Visiting Teaching made easy...

A few weeks ago, my visiting teaching companion and I decided to do something a little different for visiting teaching. Instead of just visiting the people we are assigned to, we decided to have a BBQ and play some pickleball. Our next door neighbors also home teach the families that I visit teach and so we invited them as well and had a FHE, VT, and  HT BBQ. It was such a great night and I got to know the people I visit teach better. Something that I learned from having this BBQ is that there is no limit to visiting teaching. I am starting to realize the power of visiting teaching. Lately I have been looking at my life and trying to figure out where I am just going through the motions. I feel that if we truly are applying the atonement in our lives and we are truly praying, truly studying, and not just going through the motions......we should see a change. A change in our relationships, a change in ourselves and how we react to things, a change in our parenting, and ultimately a change of heart. I want to feel that change every day of my life. The atonement is so motivating and powerful. It brings hope and a determination to be better tomorrow than we were today.

So going back to visiting teaching, I have felt that pull to make a change. To not just go through the motions as we visit teach, but to make a noticeable difference in the lives of those we visit. As long as I can remember, my mom has never been active in the church, but she has always had visiting teachers. I have seen the power of true visiting teachers as I have watched those that come and drop something off so they can report they have completed their VT. I have also watched another VT that not only came to visit my mom, but they started running together. They became good friends and continued to do things together long after my mom was assigned to this person. My mom will now call this lady if she needs help with something and she knows she will be there for her whether she is assigned to be her VT or not. I think it is because of these situations that I have a difficult time reporting my VT. I never want to do my VT just to appear that I am reporting. I understand statistically why you need to report, but I just have a difficult time feeling like I visited a person because they were my assignment. I want to do it for the person I visit. It's probably for this reason that I was called to be a Visiting Teaching Supervisor.  LOL!!! This definitely is one of the easier callings that I have had in the church, but I am grateful that I get to focus more on my life long calling as a mother and wife. Also, Ron just was just released from Executive Secretary and called to be the Scoutmaster. We do not know what we are getting ourselves into yet, but I'm sure he will do a great job. I know that Ron had a great scoutmaster that helped him get his Eagle Scout when he was 13 years old and so I'm sure he wants to be that kind of example to they young men.

I have had some neat experiences from having my new calling. At first, I thought this calling was a little meaningless, but as I prayed about how to magnify my calling, I was filled with love for the ladies that are supposed to report to me. I guess it was more a feeling of wanting to feel connected to them. I had the idea of sending out motivational thoughts and quotes that related to the Visiting Teaching  message for the month.  I guess my hopes were that these little messages would 1.) help the ladies think about the monthly visiting teaching message throughout the month and gain personal experiences 2.) Remind the ladies to visit teach and the importance of visiting teaching 3.) help them feel connect and comfortable reporting
I don't know if these little messages will help out or just be annoying, but hopefully they will be a positive influence. Anyway..... we had a great night!!