We Need to Work Together

                I guess I could have gone into more detail about Danny's class.  As I mentioned, there were fourteen children in the Valiant class alone - four of them boys.  I have never seen more than two Valiant boys in class since I started attending the ward in Myrtle Creek.  After the opening prayer, Danny passed out scriptures to each child - part of a scripture anyway.  Seven children had the names of a book found in the scriptures.  Seven had a chapter (or section) and a verse.  Danny asked why none of the children had looked up the scriptures she had handed out, what may have been the problem - when it was decided that each of the children had only part of scripture, Danny asked that they check the paper and find a partner that had the other half.

            I was impressed how each of them actually worked together and didn't try to trade scripture pieces in order to sit with those they had sat with initially.  After the seven scriptures were read, Danny asked what they all had in common.  They all had to do with service.  We then watched a short video about some of the things the members had to do to establish winter quarters.  Danny asked what some of the things were and made a list on the chalk board: plant food, chop wood, build cabins, tend children and animals, prepare food, make clothing, blankets, shoes, etc.  There were eleven answers given - including the fort itself.  Danny then passed out paper and told the children they would have a minute to draw all of the things listed on the chalk board.  Ready, GO!

            Now not only am I NOT artistic, but I am such a smart aleck, I would have attempted to draw the fort and tell my instructor that all else listed on the board was behind the fenced area. 

            Most of the children attempted to draw everything in the order it had been written.  One girl said she managed to draw seven and one said she got all eleven of them - but they weren't very good.  Danny then asked the children what would make it easier for them to draw all of the pictures.  Most were in agreement that more time would do it, but Danny reminded them of the scriptures they had read on service and how each could contribute his or her part but that nobody was expected to do all of it.  She then assigned each of the children to draw only one thing from the list - assigning the fort to the last three (as there were more children than suggestions) and that made it easier.

            Her last activity (or object lesson) was quite similar to the one I had mentioned here only instead of kisses she had passed out dumdums and larger rocks. 

            Two of the girls were wearing sandals - as though it is still summer outside.  They had more complications of just trying to keep the rock in their shoe rather than walk on it.  Only half the children were aware of the pain the rock had caused.  Most enjoyed their dumdums and were able to tune out the discomfort.  It was a good lesson.  Danny always gives good lessons.

Camp Fire in the Primary Room

          I was really impressed with the primary yesterday listening to their sweet voices sounding more like 30 children and not just less than 10.  The amount of awesome volume has impressed visitors as it often sounds like there are more than there are.

          Our pianist teaches a Sunday school class as well as playing piano, and so she is often late getting in.  We chose to sing "I am a Child of God" a cappella.  It was beautiful - especially when Lily started off on her rendition - not taking away from the traditional version - but rather adding more beauty to the song.

          Emily was a pill about giving her talk today.  After much prompting and a sad little girl who would not speak, the primary presidency asked the children to stack their chairs.  We still had 40 minutes left.  What?

          The presidency then brought out blankets and a false campfire to set up in the middle and had the children set around the campfire while telling pioneer facts, sharing stories, and singing pioneer songs that the children (nor I) were familiar with, but sang as though it were a part of their daily routine.  I was quite impressed.

         

The Substitute Teacher

        Just over two years ago, we moved to Myrtle Creek.  Less than three months I had been called to be a primary teacher - specifically for the sunbeams.  At the time I had heard there were four children in the class.  The most that I ever saw was three.  Usually it was just Emily and me.  It took her about five months before she warmed up to me.

         The following year, I had her cousin Hayden.  Unless there were visitors, he was my only pupil - until they brought Christopher in.  He had turned three in February.  He was in sunbeams for five or six months before the year ended.  The primary president decided to move him up to CTRs along with Hayden so that I could teach team Danny's class - the Valiants.

          Danny was not present for the first two and a half months.  Being able to return has been a gradual thing.  In March and April she was there for an hour and eventually worked up to three.  Between her parents and grandparents, Danny's time is spread as a health provider it seems.  She seems to be in and out and had asked me to teach.  But the CTR instructor has been out as well - traveling, I think.  The primary president had asked me to teach the CTRs as she is more able to find a sub for the older children than the younger ones.

          Last week there were only three: Christopher, Hayden and a visitor named Glen.  Class was not much different than it had been in sunbeams.  Hayden still felt the need to be in charge.  And Christopher was all over the place. Very different from Valiants.  A different use of time.

          When both classes met for sharing time and singing time, I sat in the front row with Glen, Christopher and Hayden.  A stake visitor sat with the Valiants. When Christopher announced he had to go potty (for the second time) I took his hand and escorted him out. 

          I noticed the instructor class was going on.  It's been so long since I've been to one, I'd forgotten.  I really enjoy the instructor classes and wanted to attend.  With only 20 minutes remaining, I opened the door for Christopher and told him to return to his seat, and I went next door to feel inspired.  I need that class!

          I had to return to the primary room to gather my bag of books - which Hayden was holding.  (Remember he thinks he's in charge) and the primary president told me that Christopher had been asking for me, which totally surprised me.

          Last week I read lessons from both CTR and Valiant as I didn't know which class I would be with yesterday.  Danny had indicated that she would not be there. I wasn't certain if the CTR instructor would be there or not.  Turned out she was, but then is gone for a month.  It sounds like Danny could be as well. 

          I teach primary sometimes.  I'm there whether I teach or not.  I am still head chief for the activities committee for Relief Society. We meet possibly four times a month.  I still don't know many sisters.  They used to do a mingle once a month but were told to stop.  Members really liked it and felt that it promoted missionary work.  But they were told to stop.  When I returned to Salt Lake and had gone to my former ward, they announced that they'd be having a mingle.  I wonder why the more geographically challenged one was told to stop and the one in West Valley seems to have an okay?  Weird.

Reflections of Young Women

Throughout my life, I've noticed that if something doesn't get written down, it generally doesn't get remembered - especially as the years pass by and I have grown older both in mind and in body.  It seems to be especially true when trying to remember what it is I wanted to post to my blog - or sometimes just getting on the computer in general.  It doesn't even take that long to boot up, but for the most part, once I'm signed in, I forget what it is I got on the computer to do.     

Right now my head is flooded with thoughts of the young women's program - past and present - but nothing falls in order.  It's all jumbled still.  Today my baby is now a young women.  She will be meeting with the Young Women when we return to our ward next week (this week is GeneralConference) 

Currently Jenna hates the thought of her birthday falling on Conference weekend.  In Utah, I remember several years of having done something on the Monday following conference - that is when the schools were out for spring break.  In Oregon, it doesn't seem to matter as the average person is not LDS nor pays attention to the world wide broadcast.

We had to postpone the party we had scheduled for yesterday - which I will go into more detail in a future post but not here.  So instead, she'd been given a bag of plastic Easter eggs with instructions to join in on a challenge of young women values and has gone from this treasure hunt to this one

          Jenna is now a Beehive (the youngest class of young women's program) see here

Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels existed when I was in young women's - only we didn't refer to it a young women's at the time.  We called it Mutual or MIA (Mutual Improvement Association) and we met on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for our weekly lessons as well as activities.  The church hadn't introduced the three hour block until my last year which is when MIA became YM/YW.

          We didn't have the personal progress program here at least not that I can remember. In primary we had Merrie Miss markers and bracelets, 

Took these off the internet.
My originals are packed in
boxes I'm hoping at Kayla's house

but I don't recall having incentive program in Young Women's.  The program that is offered now isn't outlined the same as it was when I was a leader.

Anyway, I would like to take this week to sort out my thoughts and create  posts about Jenna's Easter egg enthusiasm, young women's growing up, young women's when I was a leader and my observations now.  I don't know how well I will do.  But that is my goal.

Let the Hunt Begin!

         Khonie uses ideas and outlines from Printerest and Sugardoodle.  She presents them in such an awesome way that we all learn.  The theme for primary this year is "I know the Scriptures are True"

With our latest sharing time, the children were introduced to a treasure map

and were given bags

Khonie made several bags and will be making more
 (as our primary has gotten bigge)

to fill with charts,

reading material

and a "message in a bottle"  

which included directions for parents and child to help their children, and the first reading chart

(Jenna ended up with 2nd Nephi - I think because her class may have already read 1st Nephi before this "treasure hunt" sharing time was introduced.

         In the future we will be given clues that will help us find the treasure. 

         I don't if there will be one treasure box for each child or a joint treasure box. 

         I understand each jewel will have a letter on it, and at the end of the year, the children can take their jewels and arrange them to make a puzzle - (or scramble/rearrange the letters) another clue?  or perhaps the treasure (answer) itself.

          Either way, Jenna will start YW in April and will not be participating in the primary sharing time.  But perhaps I can still participate in her behalf. She is reading and will continue with her primary class.

         How great it is to have a world full of creative minds.  How awesome it is that modern technology allows others to share and continues.  Thank you to all of those who have contributed to so many of our activities.  You're awesome! 

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

        I have two callings in the ward which I currently attend.  I was pining for a position as an instructor in  Relief Society.  The primary was just a bit quicker about snatching me up for a position.  I had agreed to substitute teach the sunbeams only the week before I was asked to be a teacher for the sunbeam class.

        Emily was not there the first week that I taught, but has been there every week since.  Quite shy at first because she didn't know me.  She was okay if there was another classmate in attendance.  But for the most part it's just been me and Emily.

        She reminds me of my granddaughter, Ester, though I wasn't given the opportunity for spending much time with Ester.  I am reminded of her smile and her great knowledge as I spend time with Emily, who often pretends that she is a horse.

        Before I left Utah, my ward calling was the activities director in Relief Society.  A calling I really wasn't comfortable with as I found it hard to find diverse activities to include all the sisters and felt frustration when the scout leaders or activity leaders did not support the activities in RS because they were serving in their own callings.  I thought that schedules should be alternated one every other month so that they could attend. 

        The last activity that I semi-coordinated, I was unable to attend.  I opted to go to the viewing for my uncle and had told the RS president that I could either help set up or attend the activity.  We opted for my setting up.

        I have asked about the attendance and how  the activity had gone.  I am still waiting for feedback. I don't think it was well attended.  I feel bad as it sounded like it was really fun.  

        I have always enjoyed being on the activities committee.  Just not being head chief.  Right now I am once again serving on the committee and have received a better understanding about why I may have been called to chair up the activities in my last ward.  To utilize the talents I was given in my Utah wards and bring them to Oregon. 

        We have an activity tonight.  I hope we have the same attendance that we had in July.  It was my first activity here and was very well attended.  But the last activity was not.  They don't have to share their building with other wards or be assigned certain days in which all activates fall.  They can spread out all week.  They can leave all of their kitchen utensils in the kitchen and not worry about another ward messing with it.

        In February, we are going to try out the activity that I had advertized for in May and June.  The second counselor in the RS is very excited.  I think it will be a great activity.  I hope that one is well attended. I'm impressed with the sisters who are willing to make the drive.  There is more distance to travel here than back in Salt Lake - where I could literally pass over 30 LDS buildings in the time it takes most of the members just to get to one.

        I like it here.  I am happy in Oregon.  I am happy at our Church.  I am happy to be part of a ward family.  I am happy to breathe clean air.