Thanksgiving in TZ

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some thoughts on Thanksgiving here....

-I love that Thanksgiving still has the power to instill a feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving in my spirit all day long, even when I'm half a world away in a country that doesn't celebrate this American holiday.

-This is the first day I've ever had to work on Thanksgiving..... pretty crazy!

-It's 90+ degrees here with crazy humidity.... no chilly, Fall feelings here to ring in the day. :)

-Since I'm at an International School, there's a large population of American staff here and several American students so most students know it's "American Thanksgiving." I had my Home Room class (9th grade) this morning go around the room and tell one thing they are thankful for (though there aren't any Americans in the 9th grade class).... My favorite response: "I'm thankful that I'm black." :-) (she followed it up with "no racism there; I'm just glad that I am....") Ha, love it.

-Tonight I get to enjoy a huge and REAL Thanksgiving feast with my Young Life friends and family here at the Larmeys' house.... Complete with celery, cranberries, and a whole cooler full of other items brought by an American couple that's here for the week. The entire cooler came through Customs without a hitch.... Thank you, God! And thank you, Larmeys, for allowing me to have a "real" Thanksgiving here in Africa!! (The meal's also complete with a turkey raised by the German Boarding House here .... no easy trip to the supermarket for our turkey...)

Again, I love that today more than any other day just instills a feeling of Thanksgiving in me.... and a lasting Joy that comes from that. I'm thankful for SO much.... the many blessings I have in both America and in Africa and the MANY, many loved ones in my life. May I always remember to focus on what I'm thankful for, whether or not it's an "official holiday." (And especially so now in the 'hot season' here when power outages are becoming longer and more and more frequent!)

Happy Thanksgiving to all and Love from Africa!!

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"In EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which *transcends all understanding*, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

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(p.s. on another note, I did move houses and it is WONDERFUL!!!!! Thank you for your prayers! I have actual peace and quiet and personal space and can SLEEP now!!!! I am INCREDIBLY thankful for that!! will update more on that later...)