Jill writes from our base in Mozambique.

We are required to count our aircraft parts inventory by the end of November. This means the week of Thanksgiving we needed to get all the parts counted and adjustments made. The inventory count requires going through tubs and tubs of aircraft parts, counting each screw, grommet, o-ring, and nut. We comb through shelves of filters, tire tubes, hoses, belts, bearings, and radio parts to get an accurate list of what parts we have on hand. This is extremely important for timely aircraft maintenance as the mechanics need to know if the parts they need are in stock and where to find them. It gives us a chance to put parts back in their proper place if they were mistakenly placed in the wrong tub.

Counting parts in Nampula, Mozambique. Photo by Jill Holmes.

This year we recruited some teenagers from other mission groups along with several hangar staff to help with the count. In one day we made it through most of the parts, and I spent much of the next day making the adjustments in our system to reflect what we counted.

Shared blessings and pizza, Thanksgiving 2019. Photo by Jill Holmes.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we shared a pizza lunch with our staff at the hangar and took a moment to do a different type of counting. We shared with our Mozambican colleagues what this American holiday is about and then, as a team, we counted blessings and shared what we were thankful for this year. It was a chance to take inventory of another type. We were thankful for the new baby added to our team, new co-workers, health, and for our families. We discussed some of the struggles our program has had over the past year but were reminded to not let them overshadow the victories. In this case, our blessings inventory came with an adjustment as well, an attitude adjustment in which we can give thanks to God in all circumstances.