Danish Pastries, Parishes, and People



Copenhagen, Denmark

About twelve years ago, I started researching my maternal Danish line (after some serious prompting from my Grandpa Larsen). Starting with my Grandpa's ancestor who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon), I started to link families.  This week, after finding a screaming deal on plane tickets to Denmark, I went to the actual place where it all began. While in Copenhagen, I googled the parish name and came up with this church in Brarup and an address.


My honey and I drove down to southern Denmark and found this beautiful church built in the 1100s!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The door was locked, so we walked around the beautiful grounds. Then I noticed across the street a cute little house with this phone booth. (Was I in Denmark or England?)

 

Behind the greenery is a little basket of apples left for visitors to the phone booth.

I went to the door of the house, and in spite of several "BEWARE OF DOG" signs, I boldly knocked. A cute lady answered, pushing large dogs out of the way with her foot. I asked if she knew when the church was open. She gave the perfect answer: "I have a key!"

 

 The very tall part is the bell tower and they rang while we were in the church! Special thanks go to my chauffeur, photographer, and eternal travel companion.

Her husband, the caretaker, let us in. I was surprised at the rush of emotion that came over me. My hands were shaking, and my heart was pounding. Here was the place that so many of my ancestors, whom I had done temple work for, had been christened, married, and buried.

I love the painted frescoes right on the plaster walls. To the left is the baptism bowl where babies would be christened.

 

This was an original wooden cross dating back to 1100 on the wall.

 

The pastor preaches from this pulpit. Sunday services are still held in this church. Although the caretaker said few Danes attend church.

We then asked if we could see church records. He said they were closed and the office would be closed the next day as well. So we asked if he knew of a place we could stay. He said, "Follow me," and drove us to the most charming bed and breakfast about a kilometer down the road:

 

Albertsgaard Bed and Breakfast, Brarup, Denmark

 

 

The cottage came complete with thatched roof! Both this cottage and the big main house were built in the 1820s and restored. So this is what it would have looked like in my ancestor's time. At this point, I had felt a great payoff for my temple work, and if the church was what I was able to see, I was content. But when our cute host named Jytte, (sounds like Utah), saw my fistful of genealogy papers, she offered to help. When we told her the archive office was closed, she said, " I know the woman who works there. I will call and get you an appointment! I will talk her into opening it just for you!" And she did.

 

While we waited for our appointment, we looked for a neighboring parish where more of my ancestors had been christened. A Danish fog had settled in and we couldn't find the Kippinge church, but stumbled across one in Vaalse. We walked around the burial grounds, and I recognized these names! I had done the temple work for them, and remarkably, I had printed this family group sheet off and had them with me:

 

 

Throughout my journey, I had prayed that if I was supposed to find something, that I would find it, and that I would be led to where I needed to be. I didn't know what was to come next. My husband took a picture with his camera, and then, took a picture with his cell phone.
 

Elsa, our wonderful guide at the Archives, bubbled with excitement that we had come to Denmark to find our people. She told us she had journeyed to America for the same reason. She told us of the excitement she felt when she stood in Iowa and Chicago in the footsteps of her ancestors. I told her of my excitement to be in the parish church where my ancestors had stood. Elsa stands all of 5' but has a super-sized serving of the spirit of Elijah!

 

She brought us the Brarup records ledger and we started to look for Mathias Christensen Boge, the father of my ancestor, Mattias Mattiasen, who joined the church. At this point, my husband showed Elsa the pictures on his cell phone of the grave markers shown above. She put her hand over her mouth in shock. "Those are the names of my friend's parents and grandparents! She also works at these Archives. I will call her. She just got back yesterday from Thailand, but she will be upset if I don't call and tell her relatives from America are here!"

 

In about twenty minutes, we met Kate Jensen, my cousin! We both share Mattias Christensen Boge and Kirsten Hansen as great-great-great-great-great grandparents. In yet another tender mercy, I had printed off exactly the sheets that would show her connection to this ancestor, and her connection to me. Kate was very tired from jet lag, but had jumped at the chance to meet family. When Elsa had been unsuccessful in reaching her by phone, she went the extra mile and called Kate's husband at work. He had left work, driven home, and awakened his wife for her to meet us!

 

Kate also has the spirit of Elijah. As we looked at the records, I showed her Matthias Christensen Boge's death record.

I showed her how Kirsten had lost two sons, one as an infant, and one at age 4, and her husband, Matthias Christensen Boge, in one year. When I first started doing the research, I had discovered this and drew strength from this primary research. I started to understand why I was to do family history at that point in my busy life. My husband was a new bishop, and the Lord wanted me to have the opportunity to have spiritual experiences and draw strength from my ancestors while my husband was busy having spiritual experiences. I realized that my life wasn't that hard, in comparison.
 

As we looked at the records, "Cousin Kate" read in Danish the name of the farm that the family came from. She looked at me in excitement. "That farm is a big beautiful farm, and I can take you there right now!"

 

 

 



Here we are together in front of the ancestral farm. Just behind the home is the ocean. My ancestor, Mattias Mathiassen left one of the prettiest places in Denmark to join the Church. He left his parents and 13 brothers and sisters. But I am bringing them back together now.

 

Kate and I are kindred spirits! As we drove around and saw her beautiful home, she invited us to stay the next time we came to Denmark. She told me she is writing the history of her grandmother's family. I have now given her the records for her grandfather's family. She didn't know she lived three kilometers from his family farm. She said, "It is so important to share our ancestor's stories with our children." For information on the importance of family stories, click here: https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/sunday-lesson/stories-that-bind?lang=eng

 



Kate helped us find the Kippinge parish church built in the 1500s.

  

I helped her sign up for FamilySearch.org. She has already emailed me, looking for more information on Matthias Christensen Boge. Together we will find his parents, I am sure.  Kate has information on her grandparent's siblings that I had not been able to find. Most importantly, she said, "I have many dreams about my ancestors. They are very close to me. They want me to do something for them."

FamilySearch.org (Click here to start an exciting journey)

 

President Thomas S, Monson often says, “There are no coincidences” as he makes the point that his experiences in life have taught him to always look for the Lord’s hand.^" As I write this, I have come to realize that my Grandfather Larsen was with me throughout this journey of tender mercies. I believe he has taught these ancestors that stayed in Denmark the gospel, and they are ready for their temple work. I'm hurrying, Grandpa.




Copenhagen Denmark Temple
 

 

 

Brim with Joy

Wednesday Night: As we were packing to leave for a trip to visit Daughter #3's mission field, we received an elated email from Cassi: "I just found out the best of news!! Sue is getting her endowments out on Friday at 5!!! We have to go! That would be just amazing!"

Sue was a convert that she had found, taught, and witnessed her baptism, one year previously. Thankfully, one of the members in the Leesburg Ward had seen our daughter's Facebook post about coming to the DC area and informed her for this the night before we left Utah.

Thursday Night: We added our temple recommends to our carry on bags and headed to Salt Lake International for the red-eye to Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington DC.We landed at 10:15 the next morning and headed to the National Mall. After parking at Arlington Cemetery, we rode the metro up to start at the top of the mall going to my personal favorite: Library of Congress.


Friday Night: We ended up walking the entire mall back to the Cemetery to hurry to the DC Temple for the 6:00 session. For the first time I understood Ammon's description of joy in the Book of Mormon: "Behold my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God" (Alma 26:11). As we hurried into the majestic DC Temple, I was tired and my thighs were throbbing, but I was thrilled to see her convert Sue's eyes light up when she saw her missionary, our daughter. Now newly married, our daughter and her husband were chosen to be the witness couple and as result, our daughter was waiting in celestial room when Sue entered for the first time.

Easter 2015: Going Deep!

 

Going Deep!

My four-year-old granddaughter loves the water and when she is in the bathtub, she will say to me, “Mama, I’m going deep.” She grabs a big breath and dives in underwater as deep as the porcelain tub will let her. I, on the other hand, don’t like to put my head in the water. One week of swimming lessons when I was a child at the Burley municipal pool was not enough---I never made it across the deep end of the pool. But this Easter, I felt like my depth of understanding and love for my Savior became significantly greater.

In first grade, my Easter seemed to be about large bunnies.

On the Saturday night before Palm Sunday, I met with two of my daughters for cheese and chocolate fondue while we watched the Relief Society general meeting that precedes General Conference. Because our eldest was singing in her congregation the next day (in Mormon land we call that a ward), Glen and I stayed in her guest bedroom downstairs to attend church with her family the next morning.

About 11 p.m. I felt rather than saw someone looking at me. In the pitch black, our little granddaughter had slipped downstairs and stood at my bedside, silent, waiting for me to know she was there. I lifted her up, and she snuggled down between us. Around 6 a.m. she needed a drink, and in an effort to let her parents sleep longer, we showed her some Bible videos on Glen’s Iphone. I was surprised how she wanted to see the ones of the Savior over and over again.

On Palm Sunday, Christ entered Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey as prophesied and the jubilant crowd lined the path to the temple with palm leaves to carpet the way for the coming of the king.  On the anniversary of that day, our daughter sang her testimony of that king: “I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me; confused by the grace that so fully he proffers me.”

 

Due to eight years of fighting debilitating pain, I had not heard her sing for a long time. But that Palm Sunday she taught me about going deep as she sang, “I marvel that he would descend from a throne divine; to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine.”  Christ descends---he comes down ---to rescue my proud soul.

When I am in the ocean, I know real fear because I know my swimming skills are inadequate to save myself or anyone else, so I am afraid of deep water. I can’t imagine the depth of Christ’s suffering to pay for the sins and pain of all humankind. But I’ve watched my daughter suffer and felt that pain. Knowing Christ knows her pain, helps me to go on. And that Sunday, I felt deep joy hearing her sing her testimony.

Her voice was beautiful and controlled, matched perfectly to the arrangement, and I felt an accompanying spirit crescendo with the chorus. In fact, the spirit became a welling of light and beauty that stayed with me throughout the day. Seeing her stand and sing after fighting through so much pain was a powerful reminder of Christ’s suffering for me: “I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt, such mercy such love, such devotion, can I forget?

Recently I heard a friend say that she shied away from commitments. But I wonder: isn’t it through commitments, especially covenants, where true joy comes in? Doesn’t a real commitment to becoming a disciple of Christ involve the decision and desire to go deep?

That depth of spirit continued as I attended an Easter concert that night where the missionaries in our area taught of the Savior through music. To close the program, one elder from South Africa sang, “I know that Redeemer Lives.” When I was 17 years old, I sang that song as part of a regular closing hymn as a brand new college student, living away from home for the first time. And the spirit welled up inside of me, and I knew truth. My testimony of Christ and His gospel was new and untested, but I wanted to be a committed member at that point. I wanted to believe. Hearing this dedicated missionary---a young man who had paid for his  mission by singing at weddings---share this hymn reminded me of one of my first real stirrings of testimony. The spirit in that chapel permeated the room and let me feel deeply that testimony that started so many years ago with that hymn. Perhaps when we have sacrificed or suffered, we can really sing a testimony of the Savior.

To continue this marvelous Eastertime, we boarded a plane for Mesa, Arizona to see Daughter #2 and the Mesa Easter Pageant. Actually, we missed three standby flights before I was able to catch the last seat on a plane, and Glen would try three more flights before joining us in Mesa. While we waited for Glen, ShaLae and I went to the Botanical Gardens in Arizona. Due to the wet year Arizona had experienced, the cacti were flowering in fuschia and deep oranges. And for the first time, I saw purple prickly pear.

 
 


The magnificent Mesa Temple grounds feature deep reflection ponds, palm trees, and a cactus garden. I had wanted to see the Mesa Easter pageant for many years.

 

Each night for two weeks, over 10,000 people come to see the life of the Savior re-told. ShaLae had been volunteering at the pageant, so she knew to get us there three hours early for a good seat.

At the end of the pageant, the actor that portrays Christ rises above the angels in triumphant resurrection. In birth and in the Garden of Gethsemane He descends below all; in death He is raised on the cross and His resurrection signifies that all will be resurrected.

 

This Easter, perhaps my most memorable Easter, was feeling the depth and height of Christ's commitment to us. My little four-year-old granddaughter understands this feeling. Recently when walking in the hall of her meetinghouse, she saw a picture of the Savior. "I miss him," she said to her mother. Yes, I know that my Redeemer lives!

 

100 degrees, 50 people

Family party at my house. My nephew's celebration---he's going to serve a mission in Little Rock, ARK (where WalMart and the Clintons began). No fire (last week there was on the nearby parkway), but 100 degrees and 50+ HOT bodies in my house. Petersons know how to party:
Tiff's brownies and watermelon
Geni's salad
Camille's steak sandwiches
Nicole's birthday cake for Ja and Shae!
10 family names completed in the temple!

Discovering the Book of Mormon though Lidia

Droga Rodzino,

This week started out rough. We did a lot of knocking on doors with
out a lot of success. However, every day that we come home feeling
like we had nothing was all made up by our meeting with Lidia. She is
amazing and I love her. Last week she said it was little hard to
understand the Book of Mormon because she was just opening and read
little parts. So we challenge her to start reading at the beginning to
get the story line. God answers prayers. He answered several of ours
in the next meeting. Lidia explained that as she read the 2nd to last
paragraph in the Book of Mormon, Moroni's promise, she felt the Holy
Ghost. He bore witness to her that it is true and that the Book of Mormon
is true. As she said, “I thought it was true, but now I know it is
true.” The spirit was so strong as she testified of this experience
that my testimony was strengthened. Then she went on to show us
another scripture that stood out to her. 1 Nephi 10:14 Talking about
how everything needs to be grafted back to one tree. She went on to
explain that this means that all churches need to come back to the
one. This is what we have been praying for, that she would start to
see that there is only one church that has the full truth on the
earth. Really, a lesson where the investigator does most the teaching
is amazing. It was a lesson to give us the energy to knock on doors for
the rest of the week. Lidia also came to church, and I think it was a
good experience for her.

I have also loved reading in 2 Nephi the past couple of days. It is
all about Christ. He invited all to partake of his salvation. He loves
us each so specifically that he gave his own life. There is never any
point that we can't return, turn around and come to him. “He inviteth
all to come unto him, partake of his goodness and denith none to come
unto him.” The Book of Mormon is powerful!

Oh for some sad news--- our 7ft branch mission leader and his family
moved back to Utah. Our branch average age just jumped dramatically.
Somteet also left for Thailand for a month. However, our ward of
grandmas still is doing great as ever. I love it here!

Actually this Tuesday is Mikolaj day---the day the celebrate St. Nickolas. So the kids get gifts on Tuesday and on Christmas.

This has been a good week here in Gdansk. We have seen small miracles each day. We have had a lot of adventures. The best news was hearing that Karolina was baptized! The elders also had a meeting in Warsaw so that meant we got mail. I must say I have the best family ever. It was so great to get all the notes from the cousins from Thanksgiving. It sounds like everyone is super busy. It was also great to hear about all of the missionaries from Murray. I also got a great letter from Gary, Sister Whitbeck (she goes home a week before me) and Gabby and a great thanksgiving note from Sister Goodloe, and from Alex. I seriously thought it was Christmas already. I also got the small package sent to the mission office. Don't worry I haven't opened it yet.

Surprisingly, we haven't had any snow yet. In fact we had one day this week where we both decided it was colder in July than it was in December. Crazy- but it is starting to get cold again. Last night was definitely cold.


Okay so like I said that we have had small miracles everyday, well to name a few. We met with a less active on Saturday. She hadn't been to church in a year but we had a really good meeting. We challenged to fast with us and we ended the meeting starting our fast together. She told us she would come to church and SHE DID! It was amazing. The members were so excited to see her. She is sweet lady who I already love. We were talking about hope and she told us that every night she says her prayers and than writes three blessings in life from that day. She told us it could be simple things but as she prayers she remembers the best things of her day. Then when she has a bad day she reads her journal and remembers how blessed she is. It is a great challenge for all of us. Write three things down where we have seen God's hand in our lives and you will find it.

This week Sister McAdams and I learned the lesson of having a good back up plan. We had a meeting set up to meet with a mom and we were super excited about it. But we planned exactly where we wanted to tract if she wasn't there. Well, sadly she gave us a bad address and as frustrating as that was we went to plan b without delay. The last door (always the last) we knocked on a mom opened the door with two kids playing in the background. As we were talking to her, the husband came home from work. They both agreed to start reading the Book of Mormon and set up to meet with us this week. It was a great blessing. (And we know it is a real address :).

I have also seen miracles as the Lord puts people in our path. I have been trying more to contact on trams and using all the time we have. It has been amazing to see how people have been placed and sometimes when I struggling with a way to start talking to them. They ask me for directions and that starts the conversation going.

Each day we are asked how Poland is different than America. Of course we have the culture and language but the more I have been here, the more I see that everywhere is the same. We all have problems and struggles no matter where we live. That what is so cool about being able to share the gospel. It has the answers to help everyone. People ask why we came all the way from America to an already Christian country. We tell them that we have missionaries all over the world doing the exact thing we are doing. It has been great to be able to say that I have friends in the Ukraine, Philippines, and the states right now sharing this message. That it is for everyone. It is amazing to be a part of it.

Poland got some great news this last week. Elder Christofferson will be coming in the beginning of March. All the members are invited to come and hear him. I am so excited I am going to be here for that.

Well I am doing great and love being here in Gdansk. Sorry for the scattered email. But I love you all. The mail was amazing! Remember write 3 things a day!

Love Siostra Steadman

Santa speaks Polish

Once again I am shocked out how fast time is flying. This week has been a great week with many miracles---small but amazing in a life of a missionary.

City of Gdansk.

The first miracle was that we received an referral from the office. In other words someone personally contacted the church and wanted to find out more. GOLD! This is only the second time I had received a referral from the office. The first time didn't come to anything. It is like getting a golden platter and not wanting to break it. Anyway we went the next day to visit the lady. She told us she found a flyer (they really work!) and is interested in learning more. Unfortunately she is leaving for the holidays, but we are set up to come back after the holidays. Feeling really excited about that. We received another text from the office giving us one more referral---another lady who wanted a Book of Mormon and to talk to missionaries. Wahoo! We talked to her and she is also leaving for the holidays, but wants to meet after as well. I don't think they were expecting us to contact so fast. Then much to our surprise we received two more referrals from the office the next day. We have been leaving flyers with everyone and everywhere and it is working! The last two referrals were two girls. The first one we called on the domophone and told her who we were and that we had a book of Mormon for her. She asked "how do you have my information." I think we scared her that we had her name, number, address, and age and she had no idea why. We are not sure how that worked. But she talked to us for a little bit and took a Book of Mormon. Then the next girl opened the door and took the Book of Mormon and said I have been expecting this! Referrals are the best.



Our second miracle is that Sister McAdams and I had our first member lesson in Gdansk! It was with Lidia and Sister Jadwiga ( less active). It was amazing. Sister Jadwiga wants so bad to be like Halina who was her member on lessons. We met Sister Jadwiga and traveled half way there together. I was trying to keep up with her as she ran for a tram. Did I mention she is a grandma? Really it is exciting to see Sister Jadwiga get excited about sharing the gospel. We are going to meet with her tonight and talk about the great role she can pray to be on the mission. Last week was her first week in church in a year and she came again this week.



Our third miracle is that Lidia is starting to see the Book of Mormon bless her life. She likes to read to find greater peace. We asked her how she felt about the Book of Mormon and she told us that when she was wondering if it was a good book she opened up and read Alma 32. It answered her question. I love when investigators find for themselves answers to life questions. She is doing great!



Fourth miracle. We had our first person in Church this week. Ania- she is a girl we contacted a couple weeks ago. She got lost and never showed up to our meeting. But we decided to call her once more on Saturday. It was her last chance. She agreed to come to church and she came! She stayed for all of it and liked it. We are meeting with her this week.



Fifth huge time miracle. Yesturday morning Sister McAdams answered a phone call from Jan. He asked to speak to Elder Leimer who served here 15 months ago. He said he had some business with him and wanted his number. He didn't really explain what business. She didn't really know what to tell him so we called the DL and asked if we could give him Elder Leimer's number. I then called him later that day to ask him exactly what business. He said "basically I just want to get baptized." I was meeting with the Elders and that was the last thing we talked about, and then I got in an accident and I was in the hospital and now I am just able to get around. MIRACLE. The elders are set up to meet with his this week. I will let you know how it goes. Not a common phone call.



This week we also cleaned the church and dear sweet Sister Halina did almost all the work. She is a 85 year old who just never stops. I was vacuuming and she came and took the vacuum away and told me to sit down and rest. This is after she had already cleaned both bathrooms and before she got on hands and knees to wash the steps. She is amazing.



This week we also had a day in Sopot. It was a day that seemed to drag on and feel not very productive. Until we got home and realized that we had met 7 potentials in the one day. Miracle. We also met Santa Claus who does speak Polish. HO HO HO Dzien Dobry!

Gdansk skyline.This week we do have Christmas Zone Conference. Ours will be in Poznan. which is 7 and half hour train ride. So we will be heading down tomorrow and staying with the sisters down there. We are excited. However we are traveling back on Wednesday after zone conference. That will be a long trip.

It is true! I did get my package! I also got something from Sister Bautner-- very sweet. She is getting married in a couple of days. Also I heard from Sister Selph. Tell her thanks---it was very thoughtful. I got your letters from the other missionaries. They are great.



Well those are just a few of the miracles we have had in our life this week. Miracles happen everyday if you just look for them. I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week.