Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday I found out that a friend's baby was born 7 weeks premature, and so is in an incubator. Yesterday I found out that another friend started taking drugs to deal with abuse and hopelessness. Yesterday I was asked advice from another friend about whether or not to sleep with her boyfriend, who has AIDS. Happy Thanksgiving! Yesterday I also got to visit Gogo in the hospital. Last week she tripped over her kettle cord and burned herself badly, but she eventually agreed to go into hospital, and she is recovering slowly. It was nice to see how happy she was to see me. She kept saying, "oh my darling" and kissing my hand. Yesterday my family included me in their Thanksgiving celebrations by calling me from my aunt's. That was quite special. And yesterday John made us some chicken drumsticks, to try to make up for the turkey dinner were were missing in Canada.

There are so many reasons to give thanks. I am thankful for being here in Zimbabwe. I am thankful to be alive and healthy. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for my Zimbabwean family and friends. I am thankful for John William McAlister; and that I am here with him. I am thankful for so many women in my life that I can look up to and learn from and lean on. I am thankful for electricity and phones and internet and running water. I am thankful for smiles. I am thankful for an unrelenting belief that there is always hope. God is good.