Visiting Teaching

Tonight was our stake auxiliary training meeting. I am now super pumped to kick my visiting teaching into high gear. For those of you who may not know what visiting teaching is, allow me to explain. But first, perhaps I shall inform you of a wonderful program in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints called the Relief Society..
Female Church members ages 18 and older belong to the Relief Society. The Relief Society was founded by the Prophet Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois. In the days of its founding, it had two main purposes: to provide relief for the poor and needy and to bring people to Christ. The organization continues today, staying true to those original guiding principles as women in the Relief Society meet together on Sunday and in other settings as needed.

This is our theme: 
THE RELIEF SOCIETY OF

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

WE are beloved spirit daughters of God,
and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.
As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion
to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar.
We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:
Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ
through prayer and scripture study.

Seek spiritual strength by following the
promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Dedicate ourselves to strengthening
marriages, families, and homes.

Find nobility in motherhood
and joy in womanhood.

Delight in service and good works.

Love life and learning.

Stand for truth and righteousness.

Sustain the priesthood
as the authority of God on earth.

Rejoice in the blessings of the temple,

understand our divine destiny,

and strive for exaltation.

The Relief Society is now the largest womens organization in the world with over 5 million members. Within this organization, there are many programs established to provide care and compassion to brothers and sisters in the world. One of these programs is the Visiting Teaching program. Visiting teaching is the heart and soul of Relief Society. The purposes of visiting teaching are to build caring relationships with each sister and to offer support, comfort, and friendship. In visiting teaching, both the giver and the receiver are blessed and strengthened in their Church activity by their caring concern for one another.

I have a testimony of Visiting Teaching,  I know it is designed by the Lord and can work miracles in the lives of many around us.  We may not even realize the affect we have on others we visit teach. 

Not to sound like I'm giving a talk in sacrament meeting, but in closing I want to share a quote I heard tonight from one of our mentor service missionaries:

A friend is someone who listens when you say nothing at all...