- I am thankful for Jesus– I am currently reading through the Old Testament and, man, am I thankful that God sent his son! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
- I am thankful for prayer– I love that we can talk to God everyday and all day long! I am so thankful for all the prayers for my family these past few weeks. I am so thankful for all the prayers for my adventure this year and my health. I am so thankful to have the freedom in America to pray. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
- I am thankful for family– I am so thankful that my dad will be coming home from the hospital on Tuesday and that the strokes did not take his quality of life. I am thankful to have such a supportive and loving family. I am thankful to call my parents, sister, brother, brother-in-law, nephews, and grandma-good friends. “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” Desmond Tutu
- I am thankful for my extended family– I love cousins and aunts and uncles! Big families are the best; Altorfers and Reels thank you for your love, support, and friendship over the years. “A happy family is but an earlier heaven.” George Benard Shaw
- I am thankful for my friends– I have the best friends a girl can ask for! Shout out to all my Congerville Grade School friends, Eureka High School friends, Iowa State Friends, Denver Friends, Conifer friends, Geneseo friends, travel friends, World Race friends, Young Life friends, Prayer Group friends, and all of you that are wondering which group I categorized you in! Love you! “Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” Thomas Aquinas
- I am thankful for toilets that flush– Seriously, a working toilet is so nice. “Americans spend 5cents per day by flushing their toilets.” (nowiknow.com) “More people in the world have mobile phones than toilets.” (forbes.com)
- I am thankful for a good pair of shoes– I have two pairs of shoes this year. Solomon trail running shoes- perfect for any type of adventure and Chaco sandals-once again, perfect for any type of adventure. “A poll of 1,057 women by the Consumer Reports National Research Center for shopping magazine ShopSmart found U.S. women on average own 19 pairs of shoes although they only wear four pairs regularly while 15 percent have over 30 pairs.”
- I am thankful for zipper pockets on pants or shirts– When traveling in developing countries it is wise to not walk around with a purse, which has made me so thankful for all zipper pockets. (I found no fun fact or quote on zipper pockets.)
- I am thankful for our trash system in the States– I am thankful that at a young age Americans are taught to not litter. I am thankful that we put our trash in dumpsters and cans and that once a week a garbage truck comes and picks up the trash. “The average person generates over 4 pounds of trash every day and about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year.” (dosomething.org)
- I am thankful for opportunities in life– I have met so many people in the last five months that do not have many opportunities, and I wish they did. I wish they could take a day off work, could travel to a new city/town/country, could go to a movie theater, could buy whatever they wanted at a grocery store, could buy a new shirt, could have a family…the list goes on and on. I cannot express how thankful I am for every opportunity in life I have received. “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” Colossians 4:5
- I am thankful for the World Race– 11 countries in 11 months- I am so thankful for this year of reflection. I am thankful for the opportunity to live in a new country every month. I am thankful for all the wonderful people I have met this year. I am thankful for everything I have learned these last five months. I am thankful that God has opened my eyes to so many things that I was blind to. I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and change as a person. I am thankful for my school district that allowed me to take a year leave of absence because they saw the value of this program. “The World Race continues to change. It is expanding overseas and in the States, yet its foundations stay the same. It is a journey to 11 countries in 11 months to serve “the least of these” while amongst real and raw community. It facilitates discipleship through the process of discovering into the abundant life He promised. It births partnerships with ministries around the world. It requires Luke 10-like faith.” (worldrace.org)
I am reminded of the song “Count Your Blessings.”
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
This Thanksgiving week don’t forget to count your blessings one by one!
Happy Thanksgiving from Japan!
