Holidays overseas can be rough, but this year I got to be extra thankful with Julia and Jonathan visiting for Thanksgiving week. We went to the Basel Christmas market Thursday night before dinner at Fünfshilling, and the celebration really extended as we went to another Christmas market on Friday after they came to visit my class. Friday’s class period involved students sharing around a circle speed dating style about a BFA senior or alumni who’s been a positive example of Christ in their life. The students sitting nearest to me one round finished quickly and asked me who my example was. I pointed across the room at Julia. I had told the class the day before that I appreciated how Julia never viewed me as a burden but volunteered to help me across America this summer.
This past week, she was game for adventures like five hundred stairs and loads of cobblestone. She also invites me to help her grow – even when it’s difficult. I love that about Juila; she always wants to be closer to Jesus.
As we enter into advent season, I want to be intentionally closer to Jesus as well. Some days it’s hard to get out of bed with my leg spasms and nerve damage, but I managed to do it today. Even though I couldn’t walk outside in the blustery November day, I was still able to light my first advent candle and listen to the TeachBeyond kids reading Bible passages about Jesus coming into the world. I’m storing up some treasures in my heart from this week that I won’t post on the internet, but I will share these happy thanksgiving pictures of my adventures with Julia and Jonathan – including the one with Julia posing with the card she wrote me on Thanksgiving five years ago.
