No eating out for missionaries?

[RachelleDrew]

So i'm kind of in a conundrum here. I take the missionaries out to eat a lot, usually like Pizza Hut or something. I enjoy their company, and I like learning from them and helping feed them. I can't cook for crap, so buying them fast food is really the only way I can "feed the missionaries". Besides, even if I could cook I could not have them in my house. As of right now, my husband is still not living with me so i'm not able to have them inside my home.

I totally understand that rule, which is why i've stuck to public places for meeting the missionaries. 3/4 times i've got a non-LDS friend with me so it's not like we are just shooting the breeze and wasting the missionaries time. This has actually worked out well because we've had two new converts and like five investigators that started out as friends of mine

just coming along to these dinners.

Recently though, an older member of the branch told me that this was not allowed. Taking the missionaries out to eat that is. She said it was fine to have them in your home, but you weren't supposed to take them out to eat.

I've never heard this before, ever. I'll certainly abide by it if that's the rule, although i'll be really disappointed considering all the good it's done so far. Anyone else ever hear about that?

[mrmarklin]

Totally untrue. I take them out all the time.

[Dravin]

In my experience there are a lot of 'rules' floating around that the missionaries are supposed to be following that are the figments of member's imaginations. That said it could be a local mission rule. It wasn't in my mission though, and even if it was I'm fairly sure an exception would have existed for having a non-member present. If it is against the rules the missionaries should have informed you by now, and if you don't trust them I suppose you could call the Mission Office/President and ask.

[beefche]

Gotta love that saying, "Every member a mission president."

[tubaloth]

I don't know of any rule like that. I know there might have been some guidance given when going out to eat that it doesn't take longer then the hour they have designated for dinner. Meaning going out to eat doesn't interfere with any appointments they have later that night.

I went out to eat on my mission. I do know sometimes it did take longer then a normal dinner would (travel time, ordering food, traveling back). Usually if this was the case we would just make sure we started the dinner a little earlier so it would not cause any problems.

But you can also ask the missionaries.

[Dravin]

Gotta love that saying, "Every member a mission president."

Yeah. That is an attitude that tried my patience. I didn't quite get the point of asking them for a page number from the white handbook. I did get to the point of delivering a flat, "No it isn't" or "Actually we can" to being informed of some supposed rule.

[dazed-and-confused]

i never heard it either....even when i was a Stake Missionary, myself, back a few years...lol.

[john doe]

I've never heard that. The best thing to do would be to ask the missionaries. If there are rules about it, they should be the ones to know.............

[Vanhin]

I take the missionaries out to eat sometimes too, and they have never told me that it was against the rules. It was not against the rules when I was missionary. If you go to McDonald's (every country has them) and just don't look at the menu, it's almost like being back in the U.S.A... A mini embassy.

I feel you though. It sucks to have to deal with some "member mission president" (that was funny!). Just tell them it's not against the rules. I'd be careful not to give anyone the impression that it's like a "date" or a "double-date" (if you have a female investigator with you). A new rule will be forthcoming for sure... One of my mission presidents used to say "If you have to ask, the answer is no!". So, we never asked him anything...

Sounds like you are a good missionary yourself! I bet your name is all over the Area Book. :)

Regrards,

Vanhin

[Guest]

No rule against it here either. But, our mission president encouraged us to not just feed the missionaries but also to take the opportunity for some spiritual edification. So, whenever I take the missionaries out, I try to pick out a quiet place so we can have some kind of lesson or something.

[marts1]

Us older fella's get a bit fuzzy once in awhile. :)

[Palerider]

So i'm kind of in a conundrum here. I take the missionaries out to eat a lot, usually like Pizza Hut or something. I enjoy their company, and I like learning from them and helping feed them. I can't cook for crap, so buying them fast food is really the only way I can "feed the missionaries". Besides, even if I could cook I could not have them in my house. As of right now, my husband is still not living with me so i'm not able to have them inside my home.

I totally understand that rule, which is why i've stuck to public places for meeting the missionaries. 3/4 times i've got a non-LDS friend with me so it's not like we are just shooting the breeze and wasting the missionaries time. This has actually worked out well because we've had two new converts and like five investigators that started out as friends of mine

just coming along to these dinners.

Recently though, an older member of the branch told me that this was not allowed. Taking the missionaries out to eat that is. She said it was fine to have them in your home, but you weren't supposed to take them out to eat.

I've never heard this before, ever. I'll certainly abide by it if that's the rule, although i'll be really disappointed considering all the good it's done so far. Anyone else ever hear about that?

ask the missionaries about this or call the mission home and ask yourself...sometimes rules can vary mission to mission...

[RachelleDrew]

I take the missionaries out to eat sometimes too, and they have never told me that it was against the rules. It was not against the rules when I was missionary. If you go to McDonald's (every country has them) and just don't look at the menu, it's almost like being back in the U.S.A... A mini embassy.

I feel you though. It sucks to have to deal with some "member mission president" (that was funny!). Just tell them it's not against the rules. I'd be careful not to give anyone the impression that it's like a "date" or a "double-date" (if you have a female investigator with you). A new rule will be forthcoming for sure... One of my mission presidents used to say "If you have to ask, the answer is no!". So, we never asked him anything...

Sounds like you are a good missionary yourself! I bet your name is all over the Area Book. :)

Regrards,

Vanhin

Pardon my ignorance, but what is an Area Book?

I like to help the missionaries. I was a part of that small percentage of random door-to-door proselytizing that was successful. That's how I came to know the church: the missionaries knocked on my door one day when they didn't have any appointments. So I have a really strong testimony of missionary work due to that. Also, in our small branch they don't get fed a lot. Simply because there just aren't a lot of people to do so. I know that it's really hard for missionaries to come to our branch because they aren't getting the support they are used to in wards and whatnot.

I called the Elders just a few minutes ago. They said they weren't aware of any rule like that, so they are gonna ask their mission president about it.

[Just_A_Guy]

Missionaries are supposed to keep an "area book" that lists information that will be useful to new missionaries in the area. Some of it is just regular information you'd want to know if you live in an area--maps, local grocers, barbers, etc; and some of it relates to the work the missionaries have been doing (membership lists, lists of current and past investigators and their contact info, that kind of thing).

It's an oft-neglected duty. I think I spent a grand total of 2 hours compiling an area book on my entire mission; and that was because my comp and I were both being transferred out of an area simultaneously and replaced by two sisters we would never meet.

[Justice]

I think it's a misunderstood encouragement given to missionaries about eating in member's homes. Missionaries can do a lot of good by eating in member's homes. They can get the members to pick a family or friend and them have dinner with them also... in their home. It's a good idea.

Someone has taken something they have been encouraged to do and twisted it into a "can't do" something else. I bet you the missionaries appreciate the dinners until you can have them in your home again.

You know, sometimes you just can't win. If you had them in your home that same person might say you're not supposed to do that (for the reasons you mentioned).

Hang in there. The important thing is that we not let any of these things change our love for others.

[ozzy]

I served in England, and that wasn't a rule.

That said, and I hate to say this (I truly do), there were some members that had the situation risen I would have told that just so I didn't have to go with them. Thankfully that never happened, but if it did to a missionary around where you live then word would have spread like wildfire and everyone would have believed it.

[volgadon]

Personally, were I one of those elders and was informed that a member said there is such and such a rule, yet I don't know about it, i would not call the mission president. The member is obviously mistaken.

Missionaries get pounded with the mission rules at every possible opportunity, so if they do not know of such a rule, such a rule does not exist in their mission.

[Vanhin]

Personally, were I one of those elders and was informed that a member said there is such and such a rule, yet I don't know about it, i would not call the mission president. The member is obviously mistaken.

Missionaries get pounded with the mission rules at every possible opportunity, so if they do not know of such a rule, such a rule does not exist in their mission.

Exactly. In fact, many of the rules that they now have would not be in place if all the missionaries just acted like responsible adults. I'm just glad that we could still hit the Sauna when I was missionary in Finland. Now the rules prohibit it. Something to do with a greenie prank...

Vanhin

[Vanhin]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is an Area Book?

Like Just_A_Guy said, it's a record that the missionaries keep (or are supposed to keep) on their work in the area. It helps maintain continuity from transfer to transfer. If you have been involved in finding, teaching, or followshipping activities with the missionaries, they will most likely make a record of that. That way, a year later when they contact a former investigator again, they will see from the record that you know them and worked with them. Like that.

Regards,

Vanhin

[MichaelPAGuy]

I work at a Wal-Mart and we have a McDonalds in the store here, I buy lunch for the Missionaries at McDonalds every Monday.

[mnn727]

Recently though, an older member of the branch told me that this was not allowed. Taking the missionaries out to eat that is. She said it was fine to have them in your home, but you weren't supposed to take them out to eat.

?

No such rule, we take the missionaries out to eat every so often too.

[Wingnut]

So i'm kind of in a conundrum here. I take the missionaries out to eat a lot, usually like Pizza Hut or something. I enjoy their company, and I like learning from them and helping feed them. I can't cook for crap, so buying them fast food is really the only way I can "feed the missionaries". Besides, even if I could cook I could not have them in my house. As of right now, my husband is still not living with me so i'm not able to have them inside my home.

I totally understand that rule, which is why i've stuck to public places for meeting the missionaries. 3/4 times i've got a non-LDS friend with me so it's not like we are just shooting the breeze and wasting the missionaries time. This has actually worked out well because we've had two new converts and like five investigators that started out as friends of mine

just coming along to these dinners.

Recently though, an older member of the branch told me that this was not allowed. Taking the missionaries out to eat that is. She said it was fine to have them in your home, but you weren't supposed to take them out to eat.

I've never heard this before, ever. I'll certainly abide by it if that's the rule, although i'll be really disappointed considering all the good it's done so far. Anyone else ever hear about that?

I've actually heard it encouraged more than once. There are often single sisters, such as yourself, or older widows would would like to enjoy the blessings of serving the missionaries, but can't have the elders in their homes because of the single female thing. One easy solution would be to give the elders $20 and let them go get pizza themselves. However, there is a rule prohibiting missionaries from accepting cash (something to do with tax-exemptness, I was always told). So you can take them out yourself instead. It equates to about the same thing, but technically it's not. It also allows you to spend the face time with them that you might not otherwise benefit from. I think it's great that you always bring a friend along too (and a non-member, to boot!).

[pam]

It really must depend on the area. In the last area I lived, the missionaries told us that they couldn't accept an invitation to a members home for dinner unless there was someone there they could teach or at least make contact with. The ward I was in no longer passed around the "feed the missionary monthly schedule" like they had in the past due to this. So we got around it by taking meals to them that they could eat if they didn't have a dinner appointment.

[mnn727]

It really must depend on the area. In the last area I lived, the missionaries told us that they couldn't accept an invitation to a members home for dinner unless there was someone there they could teach or at least make contact with. .

This rule went around in many areas for a short period of time and then was repealed quickly in most area's also.

[Palerider]

It really must depend on the area. In the last area I lived, the missionaries told us that they couldn't accept an invitation to a members home for dinner unless there was someone there they could teach or at least make contact with. The ward I was in no longer passed around the "feed the missionary monthly schedule" like they had in the past due to this. So we got around it by taking meals to them that they could eat if they didn't have a dinner appointment.

most of the time it will depend on the area......the Area Presidency has alot of say as to what happens in the area they are over...