Bitter, Sweet

That is how I would best describe how I have felt over the past few days. Deldon and I both got phone calls to see the Stake President this weekend before Stake Conference which could only have meant one thing, a stake call for him and a release for me. Turns out are whole RS Presidency was released so there is definatley something in the works for the president's husband (I say a new Bishop) so I was on chopping board whatever way you look at it. On a happier note Deldon was sustained as 2nd counsellor in Stake YM’s yesterday and I am so excited for him and for all those who he will serve with. It’s been a stressful weekend, he had an exam to take on Saturday then had to run from that to Stake Priesthood session, be interviewed and then speak at the Saturday evening session of conference. His topic – Standing steadfast and immovable with regards to his youth, and how his parents and leaders helped him stay steadfast growing up. Normally I am the one out flying my kite in the stake, but instead I got to stay home with the kids feeling sick (we’ve all got throat, cough head thing) and feeling sorry for myself as I now have to face Sundays alone with the girls whilst he does what I have done for the past 2/12 years and travel around speaking in the various wards and branches in our stake. What a joy ride I have been on. I had no idea the night the Stake President interviewed me to be a counsellor in stake YW’s what a blast I was about to embark on. I was actually devastated at the time as I had only been ward YW’s president for about 11 months and didn’t want to leave my girls. I was very nervous of the working with the YW President – Julie Wallace, and couldn’t understand why she would have chosen me, but she turned out to be one of the most amazing leaders I have ever worked with along with her other counsellor Tricia Boyd. We had so much fun in everything we did and all sincerely wanted the best for the girls in our stake. One of my funniest memories is camp when we all stood up and sung a song to the tune of “Man eater” only we changed the words of the song to relate to camp eg “We are Camp Leaders, make you work hard, make you sweat hard, make you get up too early. We are camp leaders, former man eaters do you like our hot men” and flashed up our hottie husbands on sticks we were laughing so hard we could bearly get through the song. That night Julie left camp early to go on holiday to Spain with her family only to return home very ill and only 8 months in to our presidency Julie was diagnosed with Leukaemia leaving Tricia and I to cling tight to one another as we continued for the next 13 months running things mostly by ourselves as Julie was only in remission for a short period of time. Throughout her time fighting cancer she was always asking about the youth and freaking out about something or other that needed doing, it was amazing that she still was concerned for the youth despite the terrible illness she was fighting. After we got through our all Ireland youth conference (neither Tricia nor I could sleep for days before with the pressure) we got called in and released from our callings. Julie was released as YW president so she could focus on her family and fighting her illness and her mum was released as stake RS president so she could tend to her daughter full time. Then the strangest thing happened, it was like a swap over of presidencies in the stake. Tricia was called as the new RS President and one of the old counsellors in the RS presidency, Janet Potts was called as the new YW’s President. Both of them request me as a counsellor and both requested Emily Curran who was the old secretary in stake RS. The stake Pres made the decision in the end and I was to go to stake RS and Emily over to stake YW. The stake presidency said they felt that it had become clear that Tricia and I had built up important relationships with the laurels and now we needed to welcome them in to RS. The people in Tricia’s ward actually thought the high counsellor had mixed up the business when the names were put forward as logic appealed to Tricia to be the new YW president and Janet to be the new RS president. So since last August that is where I have been serving. I was so sad to leave stake YW’s but glad to still be working with Tricia, she is one of my heroes! This woman is amazing, and I just laugh constantly when I’m around her. Sadly Julie lost her battle against cancer in December and that was a dark month as we said goodbye to her, but I’m so grateful that I had the brief time I did have to serve around her and get to see what an incredible lady she was. So can you see why is it any wonder I feel sadness today that I will not be serving around all the great women in our stake anymore? I will miss all the other stake auxiliary presidencies it’s like a little circuit on the road, you all know each other, I will miss our JAM (joint auxiliary meeting) we were due to have one this coming week, where we get together as stake YW’s, RS, and primary presidency to correlate with each other (but really it’s just a great gossip session with yummy food – in a good way of course!). I will miss all my wards under my stewardship and all those relationships that I have renewed and created though my time in the stake. Our stake is so spread out here that there will be many I will not see on a regular basis anymore. For example, Lynn the other counsellor in our presidency lives in Derry, nearly a 2 hour drive from where I live. I will miss all her cooking and amazing homemaking skills. But I guess where the Lord closes one door another will open….and for now I am happy for Deldon and the journey he is about to embark on. I know the young men will love him, as will the girls, they were always telling me how hot my husband was lol. He is a great example of a young man who stayed faithful in his youth, served a mission, married in the right place at the right time to the right woman (of course hee hee) knows how to have fun, and continues to do what’s right, so what more could you ask for in a stake YM leader?