Short a visiting teacher partner


Backroads
 Share

Recommended Posts

About a year ago, my visiting teaching partner moved away. Once or twice a month since, I ask for a new partner. I still have no partner. I suppose I don't mind going solo, but there is a weird quality to it. Any advice on what to do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enjoy it :D.  It can be a pain to coordinate everyone's schedules which is just one issue when you have a partner.  You could also invite various people to go with you.  That way more people get to know each other better.  Maybe invite all your teachees over for lunch or snacks at the park while the kids play.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though my Branch has doubled in size since 2013 - AND that is the same time way too many of us sisters were sent out without companions including myself. It is hard, and one of the sisters I am to visit lives in a difficult place to drive in, Hubby goes with me and stays in the car.

I have asked & pleaded with the RS Pres. We no longer had a VT Coordinator - so it is the RSP we have to plead with.

I was all set to plead with the Stake RS Pres, but Hubby told me to let it go. You are not alone in this, and I am eager to hear any advice from others.

Oh look ~ a little message popped up saying two others have replied while I was writing this, so submit reply is what I am going to do - - - - - - -

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pray for the RSP and bishop to receive guidance regarding visiting teaching assignments - it's harder than it looks, especially when the alternative is to have each companionship visit 6-8 sisters because so few are willing to be visiting teachers...  Minister to your assigned sisters as best you are able.  Invite others to go with you - especially if there are young women who recently turned 18 - they could use the training.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Backroads said:

One possible problem is that our ward is half established families and half college students. Seriously, the welcome-the-new-folks is tripled in excitement if they bought a house!

Same hear!  I admit, I sometimes subtly probe to find out if they bought a house, or at least aren't undergrads.  It's... honestly its bad for me to say this, but its really hard for me to get motivated to befriend a person who will move in 4 months.  Be kind?  Sure, But I really struggle with friends. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No companion here for years too.  My partner moved out and the VT coordinator asked me if I'm ok running solo for a while.  I told her if RS ever gets in a position where they have to have a VT without a companion, put my name on the solo.

Advice?  Do what you always do except you won't have to worry about coordinating schedules/lessons/activities with a companion.  You get to organize everything yourself.  Which is how I prefer it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Backroads. One little thing, probably you live in a suburb of paradise so this is no problem but just in case....!

Never ever visit by yourself, a sister who is an unknown quantity! If I was given a new sister, I would always phone around, not the Relief Society leadership!, more on this later!, but sane and blunt older sisters in the ward, to make sure that the sister is ok!

Why? Well let me tell you! I once went to visit a single inactive sister on my own. She was either mentally ill or on drugs. Some of what she said was plausible but other parts. Holy Smokes! The stories! Her poor teenage daughter..cowering just off stage. I really felt for her! ..Frankly that visit would have made a good movie!

Now on taking the word of the RS presidency...oh my. I have been on the RS presidency as have most of my close friends here. Sometimes, in fact most of the time, their loyalties shift from the sisters to management. They are less than forthright and honest. They start to care more about the system than the people in the system..but in some cases, the sisters lack world experience and education but..not always! And by the way, when I called the RS pres about my visit, not a single word of apology! And by the way, this woman had lost it with a former bishop! Crazy accusations. Lots of swearing. So why was this lady not either taken off the list or given special treatment? Never an explanation from anyone!

To be honest a lot of the things, the RS presidency is asked to do, 'by the Utah rules' are probably insane or impossible where we live. Sure we are going to visit teach in a region where the ratio of actives to inactives is 1:5! Even the actives are pretty punch drunk and wary.

Anyway, as an example, the RS presidency, a couple of years ago, wanted a sister to take into their homes a returned sister missionary. They announced this and stood back. No one volunteered but I could see that the sisters were looking very suspicious. The RS presidency kept announcing and not giving anymore information. Over many months the story began to evolve. This was an inactive former missionary with many problems and a very large dog. Yeah, I don't think so! So nice of you to warn us! 

One of my dearest friends, when she was RS president, completely rearranged the visiting teaching and then begged us to give the new distribution a try no matter what objections we felt. Well, this meant that an inactive sister that I had sweated blood to have a relationship with was now being visited by someone else. This sister refused to see any of the people assigned to her for years. Finally, I got her back and re-establishing contact was not easy! 

My rule is, if you need to get good advice, don't ask the RS presidency! Ask the older sisters in the ward! And always pick a couple of forthright sisters!

Edited by Sunday21
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I gotta admit, it's pretty nice in the school year due to one sister. She's a stay-at-home/home-schooling mom who says she never gets to speak to adults. Anywho, my daughters' daycare is a block up from her. I pick up my girls and head to her house. The kids play, we chat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share