so when someone goes on a mission trip, helps build homes so children have a place to sleep...
helps plant gardens so children and eat.....helps the children in the schools so they can learn to read and have a chance at a better life....
NONE of that is serving the country???????????? Mission trips are not ALL outside of this country. I know many people that have gone to southern states and lived in squalor for weeks just to help the people that are suffering there. THAT IS SERVING OUR COUNTRY....
Hey...........the military does "mission trips" as well. Many times when we were deployed overseas, the locals would ask if we had any people who would be interested in working with an orphanage or helping to rebuild things.
Matter of fact, when Florida was hit by Hugo, there were MANY military volunteers who went down to help clean up and rebuild.
Wanna talk about the U.S. Navy deploying to places like Haiti after the earthquake? How about Japan after the tsunami?
Yes.............Peace Corps and church missions DO help people, and in a small way it does serve the country because it helps other nations have a favorable view of the US.
However.................comparing a Mormon mission (who would probably be rescued and brought back if fighting broke out in their area) to the military (who would be tasked with rescuing the Mormon mission if fighting broke out) is pure crap.
The military sacrifices much more than a Mormon missionary ever did. How do I know? I spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, served in 4 combat zones and spent around 8 1/2 years outside of the US.
No...................the Mormon mission is NOTHING like the military. Peace Corps perhaps, but military never.