Thanksgiving Day is a special time. It is a day where nearly everyone pauses and considers his or her blessings and then gives thanks to God for the good we receive in life. It is often a family event, where the different generations of a family will gather and share the most precious of blessings, the greatest gift from God; that being our children and grandchildren. Here at our house, we will all be present except for Alex. We will be blessed by having our children and grandchildren to share this special day with us.
Following tradition, we will be having turkey with all of the trimmings. There will be far more than we could possible eat as we celebrate the abundance of God’s great creation. It is a time to try new dishes as well as savor the old favorites. I have been blessed by having a wife who is a great cook and creative in that area. Even with the limitations in Colombia we ate well and special occasions, like Thanksgiving were special treats. Foods like turkey and ham were very difficult to find. In the early years that meant purchasing a turkey live from a local farmer and then trying to turn that tough old bird into a delicious Thanksgiving Day treat; a challenge my wife excelled at with grace and skill.
So even with the difficulties of life in Colombia, we can honestly say that we are blessed in having been able to serve the Lord as missionaries, backed up by your prayers and support over these many years. We have been honored by your faithfulness and generosity. We have been blessed to serve with you as our coworkers in this ministry. It has been a great way to invest a life by working to make life better for others. The real blessings come in seeing others become disciples of Christ and then being blessed in this life by giving theirs to the Lord. Personally, I have been blessed by having a wife who could and would accompany me in that vision and lifestyle, even though that has been very difficult at times. Even our children grew up willing and helpful in that effort over the years.
We now express our thanks to God and to you on this special day. So join us on this Thanksgiving Day in giving thanks to our Lord for His many blessings.