So Much to be Thankful For!

This Thanksgiving was especially awesome. It was only the second Thanksgiving ever that I was away from home, but this time, I was too amazed by God's goodness to get homesick. I ate my Thanksgiving meal of prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes and grilled veggies at Outback in Ciaro, then boarded a plane back to Israel. While I was driving past the old city walls of Jerusalem, my family at home was preparing for the traditional Kenyon family feast thanking God for Gramma's remission from lymphoma and her ability to eat a full plate of food. Is it possible that I would have ever dreamed I'd be in Egypt and Israel on Thanksgiving. Again, I am so amazed at the places the Lord has taken me.
Before leaving Cairo, we were able to spend time with our new Egyptian friends. Our translator, Sara, introduced her to about 10 of her closest friends who soon became some of our closest friends. Their kindness and generosity was unbelievable and sometimes hard to accept. They readily helped us shop, find local Egyptian cuisine, and introduced us to the local culture. Genuine hospitality like theirs seems rare and I am so honored that they chose to spend hours entertaining us. On our last night with them, they surprised us with a trip to a local restaurant and "Wonderland", a carnival-type amusement park, including a very rickety old upside down roller coaster and bumper-cars!
So after an amazing time meeting new friends, playing with children at the orphanage, visiting Sudanese Refugees and hospital patients, we are back in Jerusalem for that last two weeks of our sixth month DTS. We are making every day count as we realize how blessed we are and how good the Lord has been to us. Our small team of nine very unlikely friends has turned into a quirky family. My favorite moments are strolling on the streets after dinner, times of devotion in our pajamas nearly every morning, and playing cards as we listen to 90's favorites. This next week we will be taking time to visit the friends we've made here, see the sights we might have missed earlier and "play" in this amazing place. I am so thankful to be celebrating part of the Christmas season in the Holy Land. What more could I possibly ask for?! As a good friend of mine would say, "Go God!"