Over the decades, Americans continued to celebrate with a feast in the fall that focused on giving thanks. This holiday arrived on our calendars through suffering and loss. Adversity and struggle, instead of dampening their spirits, fueled the gratitude in the hearts of the men, women, and children who decided to feast and give God glory with whatever they had available to eat. Their gratitude to God in the face of such hardship serves as a beacon of hope for us all.

People change. What someone believes one day may not be what that person holds later down the road of life. When changes occur, the most crucial question is why? Why would someone go from one belief to another?

Three commonalities appear in these European missionary stories: the predicament of the people, the persecution from the people, and the proclamation to the people.

Every culture bows its knee to a religion. Every religion influences customs and activities in culture. Holidays, traditions, acceptable speech, the clothing of a society, and many more outward elements point to the inward truths that society functions under. Because religion and culture are married, each society has a select group of priests and priestesses that point people to the religion.