Thanksgiving & After Thanksgiving Wanderings

FIRST I'LL START OFF WITH PICTURES THAT WOULDN'T POST LAST TIME

 

Yummy Sister Gifford Sauce!! This is Sister Donaldson, the President's wife.

My Italian "sauce" dinner for 40
Missionaries

This is the Mission home kitchen & my
garlic bread in the foreground :-)

         The following are pictures from the Mining Museum

Mining Shaft - deep & dark

It was dark down there!!

                     

Engine Room - original engine from the "1800's"

Thanksgiving table set for 22 missionaries & yes
it really is just one long table in the mission home!

Chalk the dark bird up to "Scottish ovens!"

Senior & Jr Missionaries - Seniors did the cooking!

      These are our Edinburgh Missionaries

O.K. we are caught up in pictures--hope you enjoyed. Now let me tell you about a fascinating week at the office (well maybe fascinating isn't the right word). To start with two of our young sisters on a dark winding road lost control and ditched their car, totaling it. The Lord took good care of them as the only injury was one slight concussion. But it shook the sisters up. They came to the mission home for a couple of days to rest and de-stress. Then we discovered that two of our Elders were living in a haunted house (believe it or not) and so in one day, I had to find a new flat in Dublin, no less. Which I accomplished and they are at peace now (the missionaries, not the bad spirits). Next two sisters, again in Dublin, were threatened by a homeless person with a hypodermic needle as a weapon. She had been watching the sisters and followed them to their flat. They gave her what money they had, so the President figures they aren't safe in that area. So guess what--another new flat to find in one day in Dublin. I'm convinced that this "flat finding" in one day or even a week is truly the hand of God in the works. I'd go into real estate when I get home, but I know it will never be the same! Nor would I want it to be.

Thanksgiving was quite an adventure! It was a regular office day for us because they don't celebrate the holiday here. We were back and forth from office/desk to the kitchen all day--quite tiring to say the least. Then there was the clean-up! Oh boy! It was worth it all when each young missionary filed by to say thank you. They were from England, Romania, Taiwan, China and, of course, the US. After a wonderful evening, we went next door to the church to help teach an investigator. The Lord's work is never done, and we are finding some of the best times are when we are helping to teach the Gospel.

Saturday we started the day at a private school across the street from the church/mission home at a Holiday Bazaar. Didn't buy a thing but enjoyed mingling with the Scots.
                                                                         

At the Holiday Bazaar

Private School across from the church/mission home

                            After the Bazaar, we visited Dollhousie Castle and it turned out they had a Falconary Habitat, which was amazing. Thought my grandkids & great-grandkids would enjoy seeing these pictures. We got to watch them feed the birds, which was pretty gross, but educational -:)

                                                                                       

Two young women ran the Habitat and actually held the birds and cuddled with them. We kept our distance since
they weren't used to us! The white owl above was at a
wedding today, he held the wedding ring in his beak at
the ceremony. Pretty neat huh? There were probably around
25 birds and most of them outside. Did I mention that feeding
time was pretty gross?

My last picture shows snow on the mountain caps just outside
Edinburgh. We drove up to the ski slope and found it to be
very busy.

NOTE: Well Hi mom--I don't have too much more to say (which is unlike me), but want you to know you are always in my prayers and I miss you a lot! Stay well and stay happy.

NOTE: Hi Levi, how are you. It's ggma writing and I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you. I'll bet you are a great big brother to Holly Dale. I loved the picture of you in your hockey uniform. How is your team doing? When I get back to the United States after my mission I plan on coming to visit you. So until then, keep happy and help mom and dad all you can. Love you bunches.