Teaching the Valiant 8/9 class: part bribery

Sunday, September 12th will be burned into my brain.  It is the day I won over all the boys.  The girls are still more attached to me, but the boys were completely sold. Why? Bribery.  

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  And they are right--even if those men are only 8, 9, or 10.  Elijah and the Priesthood was the lesson.  The Lord punishes the wicked by causing a drought, and Elijah asks a widow woman for a cake.  And so I brought cream puffs.  

"Wait, did you make these yourself???" was the incredulous question.

"Sister R is a very good baker," my co-teacher responded. 

"Can you be my mom? She never bakes us stuff like this!"

At that moment, I hung my head in shame.  His mom is amazing.  What is more? She is the Bishop's wife.  Heaven forgive me!  But thank you, Heavenly Father, for getting little T to like me.  Because that is the first moment he has shown actual acceptance of me as his teacher or friend.  Mostly I get indifference from that one.

They have a few weeks of being very reverent in sharing time and remembering the topic of one talk in General Conference, and they get treats again.  We'll see if they can make it.  

Either way, there was some new respect for me--if only for my cream puff skills.