Compared to previous times the trip back to Soddo wasn’t stressful.  I took my luggage to the hotel and out of curiosity I went straight away to see the new children’s dining place. Organizing it went via internet from Estonia with the help of the locals. I tried speaking more simple and simple but the misunderstandings still got worse. I still can’t understand how it’s possible to understand completely differently a simple things as buying groceries and preparing food for 35 children.

During the last month I had put together a menu with the help of the catering company of the Tallinn Jewish school. We wished to make the last years menu more diverse. In my letter I emphasized many times the cleanliness. I was thinking about how to organize the work in the kitchen and regulate the price. I took with me different utilities from Estonia to make the cooks work more efficient and fast.

When I got here I was ashamed of my thoughts. I had thought that it works well only if you do it as we do it in Europe. I had forgotten that simplicity can create best options here.

The dining room with light yellow walls was clean. There were simple wooden benches for sitting. The woman, who was working for the first time in her life was giving her best to make good food.

You could see such gratefulness in the faces of the children that I had never seen. Today’s lunch was cabbage stew with the local enjera. I also spent an hour in the kitchen. The vegetable stew is made of oil, carrots, cabbage, potatoes,onions, ginger and garlic and it took 2 hours on the charcoal to prepare it. The pots are new and clean.

In my doubtful thoughts I had forgotten who is the one who really takes care of those children!

Every day I can feel more and more how I am taking part of their gratefulness to God!

MERLE

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