By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Saturday, February 14, 2008

Twelve days before Christmas Eve, on the night of Dec 12, 2008, the Oakland International Fellowship (OIF) had a cook-off competition between three of their Bible study cell groups: Adoye, Living Acts, and Potters Clay to see who would cook the best Southeast Asian food as part of its orientation to involve itself in the MERCY MINISTRY to predominantly Burmese refugees living in the Green Tree Borough southwest of Pittsburgh.

The orientation was organized and put together with the assistance of Amy King from Adoye, Marie Chan from Living Acts, and Elizabeth Wohlers from Potters Clay with the help of their cell group members.
           
AMY KING                    MARIE CHAN         ELIZABETH WOHLERS

Many participants from the Bible study cell groups took part in the full-course meal and desserts that were provided as part of the cook-off competition.

 

Image Slideshow Delicious Desserts & Drinks Delicious Dessert & Drinks II Liz, Dorothy, and Edwin preview the cook-off competition!!! Adoye, Living Acts, and Potters Clay members line up for dinner. Calvin speaks to a member of Calvary Church Liz, Elise, and Yohko attend to Chloe. Elise with Chloe in a kangaroo posture Pastor Ed, Edwin, and Bryan Marie starts off the MERCY MINISTRY ORIENTATION Adoye Cell Group Members have fellowship at the table Potters Clay Members have fellowship with Adoye member Adoye Group Members have fellowship while Bryan chats with Jaron Desserts look scrumptious Cookoff Competition meals look very savoring! Cookoff Competition meals look very savoring II Cookoff Competition meals look very savoring III Cookoff Competition meals look very savoring IV Rice and the Thai Chix Curry from Living Acts Bryan, Steve, Jason, Pastor Ed, Calvary members, and Calvin Calvin, an Adoye member interacts with Potters Clay members David has a table conversation as his food starts to cool Potters Clay members have fun & fellowship time with Adoye members Adoye members have fun & fellowship at their table II A refugee member eats her dinner Living Acts member Bryan serves himself what would become the winning dish Adoye members have fun & fellowship at their table III Participants gather in line for dinner as San Kyi, a refugee and competition judge watches Liz and Lydia choose quickly over others San Kyi stands to judge the dinner dishes for the competition Adoye cell group leader Matt and OIF core team member Edwin get their food Edwin, Pastor Ed, and Antoinette analyze Edwins bowl of food OIF flags display diversity of the participants Adoye members Elise, Calvin, and Jaron get their food in the left line Marie, an OIF Mercy Ministry organizer is about to get her dinner Living Acts member Steve waves to the crowd Ratikorn and Yenty get rice Adoye member Leon waits for Living Acts members Steve and Marie to get their food The dinner line becomes crowded on both sides Adoye members Tony, Leon, Ratikorn, and Yenty get their food Adoye members Tony, Leon, Ratikorn, and Yenty get their food II Marie and Elizabeth, two of the organizers get their food Marie and Elizabeth, two of the organizers get their food II Living Acts member Edwin is about to eat his food Living Acts members Kristen and Josh get their food Living Acts members Pastor Ed and Edwin get their food Living Acts members Kristen and Josh at their table Adoye member Leon and Matt, their group leader get their food San Kyi taste tests the food Living Acts members Bryan and Lydia get their food Calvin and Elise have fellowship with Potters Clay members Pastor Ed listens to Denny, a visitor to the MERCY MINISTRY orientation Adoye members Meen, Tony, and Yenty have fellowship dinner Adoye members Meen, Tony, and Yenty have fellowship dinner II Mercy Ministry organizers Amy, Elizabeth, and Marie eat their dinner Josh plays with Living Acts members Steve & Zelas baby Living Acts members Jason, John, Steve, and Lydia have a meal together Living Acts members Steve, Zela, Josh, Lydia, Jason, and baby John have meal together Participants have table fellowship Participants have fellowship dinner together Adoye member Jaron and Living Acts member Edwin get their food Edwin talks about the dessert with a Calvary church member Living Acts member Edwin serves Living Acts member Steve while Jason watches Jason smiles for the camera Jason stands in front of the scrumptious food Adoye member Jaron seems to be freezing Living Acts wins the cook-off competition for its Chix Thai Curry Dish Living Acts winning certificate and Bible verses artwork prizes

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They later listened to how and why they should involve themselves in MERCY MINISTRY.

The cook-out competition was judged by San Kyi, a refugee and former restaurant owner who left his country as a political refugee. San Kyi’s story can be found online at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08139/882833-82.stm