Lisa Barlow's Response to Speculations about Son Jack's Mission Plans
RHOSLC's Lisa Barlow addresses rumors about son Jack's mission plans, setting the record straight on fan speculation surrounding his decision to not go to Colombia
Lisa Barlow Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo
Lisa Barlow's son Jack's mission trip has been a major point of discussion on season 4 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. However, some fans now speculate that the teenager may have changed his location, going from Colombia to Orange County.
A Reddit user recently made a claim, stating that they spotted 19-year-old Jack at a TJ Maxx in Tustin, California. The user noticed that Jack was wearing a missionary name badge. However, as viewers of RHOSLC are aware, Jack was originally assigned to Bogotá, Colombia, which is over 3,000 miles away from Southern California.
Fans speculated that Lisa, 48, prevented her son from traveling to Bogotá, but she clarified the situation by stating that his VISA was delayed. She tweeted about this on Monday, November 13.
Jack surprised his mother by choosing to postpone college in order to join his church on a mission. Mormon missionaries dedicate up to two years to volunteer work and proselytizing in their assigned locations. Lisa and her husband, John Barlow, who are also Mormon, were taken aback by Jack's interest in going on a mission.
Courtesy of Lisa Barlow/Instagram
Lisa discussed her emotional reaction to John's revelation on a September episode of RHOSLC. She tearfully expressed her lack of involvement in the process, leaving her still grappling with the shock of not having prior knowledge. She pondered whether his year-long preparation signaled a need for more time together or a desire for less.
Lisa and her family discovered that Jack would be embarking on a mission to Colombia, information which was revealed during a filmed "mission reveal party" for an upcoming episode in October. In an interview, Lisa openly expressed her apprehension regarding her son's journey to this South American nation.
"I simply cannot fathom that he'll be heading off to Colombia," Lisa admitted to the cameras. "There's a part of me that worries he may encounter situations where he's confronted at gunpoint, maybe once or even a couple of times during his mission. A friend of mine had a similar experience with her son who was also there. He encountered armed individuals who demanded money on a weekly basis, so he carried a bit of extra cash on him just in case and handed it over without hesitation. He was like, 'Okay, I acknowledge the presence of the gun, here's the money.' Despite these concerns, I have to admit, there's an undeniable element of excitement as well."
During the party, Lisa shared with her family that she had anticipated going to Europe or New York. In contrast, Lisa's friend and fellow Salt Lake City Housewife, Heather Gay, found it strange that Lisa didn't discuss her mission with her, especially after the release of her memoir, "Bad Mormon," which delved into her personal church experiences. However, when they talked about it at Angie Katsanevas' Greek Easter lunch, Lisa avoided going into too much detail on the matter.
Heather, 49, requested her costar to discuss Jack's mission in a constructive manner, to which the costar responded by expressing their discomfort in talking about it with her. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs on Bravo on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
