Thanksgiving 2011

One thing that I have found to be important in adjusting to life overseas is to keep alive your own cultural traditions. This can require creativity and awareness as many products that you might normally need are not available and when no one else around you is participating in the same traditions as you. One big tradition that we continue while we are here is celebrating thanksgiving.

These past two years a big group of us have gotten together at a community center about an hour from our home city. It is a fantastic location because there is plenty of space, it is very relaxing and there are multiple ovens for preparing a thanksgiving feast. This year we were a group of about 30. We were from all different lines of work and organizations, but brought together by our common culture and friendships. We had an awesome time.

We started the day with a “turkey trot” 5K run! Our hosts had mapped out the whole thing on a country road a little ways from the community center. It was beautiful scenery and there was a car following at the back as well as one at the front making the finish line. I walked with my boys and a friend (finished about half of it before the others were complete) and the rest of the group, with Scott, ran the entire thing. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains, lots of twists and turns in the road and I’m sure some more than curious passer-byers! After this everyone started in on their various assignments to bring the big meal together. Somehow we managed to bring it all together to have every holiday favorite! Pretty much everything has to be made from complete scratch and we have to learn to use lots of substitutes, but the result was worth it!

Turkey Trot 5K complete!

Ethan stretching with Stacy after the run

Ethan enjoying the pie making

The rest of the day was spent having good conversations, playing games and just relaxing.  We decided to stay the night this year, along with a few others, and enjoyed cinnamon rolls and eggs together in the morning.  Overall it was a fantastic time!  Zeke had to end his time with a second trip to the dentist, but once again he braved it like a champ.

We are so grateful for our friends and family here.  These are the things that make a home.  It has nothing to do with geographic location, but everything to do with being where God has you to be, building a network of relationships and finding contentment amidst a world that is vastly different than any you’ve known before.  I am thankful that my family and I have found that here.  Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving!

another tradition born