Christmas 2B in the States

"I'm thinking I might go home for Christmas..." I said. "What about our Costa Rica trip?" one asked. "How about we do it over spring break instead," the other suggested. "You want to go home too?" "...yes I do actually" "Well, I do too - but I was just staying because everyone else was staying and...wait...Ann - you were the one who talked us into staying in the first place!"

Sorry...I didn't know I was being persuasive. Before I came, my philosophy was, "Who would go home on a 3 week break in another country when they could use it to explore new places?" The answer to that question, I've discovered, is "me". And now it's all of us.

I'm really looking forward to being on American soil and snow for the break, and I feel it is much needed. I must be crazy to invite myself to the frosty ice age up north when I'm living in the heat of the tropics right now...but there's nothing warmer than home and family. A year is indeed, a long time to be abroad. I have some intense admiration for those who have lived overseas for several years!

La Casa Blanca

Visiting the president of El Salvador - I don't really know how it happened - I found out some people were taking 40 students to the White House on a field trip, and it was during my free morning...so I kind of just walked on the bus and pretended I was invited. Above is a pic of me and Courtney with President Saca himself.

Thank God I'm Irish

Okay, there was a Turkey board at the school that said, “Dad al Señor su gratitud.” But other than that, Thanksgiving was ignored by most here. Some people go out to celebrate because a few restaurants play it up and put on a special meal, and a few families might have a Turkey that night. Maybe it’s kind of like when my mom makes corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day and we eat and think, “Thank God I’m Irish” and then everyone goes their separate ways.

We did, of course, celebrate Thanksgiving – twice actually! Well…three times, if the Chinese food on Thanksgiving night counts…I missed my family and my aunt’s pies and the laughter over another game of Balderdash, and the football game playing on the tv in the background. I missed going out to breakfast with my dad and putting up the Christmas tree with my family on the Friday after.

But here I was, in El Salvador, surrounded by the faces of friends standing around my table, and I knew this Thanksgiving would be different…not just because I was in another country…and not just because I hadn’t showered for a while (being that the water was cut off again at our house). I thought we would give a simple “Thank you God” kind of prayer before our feast, but instead – one by one – everyone in the room took turns thanking each other for their gift of friendship, thanking us for being a part of their lives, thanking God for bringing us all together. I forgot about the turkey…for a while. I forgot that I was thousands of miles from home on such a special day...for about five minutes. I forgot that I was dirty and smelly (though I’m not sure everyone around me could). All I could think was what a wonderful life I’ve been given by the Giver, and how incredible it is to share it.

Over this past month, things here have gotten so much better. I want to say it’s been a change in my circumstances, but I can’t think of anything that really changed. One day I just woke up and decided to start looking at the colors in life instead of a black and white world. Even wanting to do this is really a gift from God...I’m learning that optimism comes from Him – it’s called hope – and I’m convinced it requires a lot of contentment, which comes from deliberately giving thanks for everything…

“We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:3-5