Blog

Explore My News,
Thoughts & Inspiration

My FIRST Thanksgiving!

…In Africa!  Also, my first Thanksgiving where I have made the entire meal (and from scratch!)

Well, since I’m not home, I decided to host my team that I work with for Thanksgiving.    Unfortunately, a lot of them have been feeling ill so they couldn’t attend—but I covered one family with take away.

I didn’t run my 5k today, but I did walk about 1.5 miles.  I won’t be doing black Friday—instead I’ll be loving on some guys in Gahanga.  What everyone doesn’t know is….this is my first Thanksgiving where I’ve cooked literally everything!  Normally I help my mom with this or that…and I used to go to my Grandma’s the night before to help…but I did it all yesterday!  

We had: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, baked corn, green beans, deviled eggs, and pumpkin pie!!  YUM!  We had it at Alain’s house so I’ve been at his house cooking most of the day.  His watch guard/house help has been watching me most of the morning with a lot of interest.  He’s also been a huge help—he scrubbed the potatoes, saved the day when the kitchen sink broke and flooded the kitchen, and helped wash dishes.  I speak English.  He speaks Kinyarwanda.  I used my google translate app a little to communicate.  But we connected most when I started playing Kinyarwanda music and let him look through the pictures on my phone.

I learned something very new about myself this year.  Basically having a place to call my “own”, I’ve had the opportunity to have the house be like my house….and I like to host a lot.  Even when Ash was here, we tried to host game nights at least once a month.  There is just something beautiful about having your house filled with people, serving them, and loving on them in a different way.  I also just like the culture here—they could drop in at any time.  And I like that.  I like having a place where the door is always open.  

From our house to yours…Happy Thanksgiving and remember all the things you have to be thankful for!

 

Personally, I’m thankful for my beautiful family at home and for friends literally around the world.  I’m thankful for a body that can function–a mind to think, legs to walk, hands to reach out…  I’m thankful for hard moments.  I’m thankful for joyful moments.  I’m thankful that I could celebrate a holiday even when I wasn’t at home.  I’m thankful for creative ideas— pallets for a table when this newly, unfurnished home still hadn’t received the table yet.  I’m thankful for flexibility.  Most of all, I’m thankful for a Savior who loves you and me.  Who died so that we can be saved.  Who gives us the promise of a better tomorrow.  Be thankful for all the things you have–big and small! 

8 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing these moments which are now memories! Looked like a great Thanksgiving! You are such a sweet host and servant…. blessings!

  2. Wow! You are doing such a magnificent job ministering to those people over there. You and them will probably never forget this first Thanksgiving. Wish you could have been here to celebrate with us but I think you are right where God wants you at this time in your life.
    God Bless

  3. Oh, forget to tell you Todd and I are taking the camper to Sullivan County today for deer season.

  4. Wonderful job, particularly without recipes and specific ingredients and spices that are readily available at Saylor’s. May the spirit of the “American” Thanksgiving give your friends a sense of American hospitality.

  5. Thanks Uncle Bob. I wish I was with all of you too–but I’m looking forward to a night of games sometime when I return. Love you! Hope you shoot something nice 🙂

  6. Thankfully mom sent me some recipes and the internet is always good! of course there had to be some modifications–but I think it turned out well. 🙂

Comments are closed.