In the Spirit of Thanksgiving ...

Thanksgiving was different for me this year ... The principal of the school gave me the day off because in his words, "It's a holiday in your country" (that really made me feel like a minority!) and told me to celebrate. On Thanksgiving Day, I was the only American here at Ninos - the others were either in the States or somewhere else in Mexico. I rarely get homesick, but the homesickness hit early on - especially when all I had eaten by 12:00 was a small plate of nachos. Instead of letting my pity party go any further, I decided to read my Bible and spend some time praying. That's when it hit me. I just finished the book Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, which I definitely recommend. In the book, he talks about the difference between people who are fans of Jesus and people who are true followers. One of the things he kept repeating in the book was, "What has following Jesus cost you?" Following Jesus has cost me a traditional Thanksgiving meal with my family. Now I'm not saying that I'm a perfect follower of Jesus by any means, but I'm glad that I can say that I have made sacrifices to do what He has asked me to do with my life. And however difficult those sacrifices are, they are worth it.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to take some time to reflect on some of the many things I'm thankful for. Last month, I finished up a Bible Study with three other American women - 2 who are on staff here and 1 who was here as an intern. Honestly, the book we did is not one that I would recommend BUT ... it did stress the importance of being thankful. Thankfulness is something we hear about a lot and practice a little. The daily devotional book I'm going through has been stressing thankfulness for the past 2 weeks now. It seems like God is trying to get my attention and cultivate in me a heart of thankfulness. Here are some pictures that represent things I'm thankful for (they are listed in no particular order):

1. GOD'S CREATIVITY - I love these mountains

2. FAMILY - my constant source of support and encouragement

3. FRIENDS - the ones who don't let distance become a factor; such a blessing to go home for a wedding this month

4. SEEING FALL - it's my favorite season and I finally got to experience it this year

5. AMERICAN CO-WORKERS - people who "get" my culture, let me take a break from Spanish, and are just plain fun

6. MY DOG - I've never had one before and she brings so much joy to my life

7. GROWTH - seeing God work in the lives of the girls

8. NEW FACES - the family of 5 who arrived this month

9. BOYFRIEND - a man of God who helps me  be a better person

10. LIFE - for the experiences God has given me and will continue to give me that shape who I am