What is an LDS mission and how does it work????

FYI - What's a mission anyway? 

LDS missions are unique, and so I think it will help to explain them a little to those who are not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

When a young man or woman decide that they would like to serve a mission for the church, they submit an application.  It includes the reports from medical and dental exams and also an endorsement from their local "Bishop" who is the leader of their local congregation. They also submit information about ancestry, locations where family members have served missions, copies of their passport etc.  They send their application to the church headquarters in Salt Lake City.  At this point, since they know their Bishop has endorsed them as worthy and ready and willing to serve, they know they will receive a "call".  Special designated apostles of the church review their application and then issue a call.  The call could be anywhere in the world, including all over the United States....anywhere missionaries are allowed by the home country to come and teach and serve.  The call letter comes in the mail and as you can imagine it is an exciting moment when that young person opens that envelope and learns where they will serve, what language they will be speaking, and the exact date they will begin their service. For young men the length of the mission is 24 months and for young women it is 18 months. 

The missionary typically has a number of months to get prepared with the correct immunizations, clothes etc.  Next they will report to the Missionary Training Center.  The largest one is here in Provo,Utah, but there are also MTCs throughout South America, England,  and numerous other countries.  Typically a missionary will be in the MTC for a period of two weeks to three months based on whether they are learning a language, the complexity of the new language etc.

Missionaries are called to serve the Lord and to testify of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel.  They support struggling members of the church, provide community service to anyone in need and seek out people to teach who are open to having their lives blessed by learning of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  Missionary life is very challenging.  Expectations are high, and the rules are clear.  There are assigned to a companionship of  two (sometimes three) individuals and they live on their own in small, modest apartments and work hard.  These companions spend ALL their time together. Apartments have been arranged by the church.  Every missionary pays a set amount to the church per month.  This covers their rent and from this they each receive a modest stipend to cover their food and basic necessities.  No matter where you are serving, you pay the same amount to the church as you can imagine the costs vary quite a bit between Hong Kong and rural Bolivia, and this makes it so that you are not paying more just because you have been assigned to serve in an area where the cost of living is really high.  If a person wants to serve a mission, but is unable to afford to do so, other church members contribute to a fund that is used to support them.  

Their days are expected to start at 6:30 with exercise, individual scripture study starting by 7:00, companionship scripture study, planning, language study (if learning a new language).  They then embark into the community to serve and teach, serve and teach and are supposed to be back in their apartment by around 9:00-9:30 and to bed by 10:30. 

Currently there are more than 70,000 young people serving LDS missions around the world.  There are also many older couples serving as well. 

Every missionary knows they are making a sacrifice to serve a mission but do it out of love for their Father in Heaven and the knowledge that it will make an eternal impact on their own lives and they hope on the lives of the people that are open to learning about the Restored Gospel.  There are strict rules on a mission. There is no TV, no secular music or books, no smart phones, no Internet, no boyfriends or girlfriends. Following the rules comes from an individual commitment; as there is obviously no one right there to make sure the rules are followed.  But following the rules makes for learning an amazing amount of self-discipline, strengthens your commitment to the Lord, and helps the missionary to overcome discouragement and frustration because they know that when they are doing all that they can do, the rest is up to the Lord.   Once a week is P-day (preparation day) for doing laundry, grocery shopping, emailing home and writing letters and other leisure activities in the area where they are serving.   They call home twice a year....yes, that's all.....on Christmas and Mother's Day in May. Yes, it is a refiners fire.  But their confidence, testimony, ability to serve and love others no matter what walk of life they come from, and their personal relationship with their Savior, who they have to learn to rely on, is magnified tremendously. 

Whether or not they follow all the guidelines is up to them.  But we believe that although the Lord loves us all equally, and we all have equal value in His eyes, obedience to His laws does bring blessings through the natural consequences of righteous living.

The parts of the world that allow LDS missionaries is divided into fairly large areas called "Missions".  A mature married couple is assigned (non paid) as "president" of each mission and their job, along with other adult volunteer missionary helpers, is to organize and oversee the mission area.  They help with housing, transportation, medical issues, spiritual support etc.  Throughout their mission, missionaries are assigned to specific smaller areas within their mission boundaries.  For the time they are assigned there they are expected to serve in that area only and keep their "P-Day" activities within that area as well.  Every six week are " transfers"... when the missionaries are reassigned.  They could receive a new companion or not, they could be changed to a new area within the mission, or not.  At the beginning of someone's mission they are paired with a more experienced missionary who is their "trainer"....someone who knows the language better etc.

So, Katie has wanted to serve a mission for as long as she can remember, and submitted her "papers" in early February. .  Her "call" arrived in the mail on Wednesday, the 21^st of February.  Unlike many who open their call at home with their family, Katie took her envelope up the canyon, went on a hike through pristine snow until she reached one of her favorite waterfalls.  There she learned what The Lord had in store for her!  Meanwhile the family (me and Franklin, his mom and dad, Jesse & Tara and family and Lindsey & Joe and family) gathered at our house for dinner awaiting her return.  She just beamed as she came through the door, and she then read the first paragraph of her letter, which informed her that she had been called to the "Alpine Mission" - German Speaking, which includes Southern Germany, all of Austria and Liechtenstein, and all of German speaking Switzerland.  The "mission home" where the mission president lives is in Munich.

 As part of your call letter, you are given the date which you will enter the Missionary Training Center.  Katie enters on June 12.  There is much to do to prepare for a mission, including getting the proper immunizations for your destination, passports and visas if necessary, gathering your missionary wardrobe and getting as spiritually prepared as possible!  It's an exciting time as you prepare to sacrifice your time and talents to the Lord!  

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