1. Allow your missionaries to grow up with minimal interference from you or Dad. This means never call the Mission Office to find out if your precious missionary has clean sheets, is eating well, etc. There are some concerns the Mission President should be notified about, such as the death of a family member, life-threatening illnesses--the kind that requires surgery and/or hospitalization--or other similarly critical life events. Don't call if someone breaks a bone or needs stitches. Call only for SERIOUS stuff. Also, you can call if you find information that would jeopardize your missionary's ability to serve, such as worthiness issues you discover after he has left.

2. Encourage your missionary to abstain from participating in Mission Gossip. We need to let our missionary know that this type of behavior is not conducive to the Spirit and can cause serious rifts in the fabric of a mission family. Being a peacemaker means being quiet about information that shouldn't be spread around.

   Make certain you aren't a gossip either! Learn to "zip it" if something is shared with you, whether through email or face-to-face. How embarrassed would you be if you discovered your email posted on a missionary bulletin board. This type of thing has ruined many a missionary's ability to focus on the Lord's work.

3. Show compassion over your missionary's struggles, but let them figure things out on their own. You can offer a few scriptures or comments and let them know you pray for them daily. Allow them to grow spiritually and develop inner strength. This means you have to let them fail, too. Often it's only through failure that one learns how to do better the next time. Nobody would ever learn how to ride a bicycle if they didn't come close to falling, then learn to balance on their own.

4. Keep their names on the Temple Prayer Roll. Don't just call the temple to do this. Attend the temple and write their names yourself. There's something powerful when you sacrifice your time to do work for the dead, then write names on the prayer rolls yourself.

5. Get a copy of the little white handbook, or "Missionary Bible". The Missionary Handbook, or rule-book for missionaries (available through Distribution Centers) contains many great principles as well as the rules of missionary work. Read it and know the rules, and let your missionary know you've read it. Sharing from that little book with your missinoary will help a lot. It lets them know you are on the same page. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

6. Write letters that are encouraging and uplifting. Be upbeat and positive. Talk about the spiritual experiences you and the family are having. Share notes and thoughts from Sunday School lessons, Sacrament meeting talks, and any spiritual impressions you get. Share faith-building stories from your ancestors, conversion stories, eithere from those around you, or your ancestors. Give them fuel. Don't douse their fire!

Thank you!!

Betty Pearson, Lehi UT,
LDS Missionary and Military Moms Listowner
ldsmissionarymoms.com - ldsmilitarymoms.com
Michael, Japan Nagoya, 2012
Son, Erik Pearson, Army
Son-in-law, Tyler Frampton, Army
5 RM's: Japan, Canada, Germany, Argentina, Italy
Check out the links at ourldsfamily.com