In 2004 I was sent to a boarding school away from the comfortable town life, I was really looking forward to ir until I got there and realised that it was 24 kilometres away from the nearest town. This was not what I was expecting but I thought let’s see what this experience was going to bring. A few weeks later I visited our local New Apostolic Church and i remember the first services very well because I got nothing from it because everyone spoke Kaonde and I spoke Bemba. However this did not put me off from going to church and from learning the new language. Very quickly I built up a really strong relationship with one of the Priests who was also my maths teacher and he would take me on all his visits. One visit will always stay with me; we heard that there was a family who did not have food and Priest Maseka ad I took some food for them. We arrived at their little hat in time to hear their morning prayer and I am still amazed up to this day. His prayer involved a lot of thankfulness, he was thankful that his family were alive, he was thankful they had a home ( it was made of mad and grass) and thankful for the opportunities that day was going to bring ( There were no jobs or opportunities in the little village) After their prayer they came out and we gave them the food which they were really thankful for. This a family was the poorest family I had come across in my life but they were also the happiest people I had ever come across.

This family did not have a lot but they were thankful for the little they had and the little they were given. When we brought the food you would have thought that we had just solved all their problems. This man and his wife have seen all four of their children graduate from university even though they did not have a lot. The truth is this family did not focus on what they did not have; they focused on what they had and this kept them moving forward. When a lot of people set goals they focus on the things they don’t have and this takes away all their joy. What I would like you today is take moment and just think about all the things you are thankful for, don’t wish for anything, just reflect on what you have now and just bw thankful. Remember a thankful heart is always going to be joyful heart.