Visiting Teaching

So I know I've already done 2 posts today, but I just had one last one. I just wanted to say how much I love visiting teaching! I haven't done it much up until the last year or so. I had a really good partner last year who we went to visit the sisters every month and I had so much fun! Then I got a partner who, like me, had a hard time finding the time to go unless the other person initiated it. So we went once and I didn't go again for a few months. I kept wanting to go, but it was hard with being pregnant and then having Sophia, and then my partner got pregnant and was sick a lot. I know, excuses excuses. But I just got a new partner, an older lady in the ward who I've always thought was the most poised person I had ever met. She is such a sweetheart and is so strong, she's a great example to me. We've only gone to visit the sisters that were assigned to us once but it has already been such a blessing to me to do so! One of the sister's is younger and neither of us knew her, but she was cute and we had fun talking. The other two though are the ones that really made me realize how important visiting teaching is.

The first sister we went to visit is an elderly woman - not a member of the church but her husband is a convert who's first wife was also a convert and died of alzheimers a few years ago. He had it in his mind that once his new wife heard the gospel she would immediately have a miraculous conversion like he did, but she didn't. She believes a lot of it, but is scared of changing religions so late in her life. Also, she recently started suffering from alzheimers, which makes it difficult to remember what she's being taught and makes her frustrated with it. So when we went to visit, I kind of had a feeling right off the bat that she was suffering from alzheimers, which my partner later confirmed. We didn't give her a lesson because she mentioned that she was frustrated when a couple of young boys came and tried to teach her, so we just talked. I felt so uncomfortable because I didn't know her, and being so much younger than both her and my partner I sort of felt like the odd-man out. But while we were talking to her I got the most amazing feeling of love for this woman who I had just met. Maybe it was because I've had 2 grandparents suffer from alzheimers and it brought back memories of them, I don't know, but I just felt love while being there with her. I put in my two bits about the Book of Mormon and how I love how it compliments the Bible so well, and that was really all that I said, but it felt right. My partner later told me the whole story on our sister and told me that she felt that what I said was exactly what was needed right then. Such an amazing experience though, because even though I was a little uncomfortable, I felt that I had needed to throw in my piece and felt so good for having said it, and when my partner said that as well it was a double confirmation. I haven't had much experience with speaking through the spirit, but I think that's what happened. I can't wait to visit with her again.

We also went to another sister's home who was very sick and is now in the hospital in the ICU. We went to visit even though she never called us back to confirm our appointment, and she said some things that had us worried. When we asked her what we could do, she just asked us to pray for her, and we had a prayer in her living room and left. We found out later that she had been suffering from delusions. She went to the hospital the next week and while they were pumping excess fluid out of her chest cavity and around her heart (8 liters!) the surgeon nicked her carotid artery and they had to send her to St. Marks to get more help. I'm still praying for her. We also brought her family dinner tonight since her sons are in town to help watch her. It was the first time I had made dinner for someone in the ward who needed it and it just felt good, even though at first I was stressing about not being able to afford dinner for other people while we're so tight on money ourselves, I felt that it was the right thing to do and I'm glad I did it. If anyone reads this please keep her and her family in your prayers (her great-granddaughter was hit by a car a month and a half ago and is not looking good still).

Even with the sad stuff that's happening, I would have never even met these two sisters had it not been for visiting teaching and having such an amazing partner who gets me to go. The feeling I had while visiting these sisters was really just like that of going to the temple - it's a feeling I've very rarely felt outside of the temple actually. And it's amazing that in one day of visiting teaching I have really truly gained testimony of its importance.

Anyway, I usually try to not get too religious on here simply because I know a few people who read this are not religious or don't really care to read about this stuff, but I really felt that I should share this, so hopefully no one is offended! :)

On a side note, while I'm talking about praying for people there is a family in my ward who's baby (a few months older than Sophia) just had open-heart surgery due to complications with RSV last week and is still in the ICU (or NICU? I'm not sure which one...), so if you could throw her in, her name is Piper and she's just the cutest little girl. Anyway, just keep these families in your prayers as they definitely could use them right now.