Thursday, August 09, 2007

Now THAT's a visiting teacher!

I love my visiting teachers, Jackie and Deanna. They're about 10 years older than me, and have been around the block. They're wise and funny and smart. My friend, Jackie, once told me when I was (yet again) planning my funeral "Oh, Arlene, we're not going to give you a funeral. We're just going to put you in a glad bag and haul you out to the cemetery."

A lot of people wouldn't find that funny, but I laugh every time I think about it. I'm such a pain in the ass, with my hypochondria and my melancholia.

And they come!!!

Yesterday, we were visiting and I mentioned, as I folded clothes, that I couldn't get Bill's garments to come clean, they are gray, for some reason.

They told me it was the Downy I'd been putting in them. Jackie jumped up and said, "Oh, I know how to fix that! Get your dishwasher soap."

And she went into the bathroom, and dumped the basket of garments in the tub, and poured dishwasher soap on them as she ran the hot water.

Then she picked up my plunger and mixed them around. Kneeling over the tub with my plunger as Deanna and I looked on.

Dang, you guys, you wouldn't believe the gunk that came out of those just-washed garments! I ran them through a cycle in my washer and they look darn good!

Now that's the spirit of visiting teaching. Deanna is just newly reactivated (I was her visiting teacher for quite awhile) and she plays the piano in Relief Society now and she is being a strength to me as I struggle. She lost a son to cancer and we cry together. Jackie is there for me at all times. I know I can count on them.

That's how to be a visiting teacher, you guys.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am very touched to hear of sisters who serve with heart. I think you would be a blast to visit! I was offline yesterday. I will probably send you and email or a few soon.

Elizabeth-W said...

That is the kind of VT I want to be when I grow up.

Anonymous said...

hi annegb: cool, i like being a visiting teacher supervisor, too, for i like some of the phone call check ups. one of mine is the biggest dear. VT is so good for us.

i really enjoyed seeing your comment on MY SISTER's blog today (elizabeth-w) today. she is not really my sister but she says i get to be her big sister (we are almost a year apart). she is my sister in the church a few states away, i root for her, love her spunk and personality, and i think the world of her.

your sister comment and your swishing b**b comment cracked me up. thanks for making me smile today. blessings to you from anchorage alaska, kathleen :)

Ann said...

That is so awesome...

Anonymous said...

Annegb and all, have you read the most recent post on Bookslinger's other blog? You can get there by clicking on your link to Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon, and then go to his profile where he links to his other blog. I will not give away the story of a woman being an instrument in the hands of God. I do encourage you to read it for yourself!

Bookslinger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bookslinger said...

Here are the two links to the story that Barb likes. It really touched me too.

http://www.forministry.com/USTXECUSAHCECH/Mins/ChristianEd/

and

http://www.proclaimhisglory.org/html/lesson_with_a_hairbrush.html

David Littlefield said...

great tip! I'll try that dishsoap!

-David