Recently there was a terrorist bombing at the Brussels, Belgium airport. Three LDS missionaries were injured in this attack.

Since I’ve been home (and even before I left), I’ve heard quite a few stories of missionaries who have passed away in the field. All of these incidents are tragic. There was an elder in my mission who passed away. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a family member or friend while he or she is on a mission.

My heart goes out to those missionaries and their families. I hope they have a speedy recovery.

But as I’ve seen reports and articles about these missionaries being shared on Facebook, it’s reminding me of a problem that I think we have in this world. It’s similar to when people changed their Facebook profile picture to the colors of the French flag when the bombing happened there, and how they used the hashtag #prayforparis.

How many of us pray for the missionaries out in the field on a daily basis? How many of us truly ask the Lord to watch over all of his servants? How many of us TRULY, REALLY, HONESTLY think about it instead of letting our minds go into the rote habit of saying, “And please bless the missionaries out serving so that they can find those who are ready”?

(By the way, members are supposed to do the majority of the finding – missionaries are the full-time teachers.)

I feel that, the majority of the time, the missionaries that get recognized are those who are involved in horrible accidents or natural disasters, or those who make stupid music videos of gospel lyrics set to pop music.

I’m not trying to belittle the missionaries who have been injured while in the field. As I said earlier, those incidents are tragic and those missionaries deserve prayers and medical attention.

But there are thousands of missionaries out in the field who battle mental illnesses every day.

There are missionaries who struggle with depression.
There are missionaries who struggle with homesickness.
There are missionaries who struggle with the death of family member.
There are missionaries who struggle with low self esteem.
There are missionaries who struggle with anxiety.
There are missionaries who struggle with their testimony.
There are missionaries who struggle with chronic pain.
There are missionaries who struggle with allergies.
There are missionaries who struggle with the repercussions of being bullied by other missionaries.
There are missionaries who struggle with PTSD.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

My plea is that whenever you kneel to say a pray and ask for a blessing on the missionaries, please remember all the missionaries who are out serving. Please remember the valiant missionaries who are suffering quietly and alone with inner turmoil that we cannot feel. They are in need of love and compassion, too.

Every missionary matters.