what an amazing day it was in Primary

Well, for those of you who don't know, at church I am a counselor in the Primary presidency, which means I am one of two people that helps out the President of the primary in any way we can, and she is in charge of the Sunday School program for the youth ages 3-12. I teach all the primary children a lesson about 1 out of every 3 Sundays throughout the year and help out with the program, which is the day that the children give all the talks in the sacrament meeting, which happens once a year.

We also do a few Saturday activities with the children. We had one in February about "Love One another" with a missionary angle to it. So since February, we have been challenging the children to have Missionary Moments. When the primary children would line up before entering the Primary room each Sunday morning, one of us in the presidency would ask the children their missionary experiences in the week. The experiences included: bringing a neighbor cookies and a pass a long card, asking a friend to church or a primary activity, an act of service or just talking about gospel things with a friend. For each missionary moment, a marble was dropped in a mason jar at the front of the primary room during opening exercises. As marbles klunked in the bottom of the jar, the children were promised that they would have a special sharing time that would include a special secret visitor after the jar was filled. One hundred, forty six marbles and experiences later, the jar was filled to the brim. The kiddos taught us what a beautiful and simple thing it is to being open, friendly, and helpful with your friends and neighbors.

As promised, the children were given special visitors. This past Sunday, the Mission President of the New Mexico Albuquerque Mission, President Wayne Miller, and his wife, Loralee Miller, attended our Sharing Time to acknowledge their efforts. We were also lucky enough to have someone in our stake presidency (akin to a bishop of a diocese), and stake primary presidency (they're in charge of the entire stake's children's Sunday school program), and one of our ward leaders attend sharing time as well. That's a big deal, since sharing time is usually just the kids and their teachers and us. We shared a video we had made of the children talking about their different marble moments. The children wore adorable missionary nametags with all different missions around the world on them.

Claire's nametag -- if she ends up going on this mission someday, we're going to all freak out!

Also, there was a map with their pictures attached to the different missions they'd been assigned on their nametages, as an illustration that they could all serve a full time mission when they were older.

Future Missionaries of America

It was indescribably precious to have this Mission President speak to the children. He is one of 300 leaders that keep the LDS mission effort up and running throughout the world (which as you all know is a tour de force). It was great to hear him congratulating our kids for all the work they do, and keep it up. His wife was wonderful and told them that sometimes she wished everyone could be as brave as they are.

the kids in front, the MP and wife in back
(the other man to the left is in our Stake Presidency)

After the video of the children sharing their experiences, the kids got up and gathered around and sang a song "I hope they call me on a mission," part of which goes:

I hope they call me on a mission,
When I have grown a foot or two.
I hope by then I will be ready
To teach and preach and work as missionaries do.

I hope that I can spread the Gospel
With those who want to know the truth.
I want to be a missionary
And serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth.

As the kids sang this little song, I looked at this big, important Mission President and his eyes were brimming with tears. It was really moving for them to see these little 3-12 year olds talk about how they love to share their beliefs with other people, and it made me feel a bit chastized that I hardly ever do. So I would be a jerk beyond jerks to not blog about this, and say how wonderful the day was and how grateful I am that I could take part in it. Sometimes working with 35 or so children every Sunday ain't so bad. The company I get to keep is pretty awesome.