The Beggars and I

Face-to-Face with Begging. South Africa. Guatemala. Thailand.

How should we respond to the beggars?
when they become aggressive?
they are relentless?
they make threats?
when you've seen where they come from
and know they have better opportunities than this?

South Africa especially shook me.
One Beggar in particular, approached us three times.

(Guidebooks, tourguides and locals advise against giving change to beggars. They DO have other options, They DO deserve greater dignity than living the life of a beggar.)

We ignored. We walked on. We gave Pringles.

He followed. He moaned.

He claimed he needed bread for his baby.

He threatened...crime...using his knife on us.

A flood of thoughts: he must be addicted to something, no beggar is this persistant...

A day later,

A group of Beggars

sleeping on the sidewalk

waking for the day.

Gave them a few

cookies.

They sang their

gratitude.

How should we respond to the beggars?

How do you respond?

Food Secrets: Guatemala

I LOVE food...this should not come as a surprise.

Eating is a HUGE reason I love to travel.
I get to discover "food secrets".
The trick now,
is to remember and share those secrets.

So, from Antigua, Guatemala three lessons I learned that make food EXCEPTIONAL!

1. Should you ever be required to use powdered milk frequently, whether because of location or position, this will help to make the milk a little easier to swallow:
add CINNAMON.

2. Need the perfect, simple salad dressing for your lettuce leaves, avocado and large chunks of tomato? Try to work this masterpiece out:
Fresh Lemon Juice, Water (to taste), Salt and a few Onions
DELICIOUS and SO FRESH!

3. The perfect tostada requires very few ingredients, work or time:

Crispy corn tostada
Topped with fresh Avocado, Cabbage (soaked in some vinegary mix which I've yet to determine) and of course a slightly spice picante to top it all off...Super-Wow!

Don't Lose It.

Don't Lose It, she said.
You have a nice structure.
You know what I mean?
You have a nice form.
It's African. You have an African shape.

Words from our township hostess.
I'm finding comfort in them.
Especially as I walk the streets of Asia.

Beauty from Ashes

If the world wasn't broken, the goodness of humanity wouldn't have a chance to shine.

The goodness of humanity is God's marking on His people, His children.

Written on a table @ Wild Spirit Lodge near Plettenberg Bay, South Africa:
"People travel to WONDER at the
height of the mountains, at the
huge waves of the sea, at the
long course of the rivers, at the
vast compass of the ocean, at the
circular motion of the stars, and yet...
They Pass by Themselves without WONDERING."
~St. Augustine

Re-Purpose.

I thought I'd just let this blog die out.
But, I didn't want to delete it. Too many favorite recipes and stories.
So now, a new purpose.

A place to share with friends what I share over a cup of tea.
Not simply the day to day happenings.
Rather. Emotions. Thoughts. Joys. Challenges.

A distance is taking shape. Literally.
The other side of the world.
But, a cuppa tea I can always have.
You, my friends, can always have.
The distance doesn't have to be so drastic.
For my relationships.

teawithmelissa.blogspot
New Purpose. Maintain relational depth. Emotional depth.
A place for ME to learn. to grow. to share.
My emotions. My experiences.
Your company. Your support.

Will you join me? For a cuppa tea?

Hello and Goodbye...

For any tea drinkers who have not yet heard:

Let's Do Tea has ceased operations as a Direct-Sales Business. That means, I no longer serve as an Independent Let's Do Tea Consultant and will not be hosting any parties or fielding orders. The Good News is, Let's Do Tea will continue to offer their fine selection of teas on www.letsdotea.com. If you, like I, have fallen in love with the product, you may simply go to their website and order all of your favorites!

As for Me:

I will continue to drink tea daily and invite people into our home to share a cup of tea and friendly conversation. I am grateful for my time with Let's Do Tea and was priveleged to meet an insane amount of lovely women and men. Fellow consultants taught me many things about tea, hospitality, leadership and running a business. Numerous customers taught me many things about tea, hospitality, friendship, and encouragement. As hard as it often is to let go of things we have loved and enjoyed, Mike and I find ourselves embracing the next stage of our life and would have gladly moved forward with Let's Do Tea but see perhaps a greater purpose in moving forward without the responsibility of running a small business. We now pour our energies into meeting with friends and family from January to June 2010 in preperation for our around the world and living abroad trip which will begin in late June or early July. Currently, our plan is to work in Laramie the month of June then catch a flight to Guatemala to meet our World Vision Sponsor Child and enjoy the sights. Then we will meet up with some dear friends in South Africa for the World Cup and hopefully some volunteer opportunities. Following South Africa, plans are less clear but get us to Bangkok, Thailand for some travel experiences and further into Asia for a year minimum of teaching. So, letting go of Let's Do Tea is, for us, a blessing and a gift as much as it was such while it was in our hands to operate.

Again, thanks to each of you for your support and encouragement! I've enjoyed knowing each of you through this business and other life avenues.

Until we meet for tea,

Melissa