October- the month of no groceries

This month we have decided to not go to the grocery store. We are eating the food that we already have and buying the rest off of the street. We are almost half way through the month, and it has proven to be a lot easier than we had thought. 

It is nice to not worry about going to the grocery store, buying unnecessary food items, and planning out extravagant meals. It is fun to be creative with the things we have and eat locally grown vegetables. 

Here are some items we regularly buy on the street: 

Mangos

Avocados

Tomatoes

Green peppers

Zucchini

Carrots

Onions

Oranges

Potatoes 

Eggs

Chicken (already cooked)
Rice

See there really are so many options! Nathaniel and Josiah have joined us in our Street Eating Adventure Challenge. It may or may not have become a friendly competition! :)  

If you have any recipe ideas, we would love to try them! 

Madame Joseph

Last year around this time we met Cassandra and Fidelca on the streets. Since then they have been enrolled in TeacHaiti and are now successfully going to school. I love spending time with the girls and the rest of their family. The Lord has blessed our friendship, and it has continued to grow. 

Remember this sweet family?! 

Last week I went down to visit Madame Joseph and her family. While I was there Madame Joseph asked me if I knew of any place where she could work. We continued to talk and my heart melted. I so badly wanted to figure out a way to help her get a job. 

I went home and talked with Amber. We put our heads together and thought of what we could hire Madame Joseph to do around our house. Amber and I already have a Haitian woman come to our house 2 days a week to clean and do our laundry, but there are 7 days in a week! 

We have decided to hire Madame Joseph to work 2 days a week around our house. She will help cook dinner, wash vegetables, and clean around the house. 

It might seem silly to hire another woman to help us. Amber and I do not need someone to clean our house. We do not need someone to wash our vegetables and make dinner. But we are so excited to provide a job for Madame Joseph! 

Madame Joseph started working for us today. She came at 7am and was ready to begin her day. This is her first time working for foreigners, so I showed her how the oven worked and where everything was in the house.  She washed, bought vegetables, cleaned, cooked, and cleaned some more. She is SUCH a hardworker! 

My prayer is that this job (as small as it may seem) will create self-worth and purpose. On a practical level, I pray that she will acquire skills that will help her find a more substantial job in the future.  What a blessing to be apart what God is doing in her life!  

I'd love your help! Would you consider helping support Madame Joseph? It would be wonderful to have someone pay her monthly salary of $50. 

If you would like to help out by supporting Madame Joseph, please send me an email at jrutz@quisqueya.org! 

Madame Joseph and her youngest daughter!