Thanksgiving Blessing

Our Thanksgiving was certainly a blessed day.  In the past, since arriving in Portugal, we've celebrated Thanksgiving on the weekend after because the kids were always in school on Thanksgiving Day.  While I enjoyed each of those celebrations, it always made me feel a little sad when Thursday came and went without any celebration.  Normal routines, normal day, nothing special really.....sad day.

But this past Thursday, there was a nation wide strike planned throughout all of Portugal.   So this meant that there may or may not be a bus driver for the kids that morning.  If they made it to school, there may or may not be a teacher for the first class, or the second, or the third....you get the idea....

We've been here long enough to know that anything could happen on these days, so we took advantage of the uncertainly and allowed the kids to stay home Thanksgiving Day.  We planned a lunch with other Americans and together we celebrated and shared about the blessings God has bestowed upon us this year.

This was our table and our honored guests.

Earlier than the kids would have liked, the buzzer rang from the front gate.  The kids know what that means!  No one visits unannounced before noon around here, so a visitor at this hour only means one thing......A PACKAGE FROM THE STATES!!  Since it's not a holiday around here, the mailman was still working and delivered a special box of goodies from Mimi!

Brooklyn with our special friend, Ms. Pat.

 

The kids going through the box of goodies.

This was after our bellies were full and we were being lazy by the fire, watching football.

John, our sweet friend and cancer survivor, with Faith.

Justice showing off his new hat from Mimi.  Just in time for the Alabama/Auburn game.

The kiddos table.

Michael and I

Bro. Mosely and Ms. Pat

Sweet Taneski and Lovely Lauren, basketball players from the States here playing ball in Barcelos.

Our day was so special and for the first time in 4 years, it actually felt like Thanksgiving!  We may have to let the kids play hooky on Thanksgiving day from now on???  Maybe the school will excuse it for religious reasons?!  Wouldn't that be awesome!

I hope you're all doing well.  We are moving right along.  God is working in miraculous ways, but the devil is doing his share too.  Please be in pray for the Andrzejewski Family as we continue to try to serve Him faithfully here where He has put us.

Happy Christmastime to You All!