*FYI, Mormon-lingo heavy post to follow*
This morning when I was getting ready for church, I thought to myself, You know, I really like working with the kids in the Primary, but it would be really neat to work with the Young Women.
You can see where this is going, right?
In the middle of Primary, the bishop called me and Jason into his office and asked if I would be one of the counselors in the Young Women's presidency. I actually laughed out loud and told him I think someone already told me about it this morning. I'm not supposed to be sustained until next Sunday, but I think everyone who would read this knows about it by now.
I'm not sure which counselor I am. Our Young Women's group is so small that everyone is combined into one class and I think everyone just kind of pitches in with all the girls, rather than there being strict divisions among Beehives, MiaMaids and Laurels.
I am sad to leave the Primary. As discouraging as it can be when I don't feel like I'm getting through to the kids, it has also had its really fun and funny and heartening moments, and I've made some great friends. I'm glad we have our ladies craft night because I'll still get to see everyone to chat every week.
I am excited and intimidated by this new calling. I want to be good for these girls. I don't really know any of them, except for one who just graduated from Primary. I know that as concerned as I have been about the challenges facing the little kids in Primary, those challenges are greater by a factor of 100 for the girls in junior high and high school. All of the girls are from families whose economic situations can best be described as struggling. All of them go to Rhode Island public schools, which are widely recognized as pretty dismal. Many of them have parents who aren't very interested in their lives. Our bishop considers it a great victory when we can get one of the girls through high school without getting pregnant.
I remember so vividly those Young Women's leaders who I loved. Who seemed to understand the girls and connect with all of us as not just a leader, but also as a friend. I hope I can be that type of person in their lives.
The Young Women's president and I are already pretty good friends, so I'm looking forward to talking and planning with her and figuring things out.
{Deep breath}
6 comments:
Oh! You're going to do awesome. I think you're perfect for YW.
Thanks, Emily! I hope you're right.
Kelly, this is a great calling for you! You have so much you can share and inspire these young women with that I can see plain as day why you'd be called to do that. Congrats!
Yay! Congrats! Seriously, girls need to see that they can grow up and do more than scrapbook and knit. They can scrapbook and knit AND be an awesome lawyer! Oh, and beginningsnew.blogspot.com has saved my sanity some weeks.
Thanks, Joanne! I will do my best.
Nicole, ooo thanks for the website. I may be emailing you for tips sometime.
How exciting! When I moved back home, I was called to be the Beehive advisor. I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed with the responsibility. I credit my YW advisors for helping me navigate my way through my teenage years and beyond. They had a HUGE impact on me, and it was pretty sobering to think that I might have the same impact in another young girl's life. Looking back on it, I think it's probably my favorite calling I've ever had. I know you'll do great!
Good luck!
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