Thursday, September 30, 2010

LDS Missionary Wellness 101

Here is some great physical health advice for future missionaries from a 2007 Ensign article by Donald Doty, MD
  • Regular (daily) exercise. A missionary must be able to walk an average of six miles (10 km) per day and ride a bicycle 12 miles (19 km) per day. Prospective missionaries can prepare for the rigors of missionary life by establishing a regular pattern of aerobic exercise—walking, running, or cycling for one hour every day.
  • Adequate sleep. Although sleep needs vary, young adults generally need to sleep seven to eight hours per day. Missionaries live a scheduled life. They are in bed by 10:30 p.m. and up by 6:30 a.m. every day. This schedule will be difficult unless prospective missionaries get into a similar routine well in advance of the call to service.
  • Healthy eating habits. Rather than living on sugar and fat, young people should learn to enjoy meals consisting of protein and fiber, such as lean meat, yogurt, vegetables, and fruit. Also, drinking more than 12 ounces of carbonated beverage per day is too much. The Missionary Department requires that missionaries have a body mass index no higher than 37. Prospective missionaries should strive to keep their weight in the normal range, thereby avoiding obesity-related health problems. Being markedly under normal weight can also have serious health consequences.
  • Meal preparation skills. Parents can help their sons and daughters learn how to prepare simple, healthy meals. I stress the word simple because missionaries often cook food on a hot plate or a single gas burner and may not have an oven. Every prospective missionary needs to know the basics of cooking and sanitary food handling. Since dishwashers are rarely found in missionary living quarters, it is also important to know how to clean up after meals with hot water and dish soap.
  • Personal hygiene. Personal cleanliness and good grooming habits are vital to missionary success. Favorable first impressions are lasting. Clean hands also help missionaries stay healthy and prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
  • Skin problems. Those with a severe acne problem should get help from a medical doctor well before entering the Missionary Training Center. Some acne medicines require monitoring over time and are not used in the mission field.
  • Dental health. Prevention is the key to good dental health. This means a habit of brushing teeth at least morning and night, daily use of dental floss, and consistent visits to your dentist. Any required dental repair should be finished before the missionary recommendation is submitted. Orthodontic treatment—which often takes two years or more—must be completed before arrival at the MTC.
  • Chronic health issues. With proper treatment, many health problems become controllable, making missionary service possible if treatment continues throughout the mission.
  • Immunizations. Those preparing to serve missions should obtain all available routine vaccinations and booster injections at appropriate ages. Well before beginning their missionary service, they should also receive any special immunizations required for the particular country where they will serve.The advantages of immunization overwhelmingly exceed the minuscule risks of receiving vaccines. Immunization renders an individual resistant to disease for varying time periods. Maintaining immunity may require a booster injection.

Why 3% of LDS Missionaries Go Home Early

Dr. Donald Doty writes, "Today about 3 percent of missionaries have their missions shortened by either physical or mental health problems. Losing three out of 100 missionaries may not seem like very many. But to the individual and his or her family, having a mission cut short is significant...I recommend that health preparation begin at least two years in advance of the anticipated missionary service. Those who wait to prepare until the last minute or until after they have received the call to serve may not be ready and may even have their missions delayed."

Here's where having to take PE everyday or attending sports practice or living without a car or walking or biking to class falls under missionary prep. Daily exercise offsets fatigue, saddle sores, and weight related problems that might occur while serving as a missionary. Being in good physical shape also helps make the other transitions to missionary life easier.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

This is Why We Sent Him on a Mission

I just have to share this...today when our missionary closed his e-mail, this is what he wrote:

"Thank you for all the effort that you put into raising me, for my good education and everything. I am a lot more grateful for these things now that I've seen other homes and other people's situations. I Love You."

I get all happy inside every time I read this. It makes every sacrifice and every penny spent seem insignificant.

May all our LDS missionaries come home with a greater appreciation of their blessings and a greater sense of compassion towards others. Amen.



How to "Lose" $4800

My sister-in-law shared this unfortunate story with me.

A family in her ward had a son (let's call him Elder J) on a mission, and in addition to his family's monthly contributions, the ward was receiving financial donations in Elder J's behalf. Only the donor had not specified on the Tithing and Donation slip that the money was for Elder J; they had just entered their donation on the line titled "Ward Missionary." Consequently, the ward had approximately $4800 extra in their ward missionary fund, because the money had not been forwarded to church headquarters, and then on to Elder J's mission. As per procedure at the end of the year, the extra $4800 was sent to church headquarters to the general missionary fund, and Elder J and his family discovered too late that they were still responsible for the coming year's worth of financial contributions.

While I am sure that the Church made good use of the donation, it was probably an unwelcomed surprise to Elder J's family. They were probably counting on that money to cover the balance of Elder J's missionary service.

Please, please, please check periodically with your ward's financial clerk to make sure all your missionary's funds and contributions are in order. No one needs a $4800 surprise.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Accounting for the $$$

The first installment payment for our son's mission was due by the first day of the month that he reported to the MTC. Since then, we have made a payment to our ward using a donation envelope on the last Sunday of every month. These are easily tracked in our checking roster. However, we also have extended family members who are donating towards our son's mission on an irregular basis, and these payments are harder to account for and track.

What I did not know was that our ward's financial clerk could print off a report called Income and Expense Detail Report for a ward missionary that was just like looking at a checking account statement. It showed the Who, What, When of the donations that have been made to our ward in our son's behalf.

What we discovered from reviewing the report was that during a leadership transition when a new financial clerk was called, one of our payments had not been forwarded to church headquarters. Just a small oversight, but it takes checks and balances to make sure all the details of missionary service are covered.

Try not to overwhelm your ward's financial clerk, but definitely check your missionary's account at your ward every quarter or, at least, semi-annually.

Friday, September 24, 2010

What's in His Wallet?

His temple recommend, his driver's license and an ATM card.

The first two are self-explanatory. The third is linked to a joint checking account at our local bank.

When our son went to college, we opened an account in both of our names so we could funnel money to him while he was away from home. Now that he is on his mission, the account has a $100 balance that he can access in case of emergencies like no food at the end of the month or incidentals like new socks.

I figure that everything in his wallet can be replaced if it is lost or stolen or left behind during the last transfer.

Another piece of financial advice is to check your missionary's credit report once a year to make sure that their identity is secure while they are serving. You can access free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. The site allows you to request a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. You will need their social security number, permanent address and permission because they are of legal age.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dear Elder

While our son was in the MTC, he kept writing about a service called DearElder.com. I had no idea what he was talking about. Finally I checked it out, and I must say that it's absolutely fabulous.

DearElder.com is a fantastic way to write your LDS missionary while they're serving in any LDS mission worldwide. The online service allows you to type in a letter which is then printed off and sent to either the MTC, a mission home, or through pouch mail if your missionary is serving in an area where regular mail service is not reliable.

If your missionary is in the Provo MTC, you can type in a letter by noon MST Monday-Friday at DearElder.com, and they will receive a hard copy of your letter that very day for free!

While in the MTC, our missionary's prep day was Friday. We found that if we sent a DearElder letter by Thursday at noon MST, he could read it Thursday night and respond to it on Friday when he sent his weekly email. That way he did not have to try to read all our messages and then reply during the short time he had to access to a computer. It was also a great, easy way for my husband and our younger children to correspond with their brother.

Now that our missionary is on the field, we send our DearElder letters to his mission's office (which is the procedure recommended by his Mission President) for the cost of a domestic stamp. At DearElder, you can check the recommended mailing procedure for your missioanry's mission by searching here.

If your missionary is serving in an area that ulitizes pouch mail, you can find out more about how their free pouch service works here or in their FAQ section.

DearElder also offers some very creative care packages that are available to send to either the MTC, a domestic or an intermational mission. Our son received the chips and queso in the Spice of Life package from a friend while he was in the MTC. His birthday is coming up in October, and both the birthday package and the complete birthday cake package look like fun options and are reasonably priced.

DearElder accepts donations which help cover their many free services. 

Wish I'd known about DearElder.com before our son entered the MTC, but now that I do, I am a regular.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Buying the Perfect Bicycle for an LDS Missionary

When our son was called to his "biking" mission, he received the following information in the booklet he received with his call . Under the heading "General Instruction Checklist: Miscellaneous," it read, "If you are assigned to an area in your mission where bicycles are used, you will be expected to purchase both a bicycle and a helmet. Use of a helmet is mandatory. You and your family will need to provide the money to purchase a bicycle and helmet when needed. The current cost of a bicycle and helmet is US $350. It may not be practical to ship these items from your home."

Not very long on specifics as you can see.

The first thing we did was to contact the mission home where our son was going to be serving and see if there was a vendor they recommended. Fortunately for us, we were directed to Bob's Bikes.

Located in Southern California but serving missions nationwide, Bob's Bikes is an approved vendor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Kona bikes advertised on his website range in price from $389 to $599, though other models are available. All the bikes are made with high quality aluminum frames with replaceable rear dropouts, shimano drivetrains, and front suspension. The price includes an accessory package that includes a kickstand, helmet, front and rear light kit, cable or U-lock, multi-tool, water bottle and cage. If your missionary will be serving in a SoCal mission, Bob will assemble the bike and deliver it to their first transfer meeting. He will also maintain the bicycle during their mission. For more information or recommendations, Bob can also be reached at (619) 507-7424 or by email at bobbyholaday@yahoo.com.

Bob was actually able to furnish us with a refurbished bicycle that a former missionary had left with him on consignment. Bob replaced some of the parts that had excessive wear, and then he delivered it to our son on his arrival. The total for the refurbished bike and the accessory package was $250.

My recommendation would be to contact the mission office first and ask a lot of questions, but if they do not have a preferred vendor, look for a bike with an aluminum frame that comes assembled. And do not forget the helmet!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Putting a Saddle in Their Slacks

Okay, so I had never heard of such a thing, but while we were shopping for suits for our missionary, the salesman at Men's Warehouse asked if he was going to serve in a "biking" mission. We said yes, and then the salesman recommended we add a "saddle" in his dress slacks. A "saddle" is an extra lining that is added to the crouch area where one would sit on a bike-like sitting on a saddle. It is meant to help alleviate wear and prolong the life of the slacks. 

Who knew?!!

Being a conscientious mother-of-a-missionary and in a  highly suspectible state at the time, we purchased "saddles" in all of our son's dress slacks. Only time will tell if they were a good investment.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Prep Classes For Prospective Missionaries

Besides the wonderfully, amazing Seminary experience, there are several institute or college classes that will also help your prospective missionary to prepare for service. These include:

Mission Preparation
Book of Mormon
Doctrines of the Gospel

At LDS.org, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an Institute Finder page if your 18 year old would like to enroll in a class if they are not attending a church-owned university. If formal classes do not fit into your future missionary's schedule, they can purchase the class manuals from Church Distribution and study independently.

If possible, the opportunity for them to attend a Temple Preparation Class in their ward or stake should not be undervalued. The new Duty to God requirements for Priests encourages them to read Endowed from on High which is the manual for Temple Prep.

Our son took Temple Prep with another couple during Sunday School his senior year after he turned 18. Later, he was fortunate to be able to take Mission Prep and Book of Mormon while he attended college.

I wish we had used Preach My Gospel more during Family Home Evenings because I think that it would have helped him prepare to teach the gospel as opposed to just learning the gospel. There are several FHE lessons on Mission Preparation available on line at LDS.org and the March 2007 New Era is dedicated to Preparing For Your Mission. Copies are available at Church Distribution for $1.50 or you can access it online.   

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dropping Your Missionary Off at the MTC

About a week before your missionary is scheduled to report to the MTC, they will receive an email directing them to a posting that will list their reporting time. Typically, the report date is a Wednesday and reporting times begin at approximately 12 noon and run until 2 pm. Missionaries report in groups based on the first letter of their last name. For instance being a "Z", our missionary reported at 2 pm on his scheduled Wednesday last June.

I recommend that you get to the Provo/Orem early especially during peak reporting season-summer and college breaks. We arrived about 11 am, had a leisurely "last meal" at the Creamery on 9th and then drove up to the MTC. The 9th East corridor was very busy with traffic and pedestrians trying to take pictures. You could spot new Elders and Sisters everywhere in the crowds. We figured that possibly over 140 new missionaries reported on the same day as our son. 

Gone are the days when parents and missionaries met together, cried and sobbed, hugged goodbye and then exited out separate doors. Now there is much less emoting, but it is still heart wrenching.

We parked above the MTC near the Provo Temple about half an hour before our missionary was supposed to report. We were directed to leave his luggage in the car, take pictures, hug and say our goodbyes, and then return to our vehicle. Then we drove into the MTC complex and pulled up to the curb  at a numbered space where several elders met us. The elders took our missionary's luggage, and then he went one way, without looking back, and his luggage went another.

We weren't even out of the MTC parking lot before our younger son said, "Okay, that was fun...now let's go back and get him."


  

Friday, September 10, 2010

Tracking Pants for the LDS Missionary

In my blog of September 8th, I refered to the "What to Wear List" for a male LDS missionary. It includes 2 suits and 2 or 3 additional pairs of pants.

While shopping in UT, we found that most of the stores offered suits with 2 pairs of matching slacks. By purchasing suits that way, we accounted for 4 out of the 5 pairs of pants recommended in the dress guidelines. We considered the fifth pair of pants as optional.

What the guidelines do not specify is that most missionaries also need "tracking pants" which are nice dress slacks that hold a crease and can be worn without a suit coat. We did not realize the significance of that additional pair of pants, and so our missionary only packed 4 pairs of pants in his luggage.

In his first email after arriving at the MTC, our missionary asked us to send him an additional pair of pants. Fortunately, he had left behind a  pair of dark slacks that he had been wearing to church while at college so we ended up shipping those to him.

Just one more thing I wish I'd known... 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Books They Can Take To The MTC

Whether your missionary is an avid reader or a skimmer or a "does this come as a graphic novel" type of reader, there are a couple of church books, besides the scriptures, that they can take with them on their mission.

Along with the standard works in their native language and a foreign language (if they are called to a foreign language speaking mission), the following are approved reading for full-time LDS missionaries: 
  • True to the Faith
  • Our Heritage
  • Our Search for Happiness
  • Jesus The Christ
Known as the Missionary Reference Library, you can purchase all four books as a set from Deseret Book

As a youth and as a college student, our son had received copies of both True to the Faith and Our Heritage. Wish I'd Known...before I bougth the set new. Also check your family library shelves, you might find some gently used copies from dad's, uncle's, aunt's or your mission that would make a great going-away or graduation gift. Good books never go out of style.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The What To Wear List for an LDS Missionary

Here it is...what you have been waiting for...the what to wear list for a male LDS missionary:
  • 2 Conservative, Tailored Suits in dark brown, dark gray, dark green or dark blue; wrinkle free; narrow pins stripes are ok.
  • 10 White Sleeve Shirts; a mix of long and short sleeved shirts depending on the weather
  • 5-6 Conservative Ties to match the suits
  • 2-3 Slacks that hold a crease; dark conservative colors (see above) 
  • 1-2 Conservative Belts; no braided or canvas
  • 8-10 Sets of Garments
  • 2 Pair of Conservative Dress Shoes in cordovan, black or dark brown; rubber soles highly recommended for walking; must be made of material that can be polished
  • 8-10 Pairs of Dark Socks that match the slacks 
  • 1 Raincoat
  • 1 Pair of Pajamas; robe and slippers as needed
  • 1 Set of Baptismal Clothing: white pants, white socks, white tie, white shirt
  • 2 Below-the-knee Shorts
  • 2-3 Conservative T-shirts
  • 1 Supportive Undergarment
  • 1 Pair of Gym Shoes
  • Gym Socks
  • One Set of Prep Day Clothes including full length pants
This list is typical for an elder serving a state-side mission in a warm climate. The list will vary for an elder serving in a colder climate or serving in a foreign mission.

When shopping and packing, think Dark and Conservative...

Friday, September 3, 2010

The LDS Missionary and the Crazy Tie Craze

If you had to wear a white shirt and dark pants everyday for two years, how would you express your individuality?

Why...your necktie, of course.

I've sure you've seen it...the pink tie...the baby blue tie...the my-grandfather-wouldn't-even-wear-this-tie tie.

I have to admit that, on their prep day, I took our local missionaries to TJ Maxx in search of the perfect ugly tie. Seems the missionaries trade ties in our mission. (Wish I'd known...) As a mother, that is a little distressing to learn having paid between $15 and $30 for silk ties that coordinate perfectly with the new suits.

The problem with the crazy tie craze is that the white shirt/suit look is a professional, conservative uniform meant to set LDS missionaries apart. Along with their name tag, their appearance identifies them as representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who carry a message of Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel. Wearing a tie that may be intentionally distracting from their message is immature and draws unnecessary attention to themselves.

If your son has a flair for fashion or none at all, help them understand how their appearance authenticates the seriousness of their purpose. After all their hard work meeting people and setting up teaching appointments, I am sure that they would not want to undermine their message by wearing a crazy tie.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Buying Suits for an LDS Missionary

Here's my advice: If possible, buy your missionary's suits in Utah or the Intermountain West. Typically a missionary needs 2 suits, each with 2 matching pairs of pants. I could not even find such a thing in the Midwest. I went and looked at my local mall, and either the suits were outraeguosly expensive for something that was going to get worn in the rain or while riding a bicycle or they were so poorly made that I didn't think that they would last four months, never mind two years.

We asked the missionaries that were serving in our area where they purchased their suits, and they gave us some recommendations where to shop in Utah. Since we were going to be there on vacation prior to our missionary entering the MTC, we decided to wait and do all our shopping there.

All the department stores were familiar with what we needed. At the time, Macys was running a special that included the suits, shirts, and the whole list of needed items for about $700-$800.  Ultimately, we ended up at the Men's Warehouse on State Street in Murray.  Their mission special included the 2 suits with 2 pairs of pants, 10 shirts, socks and 2 pairs of shoes. We paid about $660.

We bought the suits on Thursday, and they were able to alter and have them ready for us by the following Tuesday afternoon, but that was a rush for them.

The first time I got teary-eyed that week was when our son walked out of the dressing room in his suit, and the salesman called him, "Elder," 

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Arrival Letter

Our missionary was called to the California Carlsbad Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Last week he arrived in his mission after spending eight weeks learning Spanish in the MTC in Provo. Today we received an arrival letter from his mission president.

The letter included assurances that our missionary made it safely to the mission, instructions on sending packages and mail to our missionary, reminders about appropriate use of his email priviledges, information about his prep days, their commitment to the spiritual and physical well being of the missionaries in their care and their thanks for preparing our son to serve. Also included in the envelope were a colored map of the mission so we can follow his transfers and a picture of our missionary with his mission president and the mission president's wife.

Getting the letter was like drinking hot chocolate after an afternoon spent in the snow-very warm and reassuring. It was also a sweet, unexpected surprise like finding money in your pocket the day before payday. Do you know what I mean?

We are so grateful to those who sacrifice to serve with our missionary, and it was nice to know that they feel the same way about us.