A Testiment to Visiting Teaching

In our church, we are all asked to accept assignments to visit members of our ward (our congregation) on a regular basis--at least once per month. The men are arranged in pairs (as companions called "home teachers") to visit families and the women are also arranged in pairs (as companions called "visiting teachers") to visit other women. These companionships allow us to fellowship one another and to all have friends who can help us when we are in need as well as friends that we can serve. We study gospel principles together, help each other with temporal needs, socialize and enjoy each others' company, etc. It is a great program that allows everyone to be looked after.

Well, although, several times a month, we may informally visit with those to whom we have been assigned, we make an effort to do so formally as well, by arranging a time to visit with them in their homes or any other predetermined place. In theory, this formality ensures that no one gets forgotten. In reality, we sometimes fall short of making our visits every month. And, often, visiting teaching may be one of those things you squeeze in at the end of the month in your rush to accomplish all the things you have on your to-do list. But, despite our human imperfections, the programs work remarkably well, and I do, personally, strive to formally visit my visiting teachees (as I like to call them) in their homes at least every month (even though I also visit informally with them regularly).

Well, this month, early on in the month, I kept feeling impressed to do my visiting teach right away and not procrastinate to the end of the month. As this was a month when I had arranged for my companion to do the scheduling and myself to prepare a lesson, I brushed the impression aside a couple times, knowing that scheduling the visits was something I should rely on her for. But the impression came again so I called up my companion and suggested that we schedule the visits soon. She said she was about to call me and say the same thing to me. So she arranged the visits for a few days later.

When the day came to visit our first friend, I arrived at her home before my companion arrived. As she welcomed me into her home and I sat down in her family room,I could distinctly smell natural gas. For some reason, I have always been particularly sensitive to this smell and often smell it when no one else can. I will smell it even if someone just started the stove a few minutes ago. Well, being aware of my personal hypersensitivity to the smell, and being concerned about not wanting to hurt her feelings, I resolved not to say anything about the smell. But, as quickly as I made the resolution I felt impressed to mention the smell anyway. I was about to brush the thought aside again when another thought came to mind that this could be a matter of the safety of her and her family. So, in as polite a way as I could muster, I mentioned that I could kind of smell some natural gas and wondered if maybe she had left her stove on or something. She told me that no, the stove was not on, but that she had been noticing the smell off and on for a while now. But, when she would mention it to her husband, he could not smell it and told her not to worry about it. I could tell that she felt a little embarrassed, as she explained that she tried lighting a candle to mask the smell, so, to spare her feelings, I quickly changed the subject. I felt bad for having brought it up, but still knew, deep down, that it was the right thing to do.

Well, it just so happens that this friend is also a cub-scout leader with me. And, that afternoon, she came to my house to meet with the scouts for den meeting. She arrived before the boys, so we sat and chatted while we waited. She told me that since I had mentioned the smell, she thought that she better call the gas company. They came out immediately and found 3 gas leaks in her house as well as inadequate ventilation for their furnace. The serviceman explained to her that, with her son's bedroom in the basement and right next to the furnace, this was very dangerous and could asphyxiate her son (which of course was a very emotional realization for her, as she came to see the danger her son had been in). He immediately shut down all the gas in her house until the leaks and ventilation issue could be repaired.

As soon as she told me this, it occurred to me that her family has been sick ALOT lately. she then went on to mention that many of her children, this son who sleeps in the basement, especially, had been complaining about headaches lately. I told her that headaches are a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning. She said that the serviceman told her the same thing. I asked her if she had any CO detectors in her house and told her that she needed one in her son's room (as CO is heavier than air and settles in the basement) as well as all around her house. She told me that she used to have one, but that it kept going off so they took out the batteries and had not bee using it (I can't help but suspect that it was going off because it was, in fact, detecting CO). Anyway, she said that she called her husband and he immediately rushed home from work to take care of everything.

Well, it also just so happens that her husband is also home teaching companions with my husband. Later in the week, they went home teaching together. As they visited with one of their families, the husband mentioned that they had found some gas leaks in their home and that if I had not mentioned the smell to his wife, they never would have known about the leaks. He said that they have now repaired everything and have placed several CO detectors around their house.

I felt so grateful at that moment that I had followed the promptings of the Spirit and mentioned the smell, even though I was afraid to bring it up. Who knows what would have happened to their family if I had not done my visiting teaching this month, or even if I had not listened to the Spirit and had waited until the end of the month to get it done. I am grateful for the promptings of a loving Father in Heaven and for the implementation of His plan of Visiting Teaching that allows his children to be watched over by one another. I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to be an instrument in His hands. This has been a testament to me of the importance of the Visiting and Home Teaching programs.