Merry Christmas!

Mike and I were asked to participate in our ward Christmas program this year. It was such a good experience for us! I wanted to share it with my dad this Christmas, so I am adding it to our blog. (When we presented it to our ward, we had a large screen that we projected pictures onto. Mike and I took turns talking as the pictures were displayed.)

1-Linda

When Kristin asked us if we would participate in the program tonight, she mentioned that she wanted to show a short Youtube video; and wondered if I had seen it.

It was a nativity production, featuring the Piano Guys, David Archuleta,  and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with a Christmas ornament at the end.  

I excitedly told her,

“We are in that video!  Mike and I are a part of the nativity ornament!”

2-Mike

We thought it would be fun to share with you some behind-the-scenes stories about our experience.

We first became aware of this video project through our friends, Ray and Jill Eves, a couple we met while on our mission to Samoa. Their son Derral, was the associate producer of the video, so we have a lot of insider information!

3-Linda

For instance, from start to finish, the video was conceived, funded and produced in just 6 weeks, which was nothing short of miraculous!

4-Mike

This was the brainchild of the organization known as RADIANT- a nondenominational interfaith foundation established to promote Christ in the world.  

Their idea was to break the Guinness world record for number of people in a live nativity.  

5-Linda

Filming took place at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah.  Most of us were angels who came together at the end of the video to create a living ornament.

To accomplish that, we were assigned individual places on the field which had been mapped into a grid. Here I am, pointing to my spot on the grid.

6-Mike

Here’s a better view of the grid.

The grid covered over 42,000 square feet.

It took a crew of 3 people 2 full days to mark it out on the field

Over 800 people were needed to fill the spaces on the grid. Here are a few people looking for their spots.

7-Linda

The "angel costumes we wore were made from a lightweight fabric, like you find on box springs.

There was a circular tube at the bottom  and battery powered lights.

It slipped over your head and was really ugly and awkward to wear,

but so effective when it got dark!

It took an army of 50 families to sew all those costumes.  

8-Mike

A camera was suspended up in the sky to shoot the final nativity scene picture.

Weather balloons were attached to the stabilized camera.

They had to tether the balloons together.

The weather had to be perfect for this to work.  

9-Linda

One of the many miracles that took place on the day we filmed was that the Lord tempered the weather, which was really important, because we had to be there all day long, even though the actual filming could not take place until it got dark.

Mike-

Originally, a storm was forecast for that day. But, as you can see, we had blue skies and sunshine! 

Once the sun went down, however, it got very cold! Every one of us was shivering as we waited for the filming of the ornament scene.  Had it been stormy weather, we would have become so chilled during the day that  many of us would not have lasted.

10-Linda

At one point, we needed to be counted, to see if there were enough of us to set a new world record. (If you look really close, you can see Mike and I in this picture!)

 They corralled us all into a central spot where we nervously waited as the last few stragglers trickled in.

Suddenly, a large group of people arrived, all dressed in white.  They belonged to one of the local Christian churches, had heard about the event, and had come to join with the many others, all celebrating the birth of Christ.  That was one of my favorite memories of the day.

11-Mike

The ornament scene at the end was actually produced backwards.

We all started out on our designated square and then dispersed into the outer fields.  When the video was produced, it was played in reverse.

Linda

I was so excited to see this video! But,  I’ll never forget my initial disappointment!  After having spent an entire day, and nearly freezing to death before  we were finished, our part  was reduced to a second or two at the very end and my tiny little light was indistinguishable from all the others!  

  

Well, I watched it again, got over myself, and began to understand just what an honor it was to have been even a tiny part of that great whole.

Several years ago, I received an oil painting from a dear friend. One morning, as I was admiring the fine details of the painting, it suddenly occurred to me that this beautiful rose bouquet had started out as an empty canvas.  My artist friend had added every detail- every single speck of paint had been thoughtfully and purposely placed.  

Heavenly Father has created in the human race, his masterpiece.  Each one of us is just a tiny part of the great whole, but He knows where we are because He put us in the picture!  

Mike

We did set a new  Guinness world record for number of people in a live nativity, but it is important to note that the original record still stands. Each one of us here tonight was there that night over 2 millennia ago, when our Savior and King was born in a stable and laid in a manger.