As most of you know, Seth is my third child to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I've heard some one-time-only missionary moms say things like, "It was great, but I'm glad I only had to do it once. Once was fantastic, but once was enough!" Well, okay, but you see, I didn't get to decide how many of my kids would choose to serve missions. Turns out my number is three!
The experience of being a missionary mom has evolved over the years. I did not serve a mission myself, but if I had, my parents would have had to wait each week for a snail mail letter, never certain if or when it would arrive. And pictures? Uh, probably few if any. Honestly, how did missionary moms do it in those days?
When I sent my first in 2006-2008, we at least had email. I could be reasonably certain I'd hear from Luke on P-day (Monday), unless it was a legal holiday when libraries were closed, and then I had to wait another week. He sent very few pictures. Occasionally, a dear member in Portland would email me a picture. Oh the joy! With no social media to connect missionary families, this incredibly generous lady named Betty organized email groups for parents of kids serving in the same mission. I joined the OPM (Oregon Portland Mission) email group right away and was able to connect with several moms of Luke's companions. Thank you, Betty!
By the time Eli served in 2012-2014, we not only had regular P-day email, but with the advent of social media, we had Facebook! Oh yes indeed, the Facebook page for the ARLM (Arkansas Little Rock Mission) families became my rock. I could go there with questions for parents of kids who had been serving longer than Eli. I could chat with moms of his companions. I could even connect with members in the mission who were taking such good care of him. Those of us living here in the valley would gather occasionally, either at restaurants or at someone's home, to share experiences, concerns, and mutual understanding. It's just impossible to understand missionary momhood until you are one. Eli has been home over four years now, and I still hang out with friends formed from that group (Hello Diana, Carlene, Janeen, Lisa)!
And here's my cute Elder Webster with a little boy he baptized:
So things changed a lot for moms between my first and second missionaries, but guys, it's nothing compared to the changes in the last four years. Now I have Seth in Paraguay, way farther away than either of my other two, and yet, I have more information than I ever had with them. Yes, we still have weekly email, only Seth has the technology to send pictures every week.
Like this one today:
And yes, there's a Facebook group, two actually, one for families of missionaries serving in the Paraguay Asuncion Mission and one for the mission itself, administrated by President and Sister Hansen. Both provide tons of information, and missionary moms hunger for information with an insatiable voracity.
Beyond Facebook, we also have the Westovers, a missionary couple currently serving in the mission, who happen to have a blog. Well heck yeah! Cuz I just happen to love people who blog. Sister Westover provides weekly updates about their experiences in the mission, and she writes with such genuine voice! I love reading it. And she also posts pictures. For example, this one right here:
I get kinda mad at technology sometimes. Especially when it doesn't work. But I wouldn't go back to earlier times for all the asaditos (sp?) in Paraguay! (These are asaditos, by the way.)
I can't even imagine no connection beyond a letter that may or may not arrive in the mailbox. Yikes! Heavenly Father knew I needed to be a missionary mom now, and not 20 years ago.
Even though it's hard sometimes, I'm so grateful for the opportunity I've had to be a missionary mom three times.
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