“Too Big for Primary?” Friend, November 2024, 40–41.
Too Big for Primary?
Gift wished she could move on to Young Women.
This story happened in Nigeria.
“Welcome to Primary!” Sister Agbor, Gift’s Primary leader, stood at the front of the room. “Today we will learn the song ‘Love One Another.’”1
The music started, and the younger children got ready to sing. But Gift already knew this song. She had sung it a hundred times! She didn’t really feel like singing it today.
Gift was tired of Primary. She was older, taller, and bigger than all the other kids. Her friends at church were all in Young Women now. She still had almost a whole year before she could go with them to Young Women classes and activities.
While everyone else sang, Gift was quiet. She mumbled some of the words to the songs, but she was busy thinking.
Then she had an idea. Maybe if she talked to the bishop, he would let her go to Young Women early so she could be with her friends.
Gift found Bishop Achombi after church. “Hi, Bishop,” she said. “I don’t really feel like I belong in Primary anymore. I’m bigger and older than all the other kids. Can I start going to Young Women instead?”
Bishop Achombi smiled. “I know moving to Young Women is exciting,” he said. “But you can only start going the year you turn 12. I’m sorry.”
Gift looked down at her shoes. “OK.”
“The Primary is lucky to have you,” the bishop said. “I think the younger children admire you a lot. You can make a big difference to them.”
For the rest of the day, Gift felt sad. A year was a long time to feel lonely in Primary.
But then Gift thought more about what Bishop Achombi said. Did the other children really admire her? She had never noticed that before.
The next week, Gift waved goodbye to her friends as they walked to the Young Women room. She sighed and walked to the Primary classroom.
“Gift,” Sister Agbor said, “would you be willing to help me teach this week’s song?”
“Um, sure,” Gift said. “What song are we learning?”
“‘I Am a Child of God,’”2 said Sister Agbor. “Thank you for your help! I think the kids will have fun learning from you.”
When singing time started, Gift stood in front of the room. “Today I’m going to teach you one of my favorite songs,” she said. She helped the children learn the words. Then she sang the song with them. As they sang, Gift felt warm and happy inside. She knew she was feeling the Holy Ghost.
Before long, Primary class was almost over! After the closing prayer, Gift started to walk to the hall. She wanted to find her friends after their Young Women class and say hi.
But one of the little girls stopped her. “Thank you for singing with us!” She gave Gift a hug. “I want to be like you when I get big.”
Gift smiled. She still couldn’t wait to go to Young Women, and she hoped the next year would go by fast. But she knew she could still learn and do good things in Primary.
And maybe Bishop Achombi was right. She could make a difference.
Illustrations by Simini Blocker