A Change in Perspective Is All It Takes

You should be eternally thankful that you didn't spend Thanksgiving with us this year!  

Source: http://www.penvol.org/announcements/2012/11/18/thanksgiving-dinner-at-little-house-cafe/

Originally we had been invited to a friend's for a family meal, but we backed out the day before because the kids had been unknowingly exposed to some sick friends and we didn't want to pass on any bugs.  Just as well we did... because all of us but C came down with the stomach flu that night!  We spent Thanksgiving on our knees in a different sense, took turns minding the boys (one happy and all go, the other miserable and snuggly) in front of a showcase of dvds while the other slept, and then we all had a simple Thanksgiving meal of chicken noodle soup - all we could handle.

Source: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2010/03/18/taste-test-canned-chicken-noodle-soup/

Despite this tale of woe I spent a lot of time counting my blessings (read some below) and was truly thankful.  You see, about 12 hours earlier my friend had journeyed into Burma on a relief trip.  Despite the progress made recently in the political sphere of this troubled country there are still many injustices.  My friend is working with Partners to bring medical assistance for malnutrition, dehydration and public health issues to a people group who have fallen through the cracks. Please pray for her, the team, and the people they encounter.

She writes,

"As you may have heard if you listen to the news, the situation for the Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine State in Western Burma has become increasingly unstable. Recently 1000's of people have been forced to flee from their villages which have been burned by Rakhine and Burma Govt. They have long been denied citizenship in Burma despite being there for generations. Many have had to seek medical help but have been left untreated in the State hospitals because they are Rohingya. Here is a link to Wikipedia with more info about the Rohingya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohingya_people"

Source: Partners Relief and Development http://partnersworld.tumblr.com/

..."We seriously need funds to be able to provide the basics for these people - if you can give, know that your little joins with ours to fill the bucket of human kindness (and of the hospitality that is at the heart of God) offered to these people who are in a devastating position denied citizenship in their own country. See our website for details: http://www.partnersworld.org/donateAlso - if you have medical/nursing training in any way please see our Facebook page which is recruiting people who can offer time to go (self-funded): https://www.facebook.com/PartnersReliefAndDevelopment?fref=ts and/or email here to get more info: info@partnersnorge.no

...This is the story our worker in Rakhine State shared with us yesterday.
Sunday, November 18
Fatimah Khatu died today. Nobody cared. Fatimah was a beautiful little girl of only seven. Her mother carried her to our end of the camp. She arrived where we were, just as Fatimah took her last breath.
Fatimah’s mother stood by Fatimah’s lifeless body and told us that her other daughter was in the same condition. She could not carry both girls. The sister was still in the tent fighting for life on her own. One of our doctors and I went immediately to their tent where the sister was lying in the dirt.
Our medical team is doing amazing work. But what they are doing is not even a drop in the ocean. The crowd of those needing care is growing every day and pressing in upon us. We need help. More teams need to come. More governments of the world need to speak loudly against what is happening here. More donations are necessary to provide any relief.
More prayers for peace are needed. More need for Jesus to multiple our few "loaves of bread and fish".
I have been here for 11 days now and during this time I have seen only one other jeep from any relief organization. Some aid has been delivered but it is not enough. No other help, no other governmental or non-governmental organizations, no other indication that the world cares. Genocide is the only word I know that describes what we are seeing. Unnecessary deaths in a world unaware.
Fatimah died in the dirt. The dirt of a land not her own. Fatimah was not even a number. She was not a citizen of any country. She had no identification. She had no food. She died from dehydration with no medicine or medical care.
Fatimah’s mother sat in the tent crying softly beside Fatimah’s body.
Someone had cared...her mother, who now sat alone, without help or hope.
This is why we have come. It's who we are. We can't do it alone."

I'm thankful for:

• my family and friends
• a safe place to live
• running water and flushable toilets
• easy access to medical care and medicine
• a cupboard with food and the means to make meals without having to go out
• that we were only dealing with a 24-hour-bug, not months or years of illness
• that the extra trip to the library during the week meant lots of dvds on hand
• that we could parent 'tag-team'-style
• that Partners is taking action in Burma  
• and much more, of course!