Feeding The Elders...

If I said that our family fed dinner to a pair of elders, anywhere else in the country, you might think we had served meals to a couple of nursing home residents. But if I say that same thing where we live, everyone knows exactly what I mean. No, we didn't feed a pair of elderly individuals dinner--they weren't elderly at all. In fact, the two were relatively young, under twenty-years old.

Feeding the LDS missionaries is something we members do a lot. Of course, not all missionaries are as lucky (and well-fed...) as others. Case in point, I did the mission thing in the mid-80s. Where I served, there were not mormons in ninety percent of the homes, nor were there mormon churches on every other corner. No, I served in Europe, Denmark specifically, and there's about five times more mormons in the small-ish community where I live now than are in the entire country of Denmark.

Members in America are the same as members all over the world--they want to help the missionaries any way they can, including them having them over for dinner. But, fewer members means fewer opportunities to feed the missionaries. In Denmark had several opportunities to break bread with Danish mormons, but I'm pretty sure the two missionaries we had over will eat at members homes more this month alone than I did in the entire two years I lived among the Danes.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining, because I don't mean to. I had some amazing experiences, and--on the plus side, I got to learn how to prepare food for myself--something that came in handy in college.

The missionaries were great company, and they enjoyed the dinner my wife and family prepared. We snapped a couple of pictures so we could send them back to their parents. It's something members in California did for our own son many times, and each time they did, we were extremely appreciative. 

Feeding the missionaries is a rare occurrence for us. There's so many members that we get to have them over once ever half decade or so. That's okay--that way everyone gets to help out. So, if you're ever wondering what it's like to have missionaries over for dinner, if they come knocking, just invite them back for dinner. I'll bet they'll take you up on your offer.