Diarrhea for Five Years/Thanksgiving in Maputo

Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite days in Mozambique so far. Seems odd I realize since holidays are a time of being with family and if you’re not with your family, you should be sad. (assuming you like your family) Let me be very clear: I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! I hate to brag but I really do have the coolest family ever and I love our Thanksgiving traditions. So it seems that I should have woken up a bit gloomy and wrought with homesickness on Thanksgiving. However, whether it was because I knew I would be home soon for Christmas or it was a sweet gift from Jesus, instead I was filled with joy and gratitude on this Thanksgiving and fell asleep fully content, at peace, and with a smile on my face.

I didn’t have any life-changing experiences on this day: No incredible adventures, no jaw-dropping tales, no stories to write home about. (you may be wondering why on earth I am “writing home” then- I’ll get to it I promise) What I did have however, was an “attitude of gratitude.” (gotta love the cheesy rhythms- my least favorite word to spell by the way) The entire day God was constantly reminding me of the many ways He has blessed my life and continues to bless me over here in Africa. Makes it tough to mope around missing my family when every corner I turned, there was God saying, “Tada….remember how I’ve done this for you?” (I don’t actually think God says, ‘Tada' sounds a little too informal for Him)

The OC team came over in the morning for our weekly prayer meeting and I was reminded how fortunate I am to be a part of team that cares for each other and uplifts each other. I would have had such a different experience if I had come to Africa to teach at an International School as I had originally desired. (I REALLY didn't want to raise support) This team has cared for me as a family and made it possible for me to feel at home here. Next I went for a run to the beach with Gizmo and was reminded how fortunate I am to live near such natural beauty to run by and to have my very own bodyguard. We both collapsed when we got back since it was over 100 degrees and I had made Gizmo sprint with me playing, “pretend we’re being chased by muggers.” (he loves that game and yes, I still play pretend and you should too) After a pleasant afternoon nap, I awoke to the familiar, delicious scent of a turkey roasting in the oven and was reminded how blessed I am to have Madalena/Martha Stewart as a roommate. We prepared the house for our evening Thanksgiving meal and friends began to trickle in bringing incredible side dishes with them. (I think my favorite was the orange jello with mango in it- I had 3 large helpings) Of course I am thankful for the food here!! I had eaten a decent size lunch to stretch my stomach so I would have the maximum room for Thanksgiving dishes and wore shorts with an elastic band (stole the idea from Joey Tribiani) to ensure nothing would hinder me from stuffing my face. It was a joyous occasion:)

I will award myself with "quote of the night," from a conversation I was having with a German missionary. You know those great awkward moments when it suddenly gets silent in a room that was previously full of conversation at the exact moment someone is saying something totally bizarre if you hadn't heard the conversation? Example: sudden silence just as I ask Mattheus, "So you had diarrhea for FIVE years?" I don't know who should have been more embarrassed in that moment but Mattheus was blushing as I explained he had lived in a rural village for 5 years drinking the lake water. Here's a picture of our Thanksgiving group. Apparently I am playing "peek-a-boo" from behind the chair. Why am I always such an awkward poser pictures? (only in pictures- not in life)

I don’t know why but I decided to take pictures of everyone during the prayer but Henrik, our crazy Swedish neighbor and Gizmo’s owner, noticed the camera and tried to look extra “holy.” If you recall from a past entry, I talked about how I always pictured missionaries as these very holy and ultra-conservative people who rarely sinned...then I met Henrik:) He definitely keeps us laughing.

Being in Africa on Thanksgiving made it easier to be overcome with gratitude as I compared everything I have to the very little that most Mozambicans have. When I first arrived, I felt very guilty for having so much, but I’ve realized that I shouldn’t feel guilty for God’s blessings but rather, need to be even more aware of these blessings and be careful that I don’t feel a sense of entitlement. I don’t deserve the amazing gifts He has showered on me and I need constant reminders that His blessings truly are GIFTS, nothing that I have earned by my measly attempts to “be good.” It seems only fitting that on Thanksgiving I would record some of the many gifts God has given me recently and praise Him for these gifts that I am so thankful for.

1. FAMILY. As previously mentioned, my family pretty much is the coolest. Being continents apart has forced me to appreciate them in new ways this year and being away from them has been the hardest part about being in Mozambique. Instead of being sad on this day that I can't stuff my face with them, I will reflect on why I am so thankful for them and what I miss. I am so thankful that I have parents who are so much fun and such great examples for me. I miss moving-hopping with them and going out to dinner with them. I miss all our conversations and eating giant bowls of ice cream while watching our favorite shows and laughing when my mom starts snoring during the late shows. (If I'm still hanging out with my parents so much in 10 years, someone please make me move out and set me up on a date) I am so thankful that I have the best big sister ever. I had no idea when I was an obnoxious junior-higher and Heidi was a cool high schooler that she would one day become my best friend. I miss running with her, watching basketball with her (yelling at refs with her) eating Golden Spoon with her, laughing with her, sharing clothes with her. (I did however steal a few things from her to wear here) I miss her 47 calls a day to talk about nothing. I am so thankful that she married such an incredible man who fits so perfectly into our family. I miss playing "guess that tune" as Dan plays the piano and Heidi and I try to sing and I miss coaching with Dan and "talking strategy" with him. I am so thankful that they brought the most incredible nephew into my life. I miss holding Vander, making him laugh, and watching him grow. I can't wait to high-five him for real and teach him how to say "auntie Katie" and squeeze him so much that I will ingrain myself into his memory. I am so thankful God blessed me with 2 hilarious, wonderful brothers. I miss late-night-chats when they'd come in my room while I was working just to talk and make me laugh. I miss fighting for the remote and shotgun with them, giving them grave-diggers, laughing with them during church, watching sports and cartoons with them, chasing them up the stairs, hiding the last dessert from them, and playing games with them. (I don't however miss dodging the boogers they spit at me or screaming when they hide throughout the house to scare me) One of my standards for my future husband is that he must make me pee my pants from laughing so hard and both of my brothers have accomplished this- I miss how much I laugh with them. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with an amazing future sister-in-law. I miss watching b-ball games and our favorite shows with Emma, I miss talking about celebrities and eating her amazing desserts. I miss how she would always come in my room to chat when I was about to go to bed. I'm so glad I got to know her so well before she becomes an official Hardeman!

2. FRIENDS. One huge blessing in being single is the ability to invest in friendships and God has spared no expense in showering me with amazing friends- I really do feel spoiled. I have incredible friends which I've bonded with in different stages of life but another hard part about leaving America was leaving these friendships. These amazing women who have encouraged, molded, uplifted, challenged, inspired, and sharpened me are no longer just a phone call away. As the song says, "You give and take away," and for this stage of my life, these dear friends have been in a way "taken away" from me since I can't see them or talk to them whenever I want. I’m not the best at making new friends. I’ve relied for too long on the “instant friendships” which come from basketball teams and in college I clung to Jenny for dear life and relied on her to make friends for me. Pathetic I know but I’ve never claimed to have excessive social skills. I have been overwhelmed by the friendships God has brought my way here in Mozambique. Friends that I can be real with, that I can be my quirky self around and not grow self-conscious; friends that I can laugh with “go deep” with; friends who are in similar situations and understand my worries and problems and the cultural stresses of Mozambique; friends to rejoice with, watch Grey’s Anatomy with, have adventures with, go out to eat with, run with, babysit with, go to church with, pray with; friends at work, at home, and at Bible study who I can trust and who I enjoy. Truly friendships here in Africa have been one of the largest, most appreciated gifts from God. Friends to have adventures with. (seen here "hunting" the large spotted genet in our backyard)

Friends to eat ice cream with.
Friends to look ridiculous with. While trying to take this timer shot, we spit all over ourselves.

OK so I've made it to # 2 on my long list of things I am thankful for but I realize this is getting a bit lengthy so I'll pause and continue my list of thankfulness in the next entry. I have so much to praise and thank God for! He has been so good to me! My prayer is that I would be daily reminded of how blessed I am.