"The rich man and Oranges"

So today we took a trip to the park, the OMV for lunch and then to the market. Saturday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with team members and I am making a few dishes. Every recipe I thought of making lacked one thing that I could not find in Bulgaria. As I spent the last two days hopping from store to store and market to market, I've no clue what I will make tomorrow! On the upside I have a few additions to the kitchen pantry! =) We've posted pictures of the park and the boys outside our front door. The pictures are of some graffiti painted on our door and the first day we arrived the boys nicknamed our house "the pumpkin face house". So they took a picture next to our landmark "pumpkin face" =)
After lunch, the boys were getting too tired to continue on to another market so the boys went home and I continued on. I returned to a market that Ms. K introduced me to the first time we went out. There was one vendor we purchased from that was very honest and patient even though we had a language barrier. Today I had to purchase from the vendor next to her for some red onions and cabbage b/c she didn't have those. WELL I mentioned I would also like some oranges with my purchase and the man loaded up a bag of oranges and as I motioned to the best of my ability that I needed no more, he continued. He quickly took my items around the stand and said 20LEV is what I owed. I tried to fix this obvious error and no matter my attempt he became more determined to collect the 20LEV. These are the times I beg for language to come quickly so that I can communicate and not look so easy to take advantage of. Choose your battles. So I paid my "rich man" dues and took my overflowing bag of expensive oranges and walked to my familiar vendor and purchased the few things I still needed. She once again took her time and wrote out prices and at the end of our transaction I hugged her and we kissed cheeks. Without language, I love her. I wanted to talk and talk to her b/c I feel such a pull to her but at this time I can only hug her. I went to the food vendors close by and bought her lunch and a coke and took them to her for another hug and kiss. I will buy from her alone and continue to build on our voiceless connection until I can speak to her.
On my way home there was "Lazarus" outside my gate begging from the cars that drove by. So if the Biblical story were retold it would say that the richman stopped and gave Lazarus alot of Vitamin C!! He was happy to receive a share of the $20LEV oranges and who knows between the market vendor and the begger, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship that all started with being ripped off on some oranges =)
So in the morning we will celebrate Thanksgiving with team members. I will cook something to take with me and have an adventure to talk about. I loved reading what other people said they were thankful for and to be honest I am thankful for most of the same things. I think the most amazing thing about having a relationship with Jesus is that should all of the things I'm thankful for be stripped away, I still have HIM and nothing can strip that away...That is what I am most thankful for. I have more than I could ask for and I have at times lost more than I desired, but all in all I have the priviledge of holding the hand of my Creator and calling Him friend. Praise be to my Savior who gives me everything to be thankful for!
With Love,
Jenn Phillips and Fam