Thanksgiving

As usual, more is happening than I can write in my blog.

God is at work in all corners of the World. I cannot begin to describe the joy it brings me to be a part of a Christian family in another country. It really gives me a new perspective on what it means to be a Christian and that God is present in all parts of the World. I have the joy of seeing God at work in children who may not have nearly as many material possessions as some that I know in the United States, but they have hearts full of love and joy. Every day I go to la Obra Ecumenica, I am greeted by a ton of kisses, hugs and smiles from the children.
But, it is not easy to be a United States citizen seeing the obvious uneven distribution of wealth that exists in this world. I am often burdened by the realization of how much I have taken for granted. I think it is safe to say that I am not the only one that takes for granted what I am blessed with. I realize that having hot water to take a shower is not a necessity, but a luxury. Going to the store to replace the sunglasses I broke without thinking about the $15+ I will spend on a new pair will be a bit more difficult after seeing that some families of 5 or more have $10 a week to live off of. Never having cried because my stomach hurt from hunger is a blessing for which I have not thanked the Lord recently. Being able to jump in my car and drive 8 hours to another state without having to sacrifice substantially to fund the trip seemed more like a chore than a blessing until I met people who will likely never have an opportunity to leave the city where they were born because they cannot afford to travel. My prayer for everyone is that they recognize a blessing they have and find a way to share it with someone who may go without this blessing. Whether it be an acquaintance who does not have a family to share the holidays with or a friend who just needs a hug, that we can all recognize where we can share God's love in actions.
I still struggle with recognizing ALL of the blessings God has given this World. They appear so abundant in some places and seem so absent in others. But where one person sees an absence of material belongings, another can recognize an abundance of smiles and happiness.

What have I been up to? ...

Last weekend I went to the "mountains" of Uruguay in Minas. It was a very relaxing weekend with six friends from a young adult group. It was unusually cold for the end of Spring, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. We went on a hike and enjoyed a quiet weekend outside of the city.

In La Obra Ecumenica, we are preparing for the end of year celebration and the older kids are preparing for the final exams of the year. It is a busy time of year there. I am teaching the kids the Cha Cha Slide for the end of year celebration, because we have been working on actions in English class. I listened to the song eight times today! I figure by the time the end of the year (or tomorrow) rolls around I will be ready to never hear the song again. But, I will admit, I did enjoy the kids' enthusiasm for the song.

At the church, I have learned about everyone's name that attends regularly, and have been able to answer the phone while working in the office (IN SPANISH!). We are working on getting things organized and on the computer.

Thanks to my friend, Kayt, I got my Halloween candy and enjoyed M&Ms and candy corn :)