I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and
friends this week. A small group of us
celebrated together yesterday, and it was very enjoyable. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to
celebrate the many unusual reasons for gratitude that life here affords. So in no particular order, I present to you
my unique thanksgivings:
1. My day guard (yes, I have a day guard...no it is not as
cool as it sounds) is mostly deaf, and I have reason to believe his sight is
going. I always have to open my gate by
myself because, well, he never hears me coming. He is cheerful on approximately
the same level as Will Ferrel's Elf. I'm
not sure I've ever seen him have a bad day.
Sometimes that cheer is a little more than I can swallow first thing in
the morning, but it has grown on me.
Speaking of mornings, he listens to his radio so loud (I'm sure he can
barely hear it) I often wake up to it. Despite
all the quirks, he regularly puts a smile on my face and gives me a story to
tell. And a good story is always
something to be thankful for.
2. I'm thankful for the body's ability to adjust to extreme
heat. This is what keeps me alive, just
barely, during hot season, but even better, it is what allows me to enjoy the
"cold" season. As the nights
slip down into the low 70's, I pull my down comforter over me, imagine snow
falling outside, and sleep like a rock.
This is, after all, the closest I feel I need to get to winter.
3. The lack of anything worth watching on TV suits me just
fine. It is one less draw in a schedule
that is already overbooked. I've also
noticed that it makes watching rerun movies, like Princess Bride, and Youtube
clips of Jimmy Fallon all the funnier.
So loads of gratitude to the 2 lousy public channels here for,
ironically, keeping my life more entertaining.
4. I'm thankful for
coworkers that speak all the same languages as me, so that when I inadvertently
mix my sentences, they just nod in understanding. They are also not judgmental when you look at
them in genuine confusion and say, "How DO you say that in English?"
As one teammate once said, "I used to think becoming trilingual made you
really smart. Now I understand that it
just means that you speak no language well."
5. The existence of salad is something I never dreamed of
being thankful for before. However, if it weren't for salad, and people's sense
of obligation to have it present at every meal, I'd actually have to cook when
my team has a potluck. Instead, they
look at me, the lone single guy, and say, "Uh, Jake, could you possibly
bring salad?" Well, it is a real stretch, but I'll see what I can do.
6. I'm especially thankful for blog readers like you who put
up with ma folie... err... my foolishness.
Prayer Requests:
1. Continue to pray for the security situation here. We are currently feeling secure and have
proper plans in place in case of some crisis.
However, we'd love to work and minister in freedom without having to
worry. Also, we see how this situation
discourages our national brothers and sisters.
2. Pray for our team as we enter the Christmas season. It is a busy time for us and also a time for
many outreaches in different forms. Pray
that the Lord would use our different events very strategically.
3. Several different families are considering joining our
team. Pray that the Lord would make His
will known to them and to us regarding this.
We'd love to have them all, but we really want the Lord to lead in this
process.
4. My men's Bible Study continues to go well. The trust level is growing, which is allowing
for even better conversation. Pray that
the Lord would continue to encourage these men to be real examples and leaders
in their workplace (i.e. the hospital).
5. Early in December, we have a big meeting scheduled with
leaders from both sides of the nearby border to discuss strategy in church
planting. Please pray for this meeting
to go well, for the Lord to guide everyone in His wisdom, and for a resulting
cooperation between these churches that then gives church growth in this
strategic area.
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