Mormon Missionaries $125 per month for food

thedesertrat1 Sep 2013

Yesterday afternoon the new "elders" in our ward showed up to visit. They were polite. I ws not rude. we talked about the usual things, where ya frum, how old R ya, etc. Then I asked them how much money they were allowed each month. Their answer was shocking to me. $125.00 each!

their parents are paying $450.00 I gave them a couple of jalapeno chilies I had grown in my garden and said that each one would do a pot of beans. They said they had just moved into a new apartment and really couldn't buy beans. I went to my storeroom and got a couple of cans and handed them to them. I thought they were going to cry. To my way of thinking it is totally unconcionable of a wealthy organization to withold money that their missionaries need to eat on. I also told them if they feel hungry of an evening to come by and I will make a pizza for them. They asked one time if they could read a scripture and I said no. When they left they asked permission to say a prayer and I said OK.
They were 18.5 and 19.5 years old. How can an organization treat people like this?

judyblue
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
It's unconscionable how they treat missionaries. Even as a mormon I loathed the program. Good on you for being so kind to them - they won't forget it.

iflewover
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Good on you for treating them with kindness. When they see a Exmo treating them with more kindness than their own organization, well then, maybe one more seed planted.

Also the fact that whenever they hear about bitter, sad, downtrodden Exmo's, they'll both have you to remember as someone who did not fit that cliche.

Xyandro
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
They do NOT only get $125/$450.

I was a financial clerk on my mission. We would use the missionaries' money to pay rent, water, electricity, gas, phones, fix up apartments, official travel (including transfers), reimburse cleaning and other approved expenses, and give them some money (the $125) for personal use/food/toiletries/etc.

It costs a substantial amount to run a mission.

The mission president's expenses came out of a different account paid for by tithing.

missblue
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Good on you!

The fact that they didn't even have enough to afford beans is so sad to me. How can TSCC [this so called church] justify building a ridiculous mall and expect their missionaries to just barely scrape by?

peepster
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
My RM sister told me that if they say a prayer, they get to put you down in their numbers.

jacob
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Lets say this a different way, three meals a day for 30 days is 90 meals. That would be $1.38 a meal but then you say they have to buy deodorant, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, for the women certain hygiene products, hair gel, stamps, pens, paper, and an occasional big gulp. To make the math easy let's say that they spend $40 a month on things that aren't food, and they eat at someone's home twice a week. That cuts the food budget from $125 to $85 and their meals from 90 to 80 for a per meal budget of $1.06.

Fucking evil.

Xyandro
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
I agree.

I posted because saying they only get $125 of $450 is a gross misrepresentation.

Also, you left out personal travel costs (to/from area, etc.), so the amount is even lower. Clearly not enough to eat anything more than ramen.

Cali Sally
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
On my mission I paid for everything from my own checking account. My parents did not approve of my going on a mission so there was nobody to contribute anything. If TSCC had taken $450 of my money and given me back $125 I would have jumped on the next plane home. What a criminal racket. I had an in-law who served a Baptist mission and his church paid for everything. And when he unexpectedly died in South America his church paid for his kids' college education. If my parents had heard something like that was happening to me my dad would have dragged me home even though I was over 21 years old.

When those missionaries come back to your house and ask to pray, tell them that you will say the prayer. Tell H.F. how much you are worried about them. How much you want to tell them the true history of Mormonism so their eyes will be opened to the false and unholy actions of Joseph Smith and the current leaders of the church. Ask H.F. to watch over them, keep them safe, and give them the courage to leave and go home to their families and get an education so they will never be deceived in such an abusive way again. Amen.

Pooped
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Scrape by?????? Good gravy, those kids are starving. They could do long term damage to themselves and their brain development. The human brain is not fully developed until we are almost thirty years old! They are in some peak growth years. If they are malnourished they could easily get very, very sick, rundown, and suffer serious depression. I would encourage them to think seriously about what they are doing to themselves and beg them to go home ASAP. No amount of praise and honor is worth sacrificing your health. If you need to, invite a nutionist over to explain it to them. GEEEEESH.

Tuned-out
Re: Mishies came over yesterday

For heaven's sake, the missionaries are expected to fund all the expenses of running a mission? Are they paying the MP's stipend also? How about charging the missionaries for the cost of the mission home? I always thought they were just expected to fund their own travel and maintenance? So the multi billion dollar profit arm of LDS, Inc. contributes zilch? How ridiculous is that? Now I'm REALLY angry!

jonny
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Maybe the mishies here do better. I was at Costco last week and there were four of them in line at the food court. They were getting a pizza. But then a lady came and handed them a 20 and told them to split it too.

It seemed like these particular ones were doing ok. Also, this was in Lehi, Utah, so maybe since there are so many mo's they get more. That would make sense.

Yeah, that not having money for beans????? Are they allowed to go to food banks? Of course most of those are run by a religious agency, so it would look funny going to the Episcoplians (sp) for food.

That's great you gave them something.

summer
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
I am at a loss as to how anyone could feed him- or herself decently on $31 a week (much less use that budget for incidentals as well.) Plus these are very physically active young people. They must be expending thousands of calories per day. At that age my brother could eat a hamburger or two as a snack.

Feelinglight
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
I guess it is pretty bad for a lot of missionaries...I used to feed them once a week. Can't seem to tolerate them too much right now. Especially if they are really TBM...I think it is despicable how controlling the church is with the missionary money...the church has plenty of money, it seems....I cannot believe the GA's do not pay tithing.....what a f&¥£€<# crock!!!!
They use and abuse beyond all. My husband seems to grow more under the spell each day. Getting a lot tired of not seeming to matter too much.

raiku
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
It's pure evil.
These stories started popping up once the parents weren't sending the money to the kids directly.
I remember when my mom gave a bag of oats to the missionaries because they looked hungry a few years ago. They just aren't getting enough to eat.
I talked to a Mormon a couple years ago and he said he went to the Philippines on a mission, and the people there don't pay as much for their missionaries as the people here do. So effectively what the church is doing is having the "rich" US parents pay for other missionaries' living costs as well as the cost for their kid to go on a mission, without ever telling them that's what's happening. They can do this because there is no detailed accounting of how money is spent within the missionary fund.

SusieQ#1
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
This stupidity keeping kids living at below poverty level is why I am generous and give them gift cards for food or the 99.99 cent store when I see them!!
My kids and husband served missions and NEVER did they have to live on such pittance.
raiku
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Reading Raptor Jesus book on his missionary experience really ties in well with the whole "sacrifice and honor" thing you mentioned. He talked about how he was so pressured to stay on the mission for honor's sake, that he seriously hurt his health, and then got no understanding for needing to go home after serious injury to his digestion. He got no thank you for that sacrifice either. Kind of like how no one gets a single thank you for thousands of dollars of tithing either. These people think they are your god. After watching the story of the lady in dangerous persuasions, who was hurt by a modern JS like character, I think the top leaders of the church might be atheists like that guy who think they are your godlike masters, so they don't owe anyone any thanks.

truthseeker
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
That's really sad. Maybe if any come my way, I will offer to share a meal on the condition that they don't say a word about their beliefs. At least they would be leaving other potential converts alone during that time.

truthseeker
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
+1,000

sparty
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
Anytime I can do something nice for the missionaries, I really try to. Yes, it's annoying as hell when they show up, but they are somebody's son/daughter, and I know that if I would have gone on a mission, my mom would have wanted people I encountered to do something nice for me. Say what you will about the social pressures associated with missionary service, but it does take a strong stomach to actually fill out the paperwork and go. Definitely not for an introvert like me!

anon this time
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
The mishies stopped by (WITHOUT CALLING FIRST, which is a major no-no, and they know it) accompanied by the guy who was bishop when I resigned.

I greeted him by first name (no title) and when he called me "Sister," I waved a negligent hand and said I had dropped that "sister" stuff a long time ago. I also asked, as I always do, "Were we expecting you?" There was a gratifying amount of throat-clearing and foot-shuffling as they admitted that no, we were not expecting them. Mind you, they remained on our front porch with our screen door and barred security door closed throughout the conversation.

DH had gone to brush his teeth to get ready for bed, so I excused myself and told him that ex-bish and the mishies were at the door, and did he want to see them? Only when he said "yes" did I let them come in. (He is still a member, though inactive.)

We actually had a very friendly conversation, having fun catching up on family gossip with the ex-bish. DH made up a very generous food package for each of the mishies before they left. They really seemed to appreciate that.

All in all, it was a pleasant visit. There was NO testimony-bearing or religious stuff. I hope the mishies understood that if the ex-bish (who is actually a very nice guy, and our kids grew up together) hadn't been with them, they would have been sent packing because they didn't call first.

I just hope that this didn't teach them to come armed with somebody with some degree of Mormon "status" on each visit. If DH isn't there to authorize it, I won't let them in, even if the third party is Tommy the Widow-Charmer himself.

ldsmakesmewantlsd
Re: Mishies came over yesterday
AND some of the Mishies in my Ward pay a "Full Tithe" on top on every thing else!

"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"