Funny how home teachers or missionaries have to offer to help.

When the missionaries came by a few years ago to try to reclaim me, they asked how they could help, so I directed them to splitting wood for me. Figured it would make them feel good about themselves, and perhaps look good on their weekly report.

A couple sessions of that and I never saw them again.

Winter's coming on, and need more wood. Maybe time to call them up and say I'm considering coming back and invite them over?

tell them they can help by staying as far away from you as possible.

I considered asking them to scrape off my popcorn ceilings.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2011 01:14AM by bona dea.

I loved those ceilings! Especially if they had the sparkly glitter. Why would you want to scrape that off?

:)

Hmmm, maybe because they were ugly, hard to clean or paint, attracted cobwebs which couldn't be removed without parts of the ceiling falling down and filled with asbestos.To each his own, I guess. LOL

I would have loved when I was a missionary.

Any excuse to wear jeans and just do something normal for a few hours while being able to justify it by calling it service.

Agreed! Actually being able to help someone, and being able to wear normal clothes, was by far the best part of my mission on the few occasions I was able to. I'd guess that your wood-splitting missionaries didn't come back because someone higher up decided it wouldn't be productive (didn't think you were likely to get reactivated). Missionaries have a maximum number of hours that can be spent doing "service", I think it was approximately 5 hours per week, does anyone else remember exactly?

Just looked this up, in Wikipedia: Missionary (LDS Church) it says, "Regular proselytizing missionaries are asked to engage in welfare activities and community service, limited to four hours a week on days other than weekends or preparation day."

In my mission we were expected to perform 20 to 30 hours of service. We couldn't by law proselyte so we filled our time teaching english mostly.

bona dea Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I considered asking them to scrape off my popcorn
> ceilings.


OH? Why didn't I think of that! Excellent idea!! :-)

If I needed anything, I'd ask a real friend.

No, do YOU need help with anything?

Inactives are on to that one...because it sound so rehearsed.

Laugh and say: What would you do if anyone ever really asked you to do something?

Yeah, I just can't decide which one of Joseph Smith's wives is my favorite? Do you prefer the virgins, the widows or the ones that were married to other husbands at the same time they were married to Joseph? I just HAVE to narrow this down. It's really bothering me.

I would ask them to make a Starbucks or a beer run perhaps.

Yup! Ask them for some beer money.

Years ago a couple of overdressed Mormon missionaries hunting me down asked this of my Never-Mo husband. He was building a pergola and had all the beams out painting them. When he said they could grab a paint brush and start at the other end of the beam they took off in a hurry.

The bishop whom I'd never met before asked me this, along with, "... because I'd love to," while I was resigning. That's right, I had handed him my letter, and he offered help.

Theives and perverts sometimes pretend to be representing religion. Yes, there have been fake mormons who actually accept hospitality and offer help before they steal someone blind.

Of course actual mormons can also be theives and perverts.

I asked the mormons to help me move recently. My husband's aunt (non mo) thought I was using them. My defense was that they could always say no!

Some actually showed up but my dad made a big deal out of letting them know I was no longer a member. Ah well, if I wasn't moving I would probably care.

I never got one ounce of help out of HTs or the elder's quorum--being a single mother. I had A LOT of things they could have done and they offered every time they came by. I told them what needed to be done. Nothing ever happened. I even mowed my own lawn with a broken foot and the bishop lived nextdoor--big boot and all.

I don't like people interfering--but I just thought it was hilarious that every month they would offer again and NOT ONCE did they do a thing. If they say it, maybe they can pat themselves on the back and tell themselves they did something good.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2011 07:59PM by cl2.

Every once in a while we would remind those we HomeTaught that when we ask, please know that it is not a trite phrase. Our HT visits have required wrenches, hammers, strong backs and one time someone even called to tell us they had too much cake left over, and could we please come and eat it. With single sisters and shut-ins we had ample opportunity to do something much more productive than to read their Ensign article for them.

I've read that psychologically we're prone to feel we owe something to a person that helps us in some way. So they're really asking if they can do something that would make you feel obligated so they can suggest you pay them back by joining the church! Ha!

Everything done in this corporation is a game.

Our missionaries would come by while we were gone and mow our yard. Mind you, our yard was over an acre so it took some time. We also never locked our door so we would find the rocking chair over in front of the stereo so while one mowed, the other would listen to music. They were really great guys. Wonder where they are now? I'm betting at least one is out.