Another For your list Erin

The day began at 6 a.m. with - wouldn't you know - cutting vegetables.  I made Thanksgiving dressing the way my mother used to make it.  Erin, no Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing!...no poultry seasoning (I made my own).  I let bread get dry, chopped it up and added sage, rosemary and thyme (good line for a song), chicken stock (of a sort), onions, celery and apple.  I made quite a large pot full.  Then I cooked a turkey.  He was not huge, but he did fill the oven!  We went to the stake center around 2 to help our mission president's wife - Sister Sederholm feed a Thanksgiving dinner to 55 missionaries.  I asked how many of our young missionaries are from the States.  I was told about 95 percent.  Of that group, one was from Norway and one from Iceland.  Otherwise they were all from the USA

Sister Sederholm spearheaded a feast for those young people...the works.  There was turkey, real mashed potatoes, real sweet potatoes (they were awesome), fruit salad, dressing, gravy, mixed vegetbles and for dessert pumpkin rolls.  When we got there she had the tables set with purple tablecoths and yellow napkins with flowers on the table.  There were eight women in the kitchen and it was crazy....but everything got served and it was delicious.  We sat down and ate with the young missionaries.

We all cleaned up and then they put on a talent show.  The first young missionary started out playing a medley on the piano.  The first song he launched into was "America the Beautiful" which transitioned into "Battle Hymn of the Republic."  There was "Give Said the Little Stream by 7 young sister missionaries done in the syle of "Vocal Point," a very funny skit, recitations of poetry, several guitar numbers and the elder from Iceland played an amazing piece on the piano and then sang a hauntingly lovely song in Icelandic.

We caught a ride home...picked up some things and took 2 buses to the Center where we met with the co-chairmen of the YSAs, the mission president, a counselor in the stake presidency, the Institute Director, and a couple of other committee heads.  That was all in Danish and I got some of it, other parts were whispered to me in English.  But it was truly inspiring to watch.

This group meets once a month.  All were assembled to help these YSAs direct this program....and the strength of leadership present in the room was impressive.  Even more so was the kind way each humbly reported on his stewardship.  Elder  L. Tom Perry has said that the strength, the leadership and the direction of how the Church will go in Europe lies with the YSAs.

Both young chairmen are dynamic and strong.  It will be fun to be a part of all that goes on here in the next few months.

For now, I must go to bed....Good night!