Christmas in August

During my last two weeks working at Beaufort Elementary School I asked teachers to donate materials that they were willing to part with, and I was absolutely blown away by everyone’s generosity.  I received boxes and boxes filled with wonderful materials, many of which were basically new!  Over the last few weeks Holly had also been sending us lists of things to bring with us, so by the time we started packing we had a lot to load into our one suitcase and 3 sea bags.

So, Patrick and I not only brought ourselves to Africa, but also about 150 pounds worth of things for Holly and the orphan school as well.  Our first night here we celebrated “Christmas” as we opened up the bags to show everyone what we’d brought.  It was so fun to see how excited the team was about all the new things! 

Holly surrounded by just a fraction of the things we brought.

It put into perspective for me how much we take for granted in the US just because things are easily accessible there.  It is easy to forget to be thankful for even the little things we have since we have never had to live without them.  It’s funny, but even without all the luxuries of home, we always seem to have what we need to get by.  I’m sure that over the next three months I will continue to see more of this type of gratitude for the little things, and I’m hoping that I can take that mindset back to the US with me when we return.   

Part of the team that was there to watch us unpack everything.