For this I am thankful

For this I am thankful:
-for a host family who is hospitable, welcoming to me and other gringos, fun loving, accepting, and faithful in their own journey with Christ
-for beautiful sunny weather, green grass, beautiful flowers, and the smell of freshly cut grass
-Skype...so thankful for free methods of talking with, seeing, and hearing my beloved family and friends around the world
-counting down 1 month from today when my family arrives to get to know Guatemala and the Guatemalans I love
-a Thanksgiving dinner with my host family, and three MCCers who are studying at CASAS
-safety in Guatemala City despite reports of violence and deaths around the country on the news every day
-a faith that allows me to express myself in prayer, songs, readings and Bible study
-the Mennonite church that supports me in my faith journey in the US and here in Guatemala

This being Thanksgiving week in the States, my mind has been scrolling through lists of things for which I am thankful. The list can go on and on, and sometimes does, as I´m riding the bus and feeling overwhelmed with all the blessings I receive on a daily basis. On Monday evening I invited Rachel, Kyle and Kirsten, all MCC 3-year workers who will be relocating in about 2 weeks to Coban, Guatemala and Bolivia, to my house for a Thanksgiving meal with my host family. My host parents made some delicious ham, and I provided the ¨complements¨. I came up with honey oatmeal bread, sweet potatoe casserole, cranberry sauce (from a can), peas and carrots, and applesauce jello with pumpkin (made with the squash güicoy) bars for dessert. It was DELICIOUS! I often expect that the foods I attempt here in Guate City won´t turn out as I expect and hope, so I try to keep my expectations low, but this was a real hit. From the very first bites of the meal I was receiving praise, and I have to admit, that was a welcomed change :) I love to make food, especially when it is appreciated by others.

Honey Oatmeal bread that I burnt, but then cut off the burnt parts so it was delicious!

All of the food! Carrots and peas, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, applesauce jello, ham, oatmeal bread

My host family and guests for Thanksgiving Meal

When we sat down for the meal, I was asked to give the "bienvenida", of course, to welcome our guests to our house, and to the special meal. This included a time to go around and each share a special thing we were thankful for, just like my family would do at home. When I warned the gringos that I was going to do that before supper, Rachel responded saying she knew that was coming :) It's tradition... My host dad then lead us in several songs that we sing often as a family before I prayed for our meal. All those things my my heart swell. I'm proud of my friends, I'm proud of my host family, and I love seeing them interact together. To share a meal like that with people who are quite important to me was a real blessing. The other thing different about our supper was that we did family style dining, passing the food, and having the food on the table. When I first suggested the idea to my host mom, she was a little doubtful I think, but I reminded her that this is how we do it at home. Our conversations ended with commenting that Thanksgiving meals only end when you're starting to have trouble breathing because you're so full, a comment from Kyle, that was welcomed with laughter and jokes about our full bellies.