Thanks, Lord

Some days are harder than others.  Maybe it's the kids getting up before dawn (yes, we still have sleep issues), or the last few weeks of fevers, puking, and lots of gross laundry.  Maybe it's the tilt of the earth that puts us off kilter :) or getting frustrated with a "today-is-not-my-day-to-speak-Creole-day."  Or maybe it's that you can't find your daughter's Social Security card anywhere and you really need it to do your taxes.... This week has had a few of those patience-is-gone kind of days, and so I had to turn my thoughts to what I really don't have to complain about.

Thanks Lord, that we're usually healthy.  That we haven't had the nasty normal winter respiratory crud that comes with littles.  Thanks that Orrin can go swing or play outside all winter long...and I never have to put on coats, gloves, hats, boots, or be cooped up inside for months with an energetic boy that needs to run outside.  Thanks that I have Madam Ino who is a super huge help, and I can leave the baby when she's sleeping and go run up to the hospital or go swing Orrin.

Thanks that David gets to be home every night.  As much as we LOVED his paramedic schedule, it is nice to have him home for every meal, and around every night to help shower kids and put them to bed.

Thanks for the team here at the hospital, that others go to town and get mail, and even picks up random groceries for me.  Thanks for the lady who makes loaves of fresh bread that I can buy, and delivers them to my door!  Thanks for her brother in law who is a tailor, and came and picked up some of our clothes to do some altering....at least I think I'll be thankful when he brings them back ;) Thanks for all the fresh produce that people come to sell just when I need it.

Thanks for all the neat experiences that we and our kids get to have.  Thanks for all the cultural experiences, how the kids will be used to diversity, and maybe even be able to speak a little in another language!  Thanks that we get to go to the beach, that we can eat seafood without going to Maine :)  Thanks that the kids can see chickens and goats and pigs at home.  Thanks that we get to meet people from all over and build relationships.

Thanks for the opportunity to make us think.  About things we never would have given much thought to before.  The past few nights, David and I have had an ongoing conversation about friendship.  At home we just had friends. It wasn't necessarily complicated. Now we wonder... What is friendship?  What makes a friend?  Why am I friends with my friends?  What are my friendship needs?  Who do I want to be friends with?  Who do I want to seek out more of a relationship with?  What role does status (and the difference between rich and poor) have in our relationships here?  What does God want from us in our time here?

Thanks for the TWO MONTHS of furlough that we get every year!  (Need I say more?)  Thanks for the Hospital and how it's progressing!!  Thanks for the times we find a good place to eat or a place that sells apples and lettuce.  Thanks for the fun we have discovering good local food and fun ways to cook with it.  Thanks for an embassy that lets you apply for a replacement social security card :-p. Thanks for the mission organization that we're with and all the people back home that support us.

Thanks for Jesus.  Thanks for being a holy, loving, merciful, righteous God.  Thanks that the joy of the Lord is our strength.  And thanks that we can look forward to that joy for all eternity.