This tradition carries on today at least once a year my husband has an Earthquake drill for his families. This is a wonderful reminder that not only do we need to be prepared but that Heavenly Father and a hometeacher loves them.

  My husband and I had just rented a house in Kearns, Utah back in 1984.  Due to our financial circumstances it was not exactly in  "Better Homes & Gardens" condition and that in spite of my efforts to make it feel like home, something was lacking.

  A few late night callers later, we found out from a neighbor that the house had been frequented in the past by drug dealers & addicts.  That piece of information and the fact that my husband was working graveyard shifts did nothing to add to our peace of mind.  One evening shortly after my husband had gone to work, our hometeachers came by.  We were then attending the Lamanite ward (the boundary lines stretched from one end of the valley to the other) and since we had no phone Bro. Horsen was going the second mile to drive out to our home on the hopes that we might be there. 

  I welcomed him in and he was not there for very long before he asked me how he could help us settle into our new home.  I told him how nervous I was about the people that would come to the door late at night and how Greg and I worried about the safety of our little ones.  Bro. Horsen responded immediately by saying, "Oh, you won't need to worry anymore.  With your consent we can take care of that concern right now." He and his companion then proceeded to bless our home and family through a priesthood blessing.  By inspiration he was able to promise us that all would be well, that we would be protected and that a sweet spirit would abide with us and be felt by all who entered into our home.  He prayed that the Lord would rebuke anyone with evil intent from coming onto the property and that we would know that the Lord was mindful of our needs. 

  From that night on every word of that blessing was fulfilled to the letter.  No more late night callers and a sweet sense of peace that was discernable to others prevailed in our home.  How grateful I was and am for a Home Teacher that was so sensitive to my family's needs and the promptings of the Spirit.

  I worked very hard and went to church faithfully. I prayed with my children, read the scriptures as a family daily, even paid my tithing. I had wonderful home teachers, an elderly man and his wife, and I had wonderful visiting teachers as well. I was also very proud and did not want any help from anyone (temporally that is!).

  Being the loving Heavenly Father that He is and seeing my need for growth, He allowed my car to break down. Well, needless to say, I was living from paycheck to paycheck. A solution was available...there was a car for sale which was much less than the repairs on the car I had would have cost me. Great, except for one problem...the car cost exactly what my rent did and believe me my landlord was not LDS! (LOL) I prayed to Heavenly Father to know what to do. Of course I received a call from my HT and my VT that day. Ah, you say; the answer to my prayer. Probably so, but don't forget there is that little matter of PRIDE.

  I had a nice visit and never once mentioned car trouble, how I would feed my children, etc., etc. Then, I made a decision. If I did not buy the car I would be without a way to work, there was no public transportation where I lived and no way I could afford a taxi every day, work was over five miles away, church 25 and there was that little matter of toting 3 beautiful children with me! I decided without a car I would lose my job therefore I wouldn't be able to pay my rent, vicious circle, vicious circle, blah blah blah...I bought the car. Let the chips lie where they may.

  The next Sunday I went to Church as usual and was called out of the Primary class I was teaching. "Uh oh, what did I do," I was thinking. The Bishop sat me down in his office and very bluntly asked me, "How much money do you make?" I told him, wondering to myself, "Is this about my tithing?" I was paying an honest tithing! His next question blew me out of the water and I began to sob (not my usual forte by the way...) He asked me how I was taking care of my children and feeding them. I told him a little about my situation and he said, "Now, I want you to make a list of what you and your children would like to eat and I want the name of your landlord and how much you pay for rent. We are going to catch you up on your rent and as long as you need help we are going to make sure that you and your children never go hungry."

  I don't know how to describe the reverence and awe I had at that moment for the priesthood, the gospel, the feeling of knowing as I had on the day of my baptism that God knew me and knew my every need. I never mentioned this need and I know there is no other way they could have known save it was by the Spirit. And somehow, I knew that it was my HT. I just knew! ;0)

  This experience and many others have strengthened my testimony of HT and VT. Thank you for letting me share.

  My 26th birthday found me newly divorced and completely alone. A friend had offered to take me to dinner, but cancelled at the last minute. I'm not sure I had ever felt so forgotten. I was serving as the YW Secretary at the time and the YW President was also my Visiting Teacher. We had a Presidency meeting that night and when I arrived, there was a beautiful potted plant resting in front of my usual seat. Attached was a card expressing love for me. There was even a birthday cake! An entire day of loneliness faded in an instant. Thinking of it still brings tears to my eyes. I have never known a truer friend. Even though we worked together in YW and saw each other 3+ times a week, she always took the time to come and visit my home each month with the express purpose of presenting a Visiting Teaching lesson. And I was always welcomed into her home on holidays that I would have otherwise spent alone. I have moved half way across the country now, but that Visiting Teacher will be joining me in the temple in a few months when I am sealed to my new husband.

  My Home Teachers blessed me in many ways, too. There were priesthood blessings and more. As is often the case with a divorce, there was a house move to make. It was only a move of a few miles, but, living thousands of miles from any family, I wondered how to manage it. I mentioned it to my Home Teachers and 10 men showed up that Saturday morning. I just stood at the door of my new home and directed. They were done and gone in three hours flat! Months later, when I started dating a man I worked with and he was baptized, my home teacher taught him the new member discussions. We are hoping that he and his wife will also be able to join us when we are sealed.

* If anyone has anything to add here, please let me know.