Most years in my life my Thanksgivings have been spent with my family and dear friends, sitting around a large table in North Carolina, eating garlic mashed potatoes and chocolate chess pie. Last week, I celebrated Thanksgiving in Gulu, Uganda; surrounded by incredible friends, who I have only known for a couple months, yet mean so much to me.
I was woken up on Thanksgiving morning by Jessica banging on my bedroom door and yelling “Molly! Abraham Lincoln (our guard) is killing the turkey! You have to come watch!” I stumbled out of bed and onto the compound, where, low and behold, Abraham Lincoln was preparing the turkey for its departure from this world. We watched him slaughter the turkey, pictures below! A little different from the email I got from my mom the day before Thanksgiving:
“….and I was thinking of you yesterday when I finally inched past the traffic jam where there were not one but two hired security guards directing traffic at the Honey Baked Ham store…”
From the Gulu market, to the Honey Baked Ham store in North Carolina, people all around the world gathered at beautiful tables full of delicious food with families and friends to recognize thanks, humility, kindness and love.
There are so many things that I am thankful for this year that I am not sure where to begin, so I’ll just say thanks, to all the amazing family and friends in my life that I am surrounded by and the beautiful things I have been able to witness this year.
Here are a couple photos of the day:
Doreen preparing the turkey
veggie buying
The invisible children family on thankgiving
Rwandan friends who experienced their first thanksgiving!
Disclaimer: The pictures below are a little graphic!
