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Visiting Teaching & Home Teaching - Page 8

Hmmm I personally don't think I would do that why? because I don't want to force anybody to do something they're suppose to do from their hearts and not because somebody call them to remind them and then they feel 'obligated' to do it. I rather not to have them than to have them because they feel they don't have another choice.

Teaching Home and Teaching Visiting

LDS, I understand how you feel, but often it is just helpful for them and not really forceful. Depends upon how it is done. For example, if you just approach them after Sacrament Meeting and maybe say something like, "You know, my schedule this month is going to be really hectic, could we schedule our visit now so I don't end up booking something else and us not being able to get together." I bet this would not be taken as intrusive, and after a few months, they would probably come to you early in the month as well to schedule.

I think, we often just get so wrapped up in daily "stuff" that the month just slips by and before we know it the end of the month is here and we didn't get that appointment made and now our schedules are all booked up and we can't come up with a time. I know I used to visit a few sisters like this so we would agree to see each other on a particular day of each month, like the first Thursday of every month at a certain time. If either one of us needed to reschedule we would make the contact with the other to reschedule. Otherwise, we just knew we would see each other on that pre-arranged date. This worked very well because we would also try to avoid scheduling stuff on that reserved day to keep it free for our visit.

Visiting Teaching & Home Teaching Studies Doctrine Mormon

Tena, I understand your view but I suppose because we live in different countries, the story is also different. Sometimes people here in Trinidad have a problem in visiting teaching because of a economic situation since most of them have to travel to work already, they have little or no money left sometimes for Visiting Teaching so if a sister approaches me for instance telling me about making an appointment, I would feel terrible if I cannot afford it and I'm too embarrased to let her know about it. You understand?. By the other hand, if money is not the problem, I personally feel that I want somebody who really cares about me whether they're too busy or not, it doesn't matter. We should make the extra-effort, if we have time to go out to the mall or watch a movie with a friend what is really stopping us from making a visit and caring about our sisters?. Sometimes 'time' is just an excuse, we are all busy, we all have 24hs a day to spend...but priorities is the key here and is sad to say but caring about the welfare of our brothers and sisters are not always a priority in our lives.

Page 8 Teaching Home and Teaching Visiting

LDS, I wasn't aware of the financial issue for VT in Trinidad. In my ward we try to arrange VT routes so that the sisters we visit live somewhat near to us. There are several towns in my ward, but the sisters assigned to me live only a few miles away. I imagine the distances are much greater in Trinidad.

One solution for those sisters might be to visit each other after the Sunday meetings before going home. Then there wouldn't be the extra expense of travel since they would already be at the church building. This might be suggested in a Relief Society lesson. I know we have had situations in my ward where a sister has decided to attend out ward, but she lives in the boundaries of another ward. Since, each ward has several towns in it, if you aren't in my ward bounderies then you live a distance from me, so these sisters were VT at the church building on Sunday. Not ideal, but I think better than nothing. They get a spiritual message and a friendship can be developed between the parties.

Teaching Home and Teaching Visiting

Tena, thanks for the suggestions. All the sisters I have to visit for instance live near by but I have to travel to go there and most of the sisters here have too. Public Transportation is very cheap but some sisters struggle to do it, although the main reason is that they just don't do it. How is in your ward? do you all have sucess in Visiting Teaching?

Visiting Teaching & Home Teaching

We have about 87% VT. My companion lives two miles from me. We meet at the Church Building and take turns with our cars. Two of the Sisters we have are about 17 miles from Church. One of our Sisters is a 'Letter Only', and the fourth is three streets from the Church building.

The Home Teachers don't do well at all. We are really short on active Priesthood holders. When I had Home Teachers I would call and tell them I wanted a blessing. It was the only time I ever saw them outside of Church. Now I have a Husband/Wife team. The only drawback there is if I want a blessing, he has to call in another Priesthood holder. The Husband /Wife teams(?)do much better.

Edited: AGene on 26th Nov, 2003 - 5:40am

Visiting Teaching & Home Teaching - Page 8

The last time I had statistics for my ward was a little over a year ago and we were in the high 80's%. This number includes those who ask not to be visited and those for whom we have no current address. I know that the men have a much lower number, but I also know that for them a letter or phone call doesn't count, they must make a personal visit so it isn't really apples to apples.

Visiting Teaching & Home Teaching Mormon Doctrine Studies - Page 8

With our ward boundary changes, I have a new VT companion -- a wonderful lady, and also very busy. She is stake choir director, a missionary in the YSA branch (which takes most of her time), and owns and runs a successful business. Her schedule is just packed full, but she finds the time to go with me to visit our sisters. One is inactive and usually *never* home even with an appointment, and two are what I call "high need" sisters. They have such intense family problems!! It's so hard to find ways to help them, and to determine immediate needs rather than the chronic troubles they live with every day. I'm putting together a little "stress reliever" package for Christmas for those two!! LOL Bath oil, vanilla scented candles, and CDs of soothing music or nature sounds -- hopefully, they can find a few quiet moments to enjoy it.

I think sometimes VT is also for us to realize that our lives aren't so bad -- and that we should be grateful!

IMO
Roz

P.S. What are some successful things you have done to help sisters with a lot of stress? When there is really nothing you can do to change their situation?