a testimony of thanks

today is thanksgiving, and although its an american holiday, and they dont celebrate it here, i was able to have an amazing dinner with my friends over at Come Lets Dance. they prepared an incredible american style thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all, and we all shared in it together, about twenty five of us, westerners and ugandans, and a kenyan, all around the same table. it was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ, united despite where we come from, our cultures and differences, together because of the love of God. and a good time to reflect on my time here, and what i am thankful for. so this year, here is my testimony of thanks.

i am thankful to God for my friends and family and community. He has blessed me beyond what i could ever ask for, and taught me so much about what it means to be the body of Christ. i eagerly await the day when i will return home and be reunited with my loved ones back home.

at the same time, i give thanks to God for my friends and family and community here, across the world. He has blessed me so much, and as i look around me, i count myself rich. who am i to deserve these wonderful people i count as family, brothers and sisters, friends and fellow sojourners. though i have just met them, and at most have been in fellowship a few months, i am knit together with them, soul to soul.

that is the power of Christ. that is the power of love. that, though strangers, we are bound together, and celebrate as brothers the redeeming and freeing work of Jesus.

after i finish this post, we are heading out to the streets of kampala to minister to the kids who live there. God has blessed our ministry with them, and we have been able to build some really encouraging relationships. at times, it is frustrating that we cant do more, but for now, we can rejoice in God's provision and the doors He has opened.

so off we go, back to the streets. and to be honest, there is no other place i would rather spend my thanksgiving. with these kids, who have nothing, we can at least give them a reason to be thankful, a reason to hope. but not us, Christ in us. may He shine ever brighter. may He remind us daily of all we have been forgiven, from all we have been set free. He gives us beauty for ashes, He gives freedom to captives. and we were all slaves once.

happy thanksgiving
jon