My first memory of visiting teaching is when I was somewhere between 3rd and 6th grade (I remember we were living in upstate New York) and my mom’s visiting teacher came to visit her. She was young, newly married, and had hole-y jeans. I remember my mom telling her she would gladly make her some jeans like that from some of her old jeans and she wouldn’t have to spend so much money on them. I have no idea why that stood out to me, but I was impressed that this young woman would come every month to visit my mom. I’m sure my mom had visiting teachers that came before that but that’s the first time that sticks out to me.
Then when I was in high school my mom asked me to go visiting teaching with her because her partner couldn’t go with her. I remember being in my stubborn stage of those awful teenage years and refused to go telling her it wasn’t MY responsibility – yes, this is one of my many regrets that sticks out looking back on my life so far. I wish I could do that over again, not realizing the importance of being a visiting teacher and having a visiting teacher.
The women I visit teach here have been so wonderful. I admit I drag my feet to make appointments as my partner has only been able to go with me once. So, it’s just me dragging my four children along to have an uplifting conversation with another woman and see if there is anything I can do for her. One woman rarely has time to see us so I send her a note with a message in it. The other two are ‘grandmotherly’ type women and are always happy to see me with four little ones along. Every single time we visit them there are treats of one kind or another. This month the kids were given Halloween flashlights with scary sounds and a paint-your-own piggy bank from one. From the other, tall glasses of milk she sent her husband to the store for while we were there from glasses imported from France (Emma was terrified the entire time that someone would drop theirs and break them as she told them anything from France is expensive!!).
I am so grateful for the friendships I’ve made with these women who are as old as my grandparents but have come to be a bright part of my life and my children’s. I hold my breath when I tell the kids it’s time to go visiting teaching but they always cheer and ask who we are seeing that day. I hope they won’t be like my stubborn self and refuse to go at some point because I hope they realize the difference just their presence can make in helping someone’s day be that much better.
I love your feelings on visiting teaching. I know it’s hard to go alone. I have been in this ward for two years with the same companion…who hasn’t come with me even once! It’s hard to motivate myself to go especially having to cart all 3 of the kids with me usually! But then I think about how I feel when nobody comes to visit me. And how true it is that we can meet such wonderful ladies no matter what their age. I hope my children learn the importance of visiting/home teaching, too!
I’m so glad that you were my first visiting teacher when we moved here and we had a chance to become friends. You helped me during some rough times and set a good example of what a visiting teacher should be. I love to visit my sisters and I love the friendship that I have with my companion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always easy, but it is definately worth all of the effort!
Funny………I don’t remember any of that. I have not had a Visiting Teaching companion for the last 6 years. And now I’m Dad’s Home Teaching companion. Strange………..but fun. Between the 2 of us we should be able to get it done!