Yes, that's right, I said IN the Nativity Scene. Every year in Lublin, the tradition is to set up a large wooden Nativity scene downtown, complete with animals and dressed-up characters. The area is large enough for local groups to hold Christmas concerts. The Thursday after Christmas, I had the opportunity to play my tenor saxophone with a local Gospel choir called "Gospeople". While the singers did an excellent job, I must say that the below-freezing temperatures did more than simply send the animals and actors home for the night, it also made things difficult for me and the two trumpet players. If you are an instrumentalist, you can probably imagine the impossibility of getting such a large, metal instrument in tune when the air around you is so cold. Methods like blowing warm air through the instrument, holding a hot pack on it (the heat didn't last long), or holding it under my coat when not playing, all fell short of getting me less than a half-step flat, so I ended up transposing in my head and playing everything a half-step higher than written. That's easier said than done! Then the trumpet players started breaking little pieces of ice off of their trumpets and we realized that some of the condensation was actually freezing inside the trumpets and causing the valves to stick. We really did do our best. And hopefully the electric guitars, drumset and electric piano drowned out any unpleasant notes! In addition to the choir pieces, there were also performances by dance/drama/flag group Kalejdoskop (Kaleidoscope), and a Christian rap routine by a group of teenage boys. There was a surprisingly large crowd attending, and all were challenged to accept the true peace that only Jesus Christ can give. Getting the message out in downtown Lublin was definitely worth the effort, and I'm so thankful to have had even a small part in this ministry.
Look at these pictures from the event! Please visit http://www.gospeople.gospel.com.pl/gal_pofarze_grudzien_2007/index.html If it comes up in Polish, just click on the first picture, and it will take you to a larger view. From there you can use the arrow keys, or click on the 
button to go through it as a slideshow.