To be Thankful

"...Proclaiming you LOVE in the MORNING and you FAITHFULNESS at night." -Psalm 92:2

It's been kind of a long week in Quito for this girl.  I've spent the week fighting a stomach bug...pretty typical around these parts.  But still less than ideal.  We finished up academics on Tuesday, and I had lots of plans of fun adventures I was going to go on and places I was going to visit.  And instead I've spent the week drinking Gatorade and watching movies on the couch.  Not what I expected.  The first morning I had to cancel my plans I literally freaked out.  "What am I going to do all day?  I need to make these days count.  I'm wasting precious days in Quito...."  Which is true, and is a bummer, but God really challenged those thoughts with: "Why do you freak out at the thought of an entire day without plans? Why are you so ashamed that you can't do things for yourself?  Why do you feel so badly when someone asks you what you did today and you say 'nothing'?"  So I've been moving slowly.  I've been saying no.  I've had to ask for help. And I'm finally getting better.  It hasn't been my favorite week here, but it could have been a whole lot worse.  And I still have a whole lot to be thankful for. A whole lot.

Here is part of what I jounaled on the roof this morning:
Yesterday was Thanksgiving -- it's the first Thanksgiving I've ever spent away from home.  We had our great big Thanksgiving Feast and celebration on Wednesday -- which was great -- but then without church and family and fall leaves it was hard to remember it was actually Thanksgiving.  And since I wasn't feeling good I had a hard time being thankful  But God -- you deserve SO. MUCH. THANKS.  So much praise.  Help me continually access my life and see the many many reasons to be thankful and to praise you.  Keep me aware of these things everyday--and may you continually receive my thanks and praise.

Thankfulness List:
-Mountains
-Sun
-Beaches -- all across the world
-A family who will support me wherever I go
-An incredible community at Trinity -- who let me pour into them, and then turn around and pour into me
-New friends
-All things Ecuador
-God's love -- which I don't have to earn...simply receive
-God's grace
-And His faithfulness
-Third Tib
-The Dream Team
-Opportunity
-Rest
-Abby in Quito with me
-A home in MI
-Health for my family

And those are just a few of the many many reasons to give thanks.  Seeking to proclaim God's love and faithfulness, from morning til night.

We are heading to the jungle tomorrow.  We are hosting a VBS for a community there, and doing some manual labor at the same school we were at before.  Prayers for this trip would be appreciated -- we are in charge of all the planning and needless to say I'm a little nervous.  But I'm trusting God to fill in the gaps where our plans fail.  I will be Internet-less, just FYI.
We get back from the jungle on Thursday, and then head to the beach on Saturday.  I'll try to blog about our time in the jungle between those two trips, so be watching.
Until then.
Blessings.
I am thankful for you.