25 February 2019

Dear Parents,

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful new opportunity to visit more regularly with your missionaries. They are such a delight.  We are in the midst of doing multi-stake/zone musical devotionals titled Joy in Christ right now and I wish you could see their smiles and hear them sing and pray and bring the Spirit to the room with such power. 

As we move into this new era of communicating home, I wanted to share a mix of my personal observations and reminders from the Brethren that I hope you will keep in mind.

--The length of your calls is up to you and your missionary, but please remember not all missionaries are in the same situation when it comes to family support and relations.  Be mindful of how keeping your missionary on the line might be affecting their companion.

--The principle is one call home (or two, if parents are not together).  Others family members at home may join in the call.  In that spirit, other family members may also join that call electronically (conference call, or video link).  What should not happen is multiple calls to multiple family members throughout the day.

--Remember the principle the Brethren had in mind when they changed the name of the day to Preparation Day when it used to be called Diversion Day.  The day is meant to get the missionaries ready for the coming week to do the work, not as a day to divert or distract them from the work. Please know that the missionaries have many things to do on P-day to get ready for the work and please do your part to help keep your missionary mentally and spiritually focused on their purpose of: “Inviting Others to Come Unto Christ.”

--Missionaries are to initiate the contact during regular PDay hours, not you.  If you need to reach them please message me or the Mission Office directly and we will facilitate whatever contact judgment warrants.

--While virtually all of the missionaries are excited with the option to call home every week, many have already expressed that they may not want to do this every week.  The Brethren have indicated that it is not their expectation that missionaries will call home every week. 

--There will be no increase to mission budgets for these calls. Missionaries are not authorized to make long distance calls which incur additional charges on their mission phones. Missionaries without easy internet access would typically buy a phone card with their own funds. 

--You might be interested to know I send this as a mission president, but also as a father with a daughter on a mission.  I was giddy with love and excitement as I got to speak to my daughter last week.  We will do so again, I am sure.  But, we (meaning me, my wife and my daughter) have all agreed that mission letters are a treasure and should not be discontinued or be entirely replaced by calls.  You say different things (often better things) when you write, rather than call.  We are also agreed that part of the mission experience is to grow in individual maturity and independence.  Just as a great cake cannot bake with a constant opening of the oven door to check on it, a great mission experience is often only achieved after some period of individual struggle without direct, parental observation and intervention. 

I pray for heaven’s blessing upon you and your missionaries as you thoughtfully and prayerfully consider your communications in light of these reminders.

It continues to be the finest honor of my life to serve your noble sons and daughters who give so much to the work of the Lord and the salvation of the people of North Carolina.

Best,

President Holland