End of an Era

I blurred the kids for privacy, just picture cuteness.

My good friend Tania use to talk about how hard it was for her to not be in primary with the kids. I didn't understood that mentality. I had been serving in Relief Society at the time and the Young Women Organization before that. I enjoyed serving in different areas and just couldn't grasp such a strong pull as I detected from her.

But, I get it now. I've been serving in the primary organization for four years now. I have had kids in the older group (senior primary) and kids in the younger group (junior), and genuinely loved every group I had (normally each year the group of kids change, but I was given the same class for two years during my stint).

I don't know if there is an "average" length of time for a calling, but I think four years is longer than average. My time was probably up. Drat the luck. I needed those children more than they needed me. Some weeks listening to them sing during primary music time, was just what my soul needed to hear. Primary just seemed like a safe place. There were always people moving in and out of the ward, and last July the ward split. But, I was always safe, tucked away in primary and basically kept the same kids.

Today I was released from my primary teaching calling. I am genuinely sad to not be a weekly part of these kids' lives and will miss teaching very much. One of the boys, whose birthday is in October (I've made a deal about visiting each kid for their birthday) asked me as he was leaving class, "You're still coming aren't you?"

I could go on and on about the many lessons primary kids have taught me over the past four years (!!). One of the girls I taught in my first batch of kids gave a talk as a youth speaker today. Time marches on doesn't it? The class she was in (four years ago), I felt strongly about the scripture that talks about the sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger, where they met up with one another after 14 years and find that "they were still brothers". I told her class they would stick with each other for the next 8 years of church life and someday feel the same way. I encouraged them all to "watch out for one another" and to "have each other's backs" as their friendship would be so valuable.

In one of the other classes, we had a visitor one day, share how he knew Heavenly Father loves him, which was that his dad was able to find a job.  I loved hearing these kids pray, especially when they included the children not present. One boy would say in his prayers, "Please bless our buddy, _____ that he can come next time." Another unforgettable lesson
 was when one boy shared a very scary near-drowning experience he'd had, concluding with the lesson: "We all need a rescuer".

One of the boys prayed today that I would do a good job in my new calling. Isn't that sweet? I had a big discussion with my class about being released. I asked the kids what they think I should have said when asked (by bishopric) to do a different assignment on Sundays. My faithful CTR class agreed I needed to say I would be willing to do a different assignment, even when it meant I wouldn't get to be with these good kids.

Life goes on, this has been a great run.