A Grateful Thanksgiving

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we enjoyed last week!  All our missionaries gathered in the apartment of the senior couple who is in their district.  We were able to purchase a turkey and a can of pumpkin for each senior couple who was hosting Thanksgiving dinner and everyone was delighted.  Whole turkeys are not comman here because Russian ovens are very small and you can't fit a large turkey in their oven.  But, I was able to find four-kilo turkeys (that's about nine pounds) and they worked great.  For our cans of pumpkin I had asked several women who were able to go to Salt Lake for General Conference to bring back a small can for us.  So, we enjoyed the traditional turkey and pumpkin pie for our dinners.   All our districts reported having a wonderful feast and time together.  We have been greatly blessed this year as missionaries in Moscow. 

We were blessed to have our Universityetski and Podolsk District missionaries and the senior couple missionaries from those two branches with us at the mission home for Thanksgiving.  Also, President and Sister Schwitzer (our Area President), and President and Sister Woolley (Moscow West Mission president and wife) were able to join us.  We had lots of food and fun.

Cute missionaires!  They made me laugh.  Before dinner they weighed themselves and wanted to see who could gain the most weight after dinner.  I think one of our elders gained 6 lbs.  Is that really possible?

Presidents Schwitzer and Sorenson carving the turkey.

Sisters Schwitzer and Palmer making the gravy and mashed potatoes.

About to enjoy the feast.

Elder Raymond and Sister Cook helping with clean-up.

Elders Wittemore, Campbell and Spoerri helping with clean-up.

Our happy Thanksgiving in Moscow!

My newest treasure is a 17 lb. handcarved - handpainted wooden turkey.  The American Women's Organization in Moscow had their annual Arts and Craft Festival a couple of weeks ago and I was able to purchase "Tom" at one of the silent auctions they had.  He is stunning!  Keep in mind that 1) Russia doesn't celebate Thanksgiving, and 2) turkeys are not a common thing here.  A Russian artist made and donated this turkey for the event.  Proceeds from the silent auctions went to the Moscow Pediataric Cancer Hospital.  What a find!