I have not forgotten you!!!

Dear Thanksgiving,

On this sweet November, like many November's before you, others are trying to look past the blessing you provide. It seems so common now to think of other holidays as we get closer and closer to your special day that even in the stores the decorations which focus on you are pushed aside to make way for the holiday season that comes after - as if you were already forgotten. Worry not, my friend, I have not forgotten you. I remember the many Thanksgivings before where you filled my belly with delicious foods, both hot and cold, and provided me with many post meal naps. And, lest I forget, I remember the many Dallas Cowboy football games from years before. Some have been sweet, and others, like the year when a freakish snow covered the Texan landscape and Leon Lett fumbled the ball for the loss, were wretched. Nevertheless, I am not looking past your rich givings to prepare for any other holidays that may surround you, for it is your turn and I will not let some other holiday cut in line as if the holiday order was some Chinese grocery line. No, I will defend you.



This past weekend, Finn and I traveled a great distance, and over many landscapes, to seek out the bird of all holiday birds. Our final destination was Wuhan, where we were able to purchase a turkey from Metro. Not just any turkey, mind you, but THE turkey that will grace the center of the family table. Just like T.O. will do on this Thanksgiving, I received the turkey with open arms and brought it back all the way to Shiyan for the touchdown. At present, the turkey is resting in our good friend Barry's freezer, awaiting its oily bath and the many "ooh's" and "ahh's" of its preciously cooked bounty.



This thanksgiving, like many before, I have much to be thankful for. First of which is my thanks for the family that I will be spending this holiday with. Be it Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas (note the order), my family both here in China and back home will always be in my heart and I will be grateful for my time spent with each of them. This is the second year that I will be unable to spend my Thanksgiving with my family back home, I am mindful of what they mean to me and am gratefully blessed to know they each support me in what I am doing here in China and go out of their way to encourage me. I miss them dearly, but like all sacrifices made in the name of the kingdom, He has a way of giving back and has done so with my family here in Shiyan. John, with is amazing cooking ability and encouraging thoughts on matters of the kingdom, honors me with his company and wisdom... and food. And with every great man is their incredible woman, and I am equally thankful for John's wonderful wife Megan, whose laughter and smile brighten my day upon every meeting and whose encouragement lifts up the other women of Shiyan. I am thankful for Luke and Kat, a couple whose humor is much like mine and whose giving nature resides not in the worry of money but in the concerns of their heart. I am thankful, also, for Finn, who has been with me to laugh and joke every step of the way, who as held me up in tough times, has encouraged me when it was needed, whose heart is not limited by the restraints of time but by the physical limitations of exhaustion. I am thankful for Brad, who constantly covers this family and city in pr/yers; it is no coincidence to me that with a warrior like Brad that it is so easy to see the work He is doing in Shiyan. Across town I am thankful for my friends Barry and James, who lift up my spirit upon every meeting and whose heart for the effort here works overtime. Each day is the best day of their lives and they show it by their smiles, their encouragement, and the influence in our family here. I am thankful for Angelyn, whose giving heart never stops, whose love for the women family members is endless, who challenges me in my walk upon every meeting and whose sarcasm always fills me with happiness. Last, and certainly not least, I am thankful for Jessica. She has been so much to me in they way getting me here to China, in who I am, and in who I want to become.



Equally, I am so thankful for the Chinese here in the city who have also gone out of their way to make me feel at home. For the Chinese family members, I am encouraged so much with the distance they cover daily in their walk(s) with Him and the bravery they display in their development. Also, I am thankful for my teacher friends here at my school, who continually want to spend time with me, teach me to speak Chinese, treat me to dinners, play games with me, and just offer their limited free time to me when they could be spending it elsewhere.



Thanksgiving, I am thankful for you because you provide for a time to sit back and give thought to all the blessings I have received, and you create in me an appreciation for the people that surround me and the people who have given so much of themselves to make me the person I am today.



Sincerely,

Trent