Ippistle 27 Thanksgiving

Dear family and friends,

We wish you all a “Happy Thanksgiving”. May you enjoy this special time as you gather with your family and friends, and as you reflect on God’s abundant provision.

As you may know, Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday. Thursday, November 25 is just another rectangle on the Hungarian calendar, and this week of work will proceed as it normally does. But we Americans can and do find ways to celebrate our thankfulness, and to get together in our “families”, and to even eat turkey with all the fixings!

The TeachOverseas teachers of central Europe just gathered for a four-day retreat. Nearly 40 of us converged at the train station in Pardubice, Czech Republic, and then took a short bus ride to a remote Youth for Christ center. We enjoyed wonderful fellowship, worship, relaxation, and good food together. On Thursday night we had our long-anticipated turkey dinner, including a dessert table containing the homemade goodies that many of our colleagues prepared. There were lots of pumpkin, pecan, and apple creations that reminded us of our typical after dinner treats back home. We had plenty of time for worship and communion together, and also for group games each night. (Jack and Sharon, our apartment-mate from last year won the Bananagram tournament resoundingly!) On Friday and Saturday we had various meetings and sectionals designed to broaden our understanding of teaching overseas, to encourage us in our work, and to learn how to live better with each other. Cindy gave a one-hour sectional on knowing our personalities, using the Enneagram. She had the rapt attention of at least twenty-five people, and her presentation started lots of discussions that lasted even onto the train home. On Sunday morning we were on the bus at 7:45 to begin our various trips back home. Quite certainly all of us were spiritually and physically refreshed, and ready to tackle the next four weeks before our Christmas breaks.

Tonight we will enjoy the gathering of our home fellowship group at our friends, the Ballantynes. About fifteen of us are together on Tuesday nights for a wonderful home-cooked meal and a Bible study. So we will have another turkey dinner to share with our small group. This is quite a contrast from last week’s meeting, when we went out after dinner and distributed about 50 blankets and other “winter wear” items to homeless people who spend their nights in the metro stations.

On Thursday this week eight of us ESI Budapest teachers will celebrate our colleague Bethany’s birthday with yet another Thanksgiving dinner, with everyone contributing some part of the dinner. Our apartment is the largest and has the roomiest (7’x12’) kitchen, so we will meet here. Plus we are looked up to as the “mom and dad” with these twenty-somethings. It is a role that we don’t mind having!

We are so thankful for God’s providence in our lives. He truly provides! Over a week ago we sent out a letter regarding our financial situation, and in one week already we have had ten special gifts sent to the TeachOverseas office. We give Him the praise and thanks for this. We are so thankful for our family back home, who often has to fill in for us, or perform some necessary actions for us. We are so thankful that God has made this entire adventure work for His honor and glory, and that you are interested in sharing this adventure with us.

Our Christmas vacation begins on Friday, December 17, when we arrive late that night in Zeeland. The following two weeks will be filled with holding grandkids, visiting Orsi and Zoli in Ohio (and bringing them back to Michigan with us to celebrate Christmas together!) but mostly family celebrations in Zeeland and Wheaton. We return to Budapest on January1 and 2.


“Give thanks with a grateful heart…because He’s given Jesus Christ, His son.”
Thankfully!

Jack and Cindy