Thanksgiving Dinner Outside The USA
Last November, we hosted our second annual Thanksgiving Dinner since moving to Medellin, Colombia. Our apartment isn’t all that large, but we managed to fit 11 of us. We complied with all Covid restrictions. Just like Thanksgiving dinner at home, everyone brought something. Our friend Connie prepared a delicious turkey, and we had all of the standard trimmings. All who came are members of one of our small-group Bible studies for Grace Church Medellin. And since we are all members of the family of God, it was a true old-fashioned family dinner. (Although not nearly as much arguing as my sister, brothers and I used to do)!
Why not consider a visit? The airports are open; most no longer require a Covid test, and the low cost of the trip will be a pleasant surprise to your wallet. Perhaps you can come for our next Thanksgiving Dinner in 2021!
Better yet, while you’re already in South America, why not check out more of our amazing sites and destinations. One of our favorite trips was our 3-week visit to Peru. We started with a week in Cusco to see the amazing creations by the Incas. Then moved West and North to Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, and finally Lima. Another beautiful city to visit is Cuenca, Ecuador, where we lived for 3 months. The best time to visit Cuenca is at Christmas time. Here is a link to my post on the Christmas Parade.
Covid 19 For US Citizens Living In Colombia
The year 2020 was challenging for us. To protect its residents and visitors, the Colombian government instituted a massive shutdown and quarantine. For us, this started on March 20 and continued into September, when the government finally opened our airports for any travel at all. During the full quarantine, we had assigned shopping days based on our national ID card or passport. Only one family member at a time could leave the home or apartment. Many businesses closed, especially restaurants and mall shops. And since no tourists were allowed in or out, all of those businesses ceased all operations. Thankfully, we didn’t have any shortages, and the grocery stores were always full of fresh meat, fish, and produce.
After that total lockdown, we had various tries at easing restrictions. Inevitably, cases would rise and more quarantines would follow. As of June 2021, we are finally open with no curfews or lockdowns. But unlike other countries, we are required to wear masks. It is at least nice to shop when we want and for all businesses to be open again. The Colombian economy didn’t have the luxury of “printing money” so the massive unemployment benefits available in the US and some other countries were not available to most people here.
So What Have We Done This Year 2021?
Wow, it’s been over 8 months since my last post to this site. Some of you may have noticed and thought we quit our blog, but nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, we started relying much more on Facebook for updates and events. We created two new Facebook Groups:
- Grace Church Medellin Group: Christian Church for English-Speakers – This is specifically for our ministry to start a Christian Church for English Speakers in Medellin, Colombia. The Laureles barrio (neighborhood) is now our home, and starting the church has become our primary focus.
- Retire, Relocate, and Serve Christ in Latin America – This has become our vehicle for sharing all we have learned since leaving our home in Houston, Texas in January 2016. We believe there are thousands (or even tens of thousands) of Christian seniors in North America and other parts of the world who could find a new enriching and fruitful life living and serving Christ outside the USA. We have met them everywhere we have lived and visited in Central and South America.
Our God is an awesome God. Despite all of the lockdowns, Jesus continues to build His church for English speakers in Medellin, Colombia. I’ll cover more about that in my next post. Thanks for reading, and please comment or ask questions.
Steve Tuggle
Medellin, Colombia