Editors’ Note:  One of Meridian’s most popular pages is its poll.  This past week we asked what you were planning to do about serving a mission.  The comments came pouring in.  Below is a selection that will delight you and give you a view of the wide range of challenges, situations and feelings about senior couples serving missions.

Love to Serve a “Real Mission”

We have served a Service Mission in the Family History and Employment Resource Centers. I would love to serve a "real" mission, but at this time can't see how without selling everything we have and praying that all will be well after we are done. Our bishop or stake president have not asked us, either. It has been 5 years since we served our mission and are still serving as a calling in the FHC and Employment Center, so in a sense we are still on a mission.

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Further Heavenly Father’s Plan

My wife and I plan on serving a mission when we retire. I did not grow up in the church and am looking forward to serving and doing what I can to further Heavenly Father's plan where ever he may call us.

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Husband Not Ready

I am preparing for a mission. Right now my husband is not ready, but my plan is to be prepared and ready to jump in as soon as he is! I am serving in the temple and at the FHC right now.

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Teaching Primary Faithfully Might be My Mission

I retire in 4 years and hope to improve my health enough to serve a mission. I have a bad knee that could derail me. If so, I will consider teaching Primary faithfully to be my "mission". If I can't go I will hope and pray that there is some way to be useful from home. :(

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Spouse Not a Member

I served a mission when I was 21 years old. I am married to someone who is not a member of the church so I had to say that we are not planning on a mission when he retires - I don't especially want to go on a mission alone! I pray that my husband will join the church some day.

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Served 7 Missions

My husband and I are retired and we have served seven missions.  We are currently on a Church Service Mission.  Soon we will submit papers to serve another mission.   Thanks for asking.

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Planning to Go Again

My husband and I recently returned from serving a mission together and plan to go again in 2011.

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We’ll Serve as Much as We Can

I plan on serving as many missions as our finances and health allow. We know couples who have served three or more missions and they are my heroes! I also know couples who sold their homes and served mission after mission...if I can talk my husband into it, that is what I am planning.

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I Pray for My Husband

My husband is a member. We both joined the Church as adults. A few years ago, even with serious health problems, the Spirit impressed upon me that we should serve a mission. When I shared this with my husband, he flatly said he will never serve a mission. He recently refused to serve a local mission too. I pray for him and I pray that the Lord knows the desires of my heart and that I want to serve a mission, but right now am unable to do so. My gratitude goes out to those who serve, and who continue to respond to the call from the prophet for more senior missionaries.

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Health Diminished

My wife and I have served two missions together. My wife’s health will no longer allow us to serve again. The ones we served were a wonderful time for us and we were blessed so much while we served.

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Number 1 Mission:  Handicapped Daughter

We would love to serve a mission, but the Lord gave us our mission 37 years ago with the birth of our handicapped daughter.

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Many Kinds of Missions

I hope to be in good health so we can serve a mission with my wife when I am able financially to retire. It would be nice to return to my overseas mission area (where we were stationed later when I was in the military). At the same time, we should acknowledge that those who give intense and prolonged service in the temples and in welfare services or other capacities are also serving missions.

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Will Leave it to the Lord

My husband and I are planning to go on a mission. He served in Scotland and would like to go there. I would like to do a temple mission in Hawaii. But we will leave it to the Lord to direct our path.

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Critical Mission at Home

You failed to include the classification we are in: Retired, serving a part-time service mission while caring for a dependent parent or child. Will serve a mission, if health is still good, when dependent is deceased. There are many of us in this position and still trying to do our best as part time missionaries with little or no acknowledgement from ward/stake/church. We love our missionary service, but do hope to someday serve as fulltime, away from home missionaries.

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Too Old or Dead

The way things are going right now and the direction that our country is headed, I'll be working so long that I'll either be too old to serve a mission or dead!

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Waiting for Spouse to Retire

Need another category: WE plan on serving a mission when my spouse is old enough to retire. My wife won't be ready to retire (she says) for another five years. I, on the other hand, have retired, (just run the farm) and am ready to go on a mission. In the meantime we are both ward missionaries and are loving working with the missionaries, new converts, investigators and less actives. We are presently a host family for the full time missionaries also.

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Missions are Desperate for Couples

We are currently serving our 3rd mission and loving it (and planning to do more). Many of the comments talked about health. Our health is great but we have friends who served after the wife had a very debilitating stroke. There are so many types of missions that there is sure to be one for anyone who wants to serve. And the missions are desperate for couples. In our current mission in Peru we are the first North American couple in 25 years. Please apply!!!

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Lifelong Goal

It has been my lifelong goal to serve a mission with my husband but we have a son who has a mental illness who will probably never be able to live independently. I am currently a ward missionary and loving it and realized that we may have to serve a part time mission someday here in our city since we probably will not be able to leave our son. Perhaps we will be able to serve in the mission office someday so it will still be the wonderful experience of rubbing shoulders with full time missionaries but still be able to care for our son.

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Single Sister

I'm a single sister living in Spain and would love to go on a mission when I retire but my financial situation will not allow it. So I'm planning on doing a part-time Family History mission which can be done using the telephone and internet from home.

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Money Always a Problem

I would love to serve a mission with my spouse, but money is always the problem. That and the fact that I don't think either one of us would feel comfortable or able to serve a proselyting mission. A service mission of some kind would be great, but there is still the problem of enough money to do so.

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Caring for Family Members

We are serving a type of mission in that we are near retirement age but have moved to care for wife's siblings (2 severely mentally challenged) and help her mother. This may last many years into retirement but we would love to serve a "mission" if we are able when this ends. Of course, either or both of us could go before so we serve where we are when we can.

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Single with 40 Years to Go

I would love to serve a mission. I can hardly wait until the 40+ years go by so I can. I'm a single sister, and it has been impressed upon me that I will probably remain so in mortality - but that doesn't mean I can't serve a mission! Right now, I serve where I can - mostly in the temple, but I'd love to be able to just put my papers in today and serve. Unfortunately there are these little things called bills that must be paid, and a job that I will need when I return, so I'll just have to bide my time until I retire :) But I am definitely looking forward to that time of life.

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Quit My Job and We’re Serving Now

Your choices only include serving a mission after retirement. My wife and I heard the call, I quit my job, and we are serving a mission as we speak. I am 56 years old, nowhere near ready or able to retire, but a few things came together, and with the stake's help, we were able to figure out a way to serve. We talked to another couple in the MTC who did in fact sell everything and take off. They are now serving in Africa. I'm so thankful that my wife and I found within ourselves to act on our faith and take a small step toward fulfilling the most difficult of our temple covenants.

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Dog Like a Child

My husband is dying to go on a mission and I would love to. I have a dog at home and she's like a child to me. Need to find someone to keep her. We serve in the temple and I'm a service missionary here in our FM office. and we work in our FHC too.

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If Economically Possible, We Will Serve

We did not think that we could afford to go on a mission since our pensions won't amount to so much (I was mostly an at-home mother for 18 years).  However, we have found out that the cost of living in Ecuador (where we have certain interests) is very inexpensive by Swedish standards. So if economically possible, we plan on serving a mission there or at least do voluntary work through one of the established agencies.

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We Are Planning On It

We are still about 15 years away from retirement, but my husband and I have discussed serving mission(s), both of us are returned missionaries, so serving full-time mission(s) together is something we are planning on and looking forward to, it is how we want to spend our retirement.

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I Fear It May Not Come To Pass

My goal has been to serve a mission with my wife since I was unable to serve when I converted to the Church. However, since I have been out of work for over a year and facing more uncertainty over the future, I fear this also may not come to pass. The Lord would have to make a path available for us to do so if it is His will. Meanwhile I continue to strive and endure to the end (of life as well as the Great Recession).

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Will Continue to Serve Until I Die

I served a full time mission 58-60 in Denmark; another as a genealogy missionary in 98-2006; am now serving as an indexer for the indexing program. Hope to do that till the Lord calls me home.

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Stake President for 10 Years—Planning to Serve

My wife and I have served at some level in the Church since 1974 when we were married. I have been Stake President for the past 10 years while my wife has taught seminary for the past 13. We have always planned and looked forward to serving together in some capacity.

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Spouse is Inactive Catholic

I am married to an inactive Catholic so don't see any chance of serving a mission.  I speak of Christ in my work and everyday life, so am serving a mission every day.  Bless those that are able to serve.

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Talk to Your Bishop or Stake President

We are planning to go on a full time mission next year when my husband retires, wherever the Lord wants us to serve. However I feel many of our brothers and sisters serve daily and never leave home. To the brother or sister who wrote "We would love to serve a mission, but the Lord gave us our mission 37 years ago with the birth of our handicapped daughter" I say Amen! You have a choice mission, one with a great reward. No one should ever feel they can't serve. There are more and more ways to serve now right from home. If you have a desire, just talk to your bishop or stake president. My sister (who is still employed) and her retired husband are serving a full time mission here at home with the full time missionaries that live within our stake boundaries. They make sure their living conditions are clean and cared for along with them having meals to stay healthy. It is mostly weekends and evenings they visit each apartment and talk with each set of missionaries. They love it! Others serve in the temple one day a week.

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Serve by Playing Organ for My Husband’s Church on Wednesdays

I would love to serve a mission, but my husband is (still) a non member. So part of my calling as a missionary, is attending his church for their Wed eve service, and playing the organ for their tiny little choir and service. They really do need and appreciate my help. They know I'm not available on the Sabbath as I attend my meetings, and play the organ for sacrament. I'm a missionary in being an example, the best I can be anyway. We all have different paths.

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Must Work Until I Die

I'm a middle of the baby boom era and will never be able to retire. I must work until I die. No options for retirement.

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Argentina, Turkey and Peru—And More Love for Each Other

Counting my first mission as a youth, I am now serving my fourth mission. As a youth I served in Argentina. When we retired, my wife and I served first in Argentina, then Turkey, and now in Peru. We plan on serving more. It is a wonderful way to see the world and get to love more and more.