 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
It’s mainly Emily’s tradition. It seems that as far back as I can remember we’ve developed a Bahamian twist on an American holiday, and the most important ingredient has always been the community of friends the Lord has given us for Thanksgiving.
This year the number of families giving thanks with us was fewer, however still faithful. All the way back to 2012 we’ve been having Thanksgiving Day with the Rankin family. Despite head colds and the 2 hour journey up the island and across the bay, the whole family made it to join us for the Thanksgiving feast.
And Emily doesn’t know how to do Thanksgiving halfway. Even with my pleading, she still had to have 2 different kinds of potatoes and 3 desserts. I even tried to budget out the drinks, but she found a way to keep them in! I’m so grateful and thankful for her servant’s spirit and desire to give her best for her friends and family. Because of her efforts, days in advance (including bringing a bunch of supplies from the US, and all the Thanksgiving themed plates and napkins), the holiday was not without its most festive trimmings.
One of my favorite moments is telling each other what we’re thankful for. This year when I asked Sadie what she was thankful for she said, “I’m thankful for God.” I felt like that might have been a bit too religious an answer for our 4 year old and was proven right when she next exclaimed, “and I’m thankful for my pillow.” What more does one need, God and your pillow!
We are so grateful for all God has given us, most especially our enduring relationships with our Bahamian family. We are thankful for the ministry opportunity God has delivered to us to return to Eleuthera and Spanish Wells each year. We’re thankful for our home church and their generosity to give us the time to reinvest each November back here on the mission field. And most of all we’re thankful to our God for His unifying love that welcomes us back into the lives of our friends, despite the passing of another year.