Ward Missionary Calling | Natural Family Blog 🌹 Jenny Hatch

Recently David Archuleta announced he was going to serve a mission for the LDS church.

For my readers who are curious to know how this works:

Young LDS men and women indicate to their Bishops that they are interested in serving a full time Mission. They have to be worthy to serve and pass two interviews with Priesthood Leaders. Then they fill out some paperwork which shares a variety of factual information about them with the church leadership. They do not get to pick where they will serve and We Believe that the Holy Spirit influences those who make those sacred decisions that the missionaries will be sent to the best place for them to serve.

After a few weeks they receive a “call” and are asked to report to the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah on a certain date. They pay all expenses for travel to the MTC, clothing, and scriptures etc…and also pay a monthly fee to cover living expenses and incidentals tied to mission life.

The new missionaries are not allowed to phone home or have significant contact with family and friends back home, but they are allowed to skype on Christmas and visit with Family Members. This is to keep them focused on the work and also provide growth and development during the two years they are in the field.

Young Men age 19 are eligible to serve and Young Women aged 21 are eligible to serve. The age discrepancy is to discourage fraternization of the young people while they are missionaries and also to encourage young women to marry if they have the opportunity. All young men are called to serve, and young women are able to go if they so choose.

You do not have to be a lifelong member of the church to serve a mission.

Many times young people will get baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and they will immediately decide that they want to serve. Some of the best Missionaries I have known over the years have been those on fire with new member enthusiasm who immediately turn around and request to serve. The church likes to have them faithfully attend church meetings and prepare for Temple Ordinances for a year before they go out to preach the gospel.

I predict David will be an amazing missionary in whatever locale he is called to serve. And wish him well as he prepares to go.

Jenny

Paul and I are Ward Missionaries, which is a part time six month calling to teach the Gospel to anyone within our locale who is interested in learning more about the church.

We partner with the full time missionaries to teach the investigators as well as anyone in our ward who is interested in learning more about the principles of the gospel.

Paul started work yesterday, the boys resumed seminary and school today, and my daughters fly back to Utah on friday.

Ben came up to me yesterday and requested that we begin his second semester of Home Schooled third grade because Dad was going to be busy with work and would not be able to “keep him occupied”. I said that would be fine, and we began again with his simple schedule:

Religion: Scriptures, Faith in God, Scouts
Music: Music Theory, Singing, Piano, Guitar
Math: Saxon 3, Mutiplication Flash Cards, and Saxon 54
Recess/PE
Language Arts: Reading and Writing
Art
Lunch
Computer
Reading/Quiet Time

It has been lovely to have a break and some real help with the cooking and cleaning. My daughters were excited to have the time to do some legitimate cooking, and I was so happy to have their help putting away Christmas and deep cleaning the Living Room.

Highlights from this vacation include the Christmas Day Choir at church where six members of the Hatch Family sang and I sat in the congregation singing along and enjoyed watching my family participate. I have been too ill to sing with any choir this year, too tired to attend rehearsals and church on the same day. ( I did go sing at a nursing home with our ward choir because I knew Rutters For the Beauty of the Earth really well and they needed sopranos who could sing the tricky rhythms. )

We also enjoyed many hours of quiet conversation, a few memorable squabbles, and some time spent giving each other foot and back massages with essential oils. An innumerable number of board games were played and Allison and Jeff went on a few dates and to several parties.

Paul and I went out for lunch and saw War Horse, excellent movie.

We just relaxed and spent most of our time doing whatever we wanted, which translated into several Marathon viewings of 24, seasons 7 and 3 and a Big Bang Theory marathon on New Years. (It is bar none the funniest show I have ever watched, but I am determined to stop watching because it is just not appropriate viewing for Mormons – Waaaaay too much sex).

I love vacations, but I also love a more fixed schedule and a little more structure to our day.

As queen of my castle I have one goal for 2012 and that is to magnify my calling as a Ward Missionary. So if you are someone who is looking for answers to lifes most pressing questions, namely:

Who am I?
Why am I here on Earth?
And, What is going to happen to me when I die?

Please contact me personally using the contact form above.

I would love to share my Faith in Jesus Christ with you.