If you’re a mother of a missionary, then you’re probably already counting down the days and minutes until you get that long-awaited phone call from your son or daughter on Mother’s Day!
When it comes to talking to your missionary on the phone you need to keep a few guidelines in mind. Your son or daughter is a missionary of the Lord and needs to stay focused. Be positive and encouraging on the phone. Dallas H. Bradford served as a mission president and shared some good counsel for parents:
“If you are not careful, these phone calls can have a distracting effect upon your missionary.” …
“As with your letters, we encourage you to focus these conversations on the well-being of your missionary, the status of the work in his or her area, and the investigators and new members he or she is teaching.” (Dallas H. and Marjorie S. Bradford, “Helping from Home,” Ensign, Jul 2003, 48–53)
I remember when I served a mission that it was often difficult to return my thoughts to my work after hearing about all of the fun things that were going on at home. Be sure that the things you share in your phone conversation help the missionary remain confident that being on a mission is exactly where he or she needs to be at that time.
The Lord set the standard for full-time missionary service when He said,
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
Encourage your missionary to give it his all during his two years, because the time will quickly come to an end and he’ll have the rest of his life to reflect on how he spent his time in the service of the Lord.
