Home Teacher

[annewandering]

That is unfortunate. Time for them to wake up and realize they are ward not nap time. Do they know you are a recent convert? Not that it should matter but they might not be so blah if they know. Have you born your testimony in fast and testimony meeting? Other than the normal value it might help them to realize you are there.

Smile at the older ladies in widows row. lol. That might make them sit up and take notice!

Just hang in there. Your ward sounds like it could use a little more life in it. I guess thats your purpose for now.

:)

[converted]

You're so funny!

Yah - was assigned to talk in sacrament, blessed the sacrament, bore my testimony, my records were read, I have taught a Sunday School lesson, called as a ward missionary, spoke at Primary, etc. They know I am here. I think they are preoccupied.

I did get invited to dinner a couple of times and one I had to decline because my mom was ill. My first ward really spoiled me.

I think I just need to stay home and wait for the HT to show up. Kind of like waiting for the cable or phone guy, You're not sure exactly when they'll come, but they do eventually come. :lol

[annewandering]

lol actually you do seem to have been pretty busy! if you have been ordained into the priesthood yet maybe you could ask to BE a HT?

[Blackmarch]

I am a new convert and converted to the Church in January this year.

I have never had a home teacher come to my house. I finally asked my bishop about it a couple of weeks ago and have not heard anything.

How long do you have to be a member to get a home teacher? Is there something that I must do or accomplish to get one?

I hear of new members moving into other wards getting a home teacher right away. A friend of mine has had three visits in the last three months since she moved to a new ward although she was born into the church.

I don't want to make waves or upset anyone, but it seems so hurtful not every having a home teacher come to my house.

If it were me in that situation, I"d probably give the home teacher a guilt trip (starting with a plate of cookies with a note saying i'm looking forward to their visits, with maybe some suggested dates and times on it)... Which is probably not the best solution, retrospect.

I'm very sorry to hear that and unfortunately it's quite likely the home teacher assigned to you has not been faithful to that call (probably forgetting and/or procrastinating, which happens more than we'd like).

Let the bishop and/or the Elders quorum president know, and make sure to let them know you need the visits.

as for how long do you need to be a member before getting a home teaching calling, I"m not aware of any time restrictions.

Edit: read some of your responses, if you've talked to the bishop and etc and you still aren't getting a Home teacher, I can't think of anything except of sending a letter to the stake president or if you're a worthy priesthood holder with the appropriate office requesting to be a home teacher

Edited November 14, 2011 by Blackmarch

[estradling75]

My family and I have lived in the same house for about 14 years now... We have been active through ward boundary changes, leadership changes, and other shakeups. In that time I would estimate we've had about 15 Home Teaching visits. I think currently its been almost a year since the last visit. I hear the Bishop, High Priest Group Leader, and Elder's President talk about getting out and doing it several times a month every month so I know they are trying... But in the end though they can't make them go out and do it.

[RescueMom]

Estradling

You and I must live in the same area. I've not had a home teacher in years....even though I have told my Bishop(s) and High Priest Group Leader(s). yes there is an s after both of those since I have been through 3 Bishops and not one home teacher. Yes I have asked, repeatedly, even spoke to the SP about it all....

Meh I just assume that at this point I am to go it alone without the benefits of the Priesthood. I used to get upset by it, now I don't. I figure one day I might get them, but I am not holding my breath. And I have gone almost my entire life without any real Priesthood anyway, and I'm still alive and still have faith in Christ. don't have much faith in any of his brothers but I'll get over that sometime.

[Gramajane]

I think that you would be under the High Priests as a single? Maybe you can ask that group leader IF you are assigned, and if so to whom? Then you might make it a point to talk to them (alone or together) about how you are so looking forward to home teacher visits, especially as a new member?

--- Yes, this is the Lords Church, and the organization is HIS though unfortunately he only has us very imperfect people to work for him, and we all have lives full of challenges. This is also a great test of your patience and forgiveness, testimony etc! May we all do well!

[miztrniceguy]

You need to call the EQ Pres and as him who it is. Or ask during PH opening exercises when the ask "do we have anything from the body of the priesthood", say "Yes, I would like to know who my HT is. Ask out on the open, so it puts people on the spot.

You're so funny!

Yah - was assigned to talk in sacrament, blessed the sacrament, bore my testimony, my records were read, I have taught a Sunday School lesson, called as a ward missionary, spoke at Primary, etc. They know I am here. I think they are preoccupied.

I did get invited to dinner a couple of times and one I had to decline because my mom was ill. My first ward really spoiled me.

I think I just need to stay home and wait for the HT to show up. Kind of like waiting for the cable or phone guy, You're not sure exactly when they'll come, but they do eventually come. :lol

[Iggy]

Yea, but miztrniceguy, you live near a LDS history site. Sisters do get those cushy missions. For those living away from LDS church history sites (and I have no idea where converted lives), it's unusual to not have at least one set of Elders in a ward.

No, not really. For a while we had just Sister Missionaries here assigned to our Branch. Central Oregon Coast- Eugene OR Mission.

They were here for about a year. There are times when an area needs the Sisters more than the Elders.

My calling in the Branch is VT Coordinator- if you are female and want to be a visiting teacher you come to me or the RS President. The RS Pres then tells me the name of the sister & I then through the routes, assigned VTeachers and pray & PONDER who you should be paired with. I report to the RS President and she generally says: 'that looks good- go for it'. You will then get the "Official" paperwork, i.e. route with your companion, who you report to and the list of sisters you visit.

Our Branch doesn't have a male counterpart to me. Our HP Quorum Leader is doing the HT assignments & routes with only his secretary to help. BIG, BIG job for him right now. The RS has a lot of insight into the families that really, really need HT- so the RS is more or less bombarding him with information.

Our Membership Clerk is a wee bit behind in sending the RS information on new-to-the-Branch people/families and just as importantly those who have moved out AND have had their names removed from the records.

The RS Secretary and myself generally are ahead of the Memb Clerk- He has to wait for the records to get to the Branch-officially. By the time the official records get here- we sisters already have the new sister assigned and are waiting for the go-ahead from the Brethren to send the VTeaching Letter to the sister. For example, in the last month we have had two new families move into the Branch. We had to wait three weeks for the records of one family to get here, and the second family their records took only one week (he was the memb clerk of his old ward, thus he sent them the last Sunday he was at his old ward). The sister who we had to wait 3 weeks for her records, is a young mother with 4 sons, husband is not a member, she also lives 21 miles from the meetinghouse. We assigned her Teachers shortly after she introduced herself in RS. I went and got her info before she went home that Sunday. BUT we had to wait until her records got at the Branch before we could pair her up with a companion.

Our Branch has a history of the HT & the VT not doing their visiting. We also have a high number of in-actives- VT them is hard, they hedge, hem and haw about setting dates to be visited, then quite often won't answer the door when the HT &/or VT knocks.

Our HT have only been here twice in the year we have been here. Once last Christmas, then again about two months later when I emailed one and asked if he could please stop by, we had three light bulbs that needed replaced and there was no way Husband or I could do it. Sad part is our HT is the 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency!

Converted- you really need to go to the HP Quorum Leader, give him your name, address and best times for a visit (day of the week & time of day), phone number(s) AND email address. Ask him to tell you who has been assigned as HT to you. If you are at Church, he can get that info right then. Then invite the HT to visit you. IF you can afford it, invite your HT and their wives over for dinner or dessert- that is what I had to do when I was single. I invited them to dessert with their wives- never had a problem after that!

Edited November 16, 2011 by Iggy