Visiting Teaching

Do you ever wonder why you visit teach? I think I was on my mission when I gained my testimony of visiting teaching. Like any principal of the gospel you have to live it, in order to gain a testimony of it. I have visited many different sisters over my 35 years or so from all facets of life. Many times I'm the one learning from them. I have become friends with women I never would have, if I had not been their VT. Let me share one example with you.

Last March I was in RS and noticed a young mother I hadn't met before. They had been in the ward several months, but I had been attending all of our Stake's Ward Conferences and hadn't met her yet. She had just had a new baby and when I questioned her if anyone had brought her dinner she said, "no." I immediately told her I wanted to bring her dinner and she kept saying, "no I live too far." I told her I was going to bring it anyway. To make a long story short Russ drove out to her house with me. She was right, I had no idea our ward boundaries even went that far. It was an 82 mile round trip on a two lane highway on curvy roads. It took an hour each way to get to her house. Upon visiting with her she told us this was her 5th child, her oldest being 6!! Her husband does maintenance on a damn up on a lake out in the middle of no where. I asked her if she had a VT & she said no one had been there to visit her. After I returned home I talked to the RS President and felt very strong that I should volunteer to be her VT. If anyone needed one it was Jessica living out there all by herself. Every time I go visit her, her kids are so excited to see me and so cute. I had her to my house in October to teach her how to make applesauce. She brought her 5 year old daughter, Heidi & her 8 month old daughter. The week after we made applesauce was our Primary program at church. Heidi, the 5 year old got up to do her part and right in the middle of it she spotted me sitting in the audience. Her eyes lit up and she started waving at me. Everyone got a good chuckle out of it & didn't know who she was waving at. I was missing my grandkids Primary program that day and feeling bad about that and when Heidi waved to me it MADE my whole day. When I saw Jessica in RS she told me Heidi had said, " I saw her mom, the lady that taught you how to make applesauce."

Sometimes it can be frustrating to try and get all your visits in, but when I have experiences like I did with Heidi it makes it all worth it!!

Barbara Thompson said: The beauty of visiting teaching is not to see 100 percent on the monthly report; the beauty of visiting teaching is seeing lives changed, tears wiped away, testimonies growing, people loved, families strengthened, people cheered, the hungry fed, the sick visited, and those who are mourning comforted. Actually, visiting teaching is never done because we watch over and strengthen always.

Jessica and her kids on one of my visits.

Heidi is the one below in the blue shirt. They had picked dandelions for me.