Making Bread

This batch turned out well

We made bread for Sacrament Meeting last night in Activity Day with the Primary children.

I could leave it at that but the reality was actually hilarious in parts. I always have to laugh because whenever I plan, I visualize an ideal of how the activity will turn out and it NEVER remotely looks like the plan.

The kitchen (which only has empty cupboards, a sink and some sideboards) was being used when I got to the chapel so I commandeered a class room. The flour was flying all over with 5 sets of hands helping out, water was being dropped and splashed and I didn't look at any of the clothes the kids wore back home. I can still see Chiyo's face when the flour plopped into the cup in her hands and exploded into her face - I couldn't stop laughing.
Previously I had made up a batch of dough so the kids could see the whole process. We took the dough and each of the children got to 'mold' the bread into a loaf and get completely sticky in the process. After they washed their hands we made up a batch of bread and the fun began. I had asked around for an oven, so when it came time to bake the bread, our Primary president Sister Lorraine walked up to the third floor to plug the oven in the kitchen and put the risen dough into the oven. The oven only went up to 250 degrees. When she came back to the classroom and told me  I told her to put it on for an added half hour.

The girls had fun with Miss Maryanne making friendship bracelets and the boys all followed Angelo making paper rockets they blew off of straws.  I spent the time wiping up glue and flour off the floor and tables.

The bread came out crispy burnt on the top - charcoal hard - and the bottom was not raw - but anemic white. I started laughing again. Using a plastic knife because there were no drawers of silverware (or anything else) in the kitchen, I cut off the top of the bread and handed out jelly with plastic forks and spoons and we all ate chunks of mostly finished bread.

I actually had a really great time and as the night progressed the laughter welled up more and more. We never did get around to the other two projects I had in bags waiting to go - the whipping cream to make butter just came home, the quilt pieces can be brought out another day and the magic trick pieces can be put together on another night.

After I got home I put the children's dough in the loaf pans, let it rise for 10 minutes and baked it up. I had to laugh again when I saw it come out. Not perfect but beautiful.



I'll take much longer to write up what I told the children in 2 minutes. All of us are different, (I pulled out the flour and oil) all of us like different things and react differently to life. When we mix our different lives into experiences together and then have adversity (like a hot oven) we all come out being useful and great.  Every time I look at the Sacrament Bread I know Jesus Christ is mixing us up with people who have different experiences and reactions to life and as I share and get to know others my life is enriched and as we work through adversity together I become a totally different - hopefully useful and good person.