I love reading about how God-placed Americans keep their traditional American holidays like Thanksgiving alive for their families. You can read here about the Holt’s in Chile and here about the Snode’s in Northern Ireland and here about the Shumaker’s in Burkina Faso. I’ve had people ask, “Do they have turkey’s there? What about pumpkins? Do you get the Turkey Bowl on any of your channels? Do they aire the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?”
In our six years of marriage we’ve celebrated on three continents with Peruvians, Turks, Kurds, and North Africans. This year everyone is off work and travelling for the “Aid el Adha” (Muslim feast of sacrifice commemorating God’s provision to Abraham of a ram) which is to take place on Saturday. This is as big as Christmas here so there is already a festive spirit in the air.
We couldn’t find a whole turkey so we bought it in pieces. This year I decided to get my hands dirty and help in the kitchen. I cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs! (all with the close instruction of my wife) In the afternoon we had only two guys over since the rest of our church is traveling back to their homes. We had a great time explaining to them and our kids the reason Thanksgiving was begun in America and some of our families traditions. After gourging ourselves we took some of the leftovers to the home of a new believer and talked with her family for a while about the coming “Aide” (pronounced eye-d).
We missed our extended families, of course, but had a great day with so much to thank God for. What a great privilage to serve our Savior on the foreign mission field!
You…in the kitchen?!?!?! Couldn’t have turned out that good! 🙂 Glad you guys had a good one.