Four siblings from the Christopher and Ann Reid family in Twin Falls, Idaho, will soon join the ranks of more than 78,500 full-time teaching missionaries serving globally for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When starting their family, the couple first adopted a daughter named Isabel. Three months later, Ann Reid gave birth to their second daughter, Elizabeth, who goes by Elle. A year later, they welcomed twin boys, Eli and Isaac. The family also has three younger children, for a total of seven.
All four older siblings — the girls are both 18, and the twin boys turn 18 in July — have desires to serve the Lord.
Isabel Reid, who prayed she would remain in the United States and speak English, was “thrilled” to be assigned to the Missouri Independence Mission, where her aunt also served. She enters the Provo Missionary Training Center on May 20.
Her sister, Elle Reid, prayed to serve in Germany, and her prayer was answered. She was assigned to labor in the Germany Frankfurt Mission, the homeland of her mother’s ancestors. She also enters the Provo MTC on May 20.
Twin brothers Eli and Isaac Reid both opened their mission calls on the deck of a cruise ship during a family vacation. Eli will serve in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission. Isaac was assigned to the neighboring Guatemala Antigua Mission. Both brothers enter the Mexico Missionary Training Center on Sept. 3.
Said Isabel, “I know we will have very different experiences as we serve in different parts of the world, but I love the idea of having the same common purpose of sharing the gospel of Christ.”
The idea of serving simultaneously with his three siblings is exciting to Isaac.
“Although we have each been called to labor in different missions, the knowledge that we will all be wearing the name tag of Jesus Christ and sharing His gospel simultaneously is deeply meaningful to me,” he said. “We grew up together in one home, and now we will be serving in different parts of the world with the same purpose. I look forward to hearing through letters and emails how the Savior is changing lives in four different places at once.”
Ann Reid, their mother, acknowledges that although the family will miss their missionaries, she knows they will touch and positively impact many lives. She understands that making and keeping temple covenants can strengthen individuals, helping them to overcome challenging circumstances — a compelling reason for allowing her children to serve.
“They are excited to serve. I’m willing to let my children go, to let them have this experience, to support them, to miss them, to sacrifice so that people’s situations can improve, families can become stronger, their economic situations can develop for the better, so that they can have the light of Christ in their lives. In the grand scheme of things, it’s such a small sacrifice,” she said.
“It’s not going be easy financially to have four missionaries out. But the idea that my children could help somebody else’s situation change by developing a relationship with Christ and having access to temple covenants is worth the cost.”
As they grew up, the children often talked about serving missions. Christopher Reid, their father, served in the Colorado Denver North Mission. The siblings competed together on the high school swim team, attended seminary and participated in various missionary activities with the full-time missionaries in the Idaho Pocatello Mission.
“My siblings and I do just about everything together,” Elle said. “It’s reassuring to know I’ll have someone close to me experiencing mission life at the same time. I know they will be waking up when I do, studying the same scriptures and facing similar challenges. Serving a mission together will help us build a lifelong spiritual foundation.”
Added Eli, “I’m nervous to be away from my siblings but knowing we will reunite after our missions gives me peace.”
As a college student, Ann Reid studied Spanish and spent a semester in the Dominican Republic. Her ability to speak the language influenced the family’s decision to begin attending the Spanish-speaking Centennial Ward in the Twin Falls Idaho Stake five years ago.
“It was right after COVID, and we felt we needed a change of pace,” said Ann Reid, who added that she and her husband attended a Spanish ward when they were first married and had a good experience. “We felt inspired to do it.”
The experience wasn’t overwhelming for the children because most of the youth speak English, Ann Reid said. But her sons have only ever said the sacrament prayers in Spanish, and her daughters have learned to be door-greeters in Spanish.
Bishop Julian Murillo of the Centennial Ward, a convert from Mexico who does not speak English, has been a righteous example and has significantly influenced the Reid children, especially the twin boys, their mother said.
“He has never let the language stop him from serving as their bishop and being involved in their lives,” Ann Reid said. “As soon as the boys got their calls to Guatemala, the first call they made was to their bishop to say, ‘When we get back, we will never have to use a translator again.’”
