Shabby Chic Gift Bags and Confessions of a Visiting Teacher

I'm not always the best visiting teacher, though I do greatly care about my sisters. With sickness and Thanksgiving (and let's face it, a little procrastination), the end of the month creeped up on me without me having spoken with my companion, let alone having visited my sisters (though I had had contact with one of them a few times). I couldn't let today pass by without me doing something for my sisters. I'm not really concerned about the numbers (visiting teachers are supposed to visit their sisters--i.e., the women they are assigned to watch over--each month and report to their supervisor)--I'm sure the data for the month was collected prior to today--but I am concerned about my sisters feeling remembered. Though contact throughout the month and a formal visit scheduled early on in the month is ideal, I always prefer a last minute contact from my visiting teachers over having an entire month pass with no contact at all. Thus, letting the day slip by with me just telling myself I'll do better next month was not an option. My girls deserve better treatment than that.

This morning--on the very last day of the month--after sending a correspondence to my companion, I made cookies ("Piece of Cake" Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, to be precise), and divided them into two paper lunch bags, one for each of my sisters. Then while my boys were napping, I got on the computer and used my free digi scrapbooking software and paper and elements (another element credit here and alpha credit here) I had previously downloaded from the web, as well as a quote from Elder Oaks October General Conference talk, "Love and Law,", and a little Picasa magic to add the tilted type, to make custom bag toppers.

Here's an image of one of my bag toppers.

Here's the quote I used:

“'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?' the Apostle Paul asked. Not tribulation, not persecution, not peril or the sword (see Romans 8:35). 'For I am persuaded,' he concluded, 'that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, . . . nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God' (verses 38–39).
...
"If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it."

President Dallin H. Oaks
General Conference Oct. 2009

I then printed the images as a 5"x5" square on card stock and then folded the top over the lunch bag. A little tape, and voila! Instant shabby chic gift bags.



My companion was busy all day, so after Hubby got home with the car and we had some dinner, he, the kids, and I hopped in the car and delivered the goods to my sisters. One wasn't home, so I left her gift bag with her husband. The other, to my joy, was home. In the three months I've been assigned to her, I hadn't actually gotten a chance (or made a chance) to speak with her face to face, and I've been feeling awful about it! I wasn't even sure what she looked like. In September, my companion visited our sisters while I was on vacation, and in October, I tried calling but the number wasn't working, so I sent her an email. Today, since I refused to let the month slip by without contact, I got to visit with her for a little while and even set up an appointment for next week. I found I had met her before, but didn't realize who she was. She even has held my oldest a few times during church (oh, how much I love to sisters who do that! J. is so much better for other adults, especially other adults with daughters for him to play with). She greatly appreciated her little gift bag of cookies, and I got the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from doing something right. During our short exchange, I was filled with pure love for her, and a determination to do whatever I can help her feel that love--to be the best visiting teacher to her that I can be. It is a wonderful feeling.

I may not be the best visiting teacher, but darnit, I'm going to keep at it. My sisters are more than worth it.

(oh, and there's a new post on the family blog)