A Haitian Thanksgiving

There was no football game (and no TV to watch it on, even if there had been).

There was no Black Friday sale on the next day for everyone to get excited about.

There was no one to call it the obnoxious name of "Turkey Day." (Thank goodness!)

There was no crisp, biting air and bare tree branches outside the window.

And it definitely wasn't "Over the river and through the woods."

It was simply and purely our missionary family getting together for some long-awaited American food and fellowship.

On the menu:

Turkey. It looked like ham, and it tasted like ham, but the package said turkey. So we called it our turkey ham. I actually think it was some kind of sandwich meat.

Velveeta Shells & Cheese. A yummy gift from the US-based staff. THANK YOU!

South African Stir Fry. Secret ingredient: Mango chutney. Fabulous!

REAL mashed potatoes

Gravy

In the orange bowl: Stuffing, also a gift from the US staff.

On the square platter: Sweet potatoes. Yes, that gray mound is sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes here are a whitish color, apparently. They were really yummy!

We had a lovely, God honoring conversation over dinner. My favorite part was hearing stories from Annie of people whose lives God had changed and redeemed, and the results of His work in their lives.

We had lots of Haitian kids in attendance, too, and *gasp*--none of them really liked the food! To me it was like eating ambrosia and the elixir of the gods. Never has American food tasted so good. Our menu might not look that amazing to you, but all those "normal" dishes were such an incredible treat to us, they might as well have been served at the White House.

Thank you, God, for all of your many blessings to us this year!

~ ~ ~

Let me recount:

This time last year I was in Spain, serving in Betel. Thanksgiving Day, I worked in the church, and I remember saying, "Happy Thanksgiving" to some of the Americans there, and they all did a double take, like, "Oh, yeah...it's Thanksgiving, isn't it?"

I served in the jolly, happy house in Azuqueca for about three months, and went to England in February, where I served for about three more months in Betel.

I came home and spent about a month at home, recharging from my experience and absolutely loving being with my family.

I went to Ellerslie and spent 9 weeks there.

I went home and spent just less than a month, a brilliant, delicious month of time with my family.

And then I went to Haiti.

Last Thanksgiving, if you had pulled aside the veil of the future and revealed me in Haiti "on this day, one year later," I would never have believed you for a minute.

But look at the way God has led, directed, and opened doors! It is incredible! It is fabulous! All the way, I was led just to the brink of the end of the current step before I could see the next step. But God's hand of blessing has been so evident on every bit of it. I am in the grand adventure--not just a wannabe bystander watching the current flow by. I am living, breathing, and sleeping it. It is marvelous! Praise God for His abundant direction and provision!