The evening has come, and you are about to have the missionaries over for dinner. You have been anticipating this all day. You love the missionaries coming over. They bring a great spirit, and are full of fun conversation. You have planned and slaved all day to make the perfect meal--or maybe you haven't, and if you are like me you are trying to throw something together at the last minute, because you totally spaced they were coming.
They arrive and it is time to eat. Then you make your first mistake. You put food on their plate. You put A LOT of food on their plate. You know they are busy all day, and they need a good meal, and you are not sure they are getting enough to eat. In fact, you insist they should have seconds when they do finish what is on their plate.
Noooooo, this is wrong. Let them put food on their own plate. They know how much they can eat, and how much they need. If you put it on their plate they are obligated to eat all of it, because they have been told it is rude not to eat everything that has been provided. They do not want to hurt your feelings by not eating everything you have provided them. Hence, they eat everything, and them some. More than they want, and more than they need. Needless to say they end up having a little extra junk in the trunk.You finish eating, and then it is time for dessert. STOP! Do you have dessert every day? If the
missionaries were not over would you be having dessert? If the answer is no, then DO NOT give them dessert. Honestly, they do not need it. They eat at a ward members home almost every night. So if every ward member gives them dessert they are having dessert almost every night. That is a lot of dessert! That is a lot of extra calories! That is more junk in the trunk.
Now I know you want our missionaries to be well fed, and they will be. You just do not need to go the extra mile piling on the food, or giving them dessert. Let them put the food on their plate, and lose the dessert. It still will be a great meal, and they will leave full and happy.
Sincerely,
A Missionary Mom whose daughter does not want more junk in the trunk.
