VT workshop

The VT workshop that I am in charge of is just one week away! I am making so many phone calls, asking people to do skits, bring soup, help with a game, etc. I am so afraid that no one will be there my sneaky plan is to assign 30 different tasks so that we'll at least have 30 there... is this too conniving for a ward activity? Will I lose the spirit of things if I trick them into coming?

I am reading through my quotes and stories that I have gathered. The basic theme is Mosiah 18 "Comfort those in need of comfort" essentially be one, be Zion. The underlying theme is the "Open your heart" idea that Laurie shared on her blog a while ago. My ward has a serious problem with this. I don't know how to chisel the ice around the hearts of our sisters. Seriously, it's pretty bad. There is no love. My big hopes for this activity is that we will all have fun and get to know one another, while feeling the Spirit, of course, and then people will want to visit one another. Last month we only had 24 out of 69 visited. OUCH! It's so hard not to see this as a failure when my calling is VT Coordinator. The good news is that the RS President finally called a VT Supervisor to help me. I have never been in a ward where there was only one person in charge of VT. Of all the stories I have compiled, I really like this one b/c a faithful, diligent sister kept on trying even when there was absolutely no evidence that her efforts were noticed:

A sister living in a high-rise apartment was assigned to visit teach a sister in her building. She called the sister she was assigned to visit many times over a few months, always leaving a message because there was never an answer. Her calls were not returned, so each month she stuck a copy of the message with a little note on the unreachable sister's door. After seeing one of her notes still on the door the next month, she decided to mail her messages, thinking that this sister might travel. One day this visiting teacher came across a stranger in the elevator. They introduced themselves, and when the woman heard her name she said, "You're my visiting teacher!" The visiting teacher later shared, "Little did I know that each message was opened and read. She remembered my name and appreciated my overtures. . . . I learned that she spent much of her time traveling. In the elevator she told me how much my little message meant to her. When she was in town she often called for a brief chat or to ask a question. In time I made a friend. I learned that she and her husband were struggling with inactivity. Her children were urging them to return to full participation in Church. When she is in town she now knows there is someone at church that will recognize and welcome her. I needed this friendship, and it was only through doing simple, small visiting teaching gestures that I have been rewarded."

There are so many wonderful stories of VT out there. It really motivates me to do mine (other than not wanting to look like a hypocrite!). I love this quote from Pres. Hinckley:

"Be not faithless, but believing. Believe in yourselves. Believe in your capacity to do some good in this world. God sent us here for a purpose, and that was to improve the world in which we live. The wonderful thing is that we can do it."

Elder Eyring said,"You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His Father’s spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives. That will be true even in the most ordinary tasks you are assigned and in moments when you might be doing something not apparently connected to your call. Just the way you smile or the way you offer to help someone can build their faith."

When I read these quotes it helps me to stay focused and stay positive about my calling. I am pessimistic in nature, so I have to really make an effort to enjoy this calling and to try to see why I was called to be in this position. I can get discouraged when someone doesn't respond well or turns down my request to help out with this activity... but I know that all I can do is my best. Thanks for all of you who posted on my last blog about this calling. Your thoughts and experiences REALLY helped me a lot. Thanks. If you have anything to add, please do! I need all the inspiration I can get.