Poem for a Five-Year-Old

Rachel

By Janene Baadsgaard

Happy Birthday my sweet granddaughter. 

I hope you have a happy day! 

I love you with all my heart.

When Rachel starts to dance

All the world is a stage

Those who form the audience

Are of every age

They clap and smile

And wave a kiss

For Rachel’s dances

You don’t want to miss

When a hard day comes along

Don’t despair

Watch Rachel dance

Then all the world is fair

For Rachel is a joyous soul

With so much love to share

                                                                      She smiles and hugs and giggles

                                                                   Only light is there

                                                                    Rachel is a diamond

                                                                       That sparkles from all sides

                                                                    She gives us light and sunshine

                                                                   So peace and joy abide

Ross and Janene Baadsgaard Visit Israel

Caesarea ruins on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

Roman Statues next to the ruins.

Ancient caves with large stones.

The Garden Tomb -site of the resurrection. Our group bore our testimonies of Jesus Christ to each other here.

Delightful dancers at our farewell dinner in Bethlehem. One of them jumped over Ross's head.

Russian Orthodox Church on the Mount of Olives.

We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and sang and performed Jewish Dances on board.

Ancient Ruins at Capernaum.

Ross trying his hand at carpentry with a local man.

Janene with a local spinner and weaver.

Ross in an ancient syn-agog with a replica of the Jewish scrolls.

Ross and Janene with an over-look of Beit Shean ruin, one of the ten Greek Decapolis cities
called Scythopolis where Saul and sons died.

Janene at the Jordan River where Christ was baptized.

Looking over the cliff edge to the ruins of Masada.

Jewish men and women worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Ross and Janene at the ruins at Masada.

Ross and Janne at Tel Dan next to amazing clear, clean water gushing out from Mount Hermon.

BYU Jerusalem Center on the Mount of Olives. 

Inside the tomb at the Garden Tomb.

Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Painting of the woman with an issue of blood touching the Savior's robe.

Local Shepherd .

Ross at Bet Shean

Lush orchards in the Galilee area.

Cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Panoramic view of the old city in Jerusalem.

Excavated ruins of Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene next to the Sea of Galilee.

Ross on the temple mount near the Dome of the Rock.

Masada ruins.

Cliff and ruins at Masada.

Dome of the Rock.

Bethseda Pools

Ross at the BYU Jerusalem Center.

Ancient monastery.

Hezekiah's Tunnel

Gethsemane.

Janene at Bet Shean.

Hill side view of the BYU Jerusalem Center.

Ross and Janene wet after a long walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Church next to Garden of Gethsemane.

Jewish family walking, smiling and singing while as they approach the Western Wall.

Head waters of the Jordan River.

Qumran where the ancient Essenes hid the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Beautiful synagogue underground next the remains of the Western Wall.

Janene with our awesome tour guide Sam.

Golgotha of place of the skull.

Western Wall on Independence Day.

Bethany for Lazarus Tomb.

Ross and Janene in Garden of Gethsemane.

The view out our hotel window near Joppa Port at the Netanya hotel.