Modeh Ani. I Thank.

Springs of Hope
3 days ago
4 min read

Modeh Ani - Is the Jewish prayer said in the morning upon waking. It is a posturing for the day

We live in that place of Modeh Ani. Thanksgiving for us is a corporate expression of our individual prayer of thanks.

As many of you celebrated Thanksgiving, we gathered on a sunny winter’s afternoon to give thanks for being alive, for our freedom, for the ability to make a choice or a decision. We gave thanks for family and friends and we gave thanks for each one of you who walks with us, and has enabled us to live and work here in Northern Iraq for the past eleven years.

We all are truly filled with gratitude for you. Every time we see a tent dweller when walking through the camp or ask one of our tribe, young or old, for a comment, it is always accompanied with a blessing of thanks. Those who have lost the most thank the most. Those who have nothing are full of gratitude. I personally have been challenged by the tent dwellers and those who returned from captivity, their resilience, along with hearts that have remained soft in the midst of devastation, thanking God for every breath, for every day that their soul is returned to them. Modeh Ani.

Nurse Fawzi

Modeh Ani: “On this Thanksgiving Day, I take a moment to reflect on all that I am grateful for. As a nurse at Springs of Hope, I am deeply thankful for every moment that has been given to me, for every opportunity that I have had to ease someone’s pain, to provide care for our patients, and to bring a glimmer of hope to a heart in need.

This work is not just a job for me; it is a human mission that I cherish every day. I have learned so much through Springs of Hope, and have witnessed the true power of giving, of hope and of living with a thankful heart. I am testimony to the transformative power of these things in people’s lives. I am also thankful for my colleagues who work as a united team, in dedication and sincerity, every day.

On this special day, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the founders of Springs of Hope Foundation, especially Miss Lisa, for their tireless efforts, continuous dedication and unwavering support for those who need it the most. They have shown that hope can always be renewed. Hope never dies.”

Avya, Play Therapist

Modeh Ani: “We are not American, but we choose to celebrate this day as a public statement of our thanks and gratitude. We thanked God for his endless blessings in our daily life. We thanked our families, our teachers, friends and God for the food that we are blessed to eat each day.

We thanked both Gardener Sami and the land for its beautiful and wonderful products that it gives us every day.

We thanked God for our horses and for Newroz’s miraculous healing. It is enough for us to look around and know how blessed we are. We are truly grateful for our blessings and to each and every one of you who have been part of our family for the past decade. Thank you.”

Ayman, Music Teacher

Modeh Ani: “Thanksgiving was an opportunity for me to thank you all for helping us establish SOHF in Kurdistan and for staying with us all these years. It was a chance to show you that we are always grateful for you and we are thinking of you and praying for you.”

Rondik, Sewing Hope

Modeh Ani: “I had never heard of Thanksgiving and it was my first celebration with Springs of Hope as head of Sewing Hope. I value the time taken to give thanks, to show our appreciation and to teach the younger children to give thanks. It is so important to display and vocalise our thanks and gratitude.”

Modeh Ani: It was so important to celebrate Thanksgiving Day together as a community, to make time and space for everyone to give thanks, and to deliberately and lovingly thank friends and staff, those with whom we do life.

In observance of the occasion of Thanksgiving, I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone, friends, members, partners, volunteers and donors for your constant support, trust in us and endless encouragement. We give thanks to God for you. We thank you for your role and place in our life, without which nothing that we have been able to do over the past eleven years would be possible.

Thank you.

I close with Psalm 30: “You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory will sing praise to you and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you for ever.”

Modeh Ani. For the pain. Modeh Ani. For the suffering. Modeh Ani. In the loss. Modeh Ani. For the promised transformation. Modeh Ani. On the journey. Modeh Ani. For the story. Modeh Ani In every season. Modeh Ani. With every breath. Modeh Ani.