The biggest happening this past week was our "Early Thanksgiving Dinner" on Monday, November 25th at the Mission Home, so here are some pictures of our afternoon.  It looks a lot more like Christmas than like Thanksgiving, but the dinner was the real thing.

There is a security wall around the mission home, and as we stepped through it, this is what we saw.

. . . just inside the front door.

And in the entry way to the right of the door . . .

A beautiful view of the stairway (standing with my back to the front door).

 One of several lovely table decorations . . .

Here's what the main table looked like (seating for 24).

This was our table (the place card says "Pdte. Harrison").

Sister Dyer has collected many different nativities during her 2-1/2 years here.  

This is a long-shot of about 11, followed by individual pictures of these and others.

This one is actually in the fireplace.

This is one of my favorites:  Mary on a llama, instead of a donkey, and wearing a cholita hat.

A long-shot of the mantel decorations . . .

. . . the decorations on the piano . . .

. . . and of course, the Christmas tree.

Here Farron is helping with the dinner preparation; he started carving a turkey just after I took this picture. The lady in the orange blouse is Christy Dyer, the wife of the mission president.

Another shot of the kitchen and the meal preparations.  

The lady in the center is Sister Jensen, the temple president's wife.

And at last we're ready to eat . . . a shot of the big table.

Nearest the camera - Suzy and Bart Eames, 

who are leaving for home (Mesa, AZ) tomorrow!

And a good shot of our table.  From left to right, Farron, Brother and Sister Rojas (who manage the hospedaje), and Elder and Sister Chalmers (part-time temple missionaries and

full-time "Perpetual Education Fund" missionaries for all of Bolivia.)

After the dinner, we helped the Dyers with a service project.  They have many missionaries who come from poor families here in South America and frequently arrive without even sufficient clothing for their needs. Obviously their parents can't send them Christmas packages.  So two of our groups wrapped packages for about 50 Elders - each package had a new white shirt, a tie, and a package of M&M's.  Farron and I were in group 3, which wrapped gift bags for 50 sisters.  Each sister got a tiny travel-size bottle of shampoo, one of conditioner, and one of lotion, plus a pocket-package of Kleenex, a travel-size bar of soap, a tiny sewing kit, and 4 pieces of candy.  Doesn't sound like much, does it?  But to these sisters who never get anything, it will be a really pleasant surprise.

This is our group.

We had a lovely afternoon, and it was especially satisfying to end the day by helping someone else. That's really what Thanksgiving and Christmas should be about, don't you think?

 

November was a good month.  Now we're in December and it's truly "beginning to look a lot like Christmas".  The temple grounds are decorated beautifully, and we even have a tiny Christmas tree here in our apartment and lights in the windows.  Tonight we are having a combined Latin-and-North American Missionary Family Home Evening and the comedor (dining room) looks terrific.  Our resident (and actually professional) interior decorator, Diana Crayk, is in charge.  She's the one who did all the decorating at the mission home and it is amazing to watch her work!  Next week I'll share pictures of these things.

Until then, have a safe, happy, healthy week . . . and vayan con Dios . . .