The Great Divide

A week ago, Bishop Bell announced that our ward would be splitting.  It came as no shock, really.  After all, we had four nurseries, a primary so large that for a while they were meeting in the chapel (the only place in the building that could accommodate both the junior and senior primaries simultaneously), and two elders quorums!  There were 22 sunbeams, enough for three classes!  And while we have loved that there are so many kids our children's ages, it is difficult to manage that many people (around 630, if I remember correctly).

We all had a week to think (and stress) about it.  I am not going to lie, last week was one of the most difficult I have had in a seriously long time.  Because so many people in our ward don't have family close by, the ward becomes your family.  Perhaps I am being overly dramatic, but I really felt like our "family" was being chopped in half!  

Yesterday was hard, but good.  We became a new ward, something I have never been a part of before!  We are now in the Clarke Farms Ward, and we will be meeting from 2-5 PM.  When our Stake President announced that, there was a collective groan from the congregation.  And, yeah, it's a rough time, but personally, I probably prefer it over 1-4.  At least now I will be able to put McKay down for a short nap before church, and maybe (please?!) he might be able to sit through Sacrament Meeting.  

A new bishopric was called, and I am really excited about it.  They are about as rock-solid a group of men as you could ever hope to have leading you!  In fact, everyone that is now part of the Clarke Farms Ward was released from their callings, and our new bishopric has the unpleasant task of completely organizing a ward from the ground up.  I have no trepidation whatsoever, though, because I have complete faith that Bishop Merrell, Brother Jackson, and Brother Rummler will listen to the Spirit and organize everything exactly as it should be.  

Adam probably had a more difficult day yesterday than I did.  Bishop Merrell was the former YM President, with whom Adam served as first counselor.  And although Adam is thrilled to have Bishop Merrell as a bishop, I know that he is struggling with the fact that their almost-daily communication will not continue.  He admires and respects Bishop Merrell SO much, and he is a bit broken-hearted that they will not be serving so closely together anymore.  

The fact that he is being released from his calling was also a heavy blow for Adam.  He is in his #1 favorite, couldn't-have-hand-picked-it-better calling.  He adores the young men of our ward, particularly the teachers with whom he has served, and it kills him to think he may not be with them anymore.  When you are in your favorite spot, the only place you can go is down!

I'm feeling pretty good today.  My heart is still broken, especially when I think of certain people that are still in the Dove Valley Ward who I won't be associating with on a weekly basis anymore.  But I can say today that I am really excited to be a part of the Clarke Farms Ward.  I feel like it's going to be a solid, united, well-functioning unit.  As close as we were as the Dove Valley Ward, we have the potential to grow even closer now that we are a smaller group.
More change ahead--our stake president announced that our stake is also splitting in two weeks.  Between all of this plus losing Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in the last couple weeks, I am emotionally drained! :-)