St. Lucia : Thanksgiving Week

I’ve done so well at keeping up this blog until this last week. So a little late I guess is better than never! Last week in general was a normal week with a few exceptions, American Thanksgiving being one of them. Let me tell you it was weird being in the Caribbean for Thanksgiving. It seemed like just a normal day for me as I had to teach, however the pictures that I got from family and friends reminded me that I was missing some great food. It was a bit weird knowing that I was missing out on a holiday, however Thanksgiving was not completely lost. We went over to Pastor and Jennifer’s house where we had a Thanksgiving feast! I enjoyed turkey, potatoes, stuffing, bread, corn, green bean casserole, apple pie, and apple crisp. Everyone contributed to Thanksgiving meal and I am still amazed how Jennifer pulled off a Thanksgiving meal for roughly 40 people. It was a very nice night and definitely made it easier being away from home. After the meal, Abby, Tanya, and I helped with dishes and then Abby and I went to Keebees with Pastor, Ravi and Mr. Erik for the first half of the Packer game. I really realized how much I do have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for...

Jennifer and Pastor Tom for hosting Thanksgiving dinner and always being there for us. Their house is like our second home on the island. They are our family away from family, and we appreciate all the rides they give us, as well as all the activities they include us in.
Pastor Bram. He also gives us rides when we need them, especially on piano days. He also comes to Keebees to cheer on the Packers! Go Pack Go!
My co-teachers. Teacher Robin and Teacher Najma do a tremendous job! They both are so easy to work with and really supportive. They make my life as a teacher so easy.
My students. They always keep me on my toes!
My family for taking time to skype me or send me messages as they celebrated Thanksgiving. Hearing from them makes the distance more bearable.
My friends who still keep in contact with me even from afar. It’s always good to hear from them and how they are doing, as well as have that support system behind me.
My roommates who I can have fun with doing just about everything. Yes, even standing around the kitchen washing Thanksgiving dishes.
My church family. They make it all worth it and I truly have enjoyed getting to know them all better.
Casey and Kerne who at times turn into our “walking taxi”. At night it is not safe for us to be walking in most places by ourselves, so Casey and Kerne will walk us home if need be. Friday night Abby and I had Dominos pizza for the first time and it was delicious! We then went to Keebees for drinks and headed home for an early night.
Jeff (a friend of Jen and Tom's whose wife knows Tanya) who brought us each a treat from Canada. The treat I requested was chocolate chips and man did they make some good cookies!
My job, not many 22 year olds can say that they have a full time job in St. Lucia.
A piano to practice on at home. If I hadn’t practiced there would be no way I could have played for the Advent by Candlelight service we had at church on Sunday. (Silent Night and Away in the Manger were not as hard as I thought.)
Public transportation that is very easy and cheap to take.
A wonderful house that is so close to school and in such a convenient location. Not many people can say that they are within walking distance of their job, the supermarket, the mall, restaurants, the bank and the beach.
A cold shower after a hot and sweaty day. It is still in the 80’s here and sweat is something that I have just gotten used to (not that I like it).
A bridge to cross that will help diminish traffic- we were pretty excited to finally have the bridge repaired and traffic is now back to normal.
Families at church who invite us to their family celebrations. This last week we’ve gotten to celebrate Jaxon’s and Ethan’s birthdays.
That my “cry count” is only at 2. Pastor Tom’s question for a while was how much have you cried since being here… still 2.
Sticky group. We were able to put together an Advent by Candlelight service that went really well. Both members and non-members alike seemed to enjoy the fellowship and food.

So as you can see, I have a lot to be thankful for. 12 days from today I will be on a plane headed home for Christmas. I am very excited to see my family and friends. I’m hoping that the snow and the cold will help it feel more like Christmas! I try so hard with the Christmas music here, but it still feels like summer. Oh well!

"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."