Autumn is my best season. I love the crispness of the air, and the burst of earthy tones from the forest of maple trees. I love wearing warm scarves and leather boots with wool socks underneath. Autumn is absolutely spectacular at home in Canada. I am lucky that here in Berlin, I get a beautiful autumn as well. However there is one thing about a Canadian fall that Germany just doesn't quite live up to. This is the first year I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving, the best holiday of the year. There is nothing like a delicious turkey dinner complete with good friends, family and pumpkin pie! It's times like these that make me really homesick. I said "Happy Thanksgiving" to my one Canadian friend here today and then ate a turkey sandwich with dried cranberries for lunch. I'm not going to make this a whine session for this holiday is centred on gratitude and thankfulness throughout the year, and I can honestly say that I have much to be thankful for this year.
I am thankful for... the help I received last year in packing up to move out of Victoria. This includes all of the people who helped me move my boxes to the Olsen's home, the kind man at the liquor store who let me take a whole bunch of boxes for free and the Olsens for storing my things last fall. Also it includes my dad for driving 20 hours (both ways) to Victoria with a trailer to move all of my things up to store at home this summer.
I am thankful for... the six months I lived in Uganda. I could probably write a novel on how thankful I am for the amazing friends I met, places I saw, and things I got to do. I have learned and grown so much and continue to do so since my time there.
I am thankful for... the opportunity to meet my sponsor child and develop a friendship with this incredible 8 year old Ugandan boy. He has so much favour on his life. It's amazing to think that I just chose a picture of a child when I decided to sponsor a child but I know deep down there was no coincidence about that. I was meant to sponsor him and be a part of his life.
I am thankful for... my baptism last fall at my home church in Victoria. I sobbed buckets and am forever grateful for all the people who came to witness. With that step I took in publicly expressing my faith, I never would have imagined the blessings that would come out of that.
I am thankful for... a random email last February that lead to my application and acceptance to teach full-time grade 2 at an international school in Berlin. HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!
I am thankful for... being able to spend time with the people I love most for the month and a half I was in Canada for. I got to catch up with my buds in Victoria, do very Canadian things like fishing, camping, and hiking with my family in my hometown, and go visit my Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins in Manitoba.I am thankful for... the smooth transition to Berlin. It's difficult to move to a new place, let alone a new country. I literally have a drawer filled with different documents and paperwork that I had to get for the various things I needed to live in Germany. I live in a beautiful apartment next to a palace!
I am thankful for... the new friends that throw birthday parties, go to Oktoberfest with me, experience a dinner in the dark or attend my new home group. Also I'm so thankful for the fit-for-me church community I can now call home in Berlin. God was right when He called me a moron for not believing that I would have a loving, fun and caring community in Berlin.
I am thankful for... Skype and other means of communication to back home throughout this year. Today I was able to Skype with my family before their thanksgiving celebration began.
I am thankful for... my family coming to Berlin for the Christmas holidays!!! I can't wait!
But most importantly I am thankful for the favour I have had upon my life this year. I have seen His hand guiding me to new and exciting places that have exceeded my expectations.
Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love. ~~~~ Come thou Fount
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM BERLIN!!!!
