Jason W. Turley and Steve C. Pinegar both served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And they both learned, while on missions, how hard it was to keep your mind on your work and still keep in touch with loved ones.
Their urge to "focus on things that help missionaries, rather than things that distract from missionary work," has been translated into a Web site designed for those who are planning for future missions, those who have returned and the families and friends of missionaries who are in the field.
wwww.Calledtoserve.com has created a stir in its first week online with "thousands and thousands of hits," Turley said.
The site offers, at no charge, a missionary helper section that contains 300-400 pages of quotes from general authorities on missionary work and what the Lord expects from missionaries.
Missionaries have been encouraged by mission presidents to limit correspondence while they are in the field to a few close friends and family members, Turley said. That doesn't begin to reach all the people who might be interested in an individual missionary.
So Calledtoserve.com decided to host individual Web pages, dedicated to missionaries. Parents, again at no charge, can post correspondence, share photographs and more.
"Everyone can go to one central location, find out how (the missionary's) doing, has he been transferred, etc.," Turley said.
"We are finding we can link families, so extended family can be involved in the life of a missionary."
Parents who don't have the technical know-how or the technology itself to create the Web page can hire the Calledtoserve.com staff to do it for a small monthly fee. They just send in pictures, letters and other items they want included and the staff creates the page.
They can also click into "Missionary Marketplace" and send the missionary a new white shirt or a plate of cookies. Such sales help cover the cost of running Calledtoserve.com.
The site is overseen by an advisory board, mostly members and former mission presidents, who help keep the enterprise focused on its goal of helping mission families.
People can also subscribe to an e-mail newsletter and updates, called "Mission Pearls." The "pearls" include talks and scriptures.
And it's evolving. "Our goal in six months is to make it into more than it is now," Turley said. "A blessing."