Sunday, November 29, 2015

November 29, 2015




Thanksgiving week in the mission field!  I sure missed being with my family....but we sure had a wonderful holiday!  So grateful for so many blessings.  Our family has had so many blessings this year.  And the blessing of being in Sri Lanka has been one of the best!  We began our week with our wonderful mission president and his wife for lunch....where?  Burger King of course!  He loves having a beef burger!  It was a wonderful visit before they headed back to India.  They are trying to get some elders and another couple here by the end of the year!  What a blessing that would be!  We had District meeting on Tuesday and then Steve went with the elders to Gayani and Tania's homes.  We had a seminary activity with all the Colombo kids....minus Shamindri and Shanuka.  We went bowling.  Only one of them had ever done it before!  It was so fun watching them and having fun with them!  Steve made them make an x with their arms when they got a strike!  Too funny!  We had pizza after and then it started raining like crazy!  It was dripping into the bowling alley through the roof!  But the kids had such a great time!  It was great!  Wednesday was our branch relief society activity.  It was on family home evening.  We had about 28 ladies attend which is wonderful!  We did a mock family home evening.  Had a lesson, activity and treat!  Really great!  Later, we picked up Sister Myrna and Ru to go visit our friend Kingsley!  Just love that guy!  He was up this time sitting on the couch...but it was hard for him.  He wanted me to play the piano for him.  It was such a wonderful visit.  We had a prayer before we left and we could tell that he needed rest because his breathing sounded hard for him.  Enjoyed being with him!  We went to one of their relatives homes after....an 88 year old lady who has seen a lot of tragedy in her life.  It was a very nice visit with her!  These members in Colombo are such wonderful missionaries!  It was Kade's 12th birthday on the 25th.  We got to call and wish him a Happy Birthday.  Can't believe he is that old!  Thursday was Thanksgiving!!  We decided to invite Naveen and his family because it was also his birthday!  We invited Tania and her family and Darshini and her family.  Tania's sister Rosie joined us as well as Darshini's cousin....and the elders!  So we had 18 for dinner!  We set up 3 tables in our little apartment!  We spent the entire day cooking I think!  We made Steve's famous dressing...which I was very excited about!  We had our million dollar turkey......haha!  So excited to eat that as well!  We made rolls, dressing....and I even made pies with homemade crust....which is different for me!  We could find all the ingredients except evaporated milk....so I....evaporated some milk!  It worked!  No one had ever had turkey before.  And they really wondered why we celebrated this day...and what we did. etc.  So it was fun to watch everyone try their first taste of turkey with the trimmings!  They loved it all!  The turkey didn't cook very fast....it was so strange.  It drove Steve crazy!  But we were able to get enough of it that was done to begin our feast!  We were also surprised with some special gifts.  Inoka and Naveen made a pretty table decoration for us.  Darshini had a picture made up of Steve and I and had written a special message on there for us.  It made me teary of course.  These people are too sweet!  We celebrated Naveen's birthday with singing and pie and ice cream!  He liked it!  The older people visited and I played with the kids!  We played spoons and donkey with cards!  It was fun!  I just had to get a card game in for the holidays!!!  Steve and I watched a movie (another tradition from him)   oldy but goodie!  We watched How To Steal and Million and Rear Window!  I taught piano lessons this week and also we were able to go to Chilaw after a lot of time not being able to have a free Saturday!  It was such a treat!  It is a long way to go but the people are grateful and sweet!  We took the elders and they had never been there so that was nice!  Celebrated with Pizza Hut on the way home!  Today was a wonderful Sabbath day!  The Primary program!  There were about 19 kids and they were great!  They sang so loud and were so happy with their parts!  It was great!!  We had Mali, and her kids, Methasa, and Shashsrika over for dinner with the elders.  They are all investigating the church and are wonderful!  The elders taught them and we had a wonderful chicken dinner!  Such wonderful things are happening in Sri Lanka....especially here in Colombo!  So grateful for all the wonderful members and the investigators!  In fact, a new family came today to church from Pakistan.  They loved being there today and are anxious to learn the gospel!  Can't believe it is December in a few days.  So thankful again for the many wonderful blessings we have been given!
Pres Berretts favorite place to eat in Sri Lanka...Burger King!

Relief Society activity



Yolanthi, Zeeniya, Gayani

Rosemary, Mali

Pooja and her friend

Eurashia, Anula, Christine, Mitali

Margaret, Priyanka

Claire, Sheramy, Shanika

Primali, Radi

Kanchana, Darshini, Emily, Inoka

Priyanka, Ann, Eashani, Sherene, Rosemary

Radi




Katie and Andrew








Deek had beginners luck!  Strike!!



Not to be outdone by her brother, Deyan gets a strike!!!

The best seminary kids (and Darshini and I)


Sweet Kingsley!  Playing some tunes in the background!

A Norbest turkey in Sri Lanka!


Can't live without Steves famous dressing!


Pumpkin pies!

Thanksgiving!



and...Naveens birthday!






Naveen and Richard





Steffaniya and her parents!!!!


Elder G

All day in the kitchen!!


Elder W making mashed potatoes!

















Darshini's family brought a gift

So sweet!











Singing to Naveen













Cards!!

Gift from Inoka and Naveen
















Friend swimming in the sink today!


Mali and her kids, Methosa and Shashsrika











Fun with the wig!












Some of the Primary kids

Primary program!