Following Their Dreams

By Jan Pinborough

Church Magazines

Have you ever dreamed about being in the Olympics? Rachel and Nathan P. have—but their dreams are not about twirling across the ice or lunging across the finish line. At “Dress for Your Dreams” day at school, they dressed for the Olympic event they dream about—archery.

It’s a sport they practice about four times a week. Nathan, age 10, first tried archery at Cub Scout camp a few years ago. Then Rachel, age 12, discovered that she liked it too. Now they’re both winning trophies and medals at regional and national archery tournaments.

Rachel and Nathan live in Ledyard, Connecticut, not too far from the ocean. When they practice in their backyard, they each shoot 72 arrows. If it’s rainy or cold, they practice in their basement.

Being New

Rachel and Nathan also share a love for school—and the memory of how it feels to be the new kid. Three years ago, their family moved to Connecticut from Las Vegas, Nevada. Nathan quickly found a best friend who looks so much like him that people often think they are twins. He was also super excited about living where it snows, especially because his new front yard has a built-in sledding hill.

For Rachel, it wasn’t quite as easy. “By third grade, the kids at school already had all their friends,” she remembers. Finally she began making friends from other classes at recess. The children in Primary were very welcoming to both Rachel and Nathan.

Moving On to Young Women

Rachel is already in the Beehive class in Young Women. But her birthday is in January, so she is still in Primary for class time.

She used to feel sad that she didn’t get to go to Sunday School with the girls who were a few months older. One reason she feels better about it now is that her Primary class is studying the Doctrine and Covenants. “It’s really interesting, and that helps keep me from thinking about not being in Sunday School,” Rachel says.

Rachel is also happy that she can still be in Primary class with her friend Marissa. “If I had moved on completely, she would have been left in a class with no other girls,” Rachel says.

Her positive attitude fits right in with one of her favorite scriptures: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” (1 Nephi 3:7).

Both Rachel and Nathan are kind and helpful. Rachel likes helping classmates who are having trouble with math. She hopes to be a teacher someday. And Nathan watches out for a boy in his class who has special needs. With kindness and hard work, these two great kids are right on target to make their dreams come true!

Nathan’s Likes

• Cheese and dark chocolate (but not together!)

• Cub Scout loops and Pinewood Derby

• Wiggling his ears

• Wearing green

Rachel’s Likes

• Peanut butter and honey

• Playing the piano in Young Women

• Writing poetry

• Drawing

Rachel and Nathan’s Tips for Getting Along

Rachel and Nathan have many interests in common, like reading fantasy books and playing the piano. But they don’t agree all the time. When Rachel and Nathan can’t decide on which video game to play, here’s how they prevent arguments:

• First, they choose their top three choices. If they have one in common, they play that one.

• If that doesn’t work, each person tells his or her reasons for wanting to play a certain game.

• If that still doesn’t solve the disagreement, Rachel says, “we put several games in a hat and draw one out.”

Photographs by Elizabeth Pinborough

Bull’s-eye!