Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Arneberg pilgrims in the new land of China! As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with our American neighbors, we are very mindful of how much we have to be thankful for, even as we look to the future with some uncertainty.

We have had some fun opportunities to share the meaning of Thanksgiving with our non-American friends. Rachel and I made gingerbread turkey-shaped cookies and we have shared them with friends. The obvious question is "why turkeys?" so we tell the story of the pilgrims arriving in America. (A neighbor girl thought they were peacocks!) Most other countries have no special day to give thanks. What a pity!

Levi and Grace say the kids at school are alittle envious of a day to eat! A British friend of Levi's said, "Now I know why there are so many fat Americans...you have a holiday to just eat!" I hope Levi set him straight on why we have a huge meal!

Unfortunately, today is just another day in China. Jim is at work and the kids are at school. I took the day off from my class to cook. We are having a meal with our American neighbors, each of us contributing some part of the meal. I'm in charge of pumpkin pies (with mostly imported ingredients) and corn and mashed potatoes. My friend is roasting the turkey--I think she paid over $5/pound for it! We are looking forward to sharing "the harvest" with our new friends, yet we know the people we love most are gathering together and we feel a certain sadness knowing we are so far away.

May your Thanksgiving Day be festive and meaningful. Join us in giving thanks for all we have been given and acknowledging the One who is faithful to provide.