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Table of Contents | ||
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Note 1: 100 Days In The Field Note 2: Camel Note 3: Camel Cookies Note 4: Camel Picture Note 5: Customize Note 6: Favorite Memories Note 7: Half Way Halves | Note 8: More To Do Note 9: No Regret Note 10: Our Choice Note 11: Poems For Bump Hump Jump Slump Days Note 12: Posterize Everyone Note 13: Seasoned Missionary Note 14: Send A Camel Note 15: Shirted Camel | |
| I know, 100 days isn't 9 months or 1 year, but it is a milestone, in a small way, so
I wanted to share this idea for any new MM's who may be looking for a
care package for their missionary close to reaching their first 100
days. Our Elder is close to reaching his first 100 days in Florida so we put together a silly little 100 day care package and will mail it off this week. We included baggies with each of the smaller items and made sure we counted out 100 of each item. (For the larger items we did not give him 100 of each ie: toothpaste, peanut butter, scripture markers music cd. etc.). On the outside of each item or baggie we attached a little typed card with the silly saying. The Poem was sitting on the very top of the box, so when he opens his package he will get the 100 day theme idea. Below the poem were the filled baggies/treat bags.
100 Days in Florida! 100 day Floridian Celebration Care Package Ideas:
Happy Flying!!
Debbie |
| Here's a toy camel at Amazon:
You may also wish to visit your favorite online store to see what's available there.
One of our Missionary Moms found this one at Seagull Book and Tape: | ||||||
You can visit several sites to find cookie-cutters for camel-shaped cookies. Here's a couple: Victor Trading Company Camel Cookie Cutters
On this link, there are only a couple. Click on the search tab which is
second from the right. |
)| I found a camel picture that is cute to send along with the hump day
poem. I wrote on the picture little quotes like "check out those
calloused knees", etc. Click here to see the picture. |
| Besides a stuffed camel that said "you've made it over the hump", I sent the camel analogy that was on the web earlier but looked through magazines, such as The Friend, and anything on the web camel I could find and cut and pasted pictures of camels throughout the analogy. I went to our local copy place and had a "hump day" mug made...found a picture of my son riding a camel at the zoo when he was younger and put the picture on one side and "Hump Day" with his mid-point date just below it, on the other side. Then I went to a thrift shop, found a tie (ugly one) and took it home and zig-zag stitched the tie vertically (right down the center - two rows so I could cut down the middle the whole length) and sent his "half-way" tie for him to wear and the other half for his companion. He seemed to like it. |
| For my son's hump day a few months ago, I made him a book. I asked all family members, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and best friends to write him a letter sharing favorite memories, favorite scriptures or thoughts. Then I included pictures of my son with that family member or friend. I added pictures of him when he received his call, his farewell, when he left and pictures he sent home of his mission thus far. I included pictures of his missionary companions, mission president(s), and people he has baptized. I was even able to get some letters of friends he has made on his mission, such as other missionaries including his trainer. After I put the book together online, I sent it to a publishing company to have it bound. I made two copies, one paper back which I sent to him, and a hard bound copy I kept to give him as a keepsake when he gets home. Basically the book covers the first year of his mission. I'm going to put together one for the second year of his mission, too, but I will wait until he comes home so he can have a lot of input. The publishing company I used is called Cherished Bound. It is a local company in Utah. I know Costco does them too, for a little less money. It was a very time consuming project, but I am so glad I did it. My son was so excited with it and said it is something he will always treasure. I have a friend who is doing a book for her missionary son too, but she is doing the whole two years in one book. There are lots of options and things you can do. There are actually a lot of companies who will publish books for you. I really enjoyed making the book and made a biography book for my mother's 80th birthday (that project took me a lot longer since it spanned 80 years.) |
| Our son has passed his half-way point but we recently talked about how
we used to celebrate our kids' "half birthdays" with a half of a cake and
all. We thought, "We should have sent a package of halves of things like a half of a tee shirt, half of a candy bar, etc. It could really be fun." I guess we'll do it for the next two sons who go. Oh, what we DID for his hump package was send a down-sized photo-copy of his scrapbook pages that I had done up to that point with "Happy Hump Day!" on the cover and a toy camel. |
| This is not my story but one that was sent out through the group a year
or so ago. I saved it and used it for my son 6 months ago. I found a picture
of a camel and put it behind this story which I copied onto vellum. I
also sent a toy stuffed camel. I loved this story because it
emphasizes what the missionary still needs to do instead of him being
halfway through. Here's part of that email that circulated in the groups a while ago: In Utah it is well known that the one year mark is called Hump Day. I have no clue how that tradition got started but it's been around for many years. Our ward has a little camel that is sent around in a special box to each missionary. I know it has been going for at least 10 years. So this little camel has really traveled the world. Each missionary that receives it is supposed to take out the contents and keep everything but the story and the camel. Then add things to it (like candy) and send it on to the next missionary when it is his hump day, or back home for mom to do. There were 14 missionaries from our ward that were all out at the same time at the time my son left so the camel had to travel really fast from place to place. I thought the story really explained the Hump comparison well. You can read it under the heading Seasoned Missionary on this page.
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| My sister gave me a little poem:
On your bike, in a car, you must work in a flurry Find the honest in heart, you can do it, I bet- You must work your hardest so there won't be regret.
Another thing I am going to send my son for Hump day is a Family Home Evening kit. I got a little briefcase looking folder and put in our favorite family game - spoons - and a children's activity about little dinosaurs and how they become kind and thoughtful instead of greedy and selfish in their family. I am sending the article by Deann Starkey entitled Four Tips for Family Night from the 2008 December Ensign.
I am also sending Family Home Evenings by Raymond E. Beckham in the book,
How to Help Your Missionary: A Guide for Parents of Missionaries, Including Messages of Inspiration and Encouragement To finish the kit I am sending mini markers and a story board on how to tell "the wise man and the foolish man" story with coloring pages too. All these things will open the way to teach children and teens, but it also involves the adults along the way. It's a bit hard to tell others the specifics of this kit but if it is mentioned that I used a primary talk that was well prepared with visuals and then put in a children's FHE with visuals that worked well in our home it would work for anyone. Rules for the spoons game can be found at WikiHow.com |
which containes ideas on how to use a Family Home Evening kit.| We chose to not send a specific 'hump day' box
after hearing that some missionaries feel it underscores how little time they have
left and not what has been accomplished. We decided to make up a family box from everyone in the extended family with special homemade goodies and a new little pocket photo album of all the in-laws, outlaws and cousins. He was delighted to get it and it made him, as he put it, feel more "family focused as he was teaching his investigators"... |
| Poems for ALL the red-letter days of a Missionary's life.
Bump Day - out 6 months Greenie
As we understand it, a "greenie" you are,
Not many more weeks until you can say Greenie
You were "green." You were new. Bump Day
Bump Day means six months have gone, Hump Day
You are over the hump now you really must hurry, Hump Day
The Hump
We are proud of your work, of your baptisms, and knocks, So remember all you learned in this very first year,
You with the Lord have worked hard to get you were you are now,
With the help of the Lord you have changed inside out,
So strengthen others in this downhill road,
12 is a wonderful number you know,
In love, and in service in righteous desire,
Just keep on converting for the next two years
About the Savior, the Plan of Salvation,
Be proud of your growth, your work and your mission,
Teach with the Spirit, and work very hard,
Jump Day (for Sisters)
The prices you've paid
Thoughts of home are cloudy and seem a bit grey,
The time will fly by now on wings of light,
Jump Day (for Elders)
Thoughts of home are cloudy and seem a bit gray,
The time will fly by now on wings of light, Slump Day
Every so often you'll feel in a slump,
So pull out the scriptures and in faith read on, (D&C 11:21) |
| When my son's hump day was nearing I was looking for ideas too. I had
read a lot of ideas about sending stuffed camels and such but my son had
tried to nicely let me know that those kinds of things were just more
useless stuff for him to have to either move around with him or give
away. Then I read this idea and it was tailor-made for him. We made two signs on poster boards. One said "Happy Hump Day" and the other said "We are celebrating Elder ...'s Hump Day!" Then for the few weeks before the official day we took the "Happy Hump Day" sign everywhere we went and took pictures of everyone we could find holding the sign. We kept it in the car so we always had it with us. We tried to get people and places that would mean something to him. We took a picture of his siblings holding the sign in front of our house, outside in the swimming pool, and outside of his favorite places to eat out. We took it to his cousin's birthday party and got lots of photos with all the different relatives holding it. I even invited over his few friends that are still around and not serving missions (mostly girls) to come over. We took pictures with them holding the sign and eating ice cream in his kitchen, lying on his bed, playing his video games. They were so funny. We even took a couple of them holding their scriptures and reading to each other. We took the sign quading and bowling and to the high school. One day we were running errands and we ran into some local missionaries. We asked them to hold the sign and they gladly obliged. It was summertime and we took a quick vacation up to Provo to visit relatives. Our Elder had spent a couple of semesters at BYU before he left for his mission so we visited his favorite places in Provo – including outside the MTC and also the BYU creamery where our picture included us all eating chocolate mint brownies (one of his favorites). There were people he knew and people he didn't know but everyone was holding the sign. Then we put all the pictures in a cheap plastic photo brag book that we got at WalMart. The first picture in the book was of the "We are celebrating..." poster and the last photo was of the "Happy Hump Day" poster. In between were all the photos of all the happy people. I was worried that it all might make him homesick but he loved it more than anything else we've done. He said he laughed and cheered and told his companion who all the people were and why we had included the places we did. It was a big hit and became an instant treasure. He told us he really "felt the love!" |
| THE CAMEL IS THE SYMBOL OF A SEASONED MISSIONARY By Cheryl K. Carpenter As you come to the one-year mark of your mission, I am sending you this camel to remind you how far you have come, and where you are going.There are many similar characteristics of a great missionary and a camel. The first is the "hump". Yes, you have crossed the mark and now are over the hump of the first year. But remember the hump of a camel is used to store food for the long journey. Camels can go for long periods of time without food, but he must store his food in his hump. A Missionary has learned from so many experiences, but a wise Missionary will store the knowledge he has gained, and put it to greater use the second half of his mission. Another important symbol, is what the camel does to be prepared to carry his load for his Master. A camel sometimes protests his heavy load, but he drops to knees for his Master, and once started, he patiently carries his load. Asa missionary sometimes the load seems heavy and difficult to carry. But when you drop to your knees and succumb to the Master's will, he will carefully lead you and you can bear the load patiently, and do your Father in Heaven's work as he would have you do. This is why the camel's knees are heavily padded, as a Missionary, your knees are calloused from the many hours of kneeling in prayer. The camel has high set eyes, that enable him to see long distances. A Missionary has his eyes set on higher things, he follows the Spirit that enables him to see the Children of God, those who are seeking answers, and he teaches them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The camel has broad, two-toed feet, that keep it from sinking in desert sand. A missionary has a broad knowledge and a firm testimony of the Gospel. This enables him to teach with boldness and stand firm in his testimony. The people you teach do not yet have the blessing of such a sure-foot, but as you teach with love and the Spirit, you will help them gain their own testimony that will help them walk on firmer ground. One that will lead them back to their Father in Heaven. So you see, a Missionary has a lot in common with a camel. Put this camel where you can see it often. Dedicate yourself to do as the camel does. Serve your Master well and patiently over the long journey. You have come a long way, there is still much ground to cover. Continue to move forward, serving with love, until your mission is complete and your Father in Heaven will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. |
| Instead of a stuffed camel, we sent an animal cracker box full of just
camels. We bought two big bags of animal crackers and went through them to put just
the camels in the box for our missionary. Also, and this is an inside family thing, we put the cracker box inside an empty Camel Cigarette carton (note: This idea is from Alabama where getting empty cigarette cartons is easier than those who live in Utah, Idaho or Arizona) with a note saying "We thought we would send you a box of Camels for your hump day." My son video taped himself opening it and at the end says "Well that's a journal entry!" |
| 1. For those that live in Utah or surrounding areas or those that want to
order online: When my son was celebrating his hump-day, I looked ALL over for a
camel to stick in his package but couldn't find them anywhere. A couple
of months ago I was in Seagull Book and Tape and they had a million of them! Ugh!
Anyway, I just checked online and they are still selling them. I think
they are really cute so if anyone wants one of those, I've pasted the
link below to the page where they show them. 2. Seagull book had a really cute little stuffed camel with a shirt on that said something about "hump day". It was less than $5 and I sent that to my son on his mission. The link is no longer availalbe, however, they do have a 'Missionary Camel' and it's on sale now for about 60% off: SeagullBook.com's Camel |