’Tis the season for turkey, pumpkin everything, and browsing the Black Friday ads promptly after finishing our second helping of pie. These, among other more sentimental traditions, are what many of us think of as the holiday season approaches.
Our team is so blessed to have a little taste of home this month as our host, Ms. Kaye, celebrates Thanksgiving. We will help prepare the meal and have the opportunity show our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters one of our favorite holidays. We can’t wait to dig in to a semi-traditional Thanksgiving meal with a Nicaraguan twist.
It’s crazy how grateful we are for things that we took for granted before the World Race. Take Thanksgiving dinner, for example. These little blessings go a long way for missionaries far from home during the holidays. Anticipation for the day has been a sweet reminder that we are far more blessed than we realize. This revelation has been greatly magnified as we walk through the community we call home this month.
Simple things like permanent structures and running water are a rarity here. People lay their heads and wake up in a single-room house with the rest of their family. They walk around on the same dirt floors that the neighborhood chickens roam. What little money they have is just enough to get by feeding their families. Rice and beans are a dietary staple, offering little variety in taste and nutrition.
They have little material things, yet their joy shines forth like the high afternoon sun.
We have found ourselves inspired by the gratitude displayed by the people we are serving. Whatever our neighbors lack in food and money is made up for by the optimistic outlook they possess. In the same way that the rolling hills and wildflowers surrounding their community overshadow the plastic homes and lack of amenities, the Lord’s provision outshines the hardships that come with poverty.
Ms. Kaye founded Casa de Gozo 10 years ago with a vision of local kids finding joy in the Lord. The doors are always open, and there are a host of programs held each week that minister to the young members of the community. Ms. Kaye has offered a safe place for children to grow and learn who they are while providing jobs to local men and women. She sacrificially pours her heart out to the people she serves, and she works to empower them to reach their potential while serving God.
Each year, Mrs. Kaye tries her best to raise the funds to both throw a Christmas party for the kids, as well as gift their families with a small amount of money to buy their holiday dinner. Most of the neighboring children do not experience anything resembling a traditional American Christmas. They do not find gifts under a tree, or go to a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. What our team once took for granted, we now see as incredible blessings. Throughout our short time here, we have each felt a tug from the Holy Spirit to help in whatever way we can.
We hope to come alongside Ms. Kaye in giving these families an opportunity to have a special Christmas dinner. She has mentioned that she often has to choose between giving the children gifts and a party or giving the families money for food due to a lack of funding.
Rather than simply giving ourselves, we feel led to extend an invitation to our supporters, family, and friends to partner with our team and Casa de Gozo. A $20 donation will sponsor a Nicaraguan family’s Christmas. We understand that budgets can be tight around the holidays, so partnering with us through prayer is much appreciated as well.
We know that this one-time sponsorship will by no means put an end to their problems, yet we feel an urgency to bless them in this way. If you feel called to sponsor a family this Christmas, you can donate to a team member’s Venmo (McKenzieKuhnWorldRace) or PayPal (PayPal.me/mckenziekuhn). We ask that all donations be made by Saturday, November 25th so we can surprise Ms. Kay before we head to debrief.
Thank you for your consideration and constant support.
Love,
Team Vessel of Peace
