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We had our VT convention combined with the PH in October.  It was a first, but was very powerful.  During the SS hour - yes, it was done on Sunday.

Okay, I'll start at the beginning.  Invitations were mailed to every home in the ward.  They were postcards that came from every part of the country that we in the presidency gathered from our memory drawers from a thousand vacations over the years.  Each postcard had written on the message side, "Feed My Sheep", the day, time, and date, and the address of the Chapel.

Okay, at the SS hour, all adults with 3 exceptions excused by the bishop to supervise the youth in caring for the Primary kids, met in the CH.

The bishop began to greet us when in walked a man in biblical times attire who introduced himself to Bishop as Simon Peter and asked if he might address this group of people. He relayed his love for the Savior and how Christ has asked him thrice if he loved him and told him to feed his lambs, to feed his sheep.  He shared the commitment needed in those in the fold to seek out those who are wandering and to bring them back.

It was a powerful presentation.

After he bid us farewell until we shall meet again, one of the bishop's counselors gave us a brief account of what they had prayerfully determined was a big stumbling stone for our ward - time management.  He very effectively demonstrated that object lesson using large objects labeled the things the Lord requires of us, and small to tiny objects to represent the 1001 other things we want or need to fill our time with.

 We then split for the last hour.  As the sisters entered the RS rm, they found a vignette of Mary and Martha with Christ.  Once all were seated, the vignette came to life and acted out that story, after which the VT co-ord. came up and began a short discussion of what we find ourselves "encumbered" in that keeps us from getting our VT done each month.

It was lovingly pointed out that those things are more often good obstacles than bad, and that we need to - again - better manage the time we've been given so that our stewardships don't suffer.

She was followed by the video, "The Bridge" which is a real tear jerker that seriously drives home COMMITMENT and SACRIFICE.  We had a few assigned testimonies after that and closed with "Help Me Teach With Inspiration" #281, which was totally PERFECT to help us drive home the message of being shepherds and feeding sheep.

We made white shepherd's staffs our of chenille stems and placed a tiny gold bow on each one adding a pin backing to each one so they could be worn as reminders to us to be good shepherds.  We also used the pattern from the yw book to make the sheep magnet and added little wooden fences in front of the sheep with "feed my sheep" written across the bottom rung.

We were able to bring out that we invited ALL to this meeting because we wanted to stress that as members of the Lord's Church, we have all covenanted to be His shepherd's, and we hoped to encourage those who were not currently VT to accept that opportunity to serve.

We had one sister who had a writing route who also asked to be able to see real people in addition and have gained a new district supervisor as well.  I also know of one sister, because I visit her myself, who was affected strongly as a less active who has become more involved little by little after that day.  We have unfortunately suffered great numbers of illness over the last two month period which have affected our actual visits, but hope to see improvements with each month that passes. Thanks for the opportunity to share!