Bon aksyon de gras (Happy Thanksgiving)

Happy Thanksgiving (a couple days late) from Haiti!!!

Our Thanksgiving was not typical by any means. Our plans changed multiple times, I've been missing my family, and we didn't enjoy the normal traditions surrounding the holiday.  However, our day was still filled with multiple reasons to be thankful and we are learning to thank God even when things don't go as planned.

On Thursday, Emily and I were feeling pretty down and homesick.  We decided to take a trip to the Apparent Project and do some Christmas shopping to help get us out of that funk.  It was SO nice to get out of the house and do something "normal" for once.  Our days rarely go as planned here, so it was no surprise that Thanksgiving also had its up and down moments.  We enjoyed the rest of our evening with a pieced together meal of:  BBQ chicken, homemade mac'n'cheese, peas, and sweet potatoes.  We also finished the meal out with a nice helping of Grandma Great's Ranger cookie dough recipe followed by a movie.  While the day did not fit into our "American Thanksgiving", we made the best of it and actually really enjoyed the night!

Mine and Emily's Thanksgiving festivities!

Friday, we were able to spend the afternoon at the Hambrick's where we enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast and fellowship.  It was SO nice to see some friends and feel like part of a family.  We were definitely needing that little pick me up.  I cannot thank them enough for including us in their Thanksgiving plans.  Getting together with friends and taking time to relax and regroup makes such a difference here! It was definitely a needed time for all of us. We unfortunately picked up the stomach bug they had just gotten over, but that's another story for another day.

Thanksgiving table at the Hambrick's - fully equipped with personalized name tags!

The spread!

I also got to Skype with both sides of my family, which was quite the treat.  I miss them all so much, but for a moment it felt like I was back home!

So, in true Thanksgiving style here are the things I am most thankful for this season:

1. My Family - their love and support is what gets me through each day. I can't imagine being on the mission field without my family behind me.  Their support means the world to me.  God truly blessed us all when he created our family!

2. My Friends - both here and in the States.  I am so thankful that the Lord provided me with good friends.  I can't imagine what life here would be like without the Hambrick's and Emily.  I'm so thankful the Lord planned every aspect of this journey even down to those small details! I'm also so thankful for all of my friends back home who write, call, and check-in with me regularly.  I love and miss you all!

3. For power! - I cannot put into words how much having power impacts my day for the better here.  It is a true true blessing and one I am very thankful for!

4. For technology- and it's ability to keep me connected with friends and family back home.  It meant the world being able to talk face to face with everyone this week.  There is nothing like getting a call from a friend or seeing a smiling face on the other side of the computer smiling back at you. I really needed that this week and am so thankful we have access to the technology that provides these services.

5. For peace of mind. - things are not always easy on the mission field, and there are days filled with self doubt, but I am so thankful that the Lord continues to give me peace about being here.  When those hard days arise, it is His peace and joy that push me through! That is something I never want to take for granted.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and survived the Black Friday madness.  We love you all.

Bon aksyon de gras! (Happy Thanksgiving!)