COOKOUT Kenyan Style

We are part of a neighborhood Bible study that meets every Wednesday night. Besides studying the Bible, our group prays for each other throughout the week, sponsors a couple of orphans in school, and visits those in need in the community throughout the year. We also decided to have occasional times of fellowship and fun. Here are some pictures of our recent cookout - Kenyan style - that was held in our back yard.

There were many similarities to American-style cookouts: families bring different dishes to share, people sit around while the meat cooks, and kids enjoy playing games in the back yard. Some of the foods are familiar - baked beans, potatoes, cole slaw, chicken, and grilled sausages. However, here are where the differences begin.

The main meat of the day was grilled goat. One of the members purchased the goat which was already skinned and cut up. We moved our grill to the back yard and about 5 men showed up early to grill it, which is the about the only food that men will cook. While each one had an opinion on how to do it, one of them took charge, and it turned out to be the most tender goat we have ever eaten here.

The women arrived later with the other dishes - chapatis (like tortillas), bhagias (batter-dipped sliced potatoes), ugali (stiff cornmeal mush), and pilau (rice with spices). After prayer, everyone seemed to know what to do, and the plates quickly filled up for the 27 people who were there. There was even enough for second helpings, including more goat meat. The dessert was fresh fruit, coffee, and chai (hot tea made with milk).

A couple of months earlier, the group had heard about a book called "The Five Love Languages", and were interested in studying it. Rather than study it on Wednesday nights, they decided that I would lead a discussion based on the book during the cook-out. Many had read the book ahead, and most had taken the test and knew their top two love languages. It was so fun to learn each others' primary and secondary love languages, and discuss how to apply this knowledge to their marriages, families, friends and in the workplace.




For those who know the book, my primary language is "Acts of Service" and secondary is "Words of Affirmation". Jim's languages are "Physical Touch" and "Receiving Gifts". We are opposite in the ways we prefer to receive love, which means we both have to work harder as we choose to show love to each other.





The cookout ended with prayer for each other and pictures of the group. The Lord held off the rain until we were finished, and everyone left happy to have eaten well and learned more about each other.