Let me just say how much I love this calling. It's funny how Heavenly Father ALWAYS knows what we need, exactly when we need it, when we are most qualified for it, and when we can learn the most from it.
Visiting Teaching has been my main focus since I've been called as Relief Society President and let me tell you, IT'S HARD! This summer we had close to 200 women in our ward. Now let's double that and make sure each one is visited/taught and each one visits/teaches. It's around 400 different assignments. However I think the getting the women to visit is the hardest part. Okay enough whining, it's just rough.
So the boundaries in my ward changed at the beginning of the summer thus resulting in a down pour of records filtering into our membership bank. As the summer has gone by it has been my goal to know the faces so I can be the best Relief Society President I can, but the only way I can get to know them is if they come. We have close to 20 girls that have never come to the ward so I decided I wanted to do some knocking. I know this sounds pushy but honestly it's the only resource we have when there is no phone number, e-mail, or anything other than address.
I really learned about missionary work today, let me tell you. There were 4 of us; my second counselor, secretary, and visiting teaching coordinator. When we approached the door we first wanted to make sure the girls were really living there, second we wanted to invite them to come to church (since we'd never seen most of them in the first place), and third if they seemed willing to extend a visiting teaching assignment to them. I feel like a lot of girls don't come because they don't feel welcome or because they feel inadequate. What better way to make someone feel loved and needed than to give them a calling where they are needed and where they have the opportunity to love and serve. (Sometimes I forget not everyone is as "EXCITED" about church stuff as I am haha.)
THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF IF YOU WANT TO READ SUBSTANCE.
So after visiting some sisters and having close to no luck we came across a place I now refer to as... "The forsaken house." (This is meant to be a joke, feel free to laugh.) My second counselor and I approached the door, our hearts beating rapidly because it's scary to invite people back to church, especially when some of them haven't been in years. She knocked, and I rang the doorbell AND THEN... we waited. Footsteps softly thumped on the floor behind the doors when the door opened. A man in a hawaiian shirt, brown shorts, and sandals with socks stood in front of us with a look of sheer curiosity. "Can I help you?" He said, with eyebrows raised. "Yes." I said with nerves racking my pitiful 19 year old brain. "We are looking for _______, is she at home?" "I don't know, let me see..." He said, with what I recall to be a small smirk. (Maybe I imagined it, but I'm pretty sure I didn't.) He disappeared behind the door and shortly after a girl in a short tube top dress and long brown hair filled his place. "Yeah?" she said, as if the words were a mouthful of toxic waste. "Hi!"My enthusiastic counselor burst out. "I'm your visiting teaching companion, and I was just wondering if you'd like to go visit our girls sometime. I also haven't seen you at church yet so I'd like to extend an invitation to you to come to our ward." The look in this girls eyes told me everything I needed to know. "I don't know WHY you people keep coming to my house! I've told you before, I WANT MY RECORDS REMOVED! I have no idea why you think I'd want a calling! I don't want to be apart of this!" The smile I'd worn a few short seconds before now vanished into the hole in my head I used to call my mouth. With a quick glance of horror to my counselor I proceeded to state the obvious stupid answer. (how it sounded in my head.) "So duh, you want us to uh... remove your duh... records from the church duh?" (how it really sounded) "So would you like us to tell them to remove your records from our ward." "Yeah." She spat back. "Alright we can do that, sorry to have bothered you." "Whatever." *SLAM*
This was probably one of the hardest things I've ever experienced in my life. I can only appreciate the missionaries THAT much more. Needless to say I shed a few tears. It breaks my heart to see one of God's children shun the gospel with such hatred. To be uninterested I can understand but to flat out hate it and it's affiliates makes me so sad. Regardless of this sisters behavior, I can only pray for her and hope over time her heart is softened. It makes me want to live better so I know I never give anyone a reason to hate this church.
Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been the best thing to ever happen in my life. I love the teachings, although my understanding is inadequate. I know that the things we learn are only here to help us, not hinder us. I am so grateful that I have been so blessed and that Heavenly Father trust me enough to care for his children, I only hope I can do better. I am proud to be a member of the LDS church, I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ, and that he loves us. He does all he can to help us, but he can only bless us when we are living correct gospel principles. A quote I heard in Seminary once that has stuck with me all these years is "The Savior is only as far from you as your knees are to the floor."
I wasn't planning on this post being a novel, but apparently my mind had other ideas. I wanted the readers of my blog to know I have a testimony of this church. I never thought I'd post all this here but I feel like it's important to know that the things you do can truly make a difference.
I also wanted to post a video that touches my life every time I watch it. I hope it will touch your hearts, and that you will remember who you are and what you stand for, at all times, and in all things, and in all places. Thanks for reading my blog, I know it's not always the most interesting and that you guys already live these principles, but it's nice to know I'm not alone and that there are other people striving for the same things I am. To bring Christ's sheep back to the fold.
Happy Sunday!
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