Georgian Experience...
Hey Everyone…sorry this entry is a bit long! Hope you enjoy it!
Last June, I made friends with a Georgian Lady named Nana at a Women’s Retreat. She was really great helping me try to speak the little Georgian I knew at this point. I don’t know if you’ll remember from our newsletter – but she was the woman who I told I wanted 8 children : ) Well, ever since that retreat, whenever I see her it is a joyous reunion. We are both so happy to see each other even if it is just 5 minutes at church.
She invited us her to home last week for a Georgian Table (meal) because one of the sisters from the church had returned from Greece. She asked if I could say maybe just two words while we were there – something that was on my heart.
So Megan and I went…Juan stayed home to go to our Georgian lesson and be with Ayanna since she is not feeling well. What should have taken 15 minutes to get there took us about an hour. I think the problem was that Nana didn’t really know how to tell us to get to her home. You see, most people only use the public transportation – they don’t need to know the roads that lead them home….they just need to know the minibus number.
But after turning around many times and several phone calls, we made it. Upon entering the home we first saw the kitchen which was filled with several older Georgian ladies making khachapuri – the Georgian cheese bread. We then went into what I think is originally the bedroom where they had two very long tables and one smaller table set up prepared for a Georgian Table. There was enough seating for probably a little over 30 people. And there was enough food for more than that!
We sat down and had some introduction time. One woman there had recently lost her young adult daughter. So she was dressed all in black and had her daughter’s picture on a pin on her sweater. My friend Dolly, who went to interpret for me said she may wear black the rest of her life…and she is a believer. There were several other women there and one young man playing the guitar. As they were waiting for more guests to arrive they just sang out in song – singing old Georgian hymns, harmonizing their voices together. It was really beautiful.
It was time to eat and there was quite a spread of food! All types of salad (potato salad, spinach salad, beet salad), chicken, pork, bread, corn bread biscuits, greens (cilantro, tarragon, parsley just on the table for eating), cheese and olives. Then they brought out the hot khachapuri which was wonderful and then something like beef stew. I had just learned how to make this beef stew the night before from my babysitter : )
When people were almost done eating, one man who was a guest from Canada got up to speak. He lives in Ukraine and speaks Russian, but since Dolly was there he spoke in English and she interpreted. Then they sang more songs as people finished eating. After that I got up to share for a few minutes and then they served dessert. Some of the Georgian cakes are really delicious!! I had also taken some chocolate cake which they served and there was much discussion about which was mine… : ) but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. So after a few more songs Megan shared for a few minutes also.
The whole evening was really interesting for us to experience because we never see things like this in America. At a celebration dinner, 5 people spoke and gave words of encouragement/testimony and many songs were song. It truly was a wonderful time of fellowship. We are having so much fun learning about the Georgian Culture.
Last June, I made friends with a Georgian Lady named Nana at a Women’s Retreat. She was really great helping me try to speak the little Georgian I knew at this point. I don’t know if you’ll remember from our newsletter – but she was the woman who I told I wanted 8 children : ) Well, ever since that retreat, whenever I see her it is a joyous reunion. We are both so happy to see each other even if it is just 5 minutes at church.
She invited us her to home last week for a Georgian Table (meal) because one of the sisters from the church had returned from Greece. She asked if I could say maybe just two words while we were there – something that was on my heart.
So Megan and I went…Juan stayed home to go to our Georgian lesson and be with Ayanna since she is not feeling well. What should have taken 15 minutes to get there took us about an hour. I think the problem was that Nana didn’t really know how to tell us to get to her home. You see, most people only use the public transportation – they don’t need to know the roads that lead them home….they just need to know the minibus number.
But after turning around many times and several phone calls, we made it. Upon entering the home we first saw the kitchen which was filled with several older Georgian ladies making khachapuri – the Georgian cheese bread. We then went into what I think is originally the bedroom where they had two very long tables and one smaller table set up prepared for a Georgian Table. There was enough seating for probably a little over 30 people. And there was enough food for more than that!
We sat down and had some introduction time. One woman there had recently lost her young adult daughter. So she was dressed all in black and had her daughter’s picture on a pin on her sweater. My friend Dolly, who went to interpret for me said she may wear black the rest of her life…and she is a believer. There were several other women there and one young man playing the guitar. As they were waiting for more guests to arrive they just sang out in song – singing old Georgian hymns, harmonizing their voices together. It was really beautiful.
It was time to eat and there was quite a spread of food! All types of salad (potato salad, spinach salad, beet salad), chicken, pork, bread, corn bread biscuits, greens (cilantro, tarragon, parsley just on the table for eating), cheese and olives. Then they brought out the hot khachapuri which was wonderful and then something like beef stew. I had just learned how to make this beef stew the night before from my babysitter : )
When people were almost done eating, one man who was a guest from Canada got up to speak. He lives in Ukraine and speaks Russian, but since Dolly was there he spoke in English and she interpreted. Then they sang more songs as people finished eating. After that I got up to share for a few minutes and then they served dessert. Some of the Georgian cakes are really delicious!! I had also taken some chocolate cake which they served and there was much discussion about which was mine… : ) but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. So after a few more songs Megan shared for a few minutes also.
The whole evening was really interesting for us to experience because we never see things like this in America. At a celebration dinner, 5 people spoke and gave words of encouragement/testimony and many songs were song. It truly was a wonderful time of fellowship. We are having so much fun learning about the Georgian Culture.
posted by Juan, Shirley, Ayanna and Ellah at
8:36 AM
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