Questions:
Q. Can I request when I go on my mission and where I will serve?
Q. How much does a mission cost? Is it true that it is only $1,400 per month?
Q. Can I serve if I have health limitations? Can I get my prescription medications in the country I’m serving in?
Q. Do I have to be able to speak a foreign language if I get called to a foreign country?
Q. How far in advance should we put in our application for a mission?
Q. Will I have the same schedule as young missionaries? Will I be tracting and proselyting?
Q. What will I be doing on my mission?
Q. Do I need any special skills?
Q. Can I have contact with my family while I’m on a mission?
Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)
Q. Can I request when I go on my mission and where I will serve?
You can give your preferences and these are considered very strongly, but where you serve is up to the Lord and His servants. There is no guarantee that you will go to the place you choose. (Back to top)
Q. How much does a mission cost? Is it true that it is only $1,400 per month?
How much a mission costs per month depends on where you serve. If housing and utilities exceed $1,400, the Church helps cover the cost of housing and utilities only. This does not, however, include other costs such as food, clothing, and transportation. (Back to top)
Q. Can I serve if I have health limitations? Can I get my prescription medications in the country I’m serving in?
Yes, you can serve if you have health limitations. However, you will need to describe these limitations in your application so that you can be assigned to serve in an area where your health needs can be appropriately met. (Back to top)
Q. Do I have to be able to speak a foreign language if I get called to a foreign country?
Some missions require foreign language skills while others do not. Free language training is available online, and most missions have translators available for senior missionary couples. (Back to top)
Q. How far in advance should we put in our application for a mission?
We recommend turning in your application about 6 months before you’d like to leave on your mission. You will still be able to give your date of availability. Turning in your papers in advance gives the time needed to process your application, extend a call, and get foreign travel requirements in order before you leave for your mission. (Back to top)
Q. Will I have the same schedule as young missionaries? Will I be tracting and proselyting?
Each mission for senior couples has different responsibilities and schedules, but you will not keep the same schedule as young missionaries. Welfare and humanitarian missions do not include proselyting, although evenings and weekends may be devoted to supporting local members as directed by your mission president. (Back to top)
Q. What will I be doing on my mission?
What you will be doing depends on the type of mission you are serving and where you will be serving.
As a Welfare Services missionary serving in an employment resource center, couples and senior sisters assist the unemployed and underemployed in finding employment. Missionaries for ERS may provide specialized training for better employment, teach career planning and job search classes, develop business community contacts, or train local employment center volunteers, Church leaders, and patrons.
As a Welfare Services missionary serving internationally for Humanitarian Services, you would develop relationships with government, community, and charity organization leaders. Together you will determine what the local critical needs are and where to find the resources to meet those needs. Major projects will be planned by a specialist who has professional training and expertise. Major projects include wheelchairs, vision, clean water, mother and newborn care, and immunization. Area projects are developed locally with other organizations to meet the needs of the community.
As a Welfare Services missionary serving as a bishops’ storehouse specialist, you would ensure all canning production assignments for the Church are met by maintaining equipment, meeting critical processing points, and directing the work of staff and volunteers. You would also ensure that equipment operates correctly, coordinate volunteers, maintain vital records, and promote a safe work environment by training volunteers and staff and enforcing safe work practices.
(Back to top)
Q. Do I need any special skills?
Welfare missionaries may need a variety of skills depending on the mission, but they almost always need the ability to use a computer. Other helpful skills include communication skills, leadership experience, the ability to adapt to diverse cultures, and the ability to develop relationships. (Back to top)
Q. Can I have contact with my family while I’m on a mission?
Yes, you can email and video chat with family. (Back to top)
