Making tamales at Christmas time is a Costa Rican tradition. The first year we were in costa Rica for Christmas, I had the privelege of helping the Los Guido ladies make tamales and it was a day I'll never forget. You know how women are untied when we are in the kitchen preparing and working together to make a wondeful delicios meal? There is just something wonderful about it. Yesterday was like that for me.
The day started about 8:30. They had some of the preliminary work done. Their method of making tamales is very different than the first way I'd seen, but that is part of the tradition- everyone has their own recipe and own way of doing it, so no two versions are ever the same. The ladies had prepared the banana leaves, prepared and cooked the meat; shucked, cleaned and cooked the corn; cooked the potatoes, carrots and rice. So, we began by grinding the corn into a fine masa and then mixing it with spices, Lizano salsa, the lard, and mixing, mixing, mixing!
This was the first year they had made tamales together. The family tradition had been for the grandmother to make them or they made them at her house. The family had never made them at this house before. I had asked them at the beginning of the month what their Christmas traditions were, did they make tamales, etc. they said they usually didn't but this year they were going to and they invited me to help! Yesterday I found out that they actually decided to make them so I could learn! :)
Isabelle and Audrey helped with the mixing and Matt and Ethan helped with the grinding of the corn. Once the mixing of the masa was complete, we began the process of assembling them.
You start with damp banana leaves laid out on the table and a small ball of masa. You form the ball then press it into the leaves, forming a circle and pressing it to the desired thickness. Then you place a mound of rice, a piece of meat in the center, two potatoes, a carrot and a red pepper. (What goes inside varies depending on the tastes of the family. Sometimes people put tomatoes, olives, or use chicken instead of pork.)
After you assembly the tamal, you fold the banana leaves, opposite corner to opposite corner. Then create a seal down the center and fold down the leaves several times. then fold the ends down after sealing them as well. Then you take two tamales and place them seams together. then you tie them tight with string or nylon chord.
Then they are cooked in an open fire pit, time varies. Since all the ingredients were cooked ahead of time, the tamales only needed about an hour or so to cook. the last time i made them, they took several hours because everything was raw. So, it just depends on your preference. we made about 120 tamales!
They gave me the first one to try- it was so delicious!
The day was really such a blessing to me. Although no one in the family is a Christian (they all profess to be Catholic, but don't attend mass), they model love and grace. I commented to them how rare it is to see a family like them. the mother is the wife of our landlord. her name is Elvita. The daughter is Anna and she lives with her parents. The son is Ronny, and he and his wife, Dinora, live behind us with their two boys, Luis Alberto and Luis Angel. Elvita, Anna and Dinora are always together and I at first thought that Dinora was a daughter because she and Elvita do almost everything together. It is rare to see such love between a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law in this culture. It is also rare for a family to let in another family to their circle like they have done with us. Most families are really big and get together often, but just with family. Usually they stick close and play only with each other. It is very different here. Much more open to interacting with others. the neighborhood kids all play with each other, regardless if they are family or not.
Dinora has begun sharing things about her life with me. A few weeks ago, we were invited to their son's birthday party (I still need to post pictures from that day!). She shared with me that day that her husband drinks alot, they've been together for 12 years, but never have married. She desires to get married in the Catholic church as an offering to the virgen of Guadelupe in hopes that in return the virgen would cure Ronny of his drinking. She told me she was "really devoted' to the virgen. When I asked what that meant, she said she has a lot of faith in her.
Yesterday, about mid-day, she said she wanted to ask me something, but didn't know how. So i said just ask it :) She wanted to know if I or Matt knew of anyone who might be able to help Ronny, give him advice, help him quit drinking.
In this culture, most people do not ask for help- they just figure out ways to do it themselves. I praised God in this moment because in two shorts months He is breaking down barriers of language, culture and differences and I truly believe He is working to bring light to this family- to free them from years of bondage and slavery to religion.
So, we had an intimate conversation about her relationship with Ronny. I committed to her to pray for them and also Matt to pray about his relationship with Ronny. But I left her with the thought that Ronny must decide to give control of his life to God. There is nothing anyone else can do to make him quit drinking. It will be through the strength of Christ that it will be done, not because of willpower or anything else. And not because she prays to a saint or a virgen or anyone else or even because someone counsels him.
Building trust, day by day, I seek to be Christ to her. I'd love to be have the privelege of discipling each of these women, if God would so allow. I ask him for this honor and I continue to share about Him with these ladies every chance I get.
Last Sunday, Elvita and Dinora came to church with us- which was an answered prayer! They really enjoyed it and told me they wanted to come back. Yesterday, our kids had two friends over to play and when their dad came to pick them up, he came around to find me at Elvita's house. The tamales had just gotten done and so they offered him one. He sat down and began sharing with them. His name is Victor and he is part of the church. He remembered them being there Sunday and asked them if they were coming back this Sunday. they said Yes! I was so thankful for that moment as well and his thoughtfulness to ask them and for the connection to be made over coffee and tamales.
Would you consider praying for Elvita, Dinora and Anna; for Ronny and Alvaro, our landlord. Would you pray for Ethan's friend, Luis Alberto and his little brother LuisAngel? Would you join us in praying for their eternal salvation? Would you pray as we continue to love them and share our lives with them, that they would see Christ's reflection in us and that the gospel would become real to them?
No comments:
Post a Comment