Happy Thanksgiving all!!!!!
People here in South Africa don’t celebrate Thanksgiving (lol it’s an American holiday) but our ministry hosts are well aware of the traditions and culture of it so they are graciously allowing us to prepare a feast for our squad and invite members of the community here whom we’ve really bonded with. On Black Friday (we will not be getting our Christmas shopping on) but we will be cooking a Thanksgiving meal for about sixty people!!! So obviously Thanksgiving is looking a little different this year for all of us Racers but I am fully embracing it and loving the memories that have come with it. I’ve put together a small list of some things that I am thankful for thus far on the Race…
Pick N Pay runs
Being able to raid people’s backpacks and living spaces to borrow clothes everyday
Headphone worship from a classroom to a field (iykyk)
BDawg’s hard drive with all the movies
Doing push-up pyramids
Conversations with JBay cab drivers
Experiencing the presence of God filling a room
Washing dishes out of buckets
Celebrating Courtlan’s 21st birthday
Momma Wendy’s cooking (especially when she goes out of her way to make me vegetarian meals)
The wifi (even though it is slower than molasses) I can find just about anywhere
Friends who will go through your hair for hours religiously picking out nits and lice for you
Sabbaths
My squad’s devotion and intentionality with each other
Strangers who approach us because they just see Holy Spirit in us
The incredible movie views I was able to witness hiking Table Mountain
Pizza Tuesdays
South African boys that taught us how to socky
The Father waking me up every morning at 6:30a.m. to spend time with Him
Park Runs every Saturday in our backyard
Both my TL’s (Gail and Line)
Going around roundabouts in the back of a pick up or in fifteen passenger van like four times
When we use South African slang words and attempt to do their accents and it makes for a good laugh
Learning how to build a log classroom (hmu for details)
Clearly hearing the Father’s voice
Rooster butter cheeses
Team times (except on Thursdays) (jk)
Riding in the back of Lehannie’s and Nicky’s pickup trucks
The sweet, handwritten notes of encouragement we randomly exchange on this squad
Conversations while chinking on top of scaffolding
Killer sunsets every single night
Sleepovers under the stairs with my potato family
Laughing till we pee when we forget a teammate at ministry
Immediately praying over someone who is feeling ill or weak
Legs to walk miles each day
Line sharing her phone with me because I dropped mine in a toilet
Having ATL (Ask The Lord) days
My teacher I’m aiding for calling Courtlan and I her “babies” and treating us like her own
TIA (This Is Africa) things
Squad lead worship nights that just hit different
Self control to resist eating all the bread they buy for us
Sleepliners (our favorite way to travel)
Introducing apple bobbing to my class
Jodi Owens (and the rest of my leadership team)
A healthy body to squat down and bend over to pick up pebbles on a field for three hours
Hiking, surfing, and adventure days that are good for my soul
When we upgraded from sandpaper to an electric sander to sand desks
Our “Excuse me” raps
Reading Dr. Seuss books to my school kids
Listening to people of a different background talk about the same Jesus whom I know and serve
Momma Wendy taking our laundry to be done for us
Opportunities to unite with other squads and share stories at an “Awakening”
Free tables (iykyk)
Experiencing the Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup here
Sharing testimonies on a South African radio station
Having my other name be “teacha”
The breath-taking mountains in our backyard to the coast line
Africa giving me the ability to go barefoot everywhere my feet take me
Emma and Sarah singing their words
Line’s vlogs
The Mission House feeling like home
My supporters who I am confident lift up my team and I in prayers on a daily basis
I’m praying for you guys just as much as you’re praying for me, much love goes out today! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love ya girl,
Julia
