Thankfulness....

We have been very blessed over the past year.  I decided that I would make a list of the top 10 serious things that I am thankful for.  Then I decided I that for fun I would add 10 more less serious sounding things, but trust me... as a mom living in Venezuela, they are important! I hope you take a moment & think about the things that you are thankful for.  And don't forget to say a prayer for our family!

1.  I am thankful for our safety here in Venezuela.  Things can get a bit crazy here sometimes!

2.  I am thankful that we have remained healthy minus a few allergies, colds, & scrapes.  Dealing  with      doctors & hospitals here can cause great stress, frustration, & not the best of medical care.  I am thankful to have not had to deal with those stresses.

3.  I am thankful for my 3 children.  Though they have moments of bringing great frustration from yelling, fighting, & whining.... they also bring us great joy & are blessings to our family.  Life is definitely NEVER dull!

4.  I am thankful for my husband.  He can be quite the handful as well, but I can't imagine going through life without him.

5.  I am thankful for the great "Missionary Mom" friends that I have all over the world.  These dear friends are always there & they understand the obstacles that we each face living overseas.  If you get a chance, check out their blogs listed on the left side of my blog entitled Moms on a Mission.  They are fabulous ladies!

6.  I am thankful for our family back home.  Even though we only get to see them on skype or talk on the phone, they are very much a part of what we do & are a great support for us.

7.  I am thankful for the friends that God has placed in our lives here in Venezuela.  We could not do the things we do here in Venezuela without the encouragement & support of our Venezuelan family.

8.  I am thankful for the churches & supporters back home that believe in us & support us monthly so that we can stay here & continue to invest in the lives of the people of Venezuela.

9.  I am thankful for our missionary family here in Venezuela.  We are small in number & live large distances apart, but we all have a common denominator & the times we have to spend together are always special.

10.  I am thankful that despite of our weaknesses, God is able to use us to accomplish greatness for His glory.  And I am blessed that we can walk this road as a family fulfilling the call that God has placed on our lives.

11. I am thankful that my children received their Hepatitis A & B vaccinations!

12.  I am thankful that we have running water & rarely have to deal with it not working.

13.  I am thankful that parasite medicine is easily accessible at the local pharmacy.

14.  I am thankful that for the past 6 months I have been able to find Kraft American cheese slices.

15.  I am thankful for comfortable mattresses.

16.  I am thankful for days with no checkpoints when we travel. (this means various types of cops & machine guns)

17.  I am thankful for the days when we find a different product in the grocery store that reminds us of home.  (This doesn't happen often)

18.  I am thankful for a nice house in a safe community with plenty of security guards.

19.  I am thankful for crocs shoes.  They may be ugly to some but they are definitely the shoes for all missionary kids! (especially boys!)

20.  I am thankful for good Spanish days!  Trust me, not all days are good! 

From our family to yours, we would like to wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!