26: Navigating Home Challenges: When to Include Your Missionary

In this episode of LDS Missionary Moms, we discuss a crucial and often challenging topic: dealing with difficult situations at home and deciding when to include your missionary in these challenges. We'll explore the importance of maintaining your missionary’s focus, assessing when to share tough news, and effective ways to communicate such news while providing emotional and spiritual support.

Content: We start with an introduction, welcoming listeners and setting the stage for our discussion. We acknowledge the common dilemma of sharing difficult news with a missionary. In the first segment, we delve into the importance of shielding your missionary from home difficulties to maintain their focus and protect their emotional and mental well-being. We then assess when to include your missionary in-home challenges, providing examples of appropriate situations and discussing the balance between transparency and protection.

In the next segment, we offer practical advice on communicating difficult news. We emphasize the benefits of written communication, allowing missionaries to process information at their own pace. Additionally, we discuss the importance of including spiritual support in these messages, sharing comforting scriptures and uplifting quotes.

We conclude the episode with a summary of the key points: the necessity of shielding missionaries from unnecessary stress, carefully assessing situations before sharing, and thoughtful communication strategies. We offer encouragement and support for missionary moms, emphasizing that they are not alone in this journey. We also provide a teaser for the next episode, inviting listeners to tune in.

Takeaways: Listeners will learn the importance of shielding their missionaries from stress, assessing when to inform their missionaries about home difficulties, and effective communication strategies that include spiritual support.

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Transcript

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Have you ever wondered if sharing tough news from home might distract your missionary from their sacred work? Or maybe you found yourself torn between wanting to be honest and wanting to protect them. If so you're not alone. In this episode, we're going to explore how to navigate these challenging decisions. And share some tips on how to communicate with love and with faith. Hello, and welcome to another episode of LDS missionary moms. This podcast where we support and uplift each other on this unique journey. Of having a missionary out in the field. I'm Michelle Evans. And today we're going to talk about a topic. That many of us space dealing with difficult situations at home and deciding when to include your missionary in these challenges. First let's discuss why shielding our missionaries from certain problems at home is crucial. At times. So our missionaries are out there dedicating their time and their energy to serving the Lord and spreading the gospel. And their focus needs to be on their mission. Any distractions can impact their effectiveness and emotional wellbeing. And it also takes them time. To absorb and kind of assimilate. Whatever is being shared. So let's consider some of the things that we should shield them from. Some examples are town or neighborhood gossip. Family drama. Maybe sibling arguments. More drama. Um, if you're considering sharing some of these, you need to ask yourself why. And what you're hoping to accomplish. So that you understand what your motives are in sharing this information. And the example that happened to me recently. I had a difficult conversation with one of my son's past coaches. And instinctively. I wanted to tell him about it. But after really evaluating. And I do that by writing down. What's happening and recognizing what the facts are in the situation. And what my motive is. To sharing it with my son. I realized the reason behind it. It was basically, I wanted to keep my son on my side of the issue. So because of that. That wasn't really keeping my side of the street clean. So I knew that that was something that didn't need to be shared. I was able to just kind of clean that up. And, not. What you him down. With that kind of information. And we know that our missionaries are strong, but they're also human. So when they hear about issues at home, It can really take a toll on them mentally and emotionally. And they might worry about us. Or feel guilty for not being able to help. Or they may become distracted from their work. This isn't what they're on a mission to do. So consider the friend who calls. Only to complain or gossip about someone and how hard it is for us to want to continue that friendship. Because of the energy it takes to filter out the negativity. So make sure that whatever information you're sharing, isn't coming from that. Negative space. Because we don't want to be that kind of energy vampire on our missionaries. However, there are times when it is necessary to share difficult news. So how do we do that? And how do we decide when to include our missionary? Start by assessing the situation. Is this something that will directly affect them or their mission? For example. Maybe a significant family event, like the loss of a loved one or a serious health issue. Might be things that they need to know about. I've had a number of people share with me that they don't share news. If a loved one is suffering from some kind of sickness or illness. Or even passes away. My own son, even when he left on his mission requested. That if one of his grandparents passed or something. Traumatic happened while he was on his mission, not to tell him. But imagine. When your missionary comes home. And they're trying to integrate back into regular life. And they're delivered some of this sad, possibly devastating news all at once. That can be devastating because they're already kind of, off-kilter trying to figure out how to get her legs back under them. And then they're delivered some of this news that may have happened. Months ago. They didn't know about. So recently we had some devastating news that came out of nowhere. About a really beloved family member. And I was really clear on my assessing on whether or not to share the news. I deciding that it was better, that he be aware. That there are some health issues happening. So that if something more tragic happens, Or if something. Positive happens that he has time to prepare himself for any of those possibilities and not be so surprised by them. And if things turn out okay, he can celebrate those good news. Is that happens. As well. But I didn't want to hold back. The news from him. So that. it would potentially create even more of a blindsided news. Down the road. So it's all about balance. We need to be transparent, but we also need to be protective. Consider framing the news in a way that's honest. Yet mindful of their emotional state. Offer reassurances and focus on how the family is managing the situation. With faith. And prayer and support. And it's also helpful. To request that family members being included in your missionaries prayer. And remember that having faith through the easy times is easy. But having faith through the difficult times. Is how we continue. To build more faith. So let's talk about. How to communicate difficult news. So when it comes to communicating difficult news, depending on what your style is, consider how you want to deliver it. You can do it in writing. If that is your preference, or you can deliver it over the phone. Where it's more of a face to face. Experience and they can ask questions. You want to be very clear, but gentle. Delivering the facts of this situation. Without adding in conjecture and assumptions in your own thoughts. So our brains are always wanting to fill in the gaps that there's some uncertainty that's happening. So be mindful of this so that you can stay clean in what you're delivering and how you're delivering it. And then always includes some spiritual support. Things that are helping you navigate those circumstances. Stances or perhaps sharing a scripture or uplifting quote. And reminder of the power of prayer. This not only provides comfort, but also really reinforces. Their faith, but also your faith in the situation. And what's happening. All right to summarize. It's crucial to maintain your missionaries focus and emotional wellbeing. By shielding them from unnecessary stress, unnecessary drama. And carefully assessing when to include them. In things that are going on at home. Difficulties. And communicating any of the news that you have thoughtfully, spiritually, and also I'm definitely using prayer. All right, you guys, I hope you found this episode helpful. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. If you have stories to share, I'm going to include a link to my email in the show notes. Please reach out. And share some stories and I'm going to accumulate those. And share them on a future episode. Until next time. Stay strong, stay faithful and keep supporting your missionary with love. Bye-bye.