Mormon Mentality - Thoughts and Asides by Peculiar People

By annegb

Jan. 16th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

I am the visiting teaching superviser in our ward, which is a paregoric calling. Today, I have set up interviews with the presidency. We scheduled them for every 20 minutes for a three hour period today and Thursday. I’m setting out small snacks and we had this genius of crafts make the cutest magnets to give the ladies. It has this poem on it:

They might not need me, yet they might.

I’ll let my heart be just in sight.

A smile so small as mine might be

precisely their necessity!

-Emily Dickinson

They are also getting phone books and a ribbon wrapped sheet of paper with ten ways NOT to visit teach (the first reads “have no contact at all. this is the most convenient way to visit teach” -plagarized from Debra Oaks)

We will ask each one to give an accounting of their stewardship, pat them on the back for their efforts and listen to their problems. This is why our numbers are in the 80’s. The mens numbers are in the teens. Guys, doilies are not all as foo-foo as you might think.

1. anony

Tue, Jan. 16 @ 5:02pm

you guys rock! our interviews have always been things to fear. and thanks for the reminder to call one of my teachees… i can do it right now! would you mind posting that top ten list for us? i’m a former vt coordinator and wow! did i ever have a tough time with that calling! we had problems from the presidency right on down the line, unfortunately. good on you guys!

2. Matt W.

Tue, Jan. 16 @ 11:18pm

Ok, I wan tthe ten ways not to VT…

so I can rip it off and switch it to HT…

3. Katie P.

Wed, Jan. 17 @ 10:58am

Building a community/family/collectivemission is always a lot of work, and that work can look like foofoo from the outside. I think y’all are doing a wonderful job.

4. danithew

Wed, Jan. 17 @ 5:28pm

That’s one cool Emily Dickinson poem, if I might say so. Numbers in the 80s?! That is awesome. Keep up the excellent support work Annegb. You rock!

5. gst

Wed, Jan. 17 @ 11:08pm

I had to look up “paregoric”: “A camphorated tincture of opium, taken internally for the relief of diarrhea and intestinal pain.”

6. annegb

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 12:25pm

lol, paregoric in our family is synonomous, however you spell it with swallowing awful tasting stuff (I should blog about that). It tastes awful and burns.

This is the link to that “Top Ten” list. I tweaked it and made it more sarcastic.

http://www.of-worth.com/ea/visitteach.htm#Top%20Ten%20Ways%20NOT%20To%20Visit%20Teach

In a follow-up, you guys, this has really been a good thing, just phenomenal in the responses and the opportunity for the presidency to get to know the sisters. I recommend it.

Men, you should do this. Interview the sisters. no, no. just kidding. But interviewing each other and making each other accountable for home teaching would up your numbers and ultimately increase the fellowship in your ward…I know this to be true.

7. DKL

Thu, Jan. 18 @ 10:40pm

Here’s a tip: Unassigned members don’t count in the stats. I’m hoping that a mind as creative as yours can put this info to good use, and next time you can report that you have 100% visiting teaching!

8. Banner Ad Blueprint Review

Sat, Feb. 13 @ 5:00pm

I love visiting teachers, well actually not all of them. Once I got one from russia and it really was impossible to understand what he was saying.

Apart from that, I love the fact they bring lots of new stuff into the classroom. it helps the students to expand their cultural horizon also.

Jon