Reflection of Nepal: What’s in a Meal?

On the last night in Chitwan, the team cooked up a fusion dinner of buffalo Bolognese with spaghetti and garlic bread for 50 kids and 20 adults. The meal was really appreciated (see picture) but is there more to it?

Pic 1: Kids enjoying Spaghetti Bufflognese in Chitwan

First, a meal connect people together. People usually eat with people they like or those they want to develop a closer relationship. Our Lord ate with his followers and even with people despised by society (like tax collectors). Sharing the same meal with the people here or serving them allowed us to say we eat what you eat, we respect your culture and we are your friends.

Second, we have the opportunity to connect with the land. The meal was cooked with the produce which the people grew and harvested locally (tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili and cucumbers). The recipe is from the west but the ingredients are grown locally right here.

Pic 2: Fusion Water Buffalo Bolognese Sauce with local ingredients

Third, the meal gave the team a chance to connect and work together. You heard the saying: “If you can’t stand the heat, leave the kitchen.” Many of the members don’t like the heat but at one stage it seems that everyone was in the kitchen. Also some of the kids offer to help including cutting onions which brought several members closed to tears, Love can take a lot of heat.

Pics 3: Team Connecting and Working Together

Fourth, preparing a meal help us appreciate the service of love given by others. The women in Chitwan prepare, cook and clean up three meals for 50 kids and the adults (and for visitors like us) in the very hot and darken kitchen. This is hard work day after day, year after year in one of the hottest place in Nepal. Love can take a lot of heat. It was good to see them sit down and eat a meal they did not have to cook.

Pic 4: Women cooking for us in kitchen in Bhakunde

Finally, eating a meal together allow the participants to be grateful of taking our daily bread together. All the kids and adults appreciate the food we receive. After the meal each night, the children of Chitwan gather together to sing praises, read verses and have devotion. We learned a lot from such gratefulness and devotion and sincere hearts.

Pic 5: Praises with gratefulness and singing with sincere hearts after our meal at Bhakunde

^“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” – Acts 2:46