Monday, December 7, 2015

A Very Missionary Christmas - MM Angel Momma Project 2015

A Missionary Christmas


I skipped the sales after Thanksgiving, the thrill just wasn't there.
No pictures taken with Santa Claus, my decorating has no flair.
His presents are shoes, shirts and ties, two suits and socks...no fun.
I've bought him all white clothes because….This year, I'm giving Christ my son.

I've spent more time in the temple, my testimony stirred.
I've reread November’s Ensign, felt strength come from His words.
I pray more frequently. My tears are quick to run.
Abraham seems closer because, this year I'm giving Christ my son.

I wonder how those Lamanite mothers gave their sons to war.
Or how the pioneers chose Zion, their sacrifice was so much more.
My loss will be his presence. I'll miss his smile a ton.
For two years I will pray for him, I'm giving Christ my son.

I stare at his face when he's not looking. I memorize his eyes, their shine.
He's always hungered for the part of him that makes his soul divine.
The stories and lessons he always heard, His choice and mine are one.
I'll put my faith in God's hand, this year, I'm giving Him my son.

Past gifts have lost their glitter; I think I finally understand.
Christ's birth should be celebrated by giving Him a hand.
It's because I know Christ lives and reigns, that all his packing's done.
My gift has taken years to make, this year...I'm giving Christ my son.

I know there’s One who understands, the sacrifice I’m making. 
Who knows the gift I willingly give, the toll it will be taking.
For He has done it all before. Greater love—there could be none. 
For years ago God gave to me, His only begotten son.

The hands I washed, the hands I held, the hands I taught to pray;
Now knock on doors to find the ones who will listen to what he’ll say.
Because I know Christ needs him, until all the gathering’s done.
My gift has taken years to make. This year…I’m giving Christ my son.


-Author Unknown-



We are pleased to announce the 2015 Missionary Momma Angel Project! 



When you order an Angel Momma T-shirt and/or Hoodie, part of the proceeds go to the General Mission Fund. 
These funds are used to support Missionaries around the world! Come join us and be an "Angel Momma" today! ;)



Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Glasses for Peru: By Small and Simple Means, Great Things are Brought to Pass

Please welcome guest blogger MM Shannon Avery!


I remember the day clearly…
My oldest son had been serving in South America for almost fourteen months, and his brother
was really struggling in his absence. They were best buddies, confidants, partners in crime :) I’d
been praying and wondering what it would take for my younger son to snap out of his gloomy
place.

Then one day a missionary name tag arrived in a dirty, crumbled envelope from Peru. That name
tag, and the letter that came with it, changed everything.

My elder told his brother about the joy he’d found serving the Lord and the people of Peru. He
explained that his name tag had gotten too worn out and he’d received a replacement, but he
couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it because it symbolized the love, sweat, and tears that he was
so grateful to have been able to experience. He said his name tag represented what was most
important to him in the whole world – the Lord, His gospel, and eternal families.

The day my elder’s name tag arrived in the mail was a turning point for my younger son. It was
simple, but it changed things for him in a powerful way. That tag and what it meant was
motivating and inspiring. Most of all, it was a little reminder of his brother that he could look at
every day, confirming for him that their time apart was worth it!

(Fast forward about 8 weeks… : )

As Christmastime came around a few months later, I was trying to come up with a meaningful,
inexpensive gift for our family members who'd supported our missionaries during the year. Some
of them contributed to our missionaries’ mission funds. Others wrote encouraging letters and
emails. I really wanted something unique that would represent this special time in our family,
and that would let them know how much their love and support meant to our missionaries and to
us.

Remembering how much my elder’s name tag had meant to him personally, and what it had done
for my son at home, I decided to design a name tag that could be hung on a Christmas tree, given
as a gift, and kept in a special place in the home of any family with a missionary.
As you can probably imagine, the name tag gift was a hit! Our missionaries' grandparents, aunts,
and uncles loved them! My friends with missionaries asked me to make name tag ornaments for
their families too. Now, here we are at the second Christmas season since creating the missionary
name tag ornaments, and I have people I’ve never met contacting me to ask if there’s any way I
can make them for their families! I even had a grandma ask if I would make one for each of her
returned missionary grandchildren so she could have a "missionary tree."

With how much people have enjoyed the ornaments, I decided I would offer them on a website
dedicated exclusively to missionary families. And I'd also offer other products, advice, and
information that I've found helpful along the way. So that's how the idea of
MissionaryExchanges.com was born :)

Now, here's my very favorite part of all this, and the reason why I didn't give up when I realized
how much work it was going to be, haha! All of the profits from Missionary Exchanges will go
directly toward missionary work. Every penny. That is my promise.

So, the first thing we are doing is a project we are calling "Glasses for Peru." Let me tell you
about it.


My son Jake (the one who sent his name tag home in the mail) was telling us about how excited
people were when the missionaries would give them FREE scriptures :) But many times when
the missionaries would return to teach them, they would not have read their new scriptures....not
because they could not read, but because they could not see the words on the pages! Jake
explains that the number of people who need glasses in Peru is staggering. As a family, we
talked about how much we would like to help them out, but we just didn't know where to begin
(you can see, this is a recurring theme with us...great ideas with no idea how to make them
happen, haha!).

But then, a few weeks later, Jake was talking to a man in the temple about how we wanted to
figure out a way to offer free eye exams, glasses, and scriptures to needy people in Peru, and the
man told him that he's done that before! He told Jake the kind of machine we'd need to figure out
the strength of the glasses people needed, and he told Jake where to get the glasses in bulk for a
good price.

Jake is working with the stake presidents he met in his mission to figure out places to do the free
eye exams. And because missionaries have a requirement for service hours, we will work with
the mission president to involve the missionaries in helping with the distribution of glasses and
scriptures to those who need them. Win-Win for everyone!

Our first trip to Peru is scheduled for the middle of January, after their summer vacation and
before it starts to get cold there. I'll post updates on our progress as we work out the details.
So there you have it! MissionaryExchanges.com is my labor of love. We only have a couple of
products and blog posts right now, but we’ll grow! I welcome you all to visit the site and take a
look around. We also have a Facebook page and a pretty lame Pinterest account, LOL! Please
“Like” and “Share” if you feel inclined. The more people who know about us and like our
products, the more people we can give the gift of vision. Thanks so much!

Merry Christmas, you wonderful missionary mommas! Your sacrifice is so precious ♥

Site: www.MissionaryExchanges.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/missionaryexchanges
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/missionaryexch

The first batch is in the mail!!!  Thank you so much!!!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Stand As His Warrior Today

Anna Carbone

Please welcome Guest Blogger Anna Carbone!
Take a walk with me...a few years back.......... Febuary 2013 "Mom We have to Talk" Those 5 little words struck terror in my heart. Did she quit her job or get fired? OH no, is she pregnant? No, she was going to be baptized in a church I knew nothing about. "Mom, they don't smoke, drink, do drugs or alcohol or sex before marriage!" Ok...she is going to start a new phase and I am ok with this because she will have her moral compass pointed in the right way! I am ok with this! Ha, maybe she will be a little more considerate, kind and respectful! Huh- she's been seeing these "missionaries" when I am not here. I bet this is about a "boy" doesn't matter, she seems happy, and I am OK with this! 
June 2013- "Mom we have to talk"  Now what can this be? "Mom, I am going on a mission, and I will be gone for 18 months" Huh? OK, I will use my vacation time and come and see you  "Ahh mom, you can't come visit me. But I can call you 2 times a year and you can email me!" OH My Gosh, she has lost her mind! What kind of church sends their kids off?  She told me the boys go out for 2 years. This is crazy. In my church we have missions too, but for 6 weeks at a time and they build a house in Africa or somewhere. I guess I have to Google this.
Google information I did not like. They can send kids anywhere in the world, what? There are bad people in some places; my worry gene has kicked in. More lessons and different missionaries..and YSA friends are always over and trying to get me to join. Ha, sure no way. I happen to love my coffee and occasional wine and I should quit smoking someday, but not now.
All this getting ready for this mission. That is all I hear about day in and day out and the closer it gets she is getting very prickly and I am getting sadder by the moment. How does one deal with this? I don't even have any friends who are dealing with this, so I am alone in a world of this mission. She is always gone to church or activates or institute, but I like calling it "institution" cause that's where they will send me when she leaves on this crazy mission.
She turned 21 and her papers are in. Last birthday and thanksgiving together, I am feeling sad already. She now stalks that mailbox. I need more tums. Glass of wine anyone? Everyday she is more and more prickly. Just like her brother, who seems to think, if they are mean and we fight that I won't miss them when they are gone. Silly kids. Moms will always miss their children no matter what. Although if she keeps this up I may send her early. "Mom my papers are here"! I will mark December 13th as the hardest day. Reading the call at her Bishops, she is going to Wisconsin. Its fetching cold there, why are they all cheering? Why am I crying? She leaves April 9th. OMGosh. Its weeks until Christmas, our last one for awhile. This is killing me.
April is here, it’s the night before and we can't sleep. Why is she going? I wished I had won the lotto I would have bribed her with a new car. I am sick to my stomach and I cry all the time. We are at the airport, lucky for me, we got a gate pass and I am sitting staring at her. I can smell her perfume; she looks so innocent and happy. I am a bad mom for not wanting her to go on with her life. What is wrong with me? We hug and kiss...she is gone, I watch that plane taxi out of Denver, my life will never be the same, I feel it. My baby girl is gone and there is nothing I can do about this. 

I found the Missionary Momma’s group online. They are helping me figure this out. I just might get through this. I get a phone call from the airport, she said, when she goes to Wisconsin, She has a layover, I prayed about going to see her and the Spirit said I shouldn’t go. Why is God always right? HA!

I have been sent Missionaries. Started with 2, now I have 4, really? Ha that’s OK! I pepper them with questions, and I have totally danced around their questions about taking lessons. No way am I going to give up my vices. I am going to a retreat, I hope they don’t pray all day, been there done that in my own religion. 

Fast forward…lessons taken, online and at home…baptism dreams and the biggest decision of my life... and 6 missionaries later!



The months fly by. Packages and letter sent. Three phone calls home. Counting down the days for me. She’s witnessed so much on her mission. She has been instrumental in baptisms. She has made an impact in her mission. She is loved by many, and I have shared for 18 months. The time is here. NO more packages. No more letters. Now it’s a welcome home event. She really doesn’t want to come home and I can’t wait. 

Thank you all for being here during our journey. I can’t believe its finally here. October 22nd is tomorrow! Its MY turn tomorrow! I get my hug tomorrow! I love you all!

Anna banana


Thursday, October 1, 2015

Transfers

One sure thing about missions is CHANGE. Transfers are every six weeks in most missions. Elders and Sisters may be in an area for only one transfer or for many. These changes are made by the Mission President who receives inspiration as to where each missionary needs to be.



Nathan Bartling, an RM from Chino Hills, CA, served his mission in the Thailand Bangkok Mission 2012 - 2014. Nathan makes tourism videos for a living and is currently living in Bangkok. He has used his talent to put together this beautiful video of a transfer meeting! ENJOY!!!


CLICK HERE>>>
https://www.facebook.com/mormonthai/videos/vb.335601019805520/1018192834879665/?type=2&theater

Friday, September 18, 2015

Our Mothers Always Taught Us

You know, growing up I always thought my Mom knew everything. Heck, she knew when I was getting into something before I even had a chance to enjoy whatever it was I was getting into!  ;)  I watched my Mom cook, clean, serve, study to teach lessons and pray with our family. I paid close attention to how she did things...even tho I acted like I didn't!



There were some things that my Mom did that I was SURE I would NEVER do when I was a Mom... like turning into a wild woman when my brother got lost at the swap meet. And then, yep you guessed it...Pam Campbell popped right outta my mouth one day when I least expected it, and on many occasions since! (YES, I was the wild woman frantically searching for my son in Mervyn's a few years back!)

I am so grateful for a Mom that has lived and loved the Gospel. My Mom continues to set a good example! Today she is serving a full time mission with my Dad. They are in the Mississippi Jackson Mission right now, and loving it there....except for the humidity!  ;)  Now she gets to "Mother" young Elders and Sisters... gosh, aren't you glad that there are Senior Couples out there keeping our kids in line!?!?



I sure hope that I am the kind of Mom that when my kids look back, they will feel blessed for the things that have been taught in our home! I am not nearly as good at cleaning, cooking or crafts as my Mom is, but I love my kids with all my heart!!!

~Heidi

PS A note to my kids: Running around like a stark raven lunatic does not help you find a lost child any quicker!  ;) ~MoM




Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Because I Have Been Given Much...

The other day I was doing my morning scripture study when my little guy came downstairs and plopped down beside me. I decided that I may as well include him in my studies-- it can never hurt, right??? So we read together 1 Nephi 7, this is the part of the Book of Mormon where Lehi has his boys go back to Jerusalem to get Ishmael's family, because he knew those boys would need wives. ;) But what do ya know, Laman and Lemuel got grumpy again and tied up Nephi, planning to leave him in the wilderness for wild animals to snack on (YIKES.) But, Nephi was smart and prayed to the Lord and asked Him to help him get out of this predicament. The Lord did bless him, and the bands were loosed and Nephi was safe for now!

I asked my son why he thought the Lord did that? And he answered "Even when you are in the hardest spots, Heavenly Father can always get you out." WOW-- outta the mouth of babes. He's right ya know... He loves me, and He loves you and He preforms miracles every day to help us out! And a lot of times those miracles come through someone else!  ;)


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Shattered Dream

It can be a joy to watch your child’s dreams get shattered…if you’re ready for it…

Please welcome guest blogger Bryun Lemon

As a father, husband, and owner of Chapter Three Games, I think about games a lot. 
After years of playing, designing, selling and watching others do the same with 
games, I’ve seen my share of people who try to win at all costs and miss the whole 
point of the game. You see, when we worry only about winning, we fail to learn 
valuable lessons and miss out on treasured memories with loved ones. This was 
made very clear to me when I watched my son’s dreams get shattered and it made 
us all laugh and smile. Now, before you post your scathing rebuke of my callous 
attitude, it’s important to understand what happened.

For my son, this dream destruction came on a day like any other. It started out as a 
pretty ordinary day – we got dressed, ate breakfast together, kids left for and came 
back from school, we made small talk about homework and weather, and then our 
12-year-old son decided we should all make spaceships that night.  It sounded fun 
enough, so we decided after dinner and chores were done, we’d build some 
starships and see who the best pilot was. His dream that day was to build the perfect 
ship and to win the game.

With relatively little fanfare, the chores managed to get finished, the gauntlet throw-
downs about who was going to win began, and the epic shipbuilding contest started. 
Or, in layman’s terms – we started playing a board game that happened to be about 
building and flying spaceships.

For this particular game, everybody would become a starship captain building their 
vessel from junk parts (cardboard game tiles) and then brave the dangers of space 
(the game board) with our crews (little plastic spacemen) fighting off pirate attacks 
and meteors (event cards that we’d turn over) and become the best pilot in the 
galaxy (the one with the most money at the end of the game).!



The game had the usual light-hearted taunting and trash-talking that our family 
enjoys, right up until the end. My son had created his shipbuilding masterpiece and 
was on par to clobber us all (a fact that he reminded us of at least 542 times that 
night). By all means, it looked like his bragging was justified…until an unlucky dice 
roll caused him to lose half his ship to a meteor swarm. The next card was a fleet of 
pirates that managed to take out most of what was left, and by the last turn my son’s 
masterpiece was nothing more than a cockpit and a rocket.  The majestic battleship 
he had constructed with the hopes of winning the game had been reduced to 
cardboard rubble in a few short turns.

And you know what he did in the face of this terrible dream-shattering tragedy? He 
laughed. He started joking about the race ending and his little pilot flying across the 
finish line with a steering wheel on a rocket-barrel. By the time we were done 
playing, we had spent the evening laughing, joking and teasing the ill-fated captain. 
And our family had created a memory that we still laugh about today.

So why bring this up in a forum about missionaries? Because what happened at that 
table - before and after that night – can be a powerful tool to prepare our kids for a 
world that’s ready to gobble them up. This was even more evident when I watched 
that same son playing with a friend a few months later.



I don’t even remember the game their group was playing, but I do remember the 
tantrum from one of the neighbor kids. This young boy was screaming and  trying to 
pop the veins in his forehead over some horrific rules breach and was busy storming 
off in protest when my son turned to the rest of the group with a shrug and asked 
what they were playing next. His teammate had stormed off, his team had lost, and 
he just shrugged it off!

Now, don’t get me wrong - everybody loves to win. It’s easy to have fun when we’re 
winning. We all know this. Part of playing games, however, means we’re not always 
going to win. Some kids learn this and have fun no matter what the final score is. 
Others never learn this and only enjoy games when they’re ahead.

And this is why playing games is so important for kids as they’re working towards 
adulthood. The way we handle games as a child becomes the pattern for how we 
handle games and life events as adults (college, dating, employment, missionary 
service, et al). As parents, we all know that the events that turned out like we hoped 
are a fraction of those that end up becoming a ‘learning experience’ for us (I always 
hated that phrase, even if it is just that). Children need an environment where wins 
and losses are inconsequential…a place where they can get up from the table with 
their confidence and self-worth still intact. A lot of this comes by watching mom or 
dad’s ship (or railroad empire or plastic army) get obliterated while we laugh and 
joke about it – setting the stage for how to react to losses of all kinds.



As a missionary, I was able to see both sides of the coin in this regard. I saw 
missionaries who were able to roll with the punches of slammed doors, companion 
disputes, bible-bashing ministers and long periods of time without letters from 
home. With the same shrug that my son handled his grievous setbacks in a safe 
environment, these missionaries were able to shrug their shoulders and move 
ahead. These were the missionaries who always smiled and who seemed to enjoy 
the journey itself. Contrast that with the missionaries who threw a tantrum against 
members, companions, and even God himself when they perceived some horrific 
‘rules violation’ of how it was supposed to be. These missionaries had learned to 
enjoy the journey when they were ‘winning’ (teaching, baptizing, training a LOT of 
people), but missed the joy that was the journey itself.

As a parent, I want to see my children succeed in life. Succeeding in life doesn’t mean 
winning all the time, and often it means we lose a lot more than we should. When we 
learn to handle setbacks with a shrug and enjoy the trip, we will succeed at what 
matters most. When we teach our kids to shrug off the small setbacks in life - losing 
your fortune because the dice put you on Park Place with hotels, coming in last lace 
because you had to draw 4 cards three turns in a row, or having your invincible 
battlecruiser destroyed by space pirates – it teaches them to shrug off the larger 
setbacks they will certainly face – losing a job, being dumped by a fiancé days before 
a wedding, or having an investigator call off a baptism and ask the missionaries to 
stop coming over.



And so, coming back to those shattered dreams…

How wonderful it is to be able to watch your child’s dreams be shattered in a safe 
place, with plastic and cardboard as the casualties! When this happens, we know 
they’ll be ready for the hard times they’ll run into as missionaries – opening a new 
area with nobody to teach, a ‘dear john’ waiting in their inbox, or a companion who 
likes to sleep in until noon every day. When that time comes (and as parents, we 
know it will), imagine how nice it will be for that missionary to remember the 
laughter his family shared as his prize warship was destroyed by cardboard meteors 
and plastic pirates…



…and he’ll shrug his shoulders as a man with the same resolve he did when he was 
twelve.



About the author: Eight kids call Bryun Lemon “dad”, one beautiful lady calls him 
“dear” and everyone at his company - Chapter Three Games - calls him…Bryun. 
Bryun took something he enjoyed growing up (board games) and combined it with a 
desire to create something to being families together. When he started Chapter 
Three Games with the mission statement “It’s not about the games we make, it’s 
about the people who play them” became the focus for why they were doing this. 
The latest game, Five Minute Delivery, is a game that gives families without a lot of 
time (that’s pretty much all of us) a way to spend time with each other. They are 
running their Kickstarter for Five Minute Delivery through August, and the link to 
check it out can be found here: www.fiveminutedelivery.com.


Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Sorry Mister, I'm a Sister IV

I sure enjoyed Elder Holland's talk "The Cost--and Blessings--of Discipleship" from the April 2014 General Conference. I particularly loved this story...

“My companion and I saw a man sitting on a bench in the town square eating his lunch. As we drew near, he looked up and saw our missionary name tags. With a terrible look in his eye, he jumped up and raised his hand to hit me. I ducked just in time, only to have him spit his food all over me and start swearing the most horrible things at us. We walked away saying nothing. I tried to wipe the food off of my face, only to feel a clump of mashed potato hit me in the back of the head. Sometimes it is hard being a missionary because right then I wanted to go back, grab that little man, and say, ‘EXCUSE ME!’ But I didn’t.”

I am so grateful for our Missionaries that are out there day after day defending their beliefs with "courtesy and compassion" and spreading the good word!


****THE GOSPEL IS TRUE****
~Heidi  

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

GOOFY Part V



My boy is back in the Mission Field and you know what that means.... moooooore goofy pics!!! I love that these kids know how to have fun! Grab some popcorn and/or some chocolate (I love milk duds and popcorn together) turn up your speakers and sit back and ENJOY!

****THE GOSPEL IS TRUE***
~Heidi

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Many Are Called....But Few Are Sisters

There is a fabulous resource for young women preparing to serve a mission, it is the Facebook group called "Many are called....but few are sisters." I asked Christine Bates, the admin, what are the most common things posted over on that page? Here's what she told me...


1 - They need a support group of like-minded young women going in a positive direction, wanting to serve Jesus Christ.

2 - They share their excitement about their calls and announce where they are going.

3 - The want to be lifted, when they are feeling down or unsure - there is always someone to cheer and lift them!

4 - They want to find other Sisters or RM's that served in the mission they have been called to, or where they served so they can connect.

5 - They love to ask questions about where they are going, They want to know about clothes, food, climate, etc...


This Sisters page is a wonderful resource for these young women! If you know a young woman that is preparing to serve a mission, it's definitely the place for her to be!!!

****THE GOSPEL IS TRUE****

~Heidi   =0)


Thursday, June 25, 2015

You Are a Light on a Hill



You are just one light in the darkness
Traveling by faith
But just one light
Is hope to the ones who've lost their way

You are a light on a hill
It cannot be hidden
Cannot be still
Sharing His light
'Til the whole world is filled
You are a light on a hill

In a world that's lost and lonely
Heaven works through you
Bringing hope to those who are searching
For the truth

Father rejoices on high
For the beauty that fills up your life
In all that you do
You have been true
And others can see Him through you 

-Jenny Phillips-

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

LOOPHOLE

My Son came home from his mission. 

With 10 months left... he came home. He realized that there were some things that he needed to take care of... so he came home.  

On a Friday afternoon I got a call from our Stake President. He said that he needed to talk to me and my husband and could we call him together as soon as possible. I said sure, and hung up. Aaaaand then my mind started to wonder... was one of us getting a Stake calling? I had a really uneasy feeling, so I called him back and asked if he was needing to talk to ME with my Husband there or if he wanted to talk to my HUSBAND with me on the line??? He said he needed to talk to us both at the same time. I asked if my Missionary was OK, he said yes.... and then I knew...

I knew in my heart that my son was coming home, and I had no idea why.



Flight info came later that day. We were to pick him up on Monday morning. I was slammed with a cocktail of emotions...  I was proud that he was strong enough to make this right! But, I was heart-sick, I was mad... at him, at me, at everyone!!! I was excited to see him, and then felt guilty that I was excited, I felt huge guilt...where had I gone wrong as a parent??? And I was WORRIED!!! Worried about how he was feeling, worried for his Mission President, worried for his companion, worried about how our ward would treat him and worried because what the heck do you do with a 20 year old boy....ok, man, for 6 months??? 

With such short notice, I ended up being the only one in the family that could go up to the airport to pick him up. Boy, that was a looooong drive! Once at the airport, I stared down the walkway, searching each face for my son. Then I saw him... he looked tired, and humble. I hugged him long, We cried. No banners. No balloons. No pictures. But, in that moment I realized... he is still my son and I would do anything in my power to help him. I had a deep motivation to support him in every way possible! 

He has met with our Bishop on a regular basis, our Stake President has been wonderful, our Ward family has been kind and accepting. He has made it a priority to keep up on his scripture studies and attend the temple as much as possible! He was called to teach a Primary class and has given service as much as his schedule allows. He got a job and has reffed basketball games and umpired baseball games to fill up the rest of his time!

Yesterday we got THE email. The email we have been waiting for since that 6 months was up!

Early tomorrow morning I will be taking my son...my missionary... back to the airport!!! He will return to his mission, to the people that he loves. He will be able to teach with a new strength and energy. He will be unstoppable!




Along this path we have taken, I have learned some valuable lessons! Lucky for me, I have two close friends, who have had sons in similar situations, that have held my hand and listened to me cry, scream and laugh through this whole experience!

Here are 10 things I have learned...


1- Be proud of him and let him know it! --Let the Bishop be the coach... you get to be the Cheerleader! 

2- Send out an email, or call close friends to let them know he is home and needs their support. --The most awkward part is when people see him for the first time.

3- Stand tall and walk with him into uncomfortable situations. --Walk with him into Sacrament Mtg that first time, and anywhere else that people might be judgmental... if they can see that YOU are OK, they will know that it's going to be OK!

4- Let him talk ALL about his mission experiences. --Ask tons of questions about his mission, the people, the food, the area. It is still a HUGE part of who he is!

5- It does get better --but well-meaning people can say dumb things sometimes.... love them anyways!

6- Keep him busy. --Jobs, service, callings....whatever....keep him busy!!!

7- Don't expect him to be perfect. --Just because he was a missionary doesn't mean he won't make mistakes... and you will too... cut him and yourself some slack! It's also important to know that he may not return, and it's alright!

8- Have fun. --The extra time you have is a gift! Laugh, play, enjoy having him home while you can!

9- The Priesthood does not move at the speed of Moms! In my mind, 6 months was up on May 24th..so I felt he should be back in the Mission on that day... it doesn't always work out that way!

10- The Atonement is personal. --You can't compare where your missionary (or anyone for that matter) is to where another Sister or Elder is. The Atonement is big enough to cover each of us in the way that we need it to. It is a very personal thing between each of us and our Savior.

Last year my son had told me that he wanted to extend, but that they weren't approving extensions anymore.... LOOPHOLE! But, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone.  ;)

****THE GOSPEL IS TRUE****

~Heidi

Sunday, June 7, 2015

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission!

Ever since I was old enough to talk, I have wanted to be a missionary! When I heard David O McKay's slogan "every member a missionary" I was ecstatic! Although I have never served a full-time mission, I have had the privileged of having several friends hear the goodness of the Gospel in my home. Those experiences are priceless and will forever be dear to me! The Missionaries that came and taught...the Spirit that protected our home... the love and laughter that we shared, they will forever be part of who I am!

I do have to say that there is a small part of me that still wishes I would've had the opportunity to serve a full-time mission. These kids make it look sooooooooo awesome!!! I guess I will have to live vicariously through them for now!  ;)


Friday, May 22, 2015

P-Day = Preparation Day IV

It is so much fun to get pictures in your Monday/P-Day email or letter! I don't think there is anything that makes a Missionary Momma happier, except maybe that Mother's Day or Christmas Skype/call! It does a Momma's heart good to see her Missionary doing great things in the world and enjoying his or her mission!

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.


Monday, May 11, 2015

READ THIS BOOK!

“Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God? … If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book."
A dear friend of mine called me a couple weeks ago and asked me if I would teach her Relief Society lesson for her. So, I got right to studying the lesson. Saturday, to my complete horror, I realized I had prepared THE WRONG LESSON!!!

As my mind raced around in circles, I remembered a video that one of our sweet Missionary Mommas had recently put together for HER RS lesson... and I realized that it was the same lesson that I was SUPPOSED to be teaching!!! So, I copied her idea and put this together!

The Gospel is true. Reading The Book of Mormon is one of the best ways to receive answers to your prayers! Take time today to...


Saturday, May 9, 2015

GOOFY IV

Last year we had a fun photo competition for Mother's Day, this year we have taken a compilation of "goofy pics" and put them together for your viewing pleasure! As Missionary Mommas, we can be goofy... running around snapping pictures of Sisters and Elders that we encounter on our grocery runs, carpool drives and library trips. We cry at the drop of a hat (or song), we network better than the FBI, and we are on a first-name basis with the folks at the Post Office! BUT WE DON'T PHOTOGRAPH OURSELVES DOING THESE THINGS!!!!  HAHA!

Enjoy your soggy cereal in bed, your Skype or your call, your petunia (or other gift from your ward) ... and have a laugh or two on us! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!