Thanksgiving in Haiti

Thanksgiving in Haiti was remarkably normal

Much of the day was spent in the kitchen, preparing for the late afternoon celebration - savoring the thanksgiving day things – ( including the phone calls from kids and friends – greatly anticipated and totally savored!! ) – not only the food prep but also the heart prep – counting the innumerable things we are blessed with and thankful for.

The aromas were tantalizing and my heart was more and more full as the day went by!

Larrry and I had bought the bird when we were in Port earlier in the week; the cooks did the honors and their gravy was WONDERFUL!  I don’t believe they had to strain the lumps out, either!

The other missionaries were to bring sides.  BUT as the week went on, we realized that our guests were increasing,( we celebrated with Americans, Brits, Danes, Canadians and Haitians!) and we were going to have about 10 more people eating that turkey than planned!!  So, our neighbor baked a whole chicken and I made  2 pound meatloaf to add to the mix – and all was well!  Not much of anything was left!  Wassail, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce ( GIANT, one of the two American-esque grocery stores in Port, carried the needed seasonal items!) roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping, green beans, sliced carrots and militone and tomatoes, pipitas and piklese ( contributed by the Haitian guests), Madam Samy’s dinner rolls (glad we have some of them left – I had her make about 60!!) – then pies!  Pecan, pumpkin, apple – and cake!!  YUM!

Gathering in the gwo kay (guest house) dining room
for the feast.  The kids had made table decorations!

Madam Samy, Madam Felicione and Se Cristlin did the honors in the kitchen – and then asked to have their picture taken with the bird!  Can’t wait to give them a copy of it.

Faithful, long-time cooks for the mission.

After dinner and before dessert, the children entertained with a really good play – a TV interview of three of the original Pilgrim children – with a surprise ending!  Great job!

Our mission thespians!

While enjoying the meal, I must admit I was thinking of those just outside our gates who, I am sure,  had never seen so much food as we had laid out on our serving counter – or put into our stomach.  The sense of great thankfulness remained in my heart, but the full stomach felt too much like guilty gluttony.  We have so much and are so blessed.  

After living in Haiti, I hope I will never become flip about saying that.

The morning after, Greg Edmonds posted a great thought on Facebook which helps -

Today I can’t even begin to list all the things I am thankful for, but living in a country like Haiti helps me realize so many things that I’ve always taken for granted. I can still remember standing on a hillside just outside a school for children living in a badly impoverished town in Nicaragua in June 2009. Our mission team joined a local church that would feed these children two times per week. I passed out meals to children in two classrooms and watched many of them begin to eat with their dirty fingers the plate of rice, beans, and a slice of bread. I handed out my last plate and knew I was about to break down. I left the room and walked to the edge of the hill looking out over the city. I was weeping and the only words I could pray were, “God, why was I born in the USA and not in a place like this?” After thinking over that and repeating it several times the Lord simply impressed on my heart, “Greg, you were born in the USA so you can do exactly what you are doing now.” It is great to be blessed, but it is even better to BE a blessing. You never know when you may be an answer to someone’s prayer. What is God wanting to do through you?

Thanks, Greg – I needed that reminder from God through you!  It IS a blessing - and a privilege - to be a blessing!   

so.....What IS God wanting to do through you?