World Vision Trip

Sri Lanka Sunday: Spice

28 Comments

Cinnamon-other

Did you know you have a little bit of Sri Lanka in your kitchen? Cinnamon trees are only native to the island of Sri Lanka and every cinnamon tree in the world is a descendant of one there! Go ahead, open up that spice canister and take a whiff. A few hundred years ago that spice was so rare it was considered and appropriate gift for royalty.

These days cinnamon is so common that we barely even think about it as we sprinkle it our oatmeal or lavish it on our baked goods. But for the next week or so I’d like you to do something for me: whenever you smell cinnamon think of Sri Lanka and if you pray, say a prayer for the kids there waiting for someone to change their lives through sponsorship.

It’s less than two weeks now until we head out! I can’t wait to get there and start sharing the stories of Sri Lanka with you all.

28 thoughts on “Sri Lanka Sunday: Spice”

    1. Darrell, thanks for the facts from Sri Lanka and updates of your upcoming trip. I am praying for you as you use this to remind us that while sharing Christ is important, so is acting like Christ.

      Recently at FundyLight (intended) Baptist, in answer to a comment about “preaching is our job”, that Christ once healed 10 lepers, and shared with the one who returned. The others were still healed. That we can just give a cup of water, and still be obedient.

      I don’t know if this fits here, but thanks for starting SFL. It has been quite cathartic.

  3. I knew that because my kids love the book “How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World,” lol.

    1. I just looked the book up. I wish I had known about it years ago. It’s the kind of book we would have bought. I guess I’ll have to buy it and save it for the grandkids we hope to have. My youngest is 18, and has moved up to more serious cookbooks.

  7. I just read an article saying eating a lot of cinnamon may help prevent diabetes and reduce serum cholesterol levels.
    So thank you, Sri Lankans, for giving us cinnamon.

    By the way, the stuff on your spice rack may not be cinnamon from Sri Lanka. Much of what is sold in America as cinnmon is cassia, the bark of the Chinese cinnamon plant, Cinnamomum aromaticum. True cinnamon, also called Ceylon cinnamon (Ceylon being another name of Sri Lanka), is the bark of a related tree, Cinnamomum verum. C. verum is the one native to Sri Lanka (though it is grown in some other countries now), and is more expensive than cassia. There are other species, such as Saigon cinnamon (from Vietnam) and Indonesian cinnamon, that are seen less often here.

    Yeah, I’m a nerd. I can’t help it.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_aromaticum

    1. Just within the last two weeks I’ve been adding scads of cinnamon to my supplement regime for its benefits on blood sugar levels and assistance with type II diabetes!

    2. And for the record, it is believed that cinnamon cassia is perfectly effective as it relates to diabetes. No need to get the expensive stuff.

      1. Yes, in fact, I believe that most of the tests have been done with cassia, rather than true cinnamon.

  8. PS, I’m assuming this means we’ll get a youtube video of Darrell taking the cinnamon challenge?

  9. I’m so happy that you guys have the chance to do this. I love that the blogosphere makes it possible to call out flaws in the system (or systems that are flaws themselves, as the case may be…) and you do a good job of that, but I like that you’re also going to be able to build up a positive work with your influence.

  10. I didn’t know that about cinnamon, but then, I know even less about Sri Lanka than I do about the origins of things we take for granted. I’m glad you’re going.

    1. That last link works.
      I don’t know what that was all about, but it was certainly strange. 😯

      1. Strange indeed. Hyles, Schaap, and Co. make the PTL Club and TBN look like Saints.

  16. Thanks for you info Darrell. I’m praying for your trip. World Vision is a good ministry.

  18. I didn’t know cinnamon is exclusive to Sri Lanka!! Thank you Sri Lankans!!
    Praying this trip is a a blessing for you, the other travelers and the people of Sri Lanka!!

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