Rumors of 19 year old females going on missions

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I disagree....I hate funerals and would be happy to miss one.

I don't want you to feel any pressure to attend mine.

[Donuthole]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I was asked to extend. I entered the MTC on July 24, 1996 and came home August 10, 1998.

...okay the reality was that we got a new mission president in June 1998 and supposedly no missionaries were supposed to leave in the transfer cycle in July 1998. That's what was said to me. Then the July transfer cycle came around and low and behold a couple guys were able to go home that had either gone into the MTC in late June 1996 or on my entry date. So, I was suckered into spending an extra month in Germany. We called July 24, 1998 my "chump day."

On a positive note, the August transfer cycle brought in something like 20 new missionaries (there were only around 110 missionaries in my mission, 10 missionaries during one of the summer months wasn't unusual, but 20 was shock to the system). Frankfurt, Germany -- home city for my mission -- was my last area and according to the mission president the church administration made an error with how many missionaries they had assigned for that one month. But the calls were made and they weren't going to tell the kids "hey, we were just joking, you're really supposed to go to Siberia." So, I had to take out about four of these kids at a time for a couple days and had ample opportunity to relish in the joy of going home while simultaneously letting these poor jet-lagged kids know that they were in it for the long haul now.

I was asked to extend. I entered August 5, 1998 and was asked to extend through the cycle going home August 22, 2000. I was hesitant, because that meant I would arrive home on a Friday and start college the next Monday. But I didn't want to tell my MP no, either. I told my MP that I wanted to extend, but asked if I could call home and discuss the logistics with my parents. When I called, they told me they had just purchased non-refundable plane tickets to come to Guatemala to pick me up on July 20 (my original departure cycle). Aww shucks.

So I got the glory (and the glory was great!) of being willing to extend without having to actually do it. Win-Win.

[imanihonjin]

I don't want you to feel any pressure to attend mine.

Thanks, buddy!

[thesaint258]

For the record, I wasn't asked to extend, and I certainly wasn't going to do so willingly.

[byu71]

For the record, I wasn't asked to extend, and I certainly wasn't going to do so willingly.

When asked to extend I have done so willingly and happily. I am a pleaser.

[RC Vikings]

Holy shit that's crazy! Go home, dude! Imagine having the rest of your life to regret missing your dad's funeral so that you could keep up appearances in your stupid mission that you could go right back to at any time.

If I was an oldest son and my mother needed me home for the funeral I would have gone if not I would have stayed out to delay the reality of losing my father.

[fusnik]

I've always thought it very strange when missionaries don't go home at least for the funeral of a parent or sibling who dies. Especially when it is the missionary who decides they don't want to interrupt their service.

I had a companion whose father passed. He talked extensively with his family, this is what dad would want. Brothers opining on what he should do. The consensus from his family seemed to be that he should stay. After the 3rd or 4th call home he asked what I would do and I said if my pops died there is nothing in this world that would stop me from going home and laying my dad to rest.

My comp left the next morning.

The church shouldn't even give you a choice, parent, sibling, dies should = automatic release.

[Donuthole]

The church shouldn't even give you a choice, parent, sibling, dies should = automatic release.

Yep. The only choice should be if the missionary wants to go back out. If he/she decides not to go back out, he/she still gets an honorable release. It's like winning the worst lottery in the history of mankind.

Now my creative juices are flowing and I think this would make for a compelling short film. Missionary struggles with mission life. Decides he wants to go home, but can't decide whether he's willing to accept the negatives that come from such a decision. Prays multiple times a day about his decision. Then, boom.

[falafel]

I was asked to extend. I entered August 5, 1998 and was asked to extend through the cycle going home August 22, 2000. I was hesitant, because that meant I would arrive home on a Friday and start college the next Monday. But I didn't want to tell my MP no, either. I told my MP that I wanted to extend, but asked if I could call home and discuss the logistics with my parents. When I called, they told me they had just purchased non-refundable plane tickets to come to Guatemala to pick me up on July 20 (my original departure cycle). Aww shucks.

So I got the glory (and the glory was great!) of being willing to extend without having to actually do it. Win-Win.

Something like that happened to me. There was a new president and they switched up the transfer schedule. I could either go home 3 weeks early or 3 weeks late. At the time, I didn't like the thought of not having "served the whole two years," so I stayed an extra 3 weeks. My mom was furious. In retrospect, there was no real reason to stay another 3 weeks.

[smokymountainrain]

I had a companion whose father passed. He talked extensively with his family, this is what dad would want. Brothers opining on what he should do. The consensus from his family seemed to be that he should stay. After the 3rd or 4th call home he asked what I would do and I said if my pops died there is nothing in this world that would stop me from going home and laying my dad to rest.

My comp left the next morning.

The church shouldn't even give you a choice, parent, sibling, dies should = automatic release.

[TripletDaddy]

i didnt extend. I actually went home around 6 weeks early

[byu71]

The church shouldn't even give you a choice, parent, sibling, dies should = automatic release.

Seriously. I wouldn't have taken you for someone who believes the church should get involved in a family decision.

[Northwestcoug]

I had a companion whose father passed. He talked extensively with his family, this is what dad would want. Brothers opining on what he should do. The consensus from his family seemed to be that he should stay. After the 3rd or 4th call home he asked what I would do and I said if my pops died there is nothing in this world that would stop me from going home and laying my dad to rest.

My comp left the next morning.

The church shouldn't even give you a choice, parent, sibling, dies should = automatic release.

Yeah, there should absolutely be no pressure to stay or return.

Thinking about my comp more, his dad's death was a complete shock. I'm pretty sure he was at peace with his decision to stay on the mission, and I didn't think one way or the other about it. He wrote a eulogy to be read at his dad's funeral. He finished his mission and I didn't hear from him again for a long time. I'm not sure if he feels the same way now he did then, but he has strayed in and out of activity as far as I know. I'm not making any correlation, just sayin'.

[The_Douger]

I went home 9 days short of the day I entered the MTC. The way the changes worked that time, I didn't really feel like spending a third Christmas and Thanksgiving on my mission. So, I went home. Everyone from my group did as well, except for 2 guys.

[MarkGrace]

I went home a couple weeks early so that I'd only miss one March Madness, which is what I had planned from the outset.