Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.
I love the cooking, the visiting, the card playing, etc. I love dressing and cranberry sauce and pie. But what I really love is that one of the major holidays in our country is a day set aside to be thankful.
This year was my first year to spend Thanksgiving Day in another country. I didn't really know what to expect. Although the holiday isn't celebrated in Brazil, we decided to take the day off. The local American missionary family (the Jewels) invited all us Americans and also the Brazilian missionaries to spend the day at their house for a traditional Thanksgiving Day celebration. We all brought some food to add to the dinner and despite some challenges getting ingredients we were used to, we had a pretty typical Thanksgiving meal. It was a wonderful day. And you might be surprised to know that our day probably wasn't very different from yours.
We ate turkey, stuffing (not dressing, Greg loved it), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pie. The women all joined in the kitchen and got the food prepared, the men fell asleep in front of the TV, the children ran around the house, after dinner we played a card game. Just the usual stuff. My favorite part of the day was after dinner when we sat together and everyone shared what they are thankful for. I said that I am thankful that no matter where I go in the world, I have family, a christian family that loves and accepts me. Today I missed my earthly family very much, but being with this church family helped.
Everyone at the dinner had something to give thanks for, but there is one in particular that I want to tell you about. We had a special guest at our Thanksgiving dinner, his name is Talis and he is one of Lacy's LST readers. Talis has participated in LST for about 6 months and he has become a regular at worship services and church functions. Today he told us that he is thankful for the LST program He started coming for the English but he began to learn more about the bible and it changed his life completely. He has made a decision to be baptized. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how thrilled we are at this news. This made the day unforgettable! And it just gets better. Talis brought a friend to our October social event and that friend has been coming to the church regularly and studying the bible with one of the missionaries and he has also decided to be baptized. We are praising God tonight and full of thankfulness to Him that we have two new brothers here in Natal!
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29
God is already keeping this promise and I am so thankful for that blessing. And no matter how much I was missing my earthly family today, I know the sacrifice is worth it.

What is the foundation for your life?

Recently I have done one lesson with several readers that has caused me great frustration.
The lesson is taken from Luke 6:46-49
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do what I say? The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them, I will show you what they are like: They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the floods cannot move the house, because it was built well. But the people who hear my words and do not obey are like a man who builds a house without preparing a foundation. When the floods come, the house falls down easily and is completely destroyed."


This is one of the shortest readings and on the surface, the concept is very simple: If you obey Jesus teachings, your life will be built on a strong foundation and you will be prepared to withstand the troubles that come. Almost every reader answers the questions correctly and seems to get the concept right away. When I ask if their life is built on a strong foundation, they say yes. Next I ask them to tell me about that foundation and I get all kinds of answers, anything from family, experiences, ancient prophets, etc.. One even said his mother is religious and that makes his life strong. This is where the frustration begins. They have just said that a strong foundation is built on obeying Jesus teachings and in the next breath they are telling me about their strong foundation built on something totally different. Sometimes I just want to get out my bible and whack them over the head with it (it's paperback, it won't hurt too much). Okay, not really, but I do have to find a gentle way to try to help them see the discrepancy. Often I have to leave the session without any real assurance that they realized the difference in what Jesus said and what they are saying. It is not my job to get my readers to conform to what I think is right or best for them, it is my job to encourage them to learn about Jesus and to illustrate to them what a life built on the foundation of obedience to him looks like. And as my father-in-law so wisely reminded me of tonight, their is power in the Word of God and that power can lead them to Jesus. I might be able to convince them to conform, but Jesus will transform them.

PICTURES

Greg added more pictures to our online photo album. If you would like to view them, click here.