry.  It wasn't awkward because I didn't allow it to be awkward.  The stairs up to her house are a simple set of wooden stairs without any railing.

At one point when we were passing inside, her 7 year old grand daughter slipped off of one of the top steps.  She fell about 10ft and landed on a plastic chair.  There was such a response of compassion from both parents as they picked up their daughter and checked her entire body for injuries.  Once they were satisfied that she was okay, they all returned to their activities.  Tae Tae's shop was closed when I went by earlier and so I did not have any yeast for the bread, but she sent her grandson to Loretta's to buy the yeast for me.  We made coconut bread together and this time she talked about her family.  She asked questions about mine and I showed her pictures from back home in the States.  I learned that when she was a little girl she fell off a wharf (dock) into the sea and a tourist dove in after her to save her life.  The tourist was injured and had a large scar to mark the event and my friend has scars as well.  The tourist was from England and kept in touch with the girl's mother over the years and eventually wrote a book that included the account of saving the little girl.

I learned all about Hurricane Mitch that hit the island many years ago in 1998 and how the islanders spent 8 days up in the caves for protection.  Hurricane Mitch was responsible for over 7,000 deaths in Honduras alone and devastated the lives of many families.  Her sister had a one month old new born with her up in the caves.  My friend's first home had been demolished by the hurricane.  But they rebuilt and kept going.  The people of Helene, I am learning, weather many kinds of storms and are a very strong people.  While she finished her laundry and the bread baked, she told me about her husband and children and we spoke like friends.  I am so thankful for the time that I spent with her.  I am so thankful for the Discipleship Encounter that M.E.I. has developed because it enabled me to see beyond judgments, embarrassment, or any other uncomfortable thing that may try to separate me from the islanders.  I am learning what it means to cross into a new culture and I am learning it takes love, patience, and a lot of time.

There were two deaths on the island.  So soon I may know what it is like to experience a funeral on the island.  The customs and culture are so different and yet very much similar....it's hard to explain in words.  I love the people here.  They embrace family and friends as family.  I am so thankful for Boliatas and Coconut bread because they have helped me to learn how to step outside my comfort zone and into a beautiful new world.

~Written by Cassie Riley