My Sunday - not the Sabbath, but still pretty great!

Okay so on Sunday December 6, 2009, we went out into the city and shopped again. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, let's just say that.

We first made a stop to the Olive Wood Carvers. I found this amazing, beautiful carving of an angel, but I don't know if I should get it. I've been looking at a lot of angel carvings, and this one has the most beautiful wings. I don't know if I should get it, so I'm thinking about it. Anyway.

After that we wandered through the city and we found this cute little Christmas store. In the Old City, that's awesome. So we took a picture with Santa! Mom and Dad, tell Santa I'm coming to give him a big kiss, okay? I'll be there before any of you know it!

Anyway, we just wandered around the Old City and enjoyed ourselves. I was happy to do just that. I just really want to be there and be in the city, and just to soak it in before I leave. I love it here. Really. I now understand the saying "America is my country, but [Jerusalem] is my hometown." Part of my heart will always be here.

That night was our last Christmas Concert, of two performances. It was another amazing experience. We really tried to focus our efforts on bringing the spirit into the room. We can't proselyte here. We can't talk about the Gospel! How crazy is that. I am feeling so much now how much I love the Gospel and how much I want to talk about it, and I can't. It's funny how that works out.

Anyway, everyone loved the concert. We just felt this great love for all the people in the audience, and the spirit was definitely present. Many of the guests that come on a regular basis to the Thursday and Sunday night concert series that are always going on at the center said that this was the best one that they'd ever seen. Sister Whipple told us that out of all the concerts, when the tickets become available (they're free but people have to send in for them), that our Christmas concert is always the first one to run out of tickets, despite having professional musicians from around the world come to the center to play. It's a huge deal, so we wanted to do a great job. The musical talent, and variety of musical talent, that we have in our group is astounding. We have five or six violinists, a flutist, several organists, several guitarists, some amazing amazing pianists, and incredible vocalists. It was an amazing concert, and we didn't put in the amount of effort that it would've taken to make it so normally. Truly the Spirit blessed us last night, and it was amazing. Everyone was touched when they left. It was wonderful! I loved it, I was on such a happy high for the whole night. It was so great!

Here are some pictures! I finally took some last night, since I didn't Friday night.

This is Kellie and I. You can see the center on the 8th floor is all decked out for Christmas!

This is Kathryn, Lexi, Tessa, and I! Ahh Christmas!

Me and Sarah...and a ghost :) (The dancers who did the opening for the concert were dressed completely in white, so therefore there is a ghost!)

This is me, Brother and Sister Whipple, and Sarah. The Whipples are incredible. He's a really well-known organist, and musical genius. All of the songs we sang, he either just wrote the music by ear from songs that are common, translated texts from Polish and also transcribed the music, or just made up parts by ear. He is amazing. As is his beautiful wife. She sang a solo for the concert (a solo verse) of "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas." It was beautiful! She also directs the choir normally, each sunday for the prelude, and also is the ward chorister. She handles all the tickets and performers for the concert series. They are just amazing! They are also hilarious, and like grandparents to us. I love them!

Anyway, that was my Sunday experience! I hope all of you enjoyed your Sabbaths too!

Besos!