Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

I don’t think a day has gone by since being in South Africa that I haven’t thought about the things I’m thankful for. Even though there is no official Thanksgiving here in South Africa, I thought I’d share with you some of the things that I say thanks for while living in Mthatha:
- Phone calls from my family.
- A boyfriend who not only puts up with me leaving, but is also a huge support to me while I’m away.
- Emails from friends (you have no idea how much I look forward to reading all that you write).
- All the people who are praying for me.
- Sarah, my roommate, who I get along great with, who helps me with my Xhosa, and is willing to have me travel with her.
- Jenny, a nurse at Itipini and my supervisior, who is a near perfect example of what hospitality, service, and love look like.
- That numbers are pronounced the same way in both English and Xhosa, making my job at the clinic of finding baby and children files much easier!
- To be able to come home to a safe house, food, and comfortable bed each night, while so many people in Mthatha do not have this privilege.
- Cozy blankets and rooibos tea to warm me up on cold days in a drafty house.
- For the beauty of this earth (feel free to sing the hymn!)—for mountains and oceans and sunsets and flowers and…
- Having lots of books available to me to read.
- Safety each day in a city notorious for crime and car accidents.

I’ve also come to realize some of the things that I have to be thankful for in Canada that are a rarity here in Mthatha:
- employment (I don’t know the statistics, but there is a huge unemployment rate here)
- insulated houses
- decent roads (I’ll try not to complain about a Manitoba pothole again!)
- the ability to trust people instead of always being on guard and expecting the worst
- gender equality (even if I’m not a feminist, I cringe at the mentality toward women that I’ve observed here)
- regard for traffic laws (stopping at lights, using lanes correctly, having a right of way, etc…)
- cars with automatic transmition
- not needing to surround everything with razor wire
- a Mennonite church
- an education taught entirely in my first language (students here often have to read English textbooks, even in Xhosa schools)
- reliable electricity and water
- not seeing loved ones suffer from AIDS

These are by no means exhaustive lists, but a few of the things I’ve been appreciating lately. Whether living in Mthatha or Winnipeg, I really am blessed. Happy Thanksgiving! (and do eat a piece of pumpkin pie for me since I’m not there to partake…)