Sometimes living in America, I forget that we have American Holidays. We are the only country in the world that celebrates Thanksgiving, so if we want to celebrate, we have to make the effort to do so. So, our squad decided to take a day to celebrate a day to remember what we are thankful for. I wasn’t sure how a Honduran Thanksgiving would look, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. I got to watch a Football game, I got to play futbol, I had a delicious meal that included stuffing and Mac n’ Cheese, and I got to spend it with my world race family. It was truly a relaxing day where I just got to sit back and be thankful for the things around me. Part of World Race culture is playing the Thankful Game where we randomly say things that we are thankful for. An example would be; I’m thankful for showers, I’m thankful for warm water, I’m thankful for soap, I’m thankful that there is a shower curtain, I’m thankful that this shower has a tile floor, I’m thankful that I have a dry towel, I’m thankful that I have clean clothes to change into… etc. It can go on for a long time. It helps me to be thankful for the little things in life that we often take for granted. But I want to step away from the Thankful Game for a minute and give a SHOUT of thanks to some of the most important things in my life. 1. Papa- I’m so thankful for the God I serve. He has blessed me in ways I know that I don’t deserve. He has let me have a personal relationship with Him. He gives me good gifts and loves me like I’m His baby girl… because I am. He wants us to call Him Abba, because the relationship that He allows us to have with Him is interment. 2. My Family- I have been so blessed with an amazing family. A family that really loves me and only wants the best for me. Family that supports me, a family that prays for me, and encourages me to strive for more. My family consists of the ones who have always been there for me and always will be there for me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. 3. My World Race Family- This fantastic group of individuals has become my family. They have no choice but to live with me every single day. However, I love living life with them and they feel the same way about me. We have left almost everything we know to live together with one common interest, that we love the Lord with all of our hearts. We have cried together, shared hearts together, and together we don’t settle for ordinary. 4. Home- Since I’ve been away I’ve realized the importance of ‘home’. I used to think that home was a place where you can go back to your roots, where things are familiar, and you are surrounded by people you love. I don’t have a place like that to call home, but I’ve found that you are home. When I’m in Papa’s arms, there is no place I’d rather be. So I’ve found home in Guatemala, on a Tica Bus, and now in Honduras. Home is where Papa is… so the world is my home. 5. Supporters- Wow, without you, there is no way I would have had this experience. I have been learning so much about Papa and myself… I’m simply amazed at how much I didn’t know and the more I know, the more I realize I don’t know. So thank you so much for all of your support. I also hope that you are enjoying this journey with me through my blogs, it is fun to share what God is doing in my life. 6. Simple things- I have always loved the simple things, but the World Race has helped me love them anymore. Things like hot showers, watching the sunset over Honduras, making declarations into a valley full of cows, talking all night until you fall asleep, sitting on a bus for 16 hours having amazing conversations, socks when your feet are cold, and so much more. I could go on for hours, but it doesn’t matter. There are so many little things that I’ve overlooked and I’m learning how to open my eyes and be thankful for all of the little things. It is crazy how much I’ve been learning in almost 2 months being away from the States… I’m learning to be thankful for the good things in life and the ‘bad’ things in life… No matter what it is, God has a lesson for us and I’m learning to be thankful for everything… Papa saw it and said, “It is good.”
