Russian Missionaries

[Lexish]

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/68997

The Church has decided to stop sending North American missionaries to Russia, instead only native Russians will be called. Of course the Elders there right now will continue to serve, but they are going to be among the last ones from this side of the pond.

Discuss! Apparently, I didn't know this, but this happens with some foreign missions because of visa issues and national laws. Yet to me it seems at the same time to be a check, to make sure the missionaries are being most effective, and honestly people will probably listen to people who are more relatable sooner. Could this factor in? The article doesn't say that, of course.

Talk about signs of the times, eh?

[Jenamarie]

I believe the same rule applies in Boliva now (my dad served there in the 70's). Some countries don't take well to foreigners, especialy foreigners there to "convert" them. And some of them just plain ol' hate Americans (or white people in general) no matter what they're there to do. If having missionaries serving in their home country is what their home country needs to attract new members, then that can only be a good thing.

On another note, according to my DH who served in the Phillipines, they will sometimes have missionaries from certain countries only serve in their own or neighboring countries, because of the standard of living. A poor Filipino missionary would likely suffer from pretty hefty culture shock if they were sent to America where there's indoor plumbing, regular clean food and water, and motor vehicles they'd have to learn to opperate. And even though their "home" missions will have most of those things anyway (like the plumbing) they're at least in their home country, so it's not as much of a shock on their system. For those missionaries their two years of service are the most comfortable living arrangements they'll likely ever experience in their lifetime.

[susieSA]

I know that in most of the African missions now only those from the continent are called to serve there... .My brother for example served his mission in the Kenya Nairobi mission... He had very few American companions but alot of South African or African companions...

Also Zimbabwe does not allow those who are not Zimbabwean to enter to serve missions... But the Zimbabwe mission itself is rather large so many serve outside of Zimbabwe...

I think that when the time comes when it is not safe for missionaries to serve in certain countries that they are taken from those countries....

I know that about a year ago sister missionaries were taken out of certain areas or missions in South Africa because it became very unsafe for them...