While many kids are saving money to attend college, LDS youth are saving to spend 18-24 months away from everything they have ever known. Many parents establish mission funds for their kids before they enter elementary school and save for years to allow their children to have "the opportunity of a lifetime." Some may ask why anyone would ever want to leave home at the tender ages of 18 or 19 to knock doors and share religious beliefs but there are heartfelt reasons.
These reasons are often made up of the experiences missionaries remember when they get home. The memories of these moments are locked away safely in the heart. They are thought of often and sometimes shared when appropriate. Here are 12 moments that every missionary remembers:
1. The moment you left your family
Every person who has ever served a mission and every person who has ever loved someone who left on a mission can remember everything about this moment. Whether you boarded an airplane or you were dropped off at the curb of the MTC, no matter how many years have passed, if you served a mission you remember what you were wearing and you remember who was there.
A lot would change in a few years and maybe it is that uncertainty that makes that moment so terrifying but it is that feeling that drives you to hug everyone just a little bit tighter. After all the goodbyes are spoken, every missionary remembers walking away while mustering up the courage to look back and give a confident wave.
2. The moment primary songs took on a different meaning