Submitted by Amira
The LDS Church’s missionary program is quite different from other Evangelical Christians’ missionary work. One major difference is that entire families will often go to various parts of the world to do missionary work of all types. I’ve had a chance to meet some of these missionary families, especially in Israel and Kyrgyzstan, and they do some good work. We don’t do anything like this and haven’t for a long time (I can only think of a few examples in early Church history). Mission presidents might count, but it’s not quite the same thing.
As I’ve traveled in the Middle East and Central Asia, areas where there are very few Church members, I’ve seen the value of expatriate LDS families living in these places.
I want to make it clear that I do not think that overseas branches require Americans to function. I think local leadership wherever it is available is essential. But small branches like I’ve seen in Central Asia and the Middle East can be greatly strengthened by simply having a family there who has a little experience.
Couple missionaries rarely speak the language of the country they’re serving in; younger elders and sisters simply don’t have much experience. Families would be much better able to learn the language and are likely to have quite a bit of experience. I’ve also discovered that we have very different opportunities as a family- we associate with different people. Families might be able to fill some gaps.
I am sure there are many reasons that we don’t have family missions. Obviously a family’s situation would be quite different. For example, they would need to stay in one place, especially if the children were attending school. Economics is obviously a major factor; it would take quite a bit of planning for a family to be able to do something like this. But there are ways to get around those economic issues; many other Christians have. Is there something more that stops us from having family missionaries?
You might argue that the need is being met already by families like ours who choose to live overseas. There are families who do this, but they have to go to where the jobs or grants are, usually in big cities. Often they end up in places where there are established wards. The really out-of-the-way places like small towns and villages (and most of Central Asia, for that matter) are often missed.
I often hear people touting the benefits of living outside of Utah, but it always seems to be in favor of living somewhere else in the US. Rarely do I hear anyone say that we ought to move overseas. And isn’t the need there greater in many cases?
Amira currently lives in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan where she homeschools her two children. Her husband is teaching constitutional and development law as a Fulbright Scholar this year. Amira and her husband both studied Arabic in the Middle East, and she has a degree in International Relations and Near Eastern Studies.