I am president of the Primary in the Georgetown Ward. Every year the Primary children ages 3 - 11 years of age present a program in Sacrament Meeting (worship service) using the things learned in Sharing Time from January through August. Our program was today.
I went to each of the Primary classes last month and asked questions of the children regarding the things they learned each month. Using their answers and the information from the Sharing Times, I created a program. Each child had a speaking part and there were eight songs to be learned and sung during the program. We have spent our two hours of Primary the last two Sunday's in the chapel rehearsing. And, today was the kids big day.
Last week I prepared them by telling them they were to each go to the bathroom prior to the meeting beginning so no one had to leave the stand and go out. Amazingly, of those 60 kids, not one of them left the stand during the meeting.
Another cute moment was Jack Jenkins. Jack is eight years old and has Down's Syndrome and had a speaking part on the program. He was so anxious to say his part that he stood up way early and spoke it with another class. We let him go and felt so happy he wanted to participate. Imagine our amusement when the next class came up and Jack went up with them and repeated his part. Then Jack sat in his seat until it was really his classes turn and then he said his part one more time because, as we all know, 'third time's a charm'.
Another precious moment for me was Weston Fairbanks who is four years old. Weston is just so shy and timid about being in front. We had not gotten him to say his part verbally. He stood at the microphone when we practiced and just couldn't get the words out. His dad plays the piano for Primary and tried to help him but the words were not coming. Today, Michele Hale, my first counselor, walked him to the podium and Amy Coyne, my second counselor, helped him. I had talked with Weston after our Primary practice last Sunday and told him he was my friend and it would be just fine if, when it was his turn to say his part, he just looked at me instead of all those people and said his part to me. I would be sitting on the front row of the congregation and he could talk right to me. Bless his little heart, he did look at me and started to speak and that little lower lip started to quiver. He kept on going and Amy worked with him and Weston said every word. I was so proud of him and wanted to shout to the world, "Do you know all the valuable learning that has happened in these few minutes?" Such a neat thing for him and his family.
One month our Sharing Time was about families. The class I had cover this had a child, Hannah Grieving, who is adopted. She is Chinese. She has a older brother her parents also adopted from Africa. Her part was talking about her family being like any other family. She mentioned that she and her brother were just like any other family and he teased her just like other brothers teased their sisters. The congregation laughed at that bit of reality. Then with perfect comedic timing Hannah added, "But I know he still loves me." Then it was a full laugh for the congregation.
The kids sang all eight songs beautifully. They were just wonderful. And we finished with the Bishop bearing his testimony of each of us being Children of Heavenly Father and having a special role to play in this life.
After Primary we tried to get back to our normal Sunday routine in Primary. This was a little skewed with having not been in our Primary room for two weeks. But we made it through just fine.
The stake Primary presidency came to Junior Primary and thanked the kids for such a fine job with their program. Then they gave each of the kids a marshmallow treat for a snack. Each Sunday we practiced we had provided a little candy treat at the end of each rehearsal. I had been adamant that part of reverence in Heavenly Father's house is to not leave trash on the floor. We had special trash bags to collect all trash before anyone left the chapel. Today as the kids opened their marshmallow treats I asked them what Sis. Christensen wanted to be sure and do. In unison with that mocking voice kids do sooooo well they said, "Put the trash in the trash can." Yeah!! A point is being made and a little lesson is slowing being learned.
Now, the regular Sharing Time lesson was given in Junior and Senior Primary today. But I had ask Amber Marcum, our chorister, to have fun songs for the kids today. They had concentrated so hard on the eight songs for the progam that is seemed a little relaxed fun was in order today. One of the things Amber told the kids last Sunday to get them to sing really well today was a challenge. She was going to have someone in the back of the chapel with a bag of marshmallows during their actual program. If the kids sang really well, this person would take a marshmallow and put it in a container. The kids were to aim to get a marshmallow for each song they sang in the container. These marshmallows were then to be placed in Sean Marcum's mouth one at a time during their singing time. Sean is Amber's husband and is also the counselor in the Bishopric with responsibility to help Primary. Bless his heart he was there for Junior and then again in Senior Primary to play out Amber's challenge. They sang well enough there were eight marshmallows in the container. Sean would put a marshmallow (standard size) in his mouth and then say something like 'bubble bunny' after each marshmallow was inserted. The kids were so happy and laughing and cheering him on. It may not have been our most reverent moment but it was sure a lot of fun. Sean was a great sport and the kids received a great reward of a marshmallow each after he finished. He got seven marshmallows in for Junior Primary and eight marshmallows in for Senior Primary. Such fun.
Amber had one of the children leading the kids in the song. She paused long enough to have all the Primary kids learn how to lead 4/4 timing. I was sitting in the back with Amy Coyne as she did this and Amber said as she taught the 4/4 time pattern: Down, Right, Left, Up. Okay, that was fine. Except that on about the third repetition of the pattern Amber started saying, "Down, (and instead of right, left) smack the baby (as her arms went right, left), up." I looked at Amy and we both had a bit of surprise. Then we laughed it off as just part of a Primary day that was a bit out of the ordinary.
It was a fun day. I was so proud of the Primary children, the teachers who work with them, our great music people and my counselors. They each just stepped up and did their part. It was all a lot of work but it was a very memorable day and one these kids and their parents can rightfully be proud of and happy about.
I am a Child of God. I am grateful for that knowledge and for the direction it gives me in living a good, full, productive live.
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