April 2012 Visiting Teaching Message

You can find the April 2012 Visiting Teaching message at this link: http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/04/love-watch-over-and-strengthen?lang=eng

On the Extraordinary Visiting Teachers facebook page, one of the members wrote in and said this about the message for April: 

The April message seems more gaged more to the help the visiting teacher, rather than to give a message to your ladies. Is that how you perceive it?

This was my response to it and maybe it will help you too when you sit down to study and prepare how you will give your message to your sisters in April.  I have also added other ideas to it as I have written this post.

Yes, the focus of April 2012 is on the Visiting teachers. Some or all of the women you Visit teach, will most likly be Visiting teachers themselves and need the message as much as you do. It is always a good thing for everyone to have an evaluation of how they are doing and making sure that they understand the important role they play in the lives of those that they teach. That list is as follows:

• Pray daily for her and her family. 
• Seek inspiration to know her and her family. 
• Visit her regularly to learn how she is doing and to comfort and strengthen her.
• Stay in frequent contact through visits, phone calls, letters, e-mail, text messages, and simple acts of kindness.
• Greet her at Church meetings. 
• Help her when she has an emergency, illness, or other urgent need. 
• Teach her the gospel from the scriptures and the Visiting Teaching Messages. 
• Inspire her by setting a good example. 
• Report to a Relief Society leader about their service and the sister’s spiritual and temporal well-being.

It might be a good time to go down that list of what Visiting teachers are suppose to do with those they teach, and make sure that they know that you are there for them in all of those areas!   It could bring good conversation about making sure they know  to call on you when they are in need and that you will do your best to anticipate a need. They need to know that you are their friend and if you have not built a friendship, you need to. Everyone wants to feel the friendship of others and how blessed would you feel to know that both of you know that you are true friends, and that your visits just aren't made out of duty or filling your calling as a Visiting Teacher. 

Another wonderful thing about this message that I could see is that there are some scriptures that are wonderful, particularly the last one stood out for me.  It was  3 Nephi 27: 21 and it says...

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even shall ye do". 

This scripture speaks of discipleship, and it would have been a great scripture to bring out in this current month of March's lesson on becoming disciples of Christ. You could go one step further and ask your sisters about what is going on in their lives, upcoming events, surgeries, their children and family, important occasions, concerns, etc., so that you can help them through these and be a support and listening ear.  As a personal example of this, I remember many years ago, when my family had moved to a Nevada, and I had just had a new baby, my family was preparing to go on vacation to visit our family in Utah.  One FRIEND knew this, and before we left, she brought over a Tupperware filled with treats, snacks, car games, etc., for us to take with us to make our 9 hour trip easier for all of us.  Now how nice was that?

Most importantly is that you would know what is going on in their lives, and let them know you are interested in them and you don't have to be the same age to make a good friend.  Another personal example of this was when my family moved to Nevada, I was given an older woman in the ward to visit teach.  She had quite a reputation for being honery, and brash and drove people away. Knowing this, I made every effort to make sure that she knew I wanted to be her friend.  It took some time and her unique nature came out, but as I overlooked that part of her, I was able to see into her heart, and truly love her.  She knew and felt this and I told her so.  She became a surrogate Grandmother for my own children because she gave back to me through the friendship we developed, what was missing as we lived so far away from our own parents and grandparents.  She came to my children's special events, and even made quilts for each of them for their birthdays and for my new baby. 

I have a favorite quote by Edwin Markham and paraphrasing it:  "There is a destiny that makes us brothers (sisters), each one goes his way alone. That which he sends into the lives of others, always comes back into his own."

I didn't go into Visiting teaching to get something back, but sometimes it is a natural and positive consequence of true friendship and service.  I mourned with her own family when I found out she had died, after I had moved back to Utah many years later.  I loved that wonderful woman, and surrogate Grandmother.  She knew it, and felt it and that love was returned.

Well, I hope that what I have shared will help you gather your own ideas to share as you visit teach in April.  Happy Visiting teaching!  Katie G