True Thanksgiving … (November 2026 Update)
What do you think of when you think about Thanksgiving? Most people think about turkey, turkey and more turkey. And visions of pumpkin, apple and pecan pies fill our minds. And we usually think about the wonderful joy of sharing this wonderful meal with our families and friends. But very few would think about suffering when asked about Thanksgiving. But that’s what the Pilgrims would have thought about if you asked them about the first Thanksgiving.
In fact, suffering was the reason for their Thanksgiving celebration! These early settlers had suffered tremendously in the previous year. The Mayflower had arrived in Plymouth Harbor on December 16, 1620, and the colonists began building their houses. Many fell ill, as many as two or three people died each day during their first two months on land. Out of the 102 colonists, only 52 people survived the first year in Plymouth!
The following year was a year of great blessings for them in a strange new land. God blessed them with an English-speaking Indian friend, Squanto, who had been captured by an English explorer in 1614. When Squanto returned to Massachusetts, he found that his tribe, a group of Pawtuxet’s, had all died from smallpox. In 1621, he gained the trust of the Pilgrims and became their friend and interpreter with the nearby Wampanoag tribe. Squanto and the Wampanoag helped the settlers to learn how to farm and fish in the new land. By the fall, the settlers had such a great harvest that they decided to declare a time of Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving celebration lasted 3 days which they shared with the Wampanoag Indians. Out of suffering came thanksgiving! Their thankfulness to God was greatly increased because they were able to see how God had taken care of them in their adversity.
In fact, the greater our adversity, the greater our thanksgiving.
In his book, The Godly Man, Thomas Watson tells us:
a godly man expresses thankfulness in every condition. He will be thankful in adversity as well as prosperity: ‘In everything give thanks’ (1 Thess. 5:18). A gracious soul is thankful and rejoices that he is drawn nearer to God, even though it be by the cords of affliction. When it goes well with him, he praises God’s mercy; when it goes badly with him, he magnifies God’s justice. When God has a rod in his hand, a godly man will have a psalm in his mouth. The devil’s smiting of Job was like striking a musical instrument; he sounded forth praise: ‘The Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’ (Job 1:21).
It is easy to be thankful when things are going well, but the testimony of a believer is that he trusts God and gives Him praise even when things are not going well. We do this because we not only remember how many great blessings and mercies God has already given us, but also because we have learned to trust God’s wisdom in all that He allows in our lives. The godly man learns to express thanksgiving in every circumstance! Especially when God has blessed us in times of adversity.
You might know the song, “He Giveth More Grace” by Annie Flint. In it, she captures the reason we should be thankful – in all things: “…for out of his infinite riches in Jesus he giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” But few know her story. Both of her parents died in childhood and she lived as an orphan. She dreamed of becoming a concert pianist, but she developed rheumatoid arthritis that became so severe that she could not walk by age 30. But she focused on God’s mercies to her and learned to be thankful for all things.
The first verse of her song echoes her thankfulness for God’s mercies even in her sufferings:
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater
He sendeth more strength when labors increase
To added afflictions, he addeth his mercy
To multiplied trials, his multiplied peace
We have so much to be thankful for, not just at Thanksgiving, but really every day. In January 2022, nearly 5 years ago, we left everything we had in Ukraine because of the coming invasion. Over the last 5 years, God has provided for us again and again in some very amazing ways. Five years ago, we were living in the basement of some friends in Fayetteville. Now we are living in our own home and fell blessed beyond measure.
True thanksgiving is not dependent on our circumstances. It comes from our trust in God and His sovereign care for His children. Out of suffering comes thanksgiving. The Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving understood this and, after a very difficult year, they gathered together to celebrate the wonderful goodness and grace of the Lord. It is easy to be thankful in good circumstances. But true thanksgiving is when we can give thanks to God even in the most difficult circumstances. So, celebrate thanksgiving this year with a grateful heart for all the Lord has done for you!
Serving and Teaching …
We are continuing to pray about where God would have us serve over the next few years. I still believe that I need to be moving toward some form of retirement, but I continue to want to teach and train while I have the ability to do so. Right now, that appears to be helping with training missionaries.
This month, Katya and I participated in NWA for the Nations, one of the largest missions conferences in this area. We had time to meet with young people interested in missions and we were able to share about our experiences in Ukraine. We also had a table where we were able to talk with participants about theological education for missionaries. Also, Sean Cooper was one of the main speakers at the conference! As usual, we all had a great time sharing about missions.
At the conference, we also talked with some people from VIA, a missions training agency here in Fayetteville. They are starting a Missions Residency and Global Apprenticeship in the fall, and they have expressed interest in me helping with the training for these interns. What they are planning seems like something that we could help with. We will be meeting with them this month to see how we can help. Be praying for us as we seek how God wants us to be involved.
Finally, be praying for my students in Ukraine (KTS). Life there is getting increasingly difficult, but they continue to study and prepare for ministry. I’m hoping to finish up grading papers from my September class this month.
Family …
Last month, we took a break to just spend time with our immediate family. While we have had vacations and other trips, we have always spent time with family or friends. We haven’t been alone with just our children since 2021! So, during fall break this year, we decided to take a last-minute trip to Alabama to spend time together on the beach. We looked at the prices (and the weather) and decided this was something we could afford since the tourist season was long over. We were able to find a small apartment right on the beach, so we loaded up and headed south!
It was a great time. We cooked meals and ate together and slept in (the kids did) and spent the afternoon on the beach (too cold in the morning and evening). Katya and I got to see the sunrise (early in the cold morning) and it was wonderful. It was only 5 days, but we all agreed it was the best 5 days we have had in many years! We came back refreshed and ready to see what God has in store for us in the coming year. Here are just a few pictures from our trip.
The girls got to dress up for Halloween again this year with the Coopers. This is something they are really enjoying since there is no Halloween in Ukraine! Even though it rained the whole time this year, they all had a great time!
This year in Homeschool, we are studying Ancient History. We beagn looking at ancient Mesopotamia and now we are studying Ancient Egypt. They have had a lot of fun and even had to play Steve Martin’s “King Tut” song before lessons every day! They are also doing a number of hands-on projects. They made their own papyrus paper and even wrote hieroglyphics with blackberry ink!
In their spare time, they are continuing on the swim team and dance/gymnastics. They are loving both. They have also been experimenting with photography and stop motion videos. They are getting very creative!
Finally, we spent an evening with the missionaries at Hiding Place Hollow to celebrate Thanksgiving (early) with them. Hiding Place Hollow (HPH) has been a very special blessing for us. HPH is a missionary housing community that actually just opened their first house in 2022 when we came. When we came from Ukraine, one family graciously allowed us to spend our first 9 months in their basement. But it was not like being “home.” HPH gave us a place we could call home during the time that we were building our home. This place and these people have been such a blessing to us!
Health…
I’m doing pretty good about not doing hiatal hernia surgery in September. That part of my health appears stable for now, but I realize that the surgery might still be needed in the future.
My cardiologist also had me do some ultrasound tests to find out what is still causing shortness of breath. I didn’t think I really needed them, but I’m glad they did them. They found that I have a subrenal aortic aneurysm. Right now, it is pretty small, but it could be something serious, so we will have to keep an eye on it. I also need to watch my activity levels also so that it does not grow significantly. Be praying for me as we navigate this new development with my health.
Pray for Ukraine …
Please continue to pray for Ukraine and the people there. Russia has stepped up its attack on civilians and now they are increasingly attacking energy and heating facilities so that Ukrainians will be without heat and light in the winter. This has been the pattern for the last 5 years, but it appears that Russia is increasing these attacks even more this year!
Also, keep praying for our students who continue to minister and serve during this war. Even in the war, these students and colleagues are still doing ministry to many people. Pray that the gospel will touch and change many lives.
Thank you again for your support of our efforts to train and equip ministers in Ukraine. These years of teaching have been a great joy, and we could not have done this without your help and prayers! Thank you so much for your faithfulness to the ministry of Christ!
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya, Kristina and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
Also, some have asked about how to support us. You can send checks to Teaching Resources International, PO Box 100, Goshen, AR 72735 (note: new address) or pay through PayPal on our website. Just put “#1000 Ehrhard” in the memo so our treasurer knows where to allocate the funds.
Our personal address is 14680 Magnolia Ridge Drive, Fayetteville AR 72701.
