The Rodot

On Sunday, December 9, 2012, all ( 15 ) the missionaries loaded into the 2 vans and motored to Tampere.  We left about 7:15 a.m. and arrived about 9:35 a.m.  Beautiful snowy drive.  The trees are covered and starting to be laden with the heavy snow.  The roads were quite good so no problems...only 1 bath room stop!   We arrived early enough at church to meet and greet.  We're always so amazed at how far some of the members travel to do a couple of sessions and then return home the same day.  Their church building is only a couple of years old and quite large.  Relief Society meets up stairs and I don't know what else.  There is even parking though.  The previous building burned down...the fire was started by some local youth.
After Sunday School Sisters Roto, Lehtimäki and Marijanen, and President Roto left and went home to finish the preparations for the arrival of the rest of us.  They said if we wanted hot potatoes they had to leave.
The Rotos live in Orivesi, about 30 kilometers away, so we left after the 3 hour block.  The final road to their home was snow packed.  It's not paved so very wet or dusty during other times of the year.

This get together was a Christmas party and a going away for the London and Suppersberger/Trippel couples.  We will really miss them.  The Londons are coming back to Finland in January as office missionaries in the Finland Mission office.  The Suppersberger/Trippels went home to Austria.  They are able to come for 3 months at a time because of medical issues and of course, have to wait for an opening in the 7 apartments here. 

Karla Williamson, Irina Kondratjeva
Lynne London, Maija Suppersberger

The food was amazing:  fresh pork, slow cooked for 10 hours with hickory wood, salmon, the herring, potatoes, and several salads...and bread, dark and light.  

Before we started eating though and sitting at the tables President Roto read the Christmas story out of his 1st edition Finnish bible...1642.  

Slava Kondratjev, Jon Carpenter, Jukka Lehtimäki, Wayne Williamson.
Erwin Trippel, Warren Thornock, Rick London, Antti Lampila,
Pekka Roto, Pekka Marjanen

 

 Irina Kondratjeva, Donna Kaye Carpenter, Sisko Stenfors, Anna Karina Roto

Sue Thornock, Maija Suppersberger, Karla Williamson, Lynne London, Ritva Marjanen,

 Helena Lehtimäki, Hilka Lampila