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 at the Oakland Temple are stunning this year.

My husband and I were in a volunteer group that helped install the lights.

The lights represent the light of Jesus Christ who offers each of us joy and peace.

Meet the Waymans

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

Meet the Waymans.  

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

Their greatest career, they will tell you, is being the 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 many people, Sister Wayman simply answers, “I received so much anonymous service in my life as my husband faced major health challenges, I just want to pay it forward.”

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps one of the most endearing qualities of this couple is the way they love to feed people . . . both their bodies and their souls.

Sister Wayman is a ball of sunshine holding a cookie sheet with her latest culinary delight. Her husband is always helping out in the background to support a wife with boundless energy and the desire to feed and nurture everyone around her. In the wee hours of the night when others are sleeping, Sister Wayman is dreaming up ways to celebrate others by creating delicious meals and scrumptious treats. She invites neighbors and friends over for dinner and creates magical birthday celebrations so everyone feels noticed and appreciated.

Sister Wayman creates celebrations. She takes the time to know when those around her have a birthday or anniversary and then she come up with a surprise party complete with balloons, streamers and the most delicious 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’t take each other for granted.

Elder Wayman was diagnosed with kidney failure at a young age and they both know life is unpredictable and presents challenges. But they both choose to see the miracles instead of the tragedy.

The Waymans always seem to notice when someone needs a ride to church, a warm hug or a little cheering up. Their love creates the sparkle in other’s lives.

 “When nothing is expected and everything is appreciated, life is magical.” Sabin Conference Talk Oct 2023

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

Serving in the Oakland Inner City Ward Brings Me Love, Acceptance, Joy and Pease

My great privilege, while living in Oakland, is attending an inner city ward. I wish all wards in the church were like Oakland 9th ward. We have members who have been homeless. addicted to drugs, or spent time in prison. They all desired a better life and have found hope and peace by turning to Jesus Christ. Our ward becomes their family where they find love, support and acceptance. Soon, they bring their friends who also feel the love we have for them and develop a desire for baptism as well.

 I've found more love, acceptance in the ninth ward than I've felt anywhere else. No one in our ward tries to hide their past lives or their present doubts or struggles. Everyone is accepted no matter where they are in their personal journey.

I love the connection we have to other cultures and communities here. For example, the president of the Oakland NAACP, Cinthia Adams and her family, were invited to attend the General Conference with the Brunt's, our Oakland Temple Visitors Center Director and his wife . They met with Elder Stevenson and Sister Eubanks and these church leaders simply said, "What can we do to help?" Then they listened. This group was also taken to the Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square as well as to several conference sessions. I love all outreach to all people of all faiths. 

This week I attended a bridal shower for my dear friend in the ward and a baptism for another. We are basking in the love and see the beauty of each daughter or son of God, no matter where we are on our journey. We have been taught how to love and be loved on a deeper level and we feel God's hand in the lives of His children every day.

There was a short segment about Amos Brown,(the SF Oakland NAACP President and activist from the 60's for racial equality, between conference sessions. He is still a pastor and still doing God's work here in his nineties. I know all the news coming out about Oakland and San Francisco is about the crime and decay of moral values, but there are millions of beloved sons and daughters of God here and the truth is God loves the ones committing the crimes as well. 

The good people in the Oakland 9th ward are my heroes and my living examples of how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can transform each of our lives. 

Meet Elder Day

Meet Elder Day.

 Below you will find a picture of the Oakland 1 zone at our last zone conference in the California Oakland San Francisco Mission. If you don't look carefully, you might miss Elder Day. On the back row in the middle is an Elder with such a big smile that his mouth is wide open. This is Elder Day.

As a mission office couple we are blessed to be around the young missionaries all the time as they come into the office. We are able to talk to and encourage them, hug them and learn to love them. 

Wherever I was around Elder day, he was so happy he literally jumped up and down.  Recently Elder Day was riding his bike home from a teaching appointment and hit a pothole that sent hymn flying. His companion called 911 and the mission president who was then able to arrive in short order.

When President Lash ran up to the scene of the accident, he found Elder Day lying on the road.

When he saw his mission leader standing over him, Elder Day looked up with a smile and said, "Don't worry President. I'm still having my best day so far."

Let me backup so you understand. President Lash so enjoyed a book by George Durrant called "My Best Day So Far" that he took the title and used it for a reply every time some asked him, "How are you doing?"

"I'm having my best day so far" was President Lash's answer every time.

Before long, this phrase became the motto for our mission as he titled his weekly email to the missionaries, "My Best Day So Far".

Elder Day had a broken collar bone and wrist and lots of scrapes and bruises. He recently returned home for surgery and recuperation. Please note the pictures below with his family. Elder Day is Tigger - a bouncy, trouncey ball of energy and happiness. He radiates joy and lifts the spirits of everybody around him.

I want to be more like Elder Day. 

If today is not the best day of our life, then we never get to have the best day of our life. If we get stuck in the regrets of yesterday or the anxiety of tomorrow we lose our only true power . . .  the moment, and our choice to experience gratitude, joy and peace. 

We are the author of our own life story. We don't always get to choose our own plot twists but we do get to choose how we respond. 

Because of Jesus Christ, each of our stories will have a happy ending.

So the next time someone asks you, "How are you doing?" try answering, "I'm having my best day so far." 

Then smile and think of Elder Day.

Adassa Comes to Oakland

I was asked to write an article about an amazing singer who is performing for two nights in October in Oakland California on Temple Hill where I live and serve as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints..

Click on the link below to read all about it.

Adassa is coming to Oakland – TempleHill.org

California has so much natural beauty to offer

We love living in California and enjoying the natural wonders everywhere.

A Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is about LOVE

A mission 

for 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

is about getting to know people, 

learning to love them 

and developing a deep desire to serve them. 

A mission is also about 

being taught meaningful life lessons 

by those you get to know 

and being loved 

by your precious new friends.

Visits From Family While We Serve Our Full-time Mission in Oakland/San Francisco

The only thing better than serving a mission with my sweetheart

 is having family visit while we are serving our mission.