Ramblings

Since this is going to be ramblings, it will possibly be long and not necessarily flow, but there is meaning to my madness.  Anyway, much has been on my mind lately.  Heartbreaking things unfortunately.  You might think evil of me to share it with you but if I can't share heartbreaking news to friends, who can I share it with?  So here it goes.

When I receive a new calling, I dive into it with gusto.  Initially out of shear panic then I mellow down.  Receiving this call as Visiting Teaching Coordinator was no different.  I was petrified then two months later I was finally set apart and I felt a bit more relaxed.  I was given a wonderful blessing.  A part of that prayer stated a blessing to know all the sisters in the ward.  Goodness gracious!  Did I hear ALL?  Oddly enough, I actually took that mostly positively.  How cool is that?  I'd have the opportunity to know all the sisters.  See, things depend on how you look at them.  I could have easily taken ALL and been overwhelmed at the challenge, sure it crossed my mind, but I remembered that I was being set apart.  A blessing especially for this calling so it was my tool of guidance.  Hooray!!

From day one of the calling my mind and heart was in full gear.  Many hours of my days since have been consumed with all things visiting teaching.  In my quest to motivate you to do your visiting teaching, I received a strong testimony of it.  Now, how is that heartbreaking?  Well, by George, you sisters have bad days just like me!  One by one I am getting to know you and I feel your pain.  There are times I want to give up too!  Honestly, I was just thinking about that today.  I'm tired.  I'm tired of trying to be good all of the time.  I'm tired of not having everything in order.  So today I broke the sabbath and didn't go to church ... I was emotionally tired.  But our Lord didn't give up on me.  He still wanted me to know each of you, so today He had one of you call me.  What a wake up call!  I got to know more of why fellowshipping is important.  I've always had it in mind that I chug along and go to church for God and what I am there to learn and not for social reasons.  There is some truth to that but how would you like it if you had to go to an environment where you felt rejected?  That's how this sister who called felt when she went to church and so I got a glimpse of understanding the nature of her slipping away.  Hence, the importance of fellowshipping in church.

I did pray when I revamped the vt assignments last month.  A few of you probably thought that I didn't know what I was doing and the changes were evidence.  You might be right, but in the meantime what have you learned?  Think about what you can learn ... don't like your companion or one of the sisters you visit teach, so what do you do?  What you do is telling.  That in itself is a blessing!!  You learn something about yourself.

Please, try out your assignments.  Allow the Holy Spirit to direct and bless you.  I'm trying and I'm finding out that we all have a heartache/struggle but having someone there to share it makes it easier to burden.  Please, lighten your sisters' burden, go fellowship them. 

Another heartbreaking news I'm coming across is that some Home Teachers aren't doing their calling.  They need to go out there and visit their families.  So please encourage and remind your husbands to do their home teaching.  :)

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Thinking of you always,
Jinky

Happy Father's Day

Our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  1 Corinthians 2:9

Happy Father's Day to our priesthood.  We thank you for hearkening to Heavenly Father and for taking great care of us wives/children.  We love and sustain you!!

VT Moment: Fellowship and Relief

Today we kicked off our first Visiting Teaching Moment in Relief Society.  This is a < 5min presentation that will occur every second Sunday of the month devoted to promote visiting teaching.  The VT Team will rotate in this monthly program.  The idea is to keep VT in our minds and to impress the importance of your calling.

Today's topic was fellowship and relief.  Our RS president feels that it is important that contact is made with those we visit teach in a matter of getting to know them ... fellowship.  Do not make it a point to merely present the official monthly VT messages, but build a trust.  Help them be comfortable around you.  Be their loyal friend.  Moreover, this sentence in this month's VT message struck me, "This foundational work of relieving suffering has continued to be the work of Relief Society through the generations."  It was a Duh! moment for me ... Relief Society .. a group directed to relieve.  Hence, this relief doesn't just apply to people outside our sisterhood, but including it!  The more we get to know those under our care, the more we are able to provide relief when that circumstance should arise!  Yes, when because we're human so we will have rough moments.  Be there for them when it does (and for joyous moments as well).  Remember, visiting teachers are extended hands of our caring bishop (and our Lord) ...thus, feeding His sheep. 

I also implored for you to prayerfully try out your new assignments.  A surprise blessing might be in store for those you visiting teach and for you.  But of course, feel free to voice your concerns to your supervisor, me, or Bonnie.

Visiting Teaching status report thus far ... 9 sisters contacted over 143 ... equalling roughly 0.06%.  Incredibly low percentage, but we are not used to reporting as we get our contacts done.  Hence, Miss Red serves as a reminder to do so from now on.  Therefore, don't forget to report your contacts to your supervisor this week.  We sure would like to see more nourishing liquid in Miss Red's bottle next Sunday.  :)

Supervisor updates

Hooray, Sister Nancy S. is back from rehab and ready to work!  Welcome back Sister S.  We've missed you.  ~Be sure to send your regards and your vt activities to her.

Another hip hip hooray!!  We finally have a newly called Visiting Teaching Supervisor.  Sister Marie D. will now take over District #4 as of today!  So be sure to contact her with your vt activities. 

As a VT team, we would like to thank Karissa R. for taking the task of being District #4's acting supervisor.  She has been gracious and wonderful to continue to oversee this district (since a supervisor had not yet been called) after she had been released from this call many months ago.  Thank you Karissa for your generous service.  You are awesome!!

Bummer news ... we are losing one of our supervisors.  Abbie is moving *super sad face*.  However, she has kindly offered to see June through (how incredible is she? super super!!), so District #3, please continue to report your June vt activities to her.  ~We wish you and your family well in your new home and adventure Abbie.  We sure are going to miss you dearly!  Jinky is especially bummed since she thinks quite highly of you ... you're a remarkable supervisor is what she said!  Thank you for carrying out your calling superbly.  We love you.  Keep in touch.  :)

OK, that's all folks.  Just keep on rockin'.

Name our Mascot Survey

Here's the survey I mentioned on the previous post.  Feel free to suggest one or more names for a more proper handle for our Miss Red, our mascot.

Thank you for participating!  I look forward to what you come up with.  :)

Introducing: "Feed My Sheep" project

Let's welcome Miss Red our visiting teaching mascot.  She will be our visual aid in representing our visiting teaching status.  Her belly will be filled with raffle tickets with names of visiting teaching companionships who reported and/or completed their visiting teaching assignments.  The baby bottle will be filled with liquid representing the percentage of those who have been visit taught.  The goal is to nourish Miss Red 100% by month's end ... correlating to the call from the Lord to all (visiting teachers) to "feed my sheep".

The Details:
Just for fun, there will be a monthly giveaway drawing.  One winner a month will choose from the prize basket (see picture below).  To enter:  you get one ticket for reporting your visiting teaching activities (whether or not contacts were made) and another ticket for completing your assignment (made contacts.. visit, phone, letter/email .. to at least 50% of those you visit teach).  A winner will be drawn the first Sunday of the month for visiting activities of the previous month.

Miss Red will be debuting tomorrow and will show up in Relief Society every Sunday thereafter ready with an accumulative visiting teaching activity status ... how much she has been feed/portion of sisters that have been contacted.  Therefore, be sure to report your visiting teaching activities to your supervisor as you get your assignment completed so that on each Sunday, Miss Red's bottle will be filled with the proper percentage.

Since I'm the host of these giveaways, I will not be eligible to enter, but my companion will get the credit for our visits.  :)

Acknowledgments:
I want to thank my husband for getting me to this final end product of this project.  I came to him for help in developing a visual aid which initially lead to a heated argument (friendly heat).  Let's just say my husband's logical and I'm visionary.  I tried to explain what I wanted and he proposed several ideas that wasn't quite what I envisioned but he stumbled into a concept of "nourish" that gave me the light bulb to come up with Miss Red and her bottle.  So thank you Sweet Heart!  Then of course Miss Red started out as a clear bowl.  I thought I would be able to turn it into a sheep but I'm not exactly crafty so I solicited the help of the Relief Society sisters.  Yeay, Wanda W. came to the rescue!  Oh, and how darling did Miss Red turn out?!  Absolutely perfect!!  Thank you, thank you Wanda!!

P.S.  I think Miss Red needs a more proper name and since I like to get as much of us sisters involved, I will solicit your help again.  Up and coming post will be a survey that will ask you to submit a name suggestion, so be sure to look for that.

More P.S.  Also stay tune for another project on the works ... "The Sisterhood of the Traveling VT Journal".

KEEP ON ROCKIN' SISTERS!!

Visiting Teaching Message: June

This month's message is titled "Strengthening Families through Temporal Self-Reliance".  Go HERE for details.  You may also pick up a paper copy of the message in Relief Society ... monthly calendar handouts. 

You might want to check out the Church's provident living website at providentliving.org for information and inspiration as well.

Happy Visiting Teaching!