It was just about a year ago around Thanksgiving that I wrote my very first World Race blog, titled “Thankful.” You can check it out here. I spoke in broad terms about some of the things I was thankful for as I was just beginning this journey—and while I am still thankful for all of those things, I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach this year. When I wrote last year, I was likely sitting by the fire with snow already softly covering the Wyoming ground. This year, my season of life looks pretty different. I’m about 12 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time, in the little himalayan country of Nepal. I’ve been out of the country for about 7 weeks now, so I have a newfound gratitude for a lot of things I used to take for granted. Here are 11 things I’m thankful for this time around:
1. Toilet Paper. As you may know, many people in this part of the country don’t use toilet paper, which means it can be hard to come by. It’s best to hoard it when you do find it, putting a stash both in your purse and your bra. Just recently, my team and I ran out of this precious commodity for a few days, causing us to resort to using paper plates to wipe our hineys. It’s a good memory, at least.
2. Dogs & Cats. I love animals and I miss my dogs and cat every day. However, our hosts this month are also animal lovers and have the sweetest dog, Maya, and a cat (whose name is a Nepali name and I can’t ever remember.) This means I’m able to get my fill of animal snuggles regularly. Not to mention the crazy number of street dogs—they might get a bad rap, but most of them are incredibly friendly. Just yesterday a street dog followed us for miles all the way home. I named her Buttercream.
3. Hot Water. Unless it’s 100 degrees and you’ve been working outside all day, cold showers aren’t fun. Nepal is getting chilly these days (the amount of layers I wear in the mornings is a little absurd), so I am so grateful for a shower that usually gets warm eventually—after a month of cold bucket showers in India, this is a little perk that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
4. Mountains. Mountains make me feel like I’m home. This month, I’m privileged to live in the shadow of the tallest mountain range in the world. They still take my breath away.
5. A bed. This month, I don’t have to sleep on my sleeping pad in my tent—I get a real bed! I’m especially thankful for it today, as I’ve encountered my first sickness of the race (also thankful I went 7 weeks without getting sick…) and have been unable to leave my bed except to vomit. Being sick in a foreign country is never fun, but it makes it a little easier to have a comfortable place to retreat to. Shoutout to my teammate Brooke for being a good bedmate and allowing me to steal the covers back when I need to.
6. Sunshine. I’ve always loved the sun, but I appreciate it more when it’s the force that dries my clothes and warms my shower (yes, it’s a solar shower—how neat is that?)
7. Wifi. While I’ve also been thankful for the times we haven’t had wifi because those times allowed me to be more fully engaged with ministry, I’m so thankful for technology and the ways it’s allowed me to stay in touch with some of my favorite people back home. FaceTime is a beautiful and incredible thing.
8. Delicious Food. Last month, our hosts in India cooked our every meal and it was outstanding—seriously, I didn’t know I could love food so much. This month, however, my team is cooking for ourselves. We’ve still been making a lot of rice and curry, but also made room in our meager food budget to “treat yo’self”—so we’ve had pizza a couple times, we buy peanut butter AND Nutella, and we’re planning an outing to the best crepe place in Pokhara.
9. Lazy Mornings. One of my very favorite things in life is having time in the mornings to snuggle up, drink coffee, read, journal, pray, & soak in the early morning light. Since most of our ministry happens later in the day in Nepal, I’ve been able to take full advantage of a couple hours every morning for this purpose. It’s milk tea instead of coffee, but oh how I cherish these moments.
10. New Friends. We’ve been blessed by the company of a YWAM team from the base in Kona, Hawaii! They’re just finishing up their outreach, so we’ve been living with and serving alongside them for the past couple of weeks and they became fast friends. They have loved us so well, and I love them right back.
11. My Team. This month is the first month that my team is on its own, apart from the rest of the squad—just the six of us. I love these ladies and the way we push each other into our full potential, the way we work through the tough stuff, the way we rejoice together, and, for those that ever had any doubt—the way we have so, so much fun together.
And, as a special added bonus: I’m thankful for you—for supporting me and investing in me and for caring for me as I continue on this crazy thing. Please don’t hesitate to let me know how I can be praying for you! Wishing all of you the happiest of Thanksgivings.
With Love,
Samantha.
