Thanksgiving in Guatemala

So, as you know, Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Most Guatemalans don't know what it is, let alone how to celebrate it. My friend was telling me a story about the people at her church asking her about Thanksgiving. They told her they thought Thanksgiving was our time to celebrate Christmas!

This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with Jenny & her family. Jenny works in our office as our secretary. She was also one of Spanish teachers and has become a good friend. I've also had the priveledge to get to know her family. So, in discussion, we decided to have Thanksgiving together.
Last week, Jenny & I were discussing the menu. She said, "Well my mom will make the turkey and I will make mashed potatoes and a salad. That should be enough food, so you can bring an apple pie - that should definately be enough food." I explained to her all that must-haves to make an adequate Thanksgiving dinner. Because she wasn't sure about some of those items, I made 'em!

We had a great turkey (made by Jenny's mom), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, apple & pumpkin pie and egg nog. Also, with a little Guatemalan-flare, ponche... Ponche is a typical Guatemalan drink where they boil some fruits. It tastes a lot like cider with a yummy-fruity twist. It was great.

Once again, God made a great holiday. I had a wonderful time with Jenny's family, visiting, eating until we couldn't eat anymore and laughing! For the most part, they enjoyed the "Gringo Food" I brought. I hope all of you enjoyed a great Thanksgiving, as we take a day to remember all the blessings we have in our life. My list could go on for all the things I have to be thankful for; starting with an loving and supporting family, pastors and a home church behind me, new and old relationships and God's provision and favor on my life.

Happy Turkey Day & God Bless,

~Sarah~

My Trip Home

Well, I just returned to Guatemala after a month back home in the U.S. I had a great time and did many things, keep reading to find out!

First, shortly after arriving, Life Church launched into our semi-annual Impact Life Conference. It was four days of awesome Word, incredible music and an indescribable atmosphere of the Holy Spirit! It was so nice to have a service in English! It's been over a year. It's kind of ironic because the last service in Spanish before coming home was the first service I felt like I was spiritual fed by my pastor's preaching. Not because he can't preach, but because my Spanish has been so limited. Praise God! (We'll see how this Sunday goes, the first since being back).

I shared at Life Church the first Sunday during Impact Life Conference. It was great to see my home church behind me, more then ever, with the vision of our house and the vision inside of me. Thank you Life Church for being behind me.

Later that week, I went to Wisconsin and spent two days with my sister and her family. I have two beautiful nieces. Hannah is almost 4 and Nadia is going to be 2 in March. We stayed at a hotel with several large indoor water parks. It was an awesome time of R&R.

From there, I went even farther north to Rhinelander (4-hour drive) where I spent 12 years growing up. I was able to visit a few people who are very dear to me, stay at a friends house & share about what God is doing in me and through me here in Guatemala, at the church I grew up in. I truly enjoyed my time there.

After my church visit, I drove another two and a half hours to see my grandparents. I have not seen them in over a year. I spent two days with them. My favorite part about visiting my grandparents is always my grandma's amazing cooking. I wanna know how she cooks so good? And the question of the day: Is it really the ingredient of LOVE that makes it so much yummier then any other place?

So, to make a long story short, I drove back to Milwaukee (5 hours alone is a grueling drive), had dinner with some great friends that drove up from Chicago to see me & flew home the following day in the morning. It was a pleasant trip to Wisconsin.

The following two weeks was a blur of meetings, visiting people and beaches. I went to Epcot Center at Disney World with my mom & we had a great time. I've never been. So we dined in Morocco, France & Mexico. Also my friend Kala got married the Saturday before I left. It was a nice thing to be able to be a part of this page-turning event in her life. Not only did she look fabulous, but the wedding was gorgeous & so was the food & entertainment. Congrats Kala!

And as for the trip back to Guatemala, all went well. Carrie brought me to the airport. I hardly waited to check in. Both of my bags made it with everything intact & still there!

I had a blessed trip back to the States. It was great to see some of you & next year, I look forward to seeing you all again! Thank you so much for your prayers & support. Thank you for being so welcoming, making my trip a memorable one. God bless you.