The Most Frustrating Thing

The most frustrating thing about getting our missionary ready for his mission was, not only was he over 18 years of age, but he was also out of town attending college. If your missionary is of legal age (all of them are), the doctor's office will not give you a copy of their immunization record, the Division of Motor Vehicles will not give you a copy of their driving record, and if your missionary is at college/school, you can not arrange for deferment without their authorization.

Now I believe that if your child is preparing to go on a mission, they should shoulder some of the responsibility for getting themselves ready to go. However if you are coordinating over long distances, someone has to do the legwork. If it is you as the parent/guardian, be aware that acting on behalf of another adult is tricky.

Fortunately, I had an updated copy of our son's immunization record from before he left for college, but we needed a notorized consent in order for me to get his driving record. That was a pain. My recommendation is to get all the necessary paperwork collected while your missionary is either at home or visiting during a break if they are attending college or school away from out of town.