Thanksgiving

Last week I celebrated my first ever Thanksgiving here in Uganda. I had fun learning all about the history of the pilgrims, The Indians and the Mayflower ship. I loved being a part of the fun and excitement baking and preparing dinner for the 30 or so Americans who came to GSF to celebrate with us. My favourite part was dressing up as an Indian!!

But….there was something missing. In all the fun, excitement and joyfulness of the day it was a stark realisation that part of my heart is missing. I am here and having an awesome time but I desperately miss my family and friends and just wished they had been here to celebrate the fun day that we had here at GSF.

Before dinner we took the time to share for a moment something that we were thankful for. I shared a little with the group but had so much more in mind that I was thankful for that I didn’t have time to mention.  Thanksgiving gave me a purposeful opportunity to stop and take time out to think of all the things that I am thankful for and am blessed by each day.

I am thankful for my wonderful family. For my mum, dad, brother, nan and all my aunties, uncles and precious family who will do anything to help me, support me and keep me encouraged with phone calls and essential supplies. They make me smile and get me through the good and bad days that I am going through here even if they don’t always understand every cry or complaint that I make about all that is living in Africa. They are the ones who have helped mould me into me and taught me how to love others and serve as Jesus taught us to. I will be forever grateful to them for teaching me the values I have and for loving me unconditionally.

I am thankful for my best friends who walk beside me on this journey and keep my feet fixed firmly on the ground. They tell me when I am crazy, support me on difficult days and listen for hours on end to my stories of life in Uganda. They are a support, encouragement and amazing part of my journey here. They have such sweet hearts and spend so much of their time caring for me.

I am thankful for all my supporters and friends who have enabled me to be here doing what I was called to do. For all the times they have opened their homes to me, hugged me, spoken words of encouragement over me, sent money, prayed for me and shared their lives with me. I am so thankful that they have allowed me to journey along with them as I have fundraised and been on the road to Uganda.

I am thankful for the blessings I have in my life. I am thankful for the simplicities of water and electricity. For my health and for the fact that I have been privileged to have been brought up in such a loving family, with kind, honest friends and in a developed, safe country. I am also thankful to God for having brought me here to GSF and that I am able to serve Him in Uganda. My eyes have been opened to the poverty and sadness that life can bring when you are born into underprivileged family in the village in Sub Saharan Africa. I am thankful to our God who is in control and in whom I can trust even when I don’t fully understand the how’s and why’s in the situations that are before me.

Each new day I am to be Thankful for the days that are before me still. I am only a short way into my year here and every day brings unexpected joys and blessings. It’s exciting what the days ahead may bring and I am pleased to be able to continue to share it with YOU who are as much a part of this as I am.

I am Thankful because I am blessed and pray that I can, with God’s guidance and help share God's love and bless those that are brought into my path.

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you".