Two Instances

Two eventful instances happened to me this morning. The first was at a cafe. You see, a few years ago while I was finishing up my 3rd year of Bible school and planning my wedding, I worked at a great family-run coffee shop called "Peaberry's". Here's a little lesson for you coffee-lovers -- a peaberry is a special type of coffee bean that develops 2 beans in a single cherry. This only happens in 5% of coffee and can most likely be found in Tanzania and Kona, Hawaii (the city I'm living in right now!) While working at Peaberry's in Youngstown, Ohio, they told me that there was one other "Peaberry's" in the states... in Kona. Well, I went there today! It was so hot outside though... so I sipped on a peppermint iced tea instead of coffee! I loved this cafe mostly because it was run by Japanese women and their food menu especially reflected their culture rather than the same 'ol boring croissants and scones. Next time I'll have to pick something yummy off the menu and drink some of this rare coffee :)

View from my table while reading "Infidel" (I'm reading it as slowly as possible because it's too good to be done with!)

The second instance happened at the bookstore. I've been a real bookie these days... especially when it comes to secular/international/culture/religion pieces. I'm fascinated with understanding the way different cultures swirl themselves into their own religions and try to take on the world. I want to understand the mind of a Muslim Saudi Arabian woman or an athiest guy from Californian or Chinese children raised in Buddhist homes. I don't agree with all the things that I read, but nonetheless I'm still fascinated. I want to be a student of the world. I get so frustrated with [especially] American mindsets which can be so closed and small. People in the West can read the headlines of some news channel and suddenly they think they've got an entire country or people group or religion or hemisphere figured out! Spend time researching and understanding situations before you draw preconceived opinions of your own. I think that the pursuit of understanding individuals will make you a better citizen, better worker, better missionary, and ultimately just a lot smarter! Anyway... here a few good books I've read over the last few months...

3 Cups of Tea - The pursuit of an American man to transform Pakistan/Afghanistan through the education of girls.

Infidel - A Somali refugee who was raised Muslim and fled to Europe in order to escape an arranged marriage. She then began standing up for the rights of women in Islam and because of that, lives under the shadow of death threats simply because she chose to speak the truth.

Always Enough - Supernatural events taking place in our modern day- healings, people being raised from the dead, food multiplying, restored lives - time and time again in the most unlikely of places, rural Mozambique.

Anyway... back to my 2nd instance... I found Lonely Planet - INDIA! Samuel and I have been looking for it in Africa, Sweden and America over the last several months, but we just couldn't find it. Until today! These 1,140 pages will keep us busy for a long time and help us prepare for out first trip later this year! I need to stop accumulating books though. They don't travel well :(