Just to let you know, I haven’t fallen off the face of the
earth, but after being away for retreat with my fellow Malaysia YAGM in
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, I was left with a lot to think through and
process. We learned a lot about the
history of Malaysia and Singapore that helps to make sense in what we see
everyday. But what I saw around me left
me with many questions that I take with me as I continue to experience what
goes on. (Still have things that I’m
grappling with, but these questions will probably surface in later blogs.)
But one of the highlights of retreat for me was Thanksgiving
dinner. I admit, I’ve been wondering how
I’m going to take the holidays and this was my first Thanksgiving away from my
family. However, by the time retreat came
around, I figured it would be ok even if we had a dinner with nothing like anything I had ever eaten in my entire life. Sharing
time with my fellow YAGM would be enough.
But dinner surpassed any expectations I could have possibly had. Our hosts, members of the Lutheran Church in
Malaysia, had never made Thanksgiving dinner, but it turned out
wonderfully. I didn’t know that we would
come in to eat and see baked chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, lasagna,
garlic bread, and apple pie. One of our
hosts told us, “I didn’t know what to do so I just started with typing
‘Thanksgiving dinner’ into Google.” But
there was more to this dinner than tucking in to some great, familiar
food. Though the food was what some
might refer to as traditional, there was a newness to this long-held
pastime. Here we were gathered with
friends that we had just met and friends that we hadn’t seen in a while and
making it a shared meal of our own. Many
people gather around the Thanksgiving table with people they have known their
whole lives, but we were with new friends.
I think it was one of those God moments where the conversation flows and
you feel like you’ve known everyone much longer.
It's in these kinds of moments that I think accompaniment with one another is really magnified. This was a time when our hosts met us in making a wonderful meal for Thanksgiving. They took the time to prepare a meal they had never been a part of before. And we had the joy of sitting side-by-side and swapping stories, jokes, and insights. At the same time, we asked questions of each other and learned. The holidays can be a great opportunity for deepening relationships as we walk with many different communities. It can be a time where we share long-held traditions and maybe even walk away with some of our personal practices for the holidays somewhat changed.
It's in these kinds of moments that I think accompaniment with one another is really magnified. This was a time when our hosts met us in making a wonderful meal for Thanksgiving. They took the time to prepare a meal they had never been a part of before. And we had the joy of sitting side-by-side and swapping stories, jokes, and insights. At the same time, we asked questions of each other and learned. The holidays can be a great opportunity for deepening relationships as we walk with many different communities. It can be a time where we share long-held traditions and maybe even walk away with some of our personal practices for the holidays somewhat changed.
As I prepare for Christmas (yes, we’re already making plans
at church), I hold these feelings from Thanksgiving close. This will also be my first Christmas away
from my family and I admit, thinking about it brings on some feelings of
homesickness. This is one of those not
so easy things that I considered when I applied for YAGM, but didn’t know
what to expect. But this past
Thanksgiving gives me hope. I was apprehensive about how I was going to feel
and yet, I found God’s abundance in a meal shared with new friends. It gives me hope to look toward Christmas and
the experiences I will have with my own community this year.
