Danksagung

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For Barbara, the day began with an errand to the store – it was open, as usual, and the trams were running on their normal schedule. For people in Vienna, there is nothing special about the fourth Thursday in November – and, though it was strange for us, they did “business as usual” on Thanksgiving Day.
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Things were different in the Schloss Neuwaldegg, where we made a major production. Several of our students had visiting family members, and we invited local missionaries as well. Our cooks got started several days early, and they prepared eight enormous turkeys – along with a host of other traditional dishes. There was plenty of food for everyone, and we will be having turkey sandwiches for the next few days.
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Rochester students prepare for the meal.

Before the meal, we gathered for a talent show, and there were several highlights for the Hueys. Annika proved to be a versatile actress: in one skit she was a security guard, and, in another performance, she played the role of a turkey! Allyson played four songs on the piano, and, as requested by her father, she ended with "All I Ask of You" (from Phantom of the Opera). He thought it was a special, unrepeatable moment.

Everything is secure with Annika on duty.

Allyson plays for the audience.

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We are not the only people in the Schloss this week – DOR Films is here as well, and they are making a movie (starring Bibiana Zeller and Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger) about elderly people who, despite their age, continue to seek the gusto from life. Bibi and and Blacky have been using two of the rooms in our hallway, and the whole thing has been mildly interesting. At the same time, however, the film crew has been pretty intrusive, and we barely managed to banish them from our Thanksgiving dinner space!
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Most of our students are preparing for a few more days of “free travel,” and then we will start the packing process. For the moment, however, we are thankful for this extraordinary semester. Rochester College is blessed to have this kind of program, and the Hueys are blessed to be a part of it. We have a lot of European memories and some very special friendships! We hope to be home for Thanksgiving 2009, but we will never forget our feast in the Schloss.
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