Packing

I know you are wondering what we could possibly be packing since we already shipped all our stuff way back in October. Honestly, I am sorta wondering that myself. But, there are a few things that we didn't ship. Like, my clothes, or JMG's clothes, or any spices, because we were not allowed to ship any food items due to customs issues.

At the Missionary Training Center we go through a lot of interesting classes. Classes that teach cultural issues, a linguistic overview, theological classes. But some of the classes are just about everyday life in a tribal situation. For example, we had a class called "simple living" where we had to stay on campus for 2 weeks, order our groceries over a radio, cook everything from scratch, and turn off all our lights and power at 8 pm. In the previous post about making bread, I mentioned that it was the first time I had done this and all my fellow New Tribers were quick to question me about my simple living grade. Well, our instructor told us that it didn't have to be loaf bread, but could be cinnamon rolls, or something like that. And, I mean, who would want to eat plain old loaf bread when you can eat cinnamon rolls? Especially, Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls! Seriously, if you haven't had any PW cinnamon rolls, go make some right now! So, there is your answer all my NTM friends. I DID NOT CHEAT AT SIMPLE LIVING!!!

Anyway, during this class all the ladies got the option of meeting with some of the staff ladies to get their advice on cooking, canning, mending, etc. on the field while the guys were in classes like plumbing, and small engine repair. I thought this was a really good idea, because if anyone expected me to do any plumbing then we would be doing our business where a bear does his, if you get what I mean. And, to have me in the "small engine repair" class would require changing the name to "small engine breaking it worse than it already was" class. So, I spent most of my time with the ladies learning from their collective years of wisdom. Each of the missionary wives had been in different countries doing different things at different times and each one had this one suggestion in common. Ranch Dressing. I was told by everyone to bring as many of the dry ranch dressing packets as I could and to always have people send some over when they ship us packages. Apparently, ranch dressing makes everything disgusting edible and rights all wrongs in the world. So. I bought ranch dressing. And, I would like to apologize to anyone who went to the Wal- Mart in Richland, Mississippi last Monday wanting to buy ranch dressing packets, because I cleaned them out. That is 54 packages times two in each package equals 108. I wonder how long that will last me? Any guesses? A week? A month? Six months? That would be a fun little poll...

Anyway, so I have a suitcase full of ranch dressing packets, and other spices, and I also have a suitcase full of Disney Princesses. People keep asking me what I am going to do with three girls in the jungle, and the answer is...same dang thing I do with them here. Have princesses- will travel. So there you go. We are packed. Even my wonderful husband is packed, who let's just get honest, no one expected to be packed until the day we left.

Although...if I had one wish...I would wish for more wishes, obviously, but after getting more wishes, the first one I would make would be that I could pack all my friends and family in those suitcases as well. But I guess I would have to pay some serious $$$ for the overage in weight. Not that I am calling you all fat. Its just...you know...there's a lot of you. Sigh. Oh well, I guess that is the difficult part of being a missionary. Well, one of them anyway. Sweating your you-know-what off day in and day out with no air conditioning is up there too. Sorry, I hadn't mentioned air conditioning in a while and I just thought you might have forgotten how I feel about it. Smiley face.