November 27 
I just had to take a minute and write about our fun filled weekend!
It actually began Wednesday. After home schooling we went straight into baking pumpkin pies, pecan pie, sweet potatoes, and other goodies for Thanksgiving. Half the fun is the anticipation and preparation right. It was also Betty’s (Lydia and Gracie’s friend) birthday the next day and she had never celebrated her birthday and really wanted a birthday like we celebrate. (She has been to our girls birthday parties before.) So we had Betty, Abala, and Juliet for supper. Rachel (our teammate) had baked a cake for Betty too. It was simply a blessing to see Betty so happy celebrating her birthday. We gave her a card and read it to her and her face just beamed. She felt special and loved. Earlier in the week I commented to Josh that although I am happy here sometimes I think I could do what I am doing here (mostly in the home being mom and now teacher) from Michigan just as well. He reminded me tonight after seeing Betty so happy that I can’t do that from Michigan. Sharing God’s love with the unloved is what it is all about. Happy birthday Betty, God loves you!
Then we had Thanksgiving. Our whole team plus a couple others came over to celebrate with us. I of course had fun decorating, doing all the traditions, and making it special for everyone. We ate outside seeing it is hard to fit 26 people in our house and it we are in Africa and you can have Thanksgiving outside – you may sweat but oh well. It was great. We were all full to say the least. In the afternoon we played games and in the evening we all played football. It was so much fun! To top it off to end the day we went
to our other missionary friends and watched the Lions play football – and of course loose but hey they at least made it a game until the end. (And yes I do like football. Most of the ladies here think I am crazy so you can too.) I am truly thankful. Like one of our teammates said we really are like family here we did all the same things I would have if I were home celebrating with them. It is a blessing to be content here with our missionary family.
Then the next morning I woke up longing for the first snow fall. I so wanted all the excitement of Christmas around me like I would have in Michigan. So, I put on the Christmas music, stayed in my pj’s with the kids, and we put up our Christmas decorations. It was great! I was happy once again. Later we went to the second hand market and found a couple Christmas shirts for the girls and some pieces of Christmas material for decorating with. But our day wasn’t done yet, we had a yard sale to go to! Some of the other missionaries in Soroti had a yard sale. No lines like black Friday but great deals. Isn’t it nice God loves to give us little joys in life.
Today we had a baby shower for Rachel to celebrate the arrival of Nico. (Bobby and Rachel just adopted their first child from Amecet two weeks ago. He is one year old and a sweetheart.) It was at my house so I decorated the table with a baby blanket in the center, burp clothes as place mats, candles in baby food jars, and pacifiers and boys as decorations around it. I don’t mean to brag but us ladies made a great breakfast feast. We had pumpkin lattes (in new fancy coffee glasses), orange julius, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, fruit salad, cappuccino muffins, and pecan sticky buns. Ok, not that healthy but really good. I just love getting together with the ladies to talk and laugh. Another blessing.
So that was our weekend that I am so thankful for. Now tonight we get to decorate the Christmas tree with the kids. Should be fun. Hope all of you have also been blessed this holiday weekend.
I just had to take a minute and write about our fun filled weekend!
It actually began Wednesday. After home schooling we went straight into baking pumpkin pies, pecan pie, sweet potatoes, and other goodies for Thanksgiving. Half the fun is the anticipation and preparation right. It was also Betty’s (Lydia and Gracie’s friend) birthday the next day and she had never celebrated her birthday and really wanted a birthday like we celebrate. (She has been to our girls birthday parties before.) So we had Betty, Abala, and Juliet for supper. Rachel (our teammate) had baked a cake for Betty too. It was simply a blessing to see Betty so happy celebrating her birthday. We gave her a card and read it to her and her face just beamed. She felt special and loved. Earlier in the week I commented to Josh that although I am happy here sometimes I think I could do what I am doing here (mostly in the home being mom and now teacher) from Michigan just as well. He reminded me tonight after seeing Betty so happy that I can’t do that from Michigan. Sharing God’s love with the unloved is what it is all about. Happy birthday Betty, God loves you!
Then we had Thanksgiving. Our whole team plus a couple others came over to celebrate with us. I of course had fun decorating, doing all the traditions, and making it special for everyone. We ate outside seeing it is hard to fit 26 people in our house and it we are in Africa and you can have Thanksgiving outside – you may sweat but oh well. It was great. We were all full to say the least. In the afternoon we played games and in the evening we all played football. It was so much fun! To top it off to end the day we went
to our other missionary friends and watched the Lions play football – and of course loose but hey they at least made it a game until the end. (And yes I do like football. Most of the ladies here think I am crazy so you can too.) I am truly thankful. Like one of our teammates said we really are like family here we did all the same things I would have if I were home celebrating with them. It is a blessing to be content here with our missionary family.
Then the next morning I woke up longing for the first snow fall. I so wanted all the excitement of Christmas around me like I would have in Michigan. So, I put on the Christmas music, stayed in my pj’s with the kids, and we put up our Christmas decorations. It was great! I was happy once again. Later we went to the second hand market and found a couple Christmas shirts for the girls and some pieces of Christmas material for decorating with. But our day wasn’t done yet, we had a yard sale to go to! Some of the other missionaries in Soroti had a yard sale. No lines like black Friday but great deals. Isn’t it nice God loves to give us little joys in life.
Today we had a baby shower for Rachel to celebrate the arrival of Nico. (Bobby and Rachel just adopted their first child from Amecet two weeks ago. He is one year old and a sweetheart.) It was at my house so I decorated the table with a baby blanket in the center, burp clothes as place mats, candles in baby food jars, and pacifiers and boys as decorations around it. I don’t mean to brag but us ladies made a great breakfast feast. We had pumpkin lattes (in new fancy coffee glasses), orange julius, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread, fruit salad, cappuccino muffins, and pecan sticky buns. Ok, not that healthy but really good. I just love getting together with the ladies to talk and laugh. Another blessing.
So that was our weekend that I am so thankful for. Now tonight we get to decorate the Christmas tree with the kids. Should be fun. Hope all of you have also been blessed this holiday weekend.
What a fabulous week of festivities! It sounds like you have had a truly joyful time surrounding the holidays. Mandy, I pray that you will delight in all the simple pleasures around you, whether it is a smile on a little girls face, a baby being held and loved, or a prayer said for those who need to know the Lord.
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