By Marci Narum

Back Row: Kacie Thompson, Bethany Boehm, Ann Whiddon. Seated: Nataliya Nychyporuk, Carol Land

Carol Land has that sometimes rare gift of really being in tune with people. As a former music teacher who now gives private voice lessons part-time in her home, Carol listens passionately. Her goal is to help her students develop their voices.

She does the same thing with young mothers. She listens to them for several hours each week, as they share the joys and challenges of motherhood. And then Carol encourages those young women.

The moms are in the Mothers of Pre-Schoolers (MOPS) group that meets at Evangel in Bismarck, and Carol is a MOPS mentor, one of ten in the group.

MOPS is an organization that started about 40 years ago. It’s for any mom that has a child, newborn up to kindergarten. MOPS chapters have formed around the world. Three groups meet in Bismarck, at Evangel, Grace Point Church, and Charity Lutheran; and one meets in Mandan, at Messiah Lutheran Church. The moms get together a couple times a month to share their motherhood journeys, have breakfast, and pray together.

Carol has been part of her MOPS group since 1990, when she was a young mom, and she has been a MOPS mentor for about 12 years. As a mentor, Carol shares her time and experience with young moms whenever they need it—in a quiet meeting, a phone call, or text message.

“Some of these young moms have family in town and have pretty stable marriages and good situations,” Carol says. “Others don’t come from a good parenting model, or they’re struggling, or they’re new in town. Whatever point they’re at, they need encouragement.”

Carol says she feels very strongly that mothering is an important job especially when a woman is parenting young children. She says it can be a lonely time.

“So it’s rewarding for me to encourage those moms and remind them that what they’re doing is important.” Carol adds, “They might not feel like they’re getting a lot of thanks at that point in their life, but what they’re doing is important and their kids need them.”

That perspective comes from experience. Carol and her husband, Tom, have three boys who are all grown and married now, and they have one grandson. Carol is generous with giving time to others, and she says she will keep being a mentor for as long as her schedule allows and as long as moms need her.

“When you find something that is a way of being generous or ministering, whether it’s giving time or money, it’s a joy,  not a chore. You do it because you want to do it, not because you feel like you should. So I feel like I’ve found my place in a way of ministering that is fulfilling for me and helping others.”

To learn more about mops in your community, visit: www.mops.org.