What Was I Thinking?

This past month has been one of the toughest for me as a missionary on a foreign field. I began feeling mildly depressed early in the month when I realized that something I had hoped would happen wasn't going to happen any time soon. I found myself feeling sad and wondering why. It took about a week before I recognized that my unfulfilled expectation was part of the cause. Even then, when I realized the trigger for my depression, I was not able to shake it. The Christmas season can be hard for anyone when they are used to spending the holiday with their family. I remember being in Thailand for Christmas a couple of years ago with my good friends Tain and Zinan. I really enjoy being with both of these guys, but on Christmas day I was moping alone at a McDonalds in a huge shopping mall, surrounded by people I didn't know. Fortunately, that evening we attended a Christmas service at a local church and the love of God buoyed my sagging spirit. This year I received a packag