Fact!

7,574 miles from Jerusalem, Israel to Claremont, CA. Here I come family!

Glimpses

Unrealted to this post but related to other posts there are links on Youtube to our concert. SO COOL! Here it is. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/ramitelaviv#p/u/9/ROEOzERY-8E

This was the poem I wrote in Galilee and shared in my talk a few weeks ago. It is not totally finished but this is what I had so far.

Glimpses
by Sarah Ingalls

In Galilee my soul did awake
As small glimpse I did take
Of the love of my elder brother
Who loved me as no other

I saw glimpses of the future and past
And knew that I’d made memories to last
I felt of His holy grace
After in Galilee having seen His face

I felt of His cleansing power
The one I need each and every hour
In each daily sunset I could see
His deep devotion to me

I now know why He chose this beautiful land
It was but to help me understand
About my true potential as His child
His grace, mercy and character mild

He taught me of His divinity
Deep in the territory of Galilee
Redeemer, Savior, God of earth
Helped me experience my own new birth

And there I promised Him that I would be
The person I see in Galilee

Some pictures! Enjoy!

On the shores of Galilee at Sunset with Lynds and Ash!

This was at Meggido and it was so beautiful and green and in the middle of being there this cloud of fog came and encircled us and then after it cleared we saw this beautiful green pasture and mountians and stuff and it was so awesome. Sometimes we can't see the beautiful end but it is always there when we rely on the Savior!

This is Becca and I in Acko. I love this girl so much!

I am dreaming of a White Christmas

So here are the updates of the past few days. Life is great. We went to the Dead Sea again today. AWESOME! And there was lots of mud to be had. But I really wanted to blog about a Christmas Concert experience. We had our last concert on Sunday night and one of the ladies that works here at the center, named Naomi, came up to our concert director with tears in her eyes and said Brothere Whipple I feel fire in my heart, what should I do? He had to look back at her with tears streaming down his checks and cover his mouth with his hands so as not to say anything. What a heart breaking and yet wonderful expereince? Sunday night was more of a Jewish crowd but it was so fun because as they were walking out most of them wished us a Merry Christmas because the music that we were singing made them feel so good. It was such a joy to feel like I have been able to share my testimony here in Israel through the music that we could share with our friends. The concerts were definitly on my top 5 favorite things I have done here so far.
I am continuing to love and adore the people here. Don't get me wrong fam, I am sooo excited to be hoem for Christmas. In fact, we sang part of White Christmas and I teared up thinking that I do get to go home for Christmas. I am so blessed! I know that the Lord loves me!

Can I brag for a minute? The people here are incredible! We are having a Christmas concert tonight and WOW! We just had a dress rehersal and there is a trio singing Breathe of Heaven and there are 5 vioinists who play A mix of the First Noel and Pachbel Canon which brings tears because it is so beautiful. Seriously, I am going to go through talent withdrawls becasue I am with so many amazing people. Just wanted to brag. Thats all.

Next item of business. Last night we had our Nativity in sheppards field overlooking Bethlehem adn that was also unforgettable. I organized it and sang O come, O come, Emmaunel with a group of girls and it was so much fun. We had Mary and Joseph and Angels and a star, it was just wonderful. Then Brother Brown said something I will never forget. He talked about how over one hill(pointing to Bethlehem) Christ was born and over the other(pointing to Jerusalem) Chirst was crucifed and the only witness of Christ from birth to death was his mother. She was there from the craddle to the grave. What an incredible woman! How grateful I am for a loving Savior who is willing to be patient with me and teach me along the way. We got to spend a few minutes of silence in the field just thinking about what we had just seen. We are so blessed to understand the life of Christ through the restored gospel. We understand the Atonement more fully becasue of the restoration and I am so grateful!

Talent show 2009

I just have to vent my feelings about the talent show we just had. I sang and it was fun but not sure how great it went. I just want to talk about all my friends. I love them soooo much. I have met the most amazing group of funny but incredibly talented people. Words can't begin to express my love for the people that I have met here. My face hurts from laughing and my eye hurt from crying because it was so inspirational. I love Jerusalem most because of the people that have inspired me to be a little better each day. I love Jerusalem!

Galilee, sweet Galilee

This is one of my favorite pictures and I took it with my friend Lynsday's camera but we were sitting inside a cave looking out over the Galilee with this tree in front of us. It was beautiful. This was on the Mt of Beattitudes. The church on the Mt of Beattitudes

On the boat ride over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Here is me in Caesarea.

This is at the famous Jordan river baptismal site. Thats Ashley on my left and Lyndsay on my right. LOVE THEM! This is Ann and I of the Tiberias branch. I was under strict orders of mom to go meet her and she really has an amazing story of what she has done to keep the church going in the Galilee area.

This was the view from the Tiberias branch house balcony. Incredible. This is a branch that more than any other is overseen by the Lord.

On the Sea of Galilee.