New Callings - some not so new

It becomes inevitable when you move to a new area that you get new callings. After the first week of choir practice, I was unofficially assigned to be the ward choir accompanist. It is not a formal calling in this ward. The choir director found out I could play more than the simplified version of the hymns (that's all she can play), and voila - I'm the new accompanist. I was the ward choir accompanist in the Urbana ward for the 4.5 years we lived there. This calling is not so new.

I am also the Valiant 8 primary teacher. This is a new calling since I have never been in senior primary. My primary experience has always been limited to junior primary. It's fun that the kids actually bring their scriptures, open then, and know how to read them. Sharing time in senior primary is also different than junior primary. The kids actually make most of the singing time decisions.

I was also called to the be ward organist. It has been more than 6 years since I have played the organ (every week that is). This particular organ takes some getting used to. First of all, I can barely hear the organ where I sit, but it is blasting out the congregation. Also, the congregation always sounds a beat behind me. It must just be the way the sound travels. It will eventually all come back to me.

Bruce is the new Elders' Quorum president in our ward. I guess he didn't put in enough time when he served for nearly 4 years as EQP in the Urbana Ward. This is not exactly a new calling for him. Last week was his first week as EQP, and it was also Ward Conference. He left for church at 11:30 and didn't get home until 10:00 that night. I guess they expected him to jump right in. This call was different than the first time though.

The week Bruce was called as the EQP in the Urbana Ward, other new things were starting at the same time. 1) his year long experiment that had him busy 8-10 hours a day 6 days a week, and 5 hours on Sunday. 2) He started helping someone else with their research trial involving weight training.
This time, he was called the same week the college let out for spring break. It was a much more relaxing week.
Bruce actually enjoys the EQP calling - it enables him to work closely with the brethren of the ward and he gets to know them on a more personal basis. This ward is different than our last and with it brings different challenges.