It's that time of year

The time for working on Special Meeting visiting plans

Here's what it looks like (sometimes):

• Get list of who goes where from overseer
• Ponder and digest (for kind of a long time)
• Try to figure out how (and when) everybody is going to get to your field
• Begin an initial visiting list (with very little clue of how this is going to pan out)
• Try to figure out how to get Persons #1-11 to Places A-Z (There are more places than that, but that's as far as the alphabet goes.) in Cars BOPEU & S.  Use Google maps, field address book, Special Meeting list and co-worker as reference tools.
• Get as far as you can with initial visiting list and begin on list #2 using what you now know from list #1 to make improvements in equal visiting and logical flow.
• Make it a ways on list #2 and decide it's just not going to work all the way through.
• Begin list #3, rearranging the order of visits to decrease miles traveled by workers X, Y & Z.
• Scrap list #3 entirely.
• Begin list #4.
• Get to day #3 of list #4 and realize that you really don't need all the workers to stick around Area A for so long.
• Scrap list #4.
• Take a deep breath.
• Begin list #5.  This time you really know think you know how it should work.
• Finish list #5 (after longer than you thought it would take).  
• Make a list of everyone in the field to make sure that everyone is included in visits since by this time all the lists have run together completely in your head, and you can't remember for the life of you who goes where when.
• Realize that you put someone down for company on a day they have to work.  (You had it right on lists 1-4.)
• Edit list #5.  (Please note that this involves much more than just switching around one lunch.  It affects workers and cars and friends as far back as day #1 on your list.  Some edits on a Special Meeting visiting list are simple.  Many are not quite as simple.)
• Make a list to see if all the workers get to see each other as they travel around your field. 
• Realize that workers D & E never cross paths, and they had a year together before D left the state, so it would be really nice if they could have at least one night together, and they're not at any of the same meetings after they leave your field, so if they're going to have any time together at all, you have to be the one to make it happen.
• Revise list #5A.
• Make sure that after 5 lists and 2 revisions, every worker is covered for 3 meals a day and each night.
• Review lists of friends visited and workers together.  (Quite a bit has changed by now since you've revised the list twice since you first made these lists.)
• Print out list #5B and make copies for the elders in your field.  They can check with their meetings to see if these visits work for everyone.
• Wait with baited breath to see how many more revisions you will need to make.
• Make revisions based on feedback from friends in field.
• Print "final" lists and distribute to friends in field.
• Wait until the dates listed and be ready to revise on the spot due to sickness, weather, etc.

There are a few steps that I'm sure I forgot.  It's hard to get all the details into words.  The version I actually printed as my "pre-friend feedback final revision" was actually labeled 7A.  Anyway, though it's can get a bit complicated, I enjoy the challenge of making it all work.  I hope everyone who has Special Meeting company this year enjoys their visits very much.  It's a wonderful time of year!