CHANGE

Yes, I've been MIA from the blogging world for a while.

My phone stopped letting me upload pictures,

and Phil doesn't TAKE pictures on his phone,

so...we can't blog without pictures, can we?

Today our lives changed.

BIG.

We got released from our callings as Young Men and Young Women Presidents.

We'd both been serving with the youth the entire time we've been married

and the last two years have been as presidents.

I had a feeling a few days ago that it was time for us to be done

and I'd had my emotional break-down, sobbing time.

What could be more important for us to do?

How could there be a better place for us to be?

But it was time.

Phil hadn't had time to process the idea,

and today was REALLY hard for him.

I've never seen him so invested in ANYTHING before.

He was more committed to those young men than anything else.

He belonged there. And he loved it.

But he'd been feeling recently like his efforts weren't producing any fruit.

He was getting discouraged and worried that he hadn't "succeeded".

That they weren't getting "it."

And then got released.

So he felt like a failure.

And broke down.

For the last hour at church, he got to say goodbye.

And each of the young men shared what they appreciated about him.

MORE TEARS.

LOTS of tears.

Yes, from teenage boys.

And Phil.

He walked out of that meeting with the reassurance he needed.

What a tender mercy for Heavenly Father to share with him, 

through the young men,

how much he meant to them and affected them.

We did the same thing in Young Women's, 

and it was such a gift.

It's scary to leave a calling with the youth.

You never know what will come up in their lives.

And you're not a part of their intimate lives anymore.

How will they manage without you?

Will they remember your testimony?

Will they be better because of something you did?

Did it even matter?

Much of the time, we never know.

And it's scary when it's someone you love.

What a blessing to get to hear them share when they've learned.

In young women's, I asked them to tell me MY testimony.

Because it's great to be friends, and feel welcome, and be positive,

But did they get it?

So I asked each of them to say something that THEY know I know.

What a great spirit I felt, 

And comfort to know that the Holy Ghost had been teaching them,

and they had each heard something different.

But they heard my testimony.

It's such a blessing to have a calling!

What a privilege to see others change, and be a part of it!

We're horribly sad for this chapter of our lives to end,

But we know there's more to come and more to do.

"I'll go where you want me to go.

I'll say what you want me to say.

I'll be what you want me to be."