CRANBERRY TWP - Most of us think the pair of missionaries who knock on doors in neighborhoods will be a couple of young men, and for the most part, that's true.

But not always. The pair of Mormon missionaries currently serving in Cranberry Township are two young women.

They are part of the group of 16 women serving 18-month tours in the Pittsburgh mission area for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which includes the western third of the state.

Maselina Logoai, 22, is on the tail end of her service. She's served in downtown Pittsburgh, on the Northside and in Shadyside, Brentwood, Upper Saint Clair and Beaver Falls. Most assignments last between three and six months, she said.

Referred to as sister, Mormon women 21 and older serve an 18-month mission anywhere in the world, just like their male counterparts. The male missionaries, or elders, usually begin their year and a half of service at 19 years old.

"There is more encouragement for men to go (on a mission) but there is encouragement for women as well. Women have been serving for years," said Logoai who is used to being greeted at the door with mild surprise at her gender.

For Heather Low, it was the encouragement and experiences her own sister gained through a mission that helped her decide the commitment was right for her. Low, also 22, is at the very beginning of her service. She's been on her mission for only three weeks.

"We invite people to listen to what we have to share," offering interested listeners a series of discussions, Low said. She estimates the pair visits between 30 and 50 houses per day.

The conservative clothing that often makes elders easily identifiable also carries over to the women when they are in neighborhoods. Skirts and nametags are the mode of dress along with comfortable, flat shoes.

"A lot of the sisters wear Doc Martins or Mary Janes," explained Low.

Accepting a mission is a personal choice, and the experience offers different impressions to different women.

"It's helped me understand the role of womanhood and raising a family, of being a sister and how that plays in our lives," said Logoai, who will most likely return to formal schooling at the end of her mission. She was a dental assistant before and wants to learn to be a dental hygienist.

Low had been working with mentally and physically handicapped people before beginning her mission. At present, she sees herself returning to that line of work a year and a half from now.