Greetings from Sacramento (or Shadymento as I like to call it)! My parents have been eager to set up an engagement party for Josh and I long before we were even engaged. We had just started to talk to them about getting married and the engagement party was the first thing they thought of. My dad and Josh’s parents did all the planning together for this 5 day trip. It was definitely excruciating for my dad since he had to plan without my stepmom (she was in Taiwan), which he never does. It has definitely been a splendid trip!
On Wednesday, I got back to my apartment at 6 and my parents picked me up after the boys. We ate dinner at Chef Chen's and my dad was all smiles because Josh was there. This would be their first reunion in 2 weeks. My dad had been asking Josh to grab lunch with him for many months but Josh regretfully declined each time because of work. After our hearty dinner, we drove to Fresno.
We slept over at my dad’s friend’s house and had a Thanksgiving lunch with his old friends. We left early to venture into the depths of Shadymento. Josh was dreading the arrival so he had to ease his anxiety by playing “My Country HD” on my Ipad. Then, we made it safely.
Thursday night, Josh’s dad’s side of the family held a birthday party for his grandmother at a restaurant called the Asian Pearl 2009. I believe Andrew, Josh’s cousin, asked me when Asian Pearl 2009 had opened. I made an educated guess and answered 2009. I was wrong... just kidding! Josh, Joseph, my two brothers, and I sat at the kids table with his other cousins. I enjoyed meeting most of the cousins while eating good Chinese food and laughing at Chinese menu typos.
After the feast, we went to Josh’s grandparents’ house and played hide and ghost eek, as I like to call it. Andrew, age 26, initiated the first game and the 3 elementary school aged children there played with him...along with my 20 year old brother, Joseph, and my fiancee. "How immature", I thought, right as I was about to be pulled into the closet with Josh and Joseph. After we were found, I had a mature conversation with Josh's cousin, David and his wife, Jean, who got married back in February. Josh remembered his age and decided to join our conversation about wedding planning.
My parents were talking to me about how joyful and thankful they were to have had the opportunity to meet Josh’s family. My dad was very vocal in his thankfulness in being able to see how Christ has impacted and formed the lives of the Lee family. In fact, Christ was so evident in this one family that he was able to notice it instantaneously.
Josh’s grandmother has been cooking for her husband, children, and grandchildren for years now. She enjoys cooking for her family simply because she loves them. She was also the first member in that whole family to be saved and because she loves her family members, she shared the Gospel with her family and all her children are now believers.
Her husband is a truly joyful and thankful man. I had the chance to talk to him more on my past trip and he shared with me about God’s faithfulness to him. Josh’s mom is one extraordinary woman. She has shared with my family about the changes in her life as a believer, especially what it means to be a biblical woman. Her husband is just like his father, a very thankful man. He is always praising God for his wife and for everything God has used her in teaching and molding him to be a godly man.
All of this is interesting as I think about what I taught my students about Thanksgiving. My preschool class and I have memorized 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I explained to my kids that we are to rejoice always whether we are comforted with blessings or perservering through trials, pray to God for all that we need, and thank Him for everything that He has given us, whether it be blessings or sufferings. God’s will for us is to glorify Him and He enabled this through the sacrifice of His Son that would allow sinners to approach and worship Him. It has truly been a blessing to have met a family that lives according to this verse.
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