I went over to a friend's house tonight to play games and some how we began talking about her stove. Since I do not have a picture of how terribly old and run down it is, I will do my best to describe it to you. Unlike our gas stove that lights when the flame hits the gas and is small and fairly new, hers take many steps to work properly. It is big and wide and in great need of repairs...or better yet, replaced. I will explain it to you in steps as she did so nicely. I told her, "I wish I had a video recording of these steps because then maybe someone would feel sorry for you and buy you a newer stove". Here goes:
1. First of all, the knobs are so old that they disintegrate so she bought some new knobs, which apparently do not fit. However, she still keeps them in a peanut jar beside the stove. When she wants to turn it on she has to place a smaller piece of the dial, add the new knob but it's not calibrated correctly so you have to line up the off mark on the knob to the on mark on the stove.
2. To turn the oven on she has to turn the knob to select the temperature but she can not be sure that is the actual temperature she will get.
3. Then she lights the match, being careful that the head of the match does not fly off and land in her hair, on her clothes, or on the floor (Go Paradise matches). Once the match is lit she has to quickly put it at the back of the stove on some sort of "holder".
4. After the match is in place and the temperature is set, she pulls a lever that is inside the stove. This allows the gas to come out.
5. Finally, and let me just say I had to laugh when she said this, she puts her head in the oven and she blows in order for the lit match to ignite the gas.
6. And let me add, if for some reason your match does not stay lit or your gas tank runs out repeat steps 1-5.
I feel sorry for my friend that this, unfortunately, has become normal to her. She was telling us this story with a straight face and we were all thinking, when do you say, "I am not putting up with more. I need a new stove.”
It seems as though the longer you are a missionary, the more you put up with that should really be changed. Sometimes we just need to tell someone in order to see how ridiculous something really is.
To my friend, I hope someone will see this as a problem that is dire need of change and help you out. If not, feel free to bake things at my house!
