The phone interrupted our turkey craft. Endless paper feathers to help cut out for our preschool crowd. Paste on the table, turkeys that look more like peacocks and squirmy ants in busy little pants. All as we wiped away sweat beading down our foreheads from the Mozambican Thanksgiving heat. And the phonecall broke into it all.

“Quick, grab my phone, someone.” came a gut-response.

“Where is it?” came three overly helpful volunteers.

“No idea, follow the sound,” was the routine reality.

We found it on the last ring, with a quick recall button and heard her voice.

I could tell her smile covered her face as she greeted me. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of mine.

A flood of normal hangs in her voice and makes me want to instantly hug her. The mention of her name instantly rounds up my girls, each begging for their turn. Our Emilia.

She was just as eager to talk to each one, I could hear her laughs of delight rising from the speakers as even little Eden greeted her with perfect little preschooler precision. Hannah’s face glowed and she couldn’t stop smiling. All Hannah said was “yes, yes” to questions once she got past the greeting, but I could tell it touched something deep down inside of her. Our Emilia.

Abi burst forth with stories of one such delightful kitten and Rachael paced and carried on with a whole world of stories to share. Soon it was my turn and I couldn’t wait to hear how the church is going, her daughter and just hear her voice. It had felt like ages.

“You know, today is our country’s day of thanks, sister.” I told her.

“No, I didn’t know that!” She said.

“And you just made the day more full of gratitude for us.”

I could hear her big smile.

“I have missed you.” She said.

“We have missed you too, sister Emilia.”

During the holidays is when the ocean feels it’s biggest. The distance between us and the ones we love. Your faces are beautiful and your voices bring a lightness to our steps, but your arms we miss before and after our Skype call.

And today, God knowing our hearts sent us an unexpected phone call while we were still waiting for our beloved in the States to wake up for the day. An unexpectedly wonderful phone call that dripped of “home” right in the middle of a less home feeling kind of day.

Oh how He loves you and me.

Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.