Grenada Got Game

Rob has been enjoying the people and the food of Grenada. I'm including an internet-swiped photo of chicken and plantains, as I imagine Rob might have been served, since he didn't send any photos. Here are his notes from today: "Haha. Another HOT day in the Caribbean, that's for sure! P-Day is going great, got to catch up on some needed sleep and am ready to tackle the week yet again. Sunday was GREAT. We got a less active member to church who is going to be a power house in this group. It was really cool, he hasn't come since I've been here or for awhile before that, I guess. But apparently he used to be a very strong member. He also brought his girlfriend (now fiance) who got up and bore her testimony. I asked him if we could teach her at some point and he was on board! Pretty cool. I could see her getting baptized very soon! As far as disappointment goes, yeah, it's hard, but you know, you get used to it. When it happens I usually just think, "Why didn't they come?" and "What can we do to eliminate the problem?" Most of the time it's because they feel nervous, 'cause they won't know anyone. So the solution is either set up an activity or bring a member out with us. One thing that really stood out to me at conference last week, seems like they really hit home on the atonement and how we WILL make mistakes, but that's the point of life is to recover and become more refined in the process. This week has been interesting. We go out teaching a lot with this member who is always super cool with us, but we occasionally let him inside our apartment for lunch and stuff. Anyway, recently out rent money for the church building we pay for went missing >.> So that has been an awkward scenario. I didn't take to TOO harshly, I mean it sucks but he'll never admit it so I'm kind of like, "Well, he can't come into the apartment anymore and we'll move on from there." Elder D. has taken it a little bit more harsh than I have though, because he was really close to the guy. But other than that, things have been good. Always stoked to hear about Dylan going out into the field. It'll be the greatest thing he's ever done, and also the hardest, but don't tell him that part. lol. Other than that lots of Bible bashing. Seventh Day Adventists seem to have come out of the woodwork this week. Always a fun time. I try to be nice to them as much as I can, but they are just so rude that I get to the point where it's like, "Okay, let's take a look in the scriptures to show you how wrong you really are." Still no success in that area, though. Doesn't seem to be too effective... but it sure makes me feel a lot better :D. We got fed a LOT of food yesterday by investigators. It's funny, 'cause it was the same exact thing for lunch and dinner from two different people. Rice and peas, chicken and plantains. lol. I love plantains, by the way. Holy crap, they are so good out here! O, also, one of our investigators taught me how to make tonya soup. They call it porridge out here and WILL correct you if you call it soup... multiple times. haha. Anyways, it's basically like this sweet potato porridge, and it's really good! We had it once before at Brother Allison's house (the guy who came out to church on Sunday). Courtney said in her email that you guys are really nice to her and that I should be grateful to have parents like you, which I sure do! It's a blessing I feel like I have taken for granted for a long time now. But thank you for always being supportive and for wanting the best for me. Not everyone has that and I appreciate everything you guys do for me! So thank you. This transfer has been one that is much more relaxed. I don't feel as much pressure from anyone, which is really nice. Still working hard, just without the added pressure, you know? I'm excited to be home though, that's for sure. Thanks again for everything. I appreciate all you guys do for me! I'm excited to see you guys for Mother's Day! Tell Baxter I miss him and I'll be home soon! I'm going to go and eat some KFC now. haha. Love you guys! Bless up."

A Google search for "tonya soup" yielded only pictures of soup made by people named Tonya. HOWEVER, a little more searching brought pictures of the tania log (root vegetable pictured) and tania log porridge (the one pictured was made with carrots instead of sweet potato). Apparently, in the Caribbean, tubular root vegetables are called Ground Provisions, and the tania root can be combined with other vegetables and flavorings to make a variety of dishes. I also found a recipe for Tania Fritters, but that is another story. If you are interested in a video demonstration of how to make tania log porridge, I invite you to search for it on YouTube, and be prepared for a true taste of Grenada. I like to think Rob's porridge was Guinness-free. Ya, mon.