A special message of thanks

As I prepare for Thanksgiving this week, images of Joyce, her newborn daughter Priscilla, and of the hundreds of other refugees we met in Uganda fill my head and move me to think about the meaning of gratitude.

There was no shortage of thanks from the women and children in the refugee camps in Uganda. These families were grateful for a simple bed net – something we are fortunate enough not to need. But as I recall handing over these nets and messages of hope, I am the one who feels fortunate; fortunate to be able to help others in need.

My worries are small in comparison: what to cook for Thanksgiving dinner, beating the airport traffic, or that my football team won’t win. But millions of people in Africa worry about the threat of malaria, and possibly death, and I am thankful knowing that together, you and I have helped to ease their concern and give them hope through a protective bed net.

Thank you for sending nets, saving lives, and spreading hope this year.