Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard's Blog, page 2

Baadsgaard Reunion 2024

When Family Comes Together in Love

My husband and I are serving a full-time two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oakland California, far from home.  We left behind our home, family and easy retirement living. Why would we do that? Because we love our Savior and desire to help others come to know the healing, hope and joy we've found as we strive to be disciples of Christ. We've had incredible experiences we will treasure forever. One unexpected experience happened on Memorial Day. While we were serving at the mission office in Oakland, California, we watched on our phones as our supportive, loving children and grandchildren gathered at our home in Spanish Fork Utah to build a retaining wall and re-landscape our front yard. It feels like Christmas. Why would they do that? Because love us, they love each other and they love their Savior. When a family comes together in love, beautiful memories are made and endure forever.

Alice is baptized

April 28, 2024

Dear Alice,

 

I’m so excited that you are turning eightyears old this year because that means that you are old enough to choose to bebaptized. I’m so happy you have made that choice.

I remember when I was baptized. I was baptizedon my eight-year-old birthday on a Saturday night in a little white churchacross the street from my house in Union, Utah. My congregation had all thechildren being baptized sit on small wooden chairs and talked to us for awhile. I don’t remember what they said, but I do remember what I felt.

I felt excited and a little scared before Iwas baptized. Maybe you are also. When I was baptized, the water was warm and Ifelt clean and happy when I came out of the water. Then I put my dry clothesback on, walked out of the church and into the cold January winter air. Iremember looking up and seeing lacy white flakes of snow falling all around me.Even though it was cold outside, I felt warm inside. I knew God loved me andwas pleased I wanted to come home to heaven someday.

I also knew that Jesus was my best friend andthat if I tried to live like Him that I would be happy. When I was your age,they waited until Sunday to confirm me at church and give me the gift of theHoly Ghost. I felt protected when the men with the priesthood made a circlearound me and put their hands on my head as my father confirmed me.

What I didn't know was that theman I was going to marry someday was being baptized on the very same day,January 6th (my birthday) in a little town called Spanish Fork,Utah. He was a little scared and excited too.

Because we both wanted to be like Jesus, wefound each other many years later. We recognized that we had the same dreamsand plans for life.

           When he got back from hismission to Samoa, we were married in the SLC temple and made special promisesto God. We were sealed for time and eternity. Pretty soon your mother was born.Then she grew up and married your daddy in the same SLC temple and then prettysoon, you were born.

Being baptized is such a special time becausewe are able to participate in our first saving ordinance and make our HeavenlyFather our first official promise.

You are a daughter of God, Alice, and yourHeavenly parents love you very much. They want you to be happy so they havemade a plan of happiness for you to follow so you can return to themsomeday. 

Up until now, you have been a child who islearning, growing and maturing. You have made some mistakes; everybody makesmistakes. That is how we learn and grow. Now that you are eight, God thinks youare wise enough to know the difference between right and wrong choices.Heavenly Father knows that some of the choices we make will not be wise.Because He loves us, He wants us to know how to change so we will not betrapped by our mistakes and bad choices. So He invites us to make a promise toHim and then He makes a promise right back to us. When we make a specialpromise to God and He makes one right back to us, it is called a covenant.Heavenly Father never breaks a promise.

The promise you make to God is that you willremember Jesus, follow Him and keep His commandments. Heavenly Father promisesyou that He will forgive you if you make a mistake then you feel sorry andrepent. He also promises you eternal life. He also gives you the gift of theHoly Ghost to help, guide, protect, warn and comfort you.

 

When you choose to be baptized you tellHeavenly Father that:

 

*You want to be a follower of Jesus Christ

 

*You will serve your fellowmen

 

*You will stand as a witness of God all the time

 

*You will obey the commandments of God

 

          Godpromises you that:

 

  *You are accepted as a member of Christ’s church

 

   *You can be forgiven of your sin when yourepent

 

   *You can have the gift of the Holy Ghost

 

   *You can live in the kingdom of God

 

          Didyou know that you can be re-baptized every week? Everybody makesmistakes after they are baptized so Heavenly Father gave us the sacrament everyweek on Sunday. That is when we remember the covenant we made when we were baptized.We think about our week and decide how to be better during the coming week. Wethink about our Savior Jesus Christ and how He atoned for all our sins, pains,disappointment and grief. We also think about Christ’s resurrection and that wecan be resurrected too someday. Taking the sacrament with a humble heart isjust like being baptized again.

I hope you will write about how you feel inyour journal when you are baptized. Never forget that you are a child of Godand that you can inherit the eternal life God has planned for you. And neverforget that your grandma loves you with all her heart.

Love,  

Grandma Baadsgaard.   

 

Oakland Temple at Sunrise

As part of our two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my husband and I work in the office of the Oakland San Francisco Mission right across the street from the Oakland Temple. My husband took this picture while on a morning walk at sunrise. We have the great blessing of attending this temple every week where we feel peace and joy and experience an eternal perspective for the challenges we face in life. I love the temple and feel so blessed to live close by this House of God.

Cambodian New Year Celebration

I LOVE serving a mission in the Oakland and San Francisco! We are surrounded with so many beautiful people and cultures with fascinating traditions that truly enrich my life. For example, we served at a Cambodian New Year Celebration recently. 
We have a small Cambodian branch in Oakland that meets in the same building we do each Sunday. Many of the small church units around here have young missionaries and senior missionary couples who attend their services so they can bless the lives of those in the small branch. 
Of course these missionaries soon discover they are the ones who are being blessed by wonderful people of multiple cultures and backgrounds. 
A small Cambodian branch sponsors a New Year celebration for the whole Bay Area and has been doing this service for 28 years. As people immigrate to the US, many young people lose the traditions of their parents. So this small branch sponsors this celebration to give Cambodian families in the bay area a chance to celebrate their heritage. 
This Cambodian branch puts together a wonderful program of dance in the auditorium and then provides a free meal of Cambodian food after. Hundreds of people show up and enjoy the evening, all for free because of the generosity of the members of the church here. 

Moody Family Visit to Oakland/San Francisco

Moody family at the Oakland Temple


We love having our family visit while we are serving a full-time two year mission in Oakland/San Francisco California

Celebrating Christmas on Temple Hill

The lights on Temple Hill in Oakland Temple are stunning.

Halloween Fun 2023

I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE CHILDREN IN MY LIFE

I am so blessed to have children in my life. From my 36 precious grandchildren to the Primary children in the Oakland 9th ward and Chinese Branch, my life is full of children who bring me so much joy!

Meet the Waymans

Some people just don’t know how much good they dobecause they are too busy serving others to notice themselves.

Meet the Waymans.  

The Waymans are a senior couple in the CaliforniaOakland San Francisco Mission. Before coming on a mission, Sister Wayman was anelementary school librarian who regularly brought whimsy and delight tocountless young children. She became the characters in the books she read aloudand dressed up in a different costume for every holiday of the year.  As an educator, Elder Wayman saw thepotential of each student he worked with and inspired them to see their worthand aim for the stars. Hundreds of young people have had their lives profoundlychanged by the care and attention this couple has given them.

Their greatest career, they will tell you, is beingthe mom and dad of eight beautiful and remarkable children and now many grandchildren.The Wayman’s home was filled with love and fun.

When asked how she finds the energy to serve so manypeople, Sister Wayman simply answers, “I received so much anonymous service inmy life as my husband faced major health challenges, I just want to pay itforward.”

Elder Wayman is on his third kidney transplant and hasto take a handful of pills every day. They have faced the possibility of deathtogether numerous times. Perhaps that is why they are often seen holding hands.

“We have had so many miracles in our lives,” SisterWayman says. “Finding three people willing and able to donate a kidney to save myhusband’s life is perhaps the biggest.”

One of those donors was the Wayman’s daughterdemonstrating the deep love in their family. Recently all their children pooledtheir money and surprised Elder and Sister Wayman with a beautiful home remodelwhile they were away serving in California.

The Waymans are called as a Pathways coordinator.Pathways is an educational program with certificates and degrees for those whohave not had an opportunity to continue their learning for a variety of reasons,including the inability to pay for higher education. This program, offered byThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is remarkably inexpensive andmostly on-line except for a weekly in- person class with all the students intheir group.

If there is a need in the mission, the Waymans alwaysstep in to help. They recently filled-in at the mission office when they wereshort staffed and now they are filling in the visitor’s center as well.

Perhaps one of the most endearing qualities of thiscouple is the way they love to feed people . . . both their bodies and theirsouls.

Sister Wayman is a ball of sunshine holding a cookiesheet with her latest culinary delight. Her husband is always helping out inthe background to support a wife with boundless energy and the desire to feedand nurture everyone around her. In the wee hours of the night when others aresleeping, Sister Wayman is dreaming up ways to celebrate others by creatingdelicious meals and scrumptious treats. She invites neighbors and friends overfor dinner and creates magical birthday celebrations so everyone feels noticedand appreciated.

Sister Wayman creates celebrations. She takes thetime to know when those around her have a birthday or anniversary and then shecome up with a surprise party complete with balloons, streamers and the mostdelicious treats. 

Elder Wayman is right there at her side helping to cook,carry, set up and take down the magic they create together. Having faced the possibility of death many times together, they don’ttake each other for granted.

Elder Wayman was diagnosed with kidney failure at ayoung age and is now on his third kidney transplant. They both know life isunpredictable and presents challenges. But they both choose to see the miraclesinstead of the tragedy.

“So many people have helped my family anonymouslywhile we’ve experienced enormous health expenses,” Sister Wayman said. “I justwant to pay it forward.”

The Waxmans always seem to notice when someone needsa ride to church, a warm hug or a little cheering up. Their love creates thesparkle in other’s lives.

 “When nothing is expected and everything isappreciated, life is magical.” Sabin ConferenceTalk Oct 2023

The Waymans expect nothing from life or those aroundthem. They appreciate everything. Because of the lens they choose to look through,their life is truly magical. Those around them find the Wayman’s sparkle has rubbedoff on them making their life magical as well.