B**mese Outreach - Baking (by Carol S.)

OUTREACH:   BAKING (by Carol S.)

When I purchased the cake decorating supplies that were requested by the Thailand missionaries, I had no idea that I would become the go-to expert on cake decorating and what that role would mean.

On the first Monday there, several of us (Donna, Paul, Yvonne and myself) volunteered to go to Chon Buri to work with the B**mese church plant by inviting them to come and learn how to bake and decorate cupcakes, provide a little ESL and then present the Word of God.  Our first stop was at Hope Centre to pick up the tools, supplies and a portable oven. 

The meeting room turned out to be a small room on the second floor of a building just off the main street in the community.  I remember the blue tiled floor, a bathroom in the corner and a small patio.  There was no furniture, no chairs, no tables, so we set up our baking supplies in the middle of the floor and our oven was set up on the patio to try to keep the room a little cooler.  As if that would really help!  It was too hot to measure.

Next, we spent some time with Louise and Pastor Isaiah walking up and down the lanes to invite the B**mese to bake cupcakes.  Yvonne and I focused on handing out candy and stickers to the children.  It was the only communication skill we had, but it was well received and fun.  It was an eye opener to us to be wandering through the streets of hard working yet impoverished people.  

"Ajaan" (Pastor) Isaiah

Ajaan Isaiah, Carol, and Paul in the neighbourhood

Back at the meeting room, the first young woman arrived.  It seems that baking cake is a novelty in Thailand and soon 3 more young women arrived.  Paul and Donna did a great job leading them through the mixing of the cake batter, although we had one little hiccup when the eggs wouldn’t crack open.  Instead of purchasing fresh eggs, we had purchased “salt eggs” which look similar to a soft boiled egg.  Well, we are “farang” (foreigners) who didn’t know any better, but it brought a lot of laughter to the room.

Kiersten, from the TREK team helps out

Once the cupcakes were cooled, I helped the girls with the decorating and this was a lot of fun.  However, note to self, do not use margarine for the icing (it was all we could find at the store).  It was very soft because of the heat and didn't keep its shape well, but the young ladies didn't mind and they neatly packed up their treasures to take home and show to their families.

Proudly displaying their finished products!

The evening continued with singing, preaching and praying.  A young B**mese Christian disciple, Sue, poured her heart and soul into preaching to the visitors.  I didn’t understand a word, but it sounded like dynamite stuff and it touched the hearts of the young women.  They returned to the B**mese church on Tuesday and one of them gave her heart to God.