I already posted this in the Boise thread, but here it is again.

This morning I got an urgent email blast from RS saying:
We are getting a new set of sister missionaries this week and they are in need of the following kitchen items ASAP. If you gave any to donate, please respond to this email or email RS President.

(1/2) About 12 forks
12 spoons and 12 knivies
10 plates
A toaster
10 bowls
7 cups
A medium and a small sized pan
An egg pan
A medium sized pot
A cookie sheet
basic kitchen utensils such as a spatula and a wooden spoon etc.
Oven mitts
Dish towels
A scrubby to wash the dishes


So they are surging the number of missionaries, but aren't willing to pay for basics so that they can feed themselves??? This list would total, what, $400 MAX? I'm annoyed that the people out here are being asked to pay for the missionaries' supplies when the parents back home are already making great sacrifices to pay for these missions, which presumably includes the cost of living arrangements. Not to mention that you would think LDSinc. could spare the change for a scrubby to wash the dishes...

Also, saw a Mo friend over the weekend that is not aware of my new ex-Mo status and he mentioned the surge and asked how many missionaries are in my area now. His ward is crawling with them now. We are in eastern USA.

P.S. Not to mention the hassle to everyone by asking for this stuff... give the sister missionaries a $200 gift card to Target/Walmart and let them take care of it!

Reminds me of the Children Crusades.

Tithing should be used for taking care of the missionaries.
Why are they the local members' problem?

Donate a coffee pot, a corkscrew, and two "personal massage devices".

Excellent idea!

Years ago (in the army) I found myself having to outfit an apartment with needed dishes, silverware, etc. For $5 I bought dishes (with cups etc). For another $5 I bought a set of 106 pieces of silverware, for $4 I bought four good towels. For $8 I bought a good bedspread and for $10 I bought sheets. For $5 I bought a pillow. A blanket was another $10. A set of pots and pans was less than $20. I merely rushed to a department store having a sale!

They are asking for more than I have. Ten plates and ten bowls? Where do the come up with seven cups and what are they going to drink out of the cups? Jesuschrist. Some poor fool will be guilted in buying that for them. Such balls.

Sounds like they are planning for some breakage. Which happens, when you put a bunch of teenagers in a place, and don't let them have TVs or videogames. I had an apartment manager on my mission tell me she loved how the church always paid on time, but that the missionaries were by far the most destructive kids in the entire place, and half her clients were college students, the other half gang bangers. She then went on to point out none of the destruction was ever intentional, but a clear result of horseplay, and if we would only use the damn pool from time to time, we would probably get all that excess energy out of us.

They could go to the DI, but don't. Hummmm! This surge is clearly part of some master plan. My TBM brother thinks the end is near. . .then again he's a prepper.

my nephew is 17, 2 moths ago he was CERTAIN that he was going. This weekend my sister, his mom (an exmo) told me that he has decided not to. I asked why: He can tell that they are rushing him to keep him active, that its about him not the service. He is upset at the church's stand against gays and he feels it is an indefensible position so he cant represent them. We laughed and laughed...

I foresee a new tradition developing of missionary farewell showers at which sherbet punch and cake is served, fun church trivia games are played, and, of course, gifts are given to the newly-called mishies to set them up in their exciting new home in Boise or Tegucigalpa. They can get registered at all the big box stores, so that everything coordinates.

"Donate a coffee pot, a corkscrew, and two "personal massage devices"."

I was thinking of brewing and wine making kits...

Seriously all that stuff around here is maybe $150. I bought dishes and a set of pots for my work apt....$80 for both. Cutlery is $19.99 a set, ditto for the toaster, five bucks for the cookie sheet, a set of kitchen tools ten bucks and ten bucks for linens.

What ever happened to taking neither purse nor script?

Wow. Appearently sister missionaries are planning on baking and having dinner guests.

I remember one area in my mission all I had was 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 bowl and 1 set of silverware, and a pan just the right size for Mac & cheese. Comp & me bought plastic forks & spoons and paperplates so we didn't have to wash dishes every day. And although we were not suppose to, went out for meals every chance we got.

Its because they know they can con the members into covering the costs...

Umm don't they have second hand stores in some of these areas? All that stuff could be bought for next to nothing at those places. Nothing would match or anything, but it would be usable. I dressed my kids from second hand stores and my own sewing for most of their young lives to stretch a dollar. Instead of asking for MORE donations from memebers, why not just all go to a second hand store and stock up?

it be great if they owned a 2nd hand store!

Your title ("A surge with no funding") is so wrong.

They have all the funding they could ever possibly want and as much as they can spend. And the RS president's email proves it.

I never was a missionary, but in somewhat similar circumstances a military mess kit and canteen cup did me just fine.

Good grief! Where does the morg ceos expect the members to come up the money for these items!!?? Aren't they already cash strapped most of in this downturn economy mess??! Maybe the morg should be paying as they have loads of money to play while their members don't!!