It Happened!

Wow, we woke up this morning still smiling from last night's....
Thanksgiving Feast!   Yup, my great wish happened - we hosted the Preston and South Ribble missionaries and YSA in a real Thanksgiving dinner.

Because Transfers happen this Wednesday, we decided to hold it Monday, when we always gather for YSA Family Home Evening anyway.   This time it was at the church:

It was everything I'd hoped for...and more.   Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves so much.   And it was fun seeing them 'puzzle' at the slightly different tastes.   One of my happy moments was to see the 'American stuffing' we made disappear.   Jason even asked to take some home to his Grandmother!


Just plain stuffing - celery, onion, craisins, apples (lots of sage) - and they really liked it!

So one of the tricky parts of making Thanksgiving dinner?   Finding a turkey, before Christmas, that's over 5kg. (about 10 lbs)!   We finally found three at 8 kg. each and three wonderful ward members to cook them!   Two more agreed to make and mash our potatoes.   And another two great friends made desserts and cheesy side dishes.   With our fruit salad and stuffing and lots more great additions made by the YSA and missionaries, it was a glorious spread!   Rolls?   Store bought.   Tried making rolls once here....outcome totally didn't match the effort.  :(  

"Can we send this picture to my mom?   I want to show her I was taken care of this Thanksgiving."  

"Sure, Elder Elison."  

Elder Nielson - couldn't have done the evening without him.   You know the person who always knows what needs to be done Before you even ask?   And Elder Nebesnii - the Russian heart and poetic soul of the District.  

Jade - the last soul there, who hung with us and waded through a tiny kitchen piled (absolutely piled) with leftovers, dirty pans, and assorted post-party fall out....till it was clean.






During the evening, we asked everyone to think of things they were grateful for.  And every time they thought of something....write it on the table cloth!   It was wonderful reading some of the cloths later on.    My table cloth would include devoted missionaries, wonderful YSA, and a great friend who will spend the day cooking with me and packing up the car...and the evening setting up, carving, taking down and repacking the car...and acting like it's the most fun he's had all week.   You don't find many companions like him in the field....

And other blessings?   Too numerous to even begin.   God has been so good to us out here.   We arise every morning grateful to be in Preston, and to be together.   God is alive, Jesus Christ, our Savior, has completed the atonement.  The Book of Mormon is God's word recorded and preserved for US.   And just as Joseph Smith was a prophet chosen for our times, we have a prophet to lead us today!   Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.   We love you.