Thoughts from a Mission Mom

The never ending cycle of missionaries coming and going. This is the hardest part of being a mission mom. I get to know the missionaries, watch them grow in confidence and wisdom, grow to love them, and then they go home...

The transfer week starts out on a high note, with our new missionaries coming in. It’s so incredible. You see the excitement and light in their eyes. You feel their energy. They are anxious to go to work, and experience all that the mission entails. I absolutely love it! I get a little bit intimidated when all the new faces come. I try so hard to remember each of the names, and get to know a little bit about them. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed... How will I remember all of them?? How will I get to know them?? But as time goes on, I start to feel a real connection. I start to see them go to work, and sacrifice for other people. I start to see their testimonies grow, and their faith increase. And I get to know each of them. As they go through trials, they will call and tell us about it, and we help them work through it. (Mostly President Collings helps them, unless it’s an illness, then it’s me.)  As they see miracles or tender mercies, they are anxious to let us know. And pretty soon, they have really become OUR missionaries.

Just look at this amazing group! We received 19 new missionaries last week. NINETEEN! You wouldn’t think that there could be that many young men who are all AMAZING, but they are! They have come to the mission prepared, and ready to teach.

Loading up the vans.

Thanks to Godfrey for risking life and limb to help us get luggage strapped on. 

 Let’s just say, it’s no small feat trying to get them all to the mission home from the airport. We are only 20 miles away from the airport, but it usually takes about 2 hours travel time with the traffic. We had two vans, and two trucks to take all of the missionaries and all of the luggage. It is so fun to see the new missionaries’ reaction to the traffic in Kampala. It’s unlike anything you have ever seen in the United States.

Once we got back to the mission home we fed them, and then we asked some of the missionaries who had been out for a while, to give them some advice.

 They each took a few minutes to send an email home, just letting family members know they arrived safely.

They spent the night at the mission home, and then had orientation the next morning. By about 1:00pm they were all ready to go meet their new companions.


As the week goes on, it’s time to bid farewell to our veterans. These missionaries have spent the last two years in the refiner’s fire of mission work. They have worked hard, sacrificed their time, talent’s and comforts. They have suffered rejection and persecution, and have reacted to their trials in a Christ like manner. They have studied the scriptures, and the words of modern day prophets. They have learned to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and follow them. They have been tempered, and polished, and perfected in missionary work. I always say, now that they are the perfect missionaries, it’s time for them to go home. And my heart breaks.

This week we sent 17 of them home. SEVENTEEN!!!  Again I wonder how there could possibly be that many men who are AMAZING! But they are!  How can I let them leave??

It’s amazing to see how much growth can occur in two short years. We are blessed to see it every day. I love it when a missionary “gets it”. They have an “aha” moment, and everything clicks into place. They understand their purpose, and they start to live it. You see the light in their eyes, and the spring in their step, and even though they experience trials, they are optimistic because they know there is a blessing right around the corner. This is a payday for a mission president and mission mom. It’s not about how many baptisms we get as a mission, it’s about the growth of our missionaries. It’s seeing them embrace the eternal truths they teach every day. It’s seeing them in 10 years, still embracing those gospel truths. How can we help but love our missionaries? We are so blessed!