Christmas morning we had twists for breakfast and then opened our presents. Then we were able to go with 3 of the service couples to the Garden Tomb.
Carol & Clyde Bench [housing couple/doctor]. She is also the RS President:
Norm and Dorene Squires [organist/choir director/hosting]:
Bob & Elisabeth Schafer [humanitarian]. He is our Branch President:
We were a minority in this group - there were probably 400 Nigerians at the service. It was great! They really know how to sing and be happy.
Ha, ha - Kent said he saw one man taking pictures of our row of white faces!
This is the director of the Garden, preparing for the service to begin. The staff at the Garden are very sweet, kind people. Right behind and below him, is the tomb. Nice setting, huh?
They had a live band to accompany the Christmas hymns that we sang. Before the service began, the Nigerians were spontaneously singing songs of praise and the band joined in. It was a really sweet experience.
We couldn't help but clap along!
Here is how the program went. There were prayers or scripture readings interspersed with carols. Each time we sang, everyone stood up.
This was such a wonderful way to spend Christmas morning. Wow!!! I can't really tell you how amazing it was or how glad I was to be there. Wish all of you could have been there as well.
We had about an hour break at the JC and then it was off to lunch. This time with all 3 service couples.
We went to the Notre Dame Hotel - very posh! :)
This is one-half of the buffet line. The other half was salads and appetizers but too many people in the way for me to take a picture.
Across from the buffet were 2 dessert tables. I'm sure there were better people than I who only ate the fruit! :)
This table included the traditional yule log - biggest one I've ever seen!
Here we are enjoying our delicious lunch! When we first sat down, Santa came around and gave each one of us a bag of Christmas chocolates! You can see one of them lying in the left forefront of this picture. I thought this was extremely generous - I thought maybe one per couple. . . .
In the background, in the private room, you can see several priests, enjoying their lunch. We had some fun interaction with them as the meal progressed. One of the priests came out and introduced himself and learned a bit about who we were and why we are in Jerusalem. He was a delightful man and seemed happy to know us as well.
After the priests had finished their meal they began singing Christmas carols - some in French, some in Spanish, and some in English. Father Kelly [the one we had met at first] brought us printed copies of the words so that we could join in. Then it progressed to the table next to us. It was so much fun! Here we are singing along:
You would have to know Dorene Squires to fully appreciate these next 2 photos. But, she wasn't happy with the speed at which the priests were singing "Away in a Manger" so she went in and "encouraged" them a bit!!!
As so often happens in the JC's "random" contacts with other faiths - this association turned out to be very fortuitous. The priests were there with the new Papal Nuncio to the Holy Land. Our very next-door neighbor is the Vatican's ambassador to Palestine. So the man in this picture with Kent is that new ambassador - meeting his neighbors. Also, our humanitarian couple work quite closely with the delegate and had the opportunity to introduce themselves as well!
One of the priests offered to show us part of the hotel.
This is their chapel:
He let us go up on the roof and these are views from up there:
The best view of all - our Center. :)
I cannot imagine a more perfect day - well except for being home with family. I am so grateful for this experience that Kent and I have been allowed to have and for the wonderful people who have come into our lives because of it!!
Merry Christmas to all of you - whom we love and miss.
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