{grand}

I wrote this a couple of days ago, but due to lack of internet, here it goes.  Better late than never right?


As our time in Coimbatore is quickly approaching an end, I find my self being forced to reflect upon my time here.  Because today was our last day of official class (don't worry - many final exams, papers, and presentations still await), and it in honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to share a list of things that I'm most thankful for.

• My internship.
• More than anything, I am thankful for the people I have met there and the examples they have set for me.  Gandhi, the social worker, truly cared about our learning.  He did everything in his power to teach us.  More strikingly, however, was that what he taught us was not guarded.  He didn't try to shelter us from some of India's devastating realities, like government corruption, but rather painted a stark picture of reality for us.  He truly cared, which is incredible to me, as we only saw him for a small time once a week.  Yesterday was our last day at the internship and the last thing Gandhi said as we left was, "Good luck on your final presentation, I know you will do great."  I'm thankful for the investment that he made into our lives and our education.
• I'm thankful for Rani, another volunteer at FFC.  I'm not even sure how to describe her faith in God except that at times it seemed almost unreal.  She has so much trust in God's plan for her life and her future; I really aspire to have a faith like hers.  I'm thankful to have a role model like Rani.
• There are so many others at FFC who have impacted me that I think I could write for days.  Angel, however, is very much worth mentioning.  She is a young girl with mental and physical disabilities; she cannot stand on her own or even speak.  What she can do, however, is laugh.  This girl has the cutest laugh and the most contagious smile.  To be able to constantly laugh in a situation like hers is unbelievable.  I'm thankful for Angel's joy.
• My fellow ISP-ers.
• This pretty much speaks for itself.  "We're all in this together."  I'm thankful for new friends.
• The hard questions.
• I think its safe to say that I'll be coming home with no answers, but rather even more questions.  Questions about everything:  religion, social stratification, womens' roles, culture...and the list goes on.  India has forced me to question what I believe, including things I never even knew I believed until they were stripped away.  Even though grappling with all the questions is a struggle, I'm thankful for them.
• My family.
• Let's be real, I wouldn't be who I am today had I not been raised the way I was.  I'm thankful for parents who go to the ends of the earth for their kids.  I'm thankful for brothers who teach me more about what it means to live out faith than almost anyone else I know.  I'm thankful for a family who can always make me laugh.  Always.  

Although Thanksgiving is not a holiday in India, and its just another Thursday, we will still get to celebrate.  My Mom came to visit for Thanksgiving and she even brought the makings for pumpkin pie.  I guess you could say that on my first Thanksgiving away from home I got pretty lucky.  She's been here since Monday and we've taken lots of adventures, including a hike, seeing a temple, visiting the poo market ("poo" means flower, of course!), did some shopping, indulged in much food characteristic to South India, and she even came to my last internship day with me.  No words describe my thankfulness to have her here with me - "great" doesn't even begin to cut it.

'Tis the season for thanks and I am thankful to be alive and breathing, filled with the love that has been shown and given to me.  

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."  -Psalm 107:1