Today at Nuevo Mundo the secretary of the foundation school was almost too excited to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. When she saw me coming towards her office she stopped what she was doing and said "FELIZ DIA!" to which her officemate replied, "what a beautiful thing to take a day to give thanks to God." And then I remembered that yes indeed today is meant to be a day of giving thanks for all that we have been gifted.
Today in hot and sweaty Ecuador I am thankful for my Rostro community who continue to be the force that challenges me to live a more Christ centered life while supporting me with their unconditional love. I am thankful for my Ecuadorian community, the people who have without hesitation opened their arms, hearts and homes to us, the people who have taken it upon themselves to make us feel apart of their families and who give us a sense of belonging. I am thankful for the work I do here and the people I have met while doing it, the people who inspire me to strive for excellence. I am thankful for my children at the guarderia who are teaching patience and understanding. I am thankful for my students at Nuevo Mundo who show me what it means to perserver (sp?) and to value education. I am thankful for Rostro de Cristo and all that it aspires to do and to be.
I am thankful for my family, the people who have loved me no matter how mean or ungrateful I was towards them. The people who teased me, wrestled with me, came to see my many horrible plays and musicals, went to my graduations and christmas concerts, put up with my angsty teenage years, my constant crying and complaining. The people who were there to witness my many falls, literally (16 times in Mexico), and the people who were always there to pick me back up. The people who took me to school, picked me up from school, showed me how to take buses and trains, the people who taught me to not take myself so seriously. The people who told me it was ok to cry, even if it is in a chain restaurant in the middle of Michigan. The people who continue to support my crazy decision to move to Ecuador. The people who I love more than anyone else in the world, despite the fact that I probably don't show it or say it as often as I should.
I am thankful for Theresa, Diego and Tic, Michael, Kelly and Baby C, Stephen and Christine and little Emma.
I am thankful for my Mom.
Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias! Happy Thanksgiving!
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We are thankful for you even though we are apart. You are always on our minds and in our hearts. Talk to you very soon. Love M, K, and C
ReplyDeleteHello from the St. Vincent Pallotti Center! You're blog is great. Thanks for keeping us updated on what you're up to. The holidays can be a rough time to be away from home. Hope you're finding joy in your work. Know that there are people you know, and people you don't know, who are thinking and praying for you!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
-- all of us at the St. Vincent Pallotti Center