Thanksgiving in the Philippines

Thanksgiving is a completely American holiday, which, it turns out, is somewhat hard to explain to Southeast Asians. Our Thanksgiving began as gratitude for a bounteous harvest, much needed to see the settlers through the coming harsh winter. Here in the tropics, gratitude for a timely and bounteous harvest is hard to explain, as there is no winter or non-growing season, and the harvest is pretty much always bounteous. The exception would be when a typhoon wipes everything out, but that is a different concept. So, explaining this uniquely American holiday to our Philippine and other Asian friends has been more difficult than you might expect!

We had two Thanksgivings. Our first was at the Mission Home (home of the Mission President). The other office couple, the one's whose places we are taking, were asked to stay there Thanksgiving week with the president's 15 year-old son while President and Sister Ostler were away up north at a mission presidents' seminar.  Most of us worked on Thanksgiving morning here at the office, then gathered over at the mission home mid-afternoon. While the others were at the office, I stayed home and baked three pies: pumpkin, apple, and chess.

Everyone brought parts of the feast, and it was delicious. Stuffing is uncommon if not nonexistent here, so when Sister Lemmon, our mission nurse practitioner, had to escort an ill missionary back to Arizona, she stopped at Wal-mart during her twelve hours on the ground! We had a lovely dinner, and enjoyed our time together.

Elder Northrup, Sister Jensen, Elder Jensen (Perpetual Education Fund and Self-Reliance Center), Elder Lemmon (area attorney). We even found Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, in with the taco sauce and other Mexican food!

Elder Theler making gravy, Jensens again, Sister Paine, and Elder Lemmon.

Caleb Ostler, Northrups, Jensens, Elder Theler, Elder Lemmon, Sister Lemmon, Elder Paine and Sister Paine. Sister Theler took the picture.

Waiting for dinner in the living room. Caleb had a very grandparenty Thanksgiving!

 Second Thanksgiving was at the Area Offices by the Philippine Missionary Training Center and the temple. One of the couples serving in public relations arranged to have the event catered, and gave them her personal recipes. What we were served was reminiscent of Thanksgiving in some ways! But, again, we had a nice time. Dinner was preceded by a performance by some children from Bahay Kalinga, a home for street children, those who have parents who can't keep them right now as well as those who are orphans and abused children, ranging in age from one week to 30 years.

I posted a picture on Facebook, but now can't find it!