Everything I know I learned from my ward...

During the first year of our marriage Russ and I bought our first home in the Glen Lakes ward. I was living my life long dream of being a wife!  I relished that role and loved every minute of it. I had wanted to be married for as long as I could remember and thought about it a lot as I was in my growing up years so naturally I thought I was pretty good at it and thought I knew everything. Boy was I wrong! But I hadn't quite figured that out yet.

Becky

My first calling in our new ward after buying a house was 1st counselor in the young women presidency. The president was a few years older than me and had 1 child. She relied on me a lot and I felt like she valued my opinion. We seemed to work well together but looking back on it now I realize how much she was actually teaching me. I found out a few months after serving with her that her first child was a daughter that had died soon after birth. Her husband was also a medical student and wasn't around much because of his demanding schedule but I never ever heard her complain once about her trials. She was always so positive and served with her whole heart.

Mary

A few years later after serving as a primary teacher I was called into a primary presidency. The president had also been a primary teacher whom I had a great deal of respect for. She taught those children with such love and compassion. I was eager to serve under her to say the least. I learned so much from being her secretary. She was always so positive about each child in our ward's primary and I learned so much from that unconditional love that she had.

Diana
While serving as the primary secretary I had the job of assigning talks to the children. I had a system of going through the children so as to not miss anyone but every once in a while I would feel impressed to ask a certain child to give a talk even though it wasn't their turn. As a result I asked Ansley to give a talk one Sunday. Her mom was a good friend of mine and as she was listening to her daughter I felt very impressed to tell her of the importance of the temple and how she should really consider getting herself ready to go there. Her husband wasn't a member and although she was worthy to go to the temple she was hoping that her husband would get baptized and they could go together. I told her about my impression that I had about her needing to get herself to the temple first and then worry about her husband getting there after and we both succumbed to tears. The spirit was strong and she did in fact go to the temple a few months later. I learned from her that the Lord is eager to use us as instruments in his hands and if we will listen then His work will continue to go on. If we follow through on the promptings he gives us then great things can happen.

Stephanie

Stephanie is not only in my ward family, she is also married to my husband's brother so she is in my "real" family as well but she has taught me patience and dedication. Her husband was put into the bishopric when her second child was just a toddler and since then they have had 3 more kids, her husband was made the bishop and now he is currently serving as the stake president.   I remember thinking, how does she do it? I learned from her the patience and dedication it takes to raise 5 boys with a husband in a very demanding calling.  I have never once heard her complain. She makes it a point to attend the temple often. Read lots of books and articles about church related topics. Listen to different talks by church leaders and most importantly has regular scripture study with her family. In my eyes she seems pretty amazing but I know she is just being blessed because of her faith and patience and dedication to the gospel.

There are countless others from my ward family who have taught me things.  The family history buff, Deena whom helped me take several of my ancestors names to the temple. The webelos leader, Ronda whom I have served as an assistant to for the past year. Who knew cub scouts wasn't so scary after all?  The people I visit teach who let me come into their homes month after month and taught me way more than I ever taught them.

I will forever be a student in the classroom of life but I feel so blessed that so many of those lessons are taught to me by my ward family!