But back to these pies! I'll tell you what, I feel like an expert in baking apple pies after the 31 we baked on Saturday. (We ended up making an extra; 32 if you count my tester, whose crust melted away like a Dalì clock.) Friday afternoon I went shopping for supplies. Now, mind you, we did not roll out dough for 32 pies. Rolling out any kind of dough is one of my least favorite cooking tasks, right alongside peeling potatoes. One time in Haiti, my team was commissioned to prepare 80 pounds of potatoes for a New Years Eve event feeding roughly 900 people. After finishing with a hand sore and rubbed raw and bleeding (go ahead and say it, "poor baby";-)) I swore I would never again complain about peeling potatoes. Ah, but alas, here I am. How quickly we forget our light and momentary troubles.
I wasn't rolling out 32 pie crusts though. I purchased the pre-made, pre-rolled, take it out and crimp the edges kind. And I cleared Hyvee out of pie crusts! 32 doesn't sound like much until you've got them stacked on the bottom rack of your cart, and your taking you turns ever so carefully and then, oh no!!! 20 of them hit the floor and you're quietly and quickly re-stacking them, hoping no one is paying attention, because, let's be honest, you're the person who's got pie crusts stacked to the ceiling and you feel a little sheepish about it. Even going through the check-out is a little awkward, "You've got how many?" In all seriousness, our local grocer was very gracious about me buying out their stock. One girl even ran to the back to get me more (there were only 27 on the shelf.)
So 32 crusts, 28 pounds of sugar, and a bottle of cinnamon later, I was on my way. We formed an assembly line. Tiffany unrolled the crusts and pressed them into the pans. Ron mixed the ingredients and filled the pies. Chad put the tops on and sealed the crust...uh, oh. Turns out Chad's baking skills are not as honed as his technological prowess. Switch Tiffany (who sculpts for fun) and Chad. Turner sprinkles sugar and cuts air vents. We were a well oiled machine and before you know it, there were 31, including a gluten free one I made from scratch in the time it took to make most of the other pies (it was my first ever. Maybe that's what God meant by the 'equipping of the saints'...)
Adventures never happen alone and it's good to see that this one will be with people who are humble and like-minded in their desire to serve God with the gifts they've been given.
Baking with this team was a pleasure because what I began to see form is a group of people learning to work together, which, I think, is important for our trip. Working in a unified manner requires understanding each of our strengths. I really liked how Chad realized his daughter, Tiffany, would be more successful at forming the top crusts because of her talent in sculpting. And kudos to him for says, "nope, not my gift!" and allowing someone else to move in to complete the task. In organizing this fundraiser, I was also impressed with how Ron stepped right up to take orders for the pies, sitting at the table after church, making order forms...I didn't even have to fill out the deposit form for the payments ('Cause Chad is the treasurer anyway.) Turner jumped right in there lending a hand whenever and whatever I asked- he truly has a servant's heart. And Kyle? Well, he was at home juggling a baby, a toddler and apple pies baking in our oven. Not a complaint from anyone! Adventures never happen alone and it's good to see that this one will be with people who are humble and like-minded in their desire to serve God with the gifts they've been given. Reminds me of a verse!
Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4,5
