Encouragement Advice to VT Coordinator

Encouragement Advice to VT Coordinator

Encouragement Advice to VT Coordinator

Subject: RS: I hate my calling :-(

This has been the most frustrating, depressing calling I have ever had. We have 160 sisters in our Relief Society....and we have about 60 Visiting Teachers, only half of whom do their visiting each month by some form (written, visit or phone call). I'm in charge of the Visiting Teaching Conference, which is to be held this Saturday...and are you ready for this? We have a total of TWENTY sisters coming. That's it. Not even half of the supervisors are coming. This is very, very sad for me. I know I can't be released from a calling just because I don't like it, but even with a lot of prayer, I still feel rotten doing this work because it really feels like no one cares. I hear the complaints (change my route...do I have to visit that sister?...I can't work this schedule out with my companion...can I be on a letter route because it is easier? etc) but I have never heard any praise (wow...I like my companion, or something). I am very, very, very discouraged about this whole thing...and feel like just quitting. Any advice welcome

ANSWER:

I served in the calling for five years, and loved it! But I learned really early that the only way to make a difference is to have the full support and commitment of your RSP to helping change the ward, and the only effort that ever made a real difference was working with sisters one-on-one. It's slow, and it's a lot of work. Each one has different challenges, different attitudes, and different reasons for the way she approaches VT. And only one-on-one can you find out what those are, and receive inspiration to help them change.

Don't judge the success or failure of ANY activity by turnout! If your conference touches ONE heart and inspires ONE sister to be a more committed visiting teacher... think of the impact that one sister may have on generations! I remember hearing a story from a GA of a missionary who felt depressed because his entire mission netted only one convert... and he was an illiterate backwoodsman. He related that he felt he wasted his time and his father's money. The GA decided to follow up... and found that this 'illiterate' had married... in the temple. His children married... in the temple. His grandchildren married... in the temple. And so on down through the generations. At the last time this GA had checked, I think there were over 1000 souls brought unto Christ by this one missionary who felt he failed! You can't turn hearts when hearts are not ready to be turned.

There is a corollary to this principle, however, and it depends on you. Until you learn to love the sisters... until you learn to love the calling... until you dive in with your full heart looking for long-term impact rather than apparent short-term success, there won't be any improvement. You also need to remember that this is not YOUR work, it is Father's work... and it will come to pass in His time, according to the obedience of you and all the other sisters involved. You are only accountable for your performance in the calling... not for the success or failure of the individuals also involved in the VT program. One other issue is quality. I would far rather be running 50% with excellent quality of VT, than 100% being done half-heartedly and without help. Strengthen yourself... then strengthen the sisters one at a time... and you can build a strong, committed VT force! I promise... because I have seen the Lord work miracles when I did my very best... he truly made up the difference!

Don't give up! Just do your best with all your heart, mind, might, and strength, and pray... the Lord will do the rest!

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.
-- William Barclay

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