Thanksgiving Day

November 26

I can hardly believe after all the anticipation of Thanksgiving it is done and we are on to the next holiday. Our Christmas tree is up and Christmas music is playing in our home. I am such a kid when it comes to holidays and traditions. I love it!

But first let me tell you about our Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautiful cloudy, cool day. We set four tables in our yard for 32 guests (our team and a few short term people in Soroti) and lots of food. We put together vases with fall colored flowers in them. One I even used a pumpkin as the vase and put a candle in the middle. So fun! Everything looked great including our family. I was getting nervous because we got a few sprinkles and heard thunder. I prayed for no rain because it would be really tight in our house for the feast. We also were without power for about 14 hours and I really wanted it on for the day. Again I prayed for the electricity to come on knowing God cares about little things too. And the power came on!

Everyone arrived at noon and filled the food table with all the traditional fixings. It was wonderful. Not long after we ate the rain came. We quickly packed up and headed inside. And the power went out. None of it ruined our party though. This year everyone came with a Thanksgiving song, poem, or scripture to share with the group. Our family sang and did motions to “Praise and Thanksgiving Let Everyone Sing” and Josh had a poem to the word “THANKS”. It was a beautiful time of worship expressed differently by each family.

Then we had dessert, the kids made crafts from the turkey feathers, and of course we played football – in the rain this year! It was all the guys and Beckie and I. What a riot! Everyone can’t wait to play again and agreed not to wait till next Thanksgiving. We were soaked but not sweating.

In the evening we had a snack supper and all played charades. By then it had been 8 hours together and 5 of them in a house with 32 people (no basement or kids room mind you) so most people left with a headache, but had a great time. Really, it was such a special day. A real Thanksgiving feel – family, friends, great food, thankfulness, a lot of fun, and an awesome God! (Just wish we could have ended it by watching the Lions – it least they kept the tradition of loosing going. :)) I am so thankful!!!

Yesterday we took down the fall decorations and started putting up the Christmas stuff. Everything happens so quick I just had to sit today and remember every great detail of our Thanksgiving before moving on. Now I am ready to celebrate the coming of Christ! Just like they waited for Jesus the first Christmas we wait again for His second coming. I look around and see a world of suffering as the result of sin. How grateful I am He is here with us now! Christ is our hope, joy, and peace this Christmas.

I sent my journal out before Thanksgiving about our travel back to Soroti and my bad attitude. But I totally forgot to tell you that in the mist of my anger we were pulled over and given a ticket! All of Uganda drives insane but we do one thing wrong and get a ticket. I couldn’t believe it. It is those moments where self control is tested.

Hope all of you were also blessed by your Thanksgivings. That is was more than traditions, family, food, football, and the shopping to come but about thanking God for all He has done and all He is to you. And may your Christmas season be filled with His presence