Many members of the LDS church who reach retirement age decide to serve missions for the church.
They usually have a choice in whether it will be a proselytizing mission or a service mission.
These senior couples are a great asset to the LDS Church's missionary program.
They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge that are very helpful to the mission president in charge of the mission they may be assigned to.
Senior couples must submit an application for a mission and meet certain eligibility and worthiness requirements.
They usually go for a period of 18 months to 2 years.
Like the younger missionaries, they won't know exactly where they are going or when they will be serving until they open the large white envelope from LDS Church Headquarters that contains their missionary packet.
Included in this packet will be mission maps of the area to be served in, as well as the location of the Missionary Training Center (MTC) where they will receive some initial training.
Viewing the mission map will give the senior couple an idea of the part of the world they will be serving in.
The LDS Mission Maps are unique to the mission that the couple has been assigned to.
Each mission will have both senior missionary couples as well as single young men and women who have made the decision and commitment to serve the LDS Church in this way for a designated period of time.
It can be a wonderful thing for a family to write to their parents who are serving a couples mission for the LDS Church.