simply thankful

Letha and I spent the holiday with our daughter and her family in Guatemala. Jessica and Josh are doing a phenomenal job as Directors of Casa Shalom Orphanage.  And of course, the highlight of our visit was time spent with our baby granddaughter, Sophia. We loved being with her for her first ever Thanksgiving. She is a great blessing in our lives.

Tomorrow we head back home, back to our busy life in the U.S. We return with our hearts full of gratitude. In our brief visit, we witnessed again the power of this ministry to needy children. We saw God answer prayer. A little 2 year old girl seriously smashed her thumb in a door and doctors were certain she would lose the thumb. I saw her just after the accident and the thumb was barely attached by the skin. Yesterday, 2 days later, she was released from the hospital and it looks as though her thumb will be fine. Amazing!  We witnessed one boy’s life be changed as he was brought to the orphanage after being on the streets shining shoes to make a living. He’s ten years old. Again, amazing!

We have much to be thankful for this season. God has been faithful and good. He always is – it’s just that sometimes we’ re so busy consuming His goodness that we fail to recognize it. I loved the last few days: no TV, no Black Friday shopping, lots of time with family and with God. I am thankful.

Many blessings to you this Thanksgiving week. I am thankful for you!

Rick