Editors Note: The following note came to us in November, 1994, on the backside of a letter Mike and Molly Dawidow, missionaries in Poland. I quote from Mike and Molly's letter to let you know of their mission endurance. "When we retured to Europe sixteen years ago, it was for the purpose of strengthening the church in Poland and training Poles to evangelize Poland. We have unswervingly dedicated our lives to this purpo...." As I understand it Mike is from Poland and Molly from the state of Mississippi. We hope you appreciate reading Molly's thoughts as much as we did.

Try as I might, I just couldn't make Thanksgiving seem right this year without our Annabelle. The turkey was one of the best we ever had; I tried a new roll recipe and they were light and fluffy; we found some perfect plump pumpkins for decorations and pie and even located the old paper Hallmark turkey decorations which had heen lost since we moved from Austria. We invited friends and family and "a good time was had by all." Still, something was missing and that something was somebody, and she was 5,000 miles away in Mississippi!

These are times when I have to give myself a good talking to and tell myself to count blessings instead of sorrows When such times come, I make myself remember something that Mike's daddy told me late one cold dark night in Warsaw many years ago.

During communist times, traveling in Poland was challenging to say the least. There were not enough hotel rooms to meet the needs and one could very easily end up in a big city late at night without a place to sleep. We were traveling with Mike's father and Dave and Jo Wallace from Tennessee and somehow ended up in a situation where the five of us had to spend the night in a two room apartment that only had a couch and one not-quite-double-size bed.

We fixed the couch in the livihg room for the Wallaces and Mike, Dzaidek ("Dzaidek" is "grandfather" in Polish and this is what we call Mike's father), and I had to sleep in the second room. It was decided that the only logical thing to do was for Mike and me to sleep on the bed and Dzaidek to take to the floor. We padded the floor with as many extra blankets as we could find and he covered himself with his coat.

As I lay down, I heard him over in the corner, snuggling down and whispering his prayers. I said, "Dzaidek, it just kills me to be sleeping in this bed while you lie there on the floor." I will never forget his reply. "Molly," he said, "we must always remember all we have to be thankful for: no one is cold; no one is hungry; no one is sick; no one is wet; and no one is shooting at us! Now go to sleep!"

I thought back about how during the war he had been in exactly these circumstances when he and his family were caught between the retreating German and advancing Russian armies: cold, hungry, sick, wet, and with bullets and bombs flying all around them. What would they have given then for a place on the floor in a safe, warm, dry apartment in Warsaw

As the holiday season approaches and the little details of our plans do not always work out just the way we wish, let's focus on the exceeding abundant blessings God has given us. When we lay down at nlght thank Him that we and our loved ones are not cold, sick, hungry, wet, or being shot at--and go to sleep!

Annahelle may be 5,000 miles away this Christmas Eve, but is well and safe and in America with those who love her! For how many parents in the world would this be the greatest wish they could imagine for their children?