Since my conversion in 2009, I have never had an active Visiting Teaching partner and have never done a VT with someone assigned to partner with me. At first, I was ill at ease to do my visiting teaching by myself. I thought being a convert, I’d be paired up with someone more ‘seasoned’ if you will. After a while, I accepted it and in the past year, I’ve worked alone and did the best I could with making time for the sisters I’m assigned to teach. Some months it’s a card or a letter, maybe just a phone call…but I try because I look forward towards my visit teachers visiting/teaching me and to be honest…it’s a pretty cool gig.
Earlier today when I called to schedule my meetings, one of my households asked who my partner was. This took me by surprise as it’s been quite apparent I didn’t have one. She gave me a tsk tsk…and said I should have one. I MUST have one.
I hung up the phone with a knot in my stomach. Sighing, I wondered why something which carries many blessings have to be so difficult?
Sometimes things aren’t going to be exactly the way they’re meant to be. That’s called life. Usually, I only have one teacher visit me, but I never doubt either of their compassion or love for me. Schedule conflicts, time restraints, family duties…it isn’t always the ideal scenario in which the Church instructs for us. You do the best you can and hope for the best
I always brag about my visiting teachers because both have taught me many things in very nontraditional ways. I never felt their visits or speaking with me during church breaks were ‘dutiful’. It has been my hope and prayer that the ladies I teach feel the same way about me as I look forward towards visiting with them.
Of course, being I am a paranoid and insecure person, I immediately thought the woman who tsk tsk me doesn’t like me or perhaps I offended her? We all seek wisdom and guidance from others and I’m the least knowledgeable between the two of us. I can totally understand her wanting to have someone else there, preferably a person who didn’t sound like Mae West.
I guess the entire thing took me by surprise as I am one of those people who feel we are all doing the best we can do. Knowing the ward list for visiting teaching is a never-ending chore as members move in and out all the time, I didn’t want to nag my district supervisor about having a partner. She-along with the entire RS presidency knows already and have been working on it.
As for home teaching, I’ve had two visits from my home teacher since my joining the ward in 2009. The two visits are from my current home teachers as I went the first two years without home teaching. (If I had home teachers, I was not aware of them.) I’ve toyed with the idea of casually suggesting new home teachers as one is a good friend and there is a huge schedule conflict between the three of us, but I keep thinking it will all work out.
But it hasn’t…and this is why:
I am in a place in my life in which I need to surround myself with as many spiritual leaders as I can. I need more spirituality from leaders in the church…as being married to a non-member, it is easy (and quite justifiable) to find reasons and excuses that go against church doctrine. I often find myself feeling as if I’m treading water and at any moment the beginning of a leg cramp is going to take me under.
So dear readers, I ask you: How do you handle visiting teaching and home teaching? Life is busy and conflicted for so many…how do we remain influential when we ourselves are at times struggling?
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