Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!! Wow! There is so much to be thankful for! In youth group Tuesday night, Kent asked us to think of everything we have ever prayed for or wished for, and compare that to how many times we have thanked God for everything. Wow. He then said that in Malawi the culture there is that when someone gives you something and you don't say "Thank you" the person can take it right back! What if God was like that? If everything He has given us, yet we haven't said thank you for, He took right back. I think this world would be a pretty desolate place. Anyways, here are some things that I have been especially thankful for this past year. 

(They are in no specific order)

• •God's grace, love and mercy. Where would we be without it??
• •God's Word. For our VI Thanksgiving, Ms. Tricia said how thankful she was for the Bible in her own language. I totally agree! I am so thankful for the Bible in English, so that I can read it and learn more about God through it!
• •My Parents. Wow, where to begin?! They have been a huge encouragement and help these past months with applying to colleges and whatnot. I'm so thankful for that, cause I don't know how I would be getting any of that done without them! I'm also thankful for the way they raised me and my siblings. God blessed me so much by providing loving, caring, God glorifying parents who want to see us grow up in the way of the Lord. 
• •My siblings. God has blessed me abundantly by giving me such wonderful siblings. They are best friends who live with me, travel with me, eat with me... do everything together :) They are encouraging, kind, loving, and always ready to help out in any way. I love them! 
• •The Woodbull family. I am so thankful to God for them! Before coming to Mozambique we were praying for godly, Christian friends. Well, God is Jehovah Jirah, and He provided not only friends, but five new siblings :) It has been such a joy and blessing to have family over here in Mozambique! I love all my new siblings! 
• •My friends, near and far. You have all been a blessing and encouragement to me this past year and I am so thankful for you all!
• •The Youth Group here. It is wonderful to have a group of Christian teens here in Nampula (who speak English!) that we can get together with to worship God and learn more about Him. It has been an enormous encouragement the last two years of living here.
• •The internet. I am so thankful that we came onto the mission field in this day and age when we have many ways to quickly communicate with friends back home. The internet is just one of those quick way of communication. I am thankful for facebook, blogger, gmail, skype and chats :)
• •Fans! Whoever invented fans was brilliant and I am so thankful to God that that person did invent them! They are so helpful in keeping the heat down! 
• •Electricity. While living in the States I never really thought about how thankful I am for electricity, but when we moved here and the electricity was going on and off at the most unlikely times, well I realized just how thankful I am for electricity! 
• •Water! Also living in Africa and realizing just how precious water is and how much we rely on it, makes me very thankful for water!
• •Snow. Yes, I know, we don't have it here, but missing it for the last few years has definitely made me more thankful for it. 
• •The piano. I'm thankful that we have an instrument like that to play, and that God has gifted me with he ability to play it. 
• •Apple/Mac. Ok, so maybe I'm being biased. :P But I really am thankful for a computer and iPod! :)
• •Rain! It cools down the air, waters the earth, makes the flowers bloom and the grass grow green. It is a wonderful thing that I am so thankful for! 
• •Christian authors. It's nice to sit down and read a well written book from a Christian prospective. 

Well, there is my list. There are many, many more things that I am thankful for, but I think this is long enough. :) I want to end with Psalm 100, definitely a Thanksgiving Psalm. 

" Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; 

come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God. 

It is He who made us, and we are His; 

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving 

and His courts with praise; 

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; 

His faithfulness continues through all generations."