Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and as the weather in the states grows cooler, your family might be making plans to go visit grandparents or relatives. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because not only do I get to eat as much pie as I want, it also provides an opportunity for me to thank God for all the blessings that he has given me. Surrounded by family, friends and great food, it is hard not to be thankful for God's blessings in our lives.
Here in Peru, no one celebrates Thanksgiving, since it is one of those unique, very American holidays like the fourth of July and Martin Luther King, Jr. day. It celebrates our history and how two very different groups of people came together so that everyone had enough to eat. It is a story of how the Native American Indians helped the English Pilgrims who were unprepared for the demands of the new world in which they were living. So for me, Thanksgiving isn't just about being thankful for things, but being thankful for those special people in our lives, whom God uses to meet our needs. Can you think of those people in your life? It might be your mom or dad, or a teacher at school. It could even be someone unexpected, someone you might not like very much but when you most needed something, they were there to provide it.
As I get ready for Thanksgiving this year, I am thankful for my Peruvian family. Like the Pilgrims I live in a place that is different from where I am from. There are things I still don't know about Peru and Arequipa. There are things I still don't understand about the people here, and they way they do things, but like the Native Americans, my Peruvian family teaches me what I need to know, and shares what they have with me to fill the many deficiencies I still have in this new place, whether it is a word I don't know, or a solution to a problem I can't seem to solve, they are and have been here to help me.
So this Thanksgiving, I want you to think of one special person who has helped you when you needed it most, and I want you to take the opportunity this holiday presents to thank them and to thank God for putting them in your live at just the right moment. Below you will find a card that you can print and fill in to give to someone you are thankful for this year.