Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for several reasons.

In no particular order...

#1. Great food!
#2. Spending time with loved ones
#3. Remembering all the things we can be thankful for
#4. I love Fall!
#5. Did I mention great food?

Here's a list of how those things translated to my first Thanksgiving in Namibia...

#1. The food was great! Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, CAKE BALLS!, peach cobbler, and more...
#2. Spent the holiday with 7 other American missionaries. Lots of smiles, lots of happily filled bellies. (And I did get to talk to/Skype with my family so that was an added blessing.)
#3. Still so much to be thankful for even when I'm 7,000 miles away from my loved ones.
#4. The high today was 95. Fall colors do not exist here, unless you count the brown from the sand and dirt...
#5. Did I mention the food was great?

Other things that made this day a wonderful day...

Falconer decided last night to be creative and decorate the table quite nicely. She used glass bottles from around the house, placed candles in them, found matching napkins we turned into placemats, and she and I made a "Happy Thanksgiving" banner to hang on our barren wall. It was beautiful and just a special treat for everyone to have that extra bit of effort going towards this special day. She also made hats for everyone. We were either Indians (Native Americans to be PC) or Pilgrims.

We borrowed a projector from Steve and Pam Brown (who are enjoying their Thanksgiving in Cape Town!) and watched "Made of Honor". That was great considering we don't have a TV and movies are a nice way for all of us to kick back and relax.

I made two batches of cake balls that were a big hit. I had received some funfetti icing in a care package and I managed to find the rest of the ingredients here. American cake mix here is over 5 bucks a box! Mom also supplied us with some peppered gravy. It was SO good and delightfully enjoyed with the mashed potatoes and turkey.

It was just a great day. And it was a special gathering to have all of us together, each of us missing our families back home, yet able to enjoy our fellowship together and a delicious feast that truly was as "Thanksgiving" as it gets! God is so good and His blessings are immeasurable. I wish days like this could last forever. Thankfully, there are leftovers! And apparently we'll be having some kind of a Thanksgiving sandwich for lunch tomorrow because it's tradition in Falconer's family to throw everything that's left between two slices for bread... she says it's fantastic. I'll keep you posted! ;)

And what a blessing to realize that even after all the food is gone, God's blessings never end.

May this holiday truly be a blessed one for you and yours!