Gringo Thanksgiving

One would imagine that Thanksgiving in Bolivia would not be the same as it is in the U.S. After all, the Americans that are around are a bit scattered, the food is harder to find, and we dont even take the day off for Thanksgiving- it is merely another day at work. One would logically conclude that Thanksgiving in Bolivia is a mild celebration, held only by those who couldnt manage to make it home for the holidays... and one couldnt be more wrong in their assumptions.

A more accurate way to visualize Thanksgiving in Bolivia is to imagine a pack of about 20 close-knit, meat-deprived Americans who dearly miss their great U.S. feasts. With pent-up anticipation of the holiday, everyone goes to every length to make their favorite dish, no matter what the cost. One girl made pecan pie even though pecans are extremely rare and expensive in Bolivia. We had everything- green bean casaroles, salads, amazing home-made bread, sweet potatoe pie, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, turkey (the real thing), ham(with FRESH pineapple), cranberry sauce, and home-made garlic butter. Then for desert we had jello salad, pecan pie, cherry pie, apple pie, and flan de queso. It was a five-hour event with tons of eating, sharing, and worship.

Once everyone had had their fill, and the pecan pie was no more, somebody suggested that we all go around and tell something we are thankful for- typical Thanksgiving tradition. It was an amazing event. The main stream of thought that came out of our group of gringos (there were some English people there too) was that we all had a sort of sense of gratitude in the unity of the body of Christ. Much like I blogged about a few days ago, the recurring thing everyone seemed compelled to bring up was the fact that there is so much unity happening in the Church. Community is happening in ways nobody ever expected. There were about three or four denominations represented in our little group and everyone was at peace with one another and thankful for it. One of the people there, a Bolivian guy, mentioned that this would not have been possible five or ten years ago. God is working in a way that transcends our denominational walls and breaks down our man-made barriers of pride and arrogance. Our tribal identities are not as important as the common ground we all share in Christ. It was a thing of beauty.

Anyway, this was a great Thanksgiving. I dont know that I have ever been more grateful on Thanksgiving than today.