Housing and Cars for Missionaries

[Silver Girl]

In my area, there have been quite a few changes in the resources missionaries are provided (cars, etc.). I live in an area that is spread out over several miles, and until fairly recently, missionaries always had cars (and they needed them). I remember they used to share cars with missionaries in neighboring wards (but I think initially each ward had one set of missionaries and one car). They also had apartments.

Fast forward - a few years ago, they began asking local members if they could house the missionaries - i know two households that had missionaries living with them in recent years. Apparently it is a two-year commitment. This hugely reduces the monthly expenses for housing - those who provided housing have been given only a small (very small) stipend to help defray utilities. From what I was told by one friend (who has had missionaries in the household for a few years), the stipend doesn't even cover the increase in utilities. I cannot imagine how this would affect your household - the missionaries have to have space in the refrigerator, and they use the laundry facilities. And, they are in and out of your home constantly, of course.

Also, the missionaries no longer have cars - they are on bikes.

It turns out nobody has stepped up to the plate to house missionaries for the next few years. Well, apparently one household offered, but the MP decided they lived "too far away" for the missionaries to use bikes. This would imply the distance missionaries have to travel would still merit a car? Right? Maybe?

They are now putting them back into an apartment. So I guess the gravy train the church has been riding won't be leaving the station again for a while.

Just thought this was interesting enough to share here1

[GoodBoy]

Its interesting that when the church started paying for the missionary expenses by unifying the costs, that is when they tried to start housing them with the members. They also started asking members to feed them as well.

We also had a plea go out (maybe about 2 months worth of asking every week if anyone could house the missionaries) before they gave up and rented them an apartment.

[MalcolmVillager]

We rent to some sisters. If DW pushed back on my desire to go from gross to net, I was going to offer free rent instead but DW was happy to change.

We have 12 units but I would give up rent to the missionaries without complete financial disclosures front he COJCOLDS.

[Meilingkie]

Dutch wards which don't feed the missionaries enough get them pulled away.
Several wards have had this happen already. The number is decreasing mission-wide anyway.
One wards had 6 and got reduced to 2.
Rotterdam 1st Ward that is, and MP flatly told the BP to feed them properly or risk losing the last 2. Rotterdam is the historical heart of Mormondom in Holland.
The Ward has abt 15 families..... and lots of single sisters.

[Not Buying It]

Geez - organizations that can afford to build multi-billion dollar malls can afford to pay for apartments for missionaries. This kind of mooching off the members is beyond reprehensible. If they can't afford to put missionaries in apartments, then they can see some Florida real estate or something. Whatever. How many missionaries do the Brethren have living with them? Come to think of it, most of them have multiple houses, they should be able to house several companionships.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Geez - organizations that can afford to build multi-billion dollar malls can afford to pay for apartments for missionaries. This kind of mooching off the members is beyond reprehensible. If they can't afford to put missionaries in apartments, then they can see some Florida real estate or something. Whatever. How many missionaries do the Brethren have living with them? Come to think of it, most of them have multiple houses, they should be able to house several companionships.

This is a great point, where is the example setting by the top? Lead from the front? Not going to happen. That is for the little people.

[Enoch Witty]

I mean, the GAs certainly lead by example in that when they speak it is boring, and when the members speak it is boring.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Way back in the day the church had the missionaries stay with members in So Cal. The entire two years I was on my mission I lived in a member's home.
It was awful. Worst part of my mission, by far, was living with members.

[John G.]

I went on a U.S. Mission in the 90's and I never heard of missionaries living with members. How does it work? Does the member's home have to have a completely separate apartment with their own kitchen, living room, etc. or is more like they are renting a room from the member and they share a kitchen?

Sounds like it would be pretty uncomfortable for all involved. I certainly wouldn't have liked living with members, and if it's rent free the member sure is losing out of a lot of money.

[Red Ryder]

I went on a U.S. Mission in the 90's and I never heard of missionaries living with members. How does it work? Does the member's home have to have a completely separate apartment with their own kitchen, living room, etc. or is more like they are renting a room from the member and they share a kitchen?

Sounds like it would be pretty uncomfortable for all involved. I certainly wouldn't have liked living with members, and if it's rent free the member sure is losing out of a lot of money.

We lived with members. In one area we lived with a senior couple who had just got home from their mission. We lived upstairs in a bedroom with a bathroom, had a gallon of milk in the fridge, a box of cereal in the pantry, and would often get home after a long day and spend 20 minutes chatting with them about the gospel. If I recall, we each paid $125 for rent and used their laundry machines.

In another area, we lived with an elderly woman in her house. She had a seperate fridge on the back patio we used along with a washer and drier. Sometimes we would get home and hear a loud scrilly voice yell out, "IS THAT YOU ELDERS?" Often we would go days without seeing her because she always stayed in her bedroom. We were positive we would come home to find her dead but it didn't happen during my time.

In another area we lived with a couple whose kids had grown up and moved out. They both worked and left early in the morning. They had a pool table and we spent the majority of our waking free time playing pool. Other Elders would come over and play a lot. The home owner loved having us there and always wanted to hang out and play pool and talk. The wife hated us there and always made sure we knew it.

The best place I lived was a block from the beach in a separate apartment studio/garage behind a members house in a nice area. That was probably the most fun place to live.

Overall I had a pretty good mission with no regrets other than the general sense of wasting 2 years of my life. That might be hindsight though.

[John G.]

I went on a U.S. Mission in the 90's and I never heard of missionaries living with members. How does it work? Does the member's home have to have a completely separate apartment with their own kitchen, living room, etc. or is more like they are renting a room from the member and they share a kitchen?

Sounds like it would be pretty uncomfortable for all involved. I certainly wouldn't have liked living with members, and if it's rent free the member sure is losing out of a lot of money.

We lived with members. In one area we lived with a senior couple who had just got home from their mission. We lived upstairs in a bedroom with a bathroom, had a gallon of milk in the fridge, a box of cereal in the pantry, and would often get home after a long day and spend 20 minutes chatting with them about the gospel. If I recall, we each paid $125 for rent and used their laundry machines.

In another area, we lived with an elderly woman in her house. She had a seperate fridge on the back patio we used along with a washer and drier. Sometimes we would get home and hear a loud scrilly voice yell out, "IS THAT YOU ELDERS?" Often we would go days without seeing her because she always stayed in her bedroom. We were positive we would come home to find her dead but it didn't happen during my time.

In another area we lived with a couple whose kids had grown up and moved out. They both worked and left early in the morning. They had a pool table and we spent the majority of our waking free time playing pool. Other Elders would come over and play a lot. The home owner loved having us there and always wanted to hang out and play pool and talk. The wife hated us there and always made sure we knew it.

The best place I lived was a block from the beach in a separate apartment studio/garage behind a members house in a nice area. That was probably the most fun place to live.

Overall I had a pretty good mission with no regrets other than the general sense of wasting 2 years of my life. That might be hindsight though.

Interesting! Thanks for the info! I learn something new everyday!