THE CLOTHES RATING CHART

A - Shoes- (P. W. Manning) they are now complete with steal belted radials. ( He took them to a shoe repairman and had the soles replaced. He left for Brasil 10 months ago).

A- Shoes- (New Balance) very comfortable, have holes in the soles. ( not able to be resoled)

Nao Sei -Shoes- (Rockport I think) I don't know. I used them once at the CTM and once in my 1st area, but lost a shoelace shining them.

B- Ties -(silk) really pretty, but always falling apart

A- Ties- (polyester) not so pretty, but tough.

C- Socks( gold toe cotton fluffies) They are functional, but the water here makes them rock hard and they NEVER dry. They sit on the line for 3 weeks molding but never dry. Fall down your ankles when wet.

A+- Socks (Gold Toe wool) Soft, comfortable, light, dry almost the instant you finish washing them. If I was me- I'd send me only with these awesome socks! keep the color better too :)

B- Pants (Cotton like Dockers) They are heavy, don't dry, stay wet in the rain, lose color, and are really hot when the weather is hot. Elder has not experienced a summer yet, I wonder if this opinion will change

A- Pants (Dressy from Ron Remington)Light, Airy, keep color, if you don't like the breeze in winter wear thermals

A+- Thermals( from Ron Remington) Awesome, dry super quick, really comfortable and warm

A - Thermals (normal, yellow, used to be white) Take a little more time to dry, comfortable and warm

A+ - Coat (Ron Remington) Super great! When it is cold I use one part and when it is wet I use the other. Really perfect for the weather here :) The liner inside is great. (Kind of like a long windbreaker with a liner)

U- Raincoat- useless. I use the shell from the other coat. The raincoat is only plastic and gets sticky and uncomfortable Black Foldable Slicker

An umbrella is a must; wait to buy it in Brasil. I bought one of those huge umbrellas of excellent quality for about five dollars American.

A++- hair dryer- it was great until it broke. If I was me I would send me with a normal size hair dryer . These travel ones have more problems. He used it for everything, getting warm, drying clothes, drying himself, even made bananna chips one day :)

A- Belts- Awesome

Shoe insoles- PB minor- molded

New balance insoles molded

Insoles from Jays Wide Shoes (about 40 dollars)- broke... a piece inside came loose and worked up

into the arch when I was walking

Insoles-cheapies from Dr. Scholles- good, but stolen by the shoe repairman

A+++- Medical Grade Poron (Foot- So- Port Store) Its awesome protects knees and feet from

fatigue , doesn't mold, luxurious

What it all boils down to - A missionary that is headed for Brasil will love :

a hair dryer - for clothes

wool socks

medical grade poron insoles for shoes

light pants without cotton

anything else without cotton

Information about the Poron he loves is available on the internet. The man who we got it from lived in Brazil for many years, and has a Brazilian wife. He has the attitude of a teacher, and is very nice. He might know some other sources, or be able to do something by mail. He used the insoles from my sons shoes to cut the Poron. He uses it mostly for people who have problems with their feet and need all the comfort and durability they can get. His store is near Portland Oregon and his number is 503-526-0814.

Ron Remington is a Clothier for Men. He has been a missionary Outfitter since 1987. He picks and chooses from among the best, what he finds is best for Elders. His slacks are the most comfortable my son has ever worn. He can get a guy ready for a mission with almost everything he needs in a couple of hours. There are other Missionary Outfitters around the country, I just don't know where they are. He also keeps a list of what you purchases, in case you want to reorder. His prices seem to be good quality merchandise at 30% off or so. He makes appts. And only works with one Elder at a time. He is located within a few blocks of the Portland Temple. 503-620-4458.

Before our son left we re hemmed all his pants, and sidestepped the problem many Elders have when the chain stitch starts to unravel.

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He dropped by our house that afternoon. He had to share some advice for my son (my next missionary who is in the Olympics). We were all prepared ahead of time by my returned missionary son, so there was no surprise. We were glad to see him again. He is well liked at our house (in spite of eating everything in sight without permission). :)

He used to be a member of our ward, but his parents moved about three months before he entered the MTC. He told us that his mom had a fit when she saw him. She kept saying, "What are you doing here!!!???" He told us that he just said, "Hey, they were right, two years go by really quickly!" She has calmed down now and everyone else has accepted it.

I can see how important it is for a ward to be supportive of these young men who come home for various reasons. It is so hard to not pre-judge, but even if we don't know all of the reasons, we must still be loving and supportive. I hear stories where missionaries who come home early are treated like they have leprosy or some horrible disease. Some people can't look them in the eye, and others just don't know what to say to them, so they avoid them. They need positive attention! They need to know they are loved. And their parents need to know that people will support them, too.

I'm glad we've had these discussions because it was so timely in our case. I know we wouldn't have been judgmental with him, but nonetheless, being aware of how they might be treated by others will help us make sure he knows he is more than welcome in our home.

And YES, he did get his Free MTC Cookie I ordered. So it does work! :)

On this same note, my returned missionary son had his best friend go on a foreign mission and came home very early. He wasn't ill, but couldn't handle the stress. He only lasted 3 months in the field after leaving the MTC. His Stake President didn't encourage him to go out again, but left it entirely up to him. He chose not to go to another mission. He had a bad experience and just couldn't face the stress or pressure. He is now married in the temple and has a new baby.

His parents were upset. They did want him to go out again. They both served foreign missions, and felt if he'd only give it some time, a state-side mission would bring a sense of achievement and success, and give him a good experience. But this young man didn't want to try anymore. Even if he knew it was the right thing, he would have nothing to do with it again.

Now their second son is awaiting his mission call and they are really nervous. Will their second son have a better experience? Will he be able to face the trials and stress of a mission? The mom called me and asked, "Did we not teach our oldest son self-control and perseverance?"

These are difficult questions and I answered, "I don't know. We teach our kids, and one in the family stays on the right path, and another will wander off."

I think if our missionaries want to come home for issues other than health or worthiness, we must let them know that sometimes coming home can be much worse than what they are facing in the Mission field. They will have to deal with people wondering why they are home. I think I've heard that many go inactive because they just can't face the members at church. (I think that's why most young men who don't go on missions become inactive until some time after their mission age has passed, if they become active at all.)

It is especially tricky if it is a health-related problem. Many things are simply out of their control, and the leaders and our missionaries must make these decisions based on what the Spirit guides them to do. One thing for sure, except in special situations and under very special circumstances, we can't predict the future. Generally only a prophet, seer or revelator can. Hence, we must rely on the Spirit to guide us and we can't counsel the Lord.

Even President Hinckley wrote home saying he didn't want to stay. His father wrote back and said, "Forget yourself and get to work", I guess if those feelings of discouragement and wanting to give up can happen to a would-be Prophet, it can happen to anyone. Our missionaries need A LOT of positive reinforcement and encouragement. The first few months are the very hardest to get through. Somehow, once they pass that year + mark, for most of them, they don't WANT to come home.

Sorry this is so long. It has been in my thoughts...

Betty

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1. Forefoot cushioning,
2. Moderate flexibility in the sole -- it should flex at the base of the toes.
3. Quality material,
4. Countoured removable insole -- avoid shoes with paper or composition flat insoles since they provide a good environment for the growth of fungi.
5. Designed for air circulation. Shoes made from perforated or woven patterns are best. Avoid shoes made from patent or thick leather.
6. Moderate heel lift, designed to absorb the shock of the heel strike."

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L Brown, MM to a Sister Missionary

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So when they started trying to usher us down the hall we just said we weren't thru and went to a corner for pictures and to wait for Grandparents to arrive. (The letter said only immediately family however when we had called the elder who answered said, oh no, everyone comes!?!-so my parents came along with some good friends of the family) They will tell you to go on down and just save seats but I think it is easier to group beforehand. So when we felt ready we headed down and ended up 2/3 of the way back in the room. The introductory video was just ending but I thought they must show it again as the room finished filling. Not so, within a few min. they were starting into the program and before long playing "Called To serve." Again, many tears were shed but I did feel more in control then the first time. Lesson learned...you need to be at the first of the room to see the intro. video. Not sure how you time it tho to get in at the right time!

Hope this helps some of you as you prepare-it really is a wonderful experience that every family should share.

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Michele's answer: You can't always count on the Stake President sending the papers in right away. But if he does, it should take about 2-3 weeks to get the call. I understand they get mailed on a Thursday so you should probably be like we are in So. California - they come on a Saturday. However, when your missionary leaves is another story. That can vary quite a bit depending on where they are going and the need for missionaries in that mission, how long it takes to get visas (if needed), etc. My son went into the MTC three months after his call to Australia came, but his best friend went into the MTC just 6 weeks after his call to France came. You can give them an availability date if there's important family conflicts like an older siblings wedding, etc.

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I don't know that there is a "right" or "wrong" way for the missionary farewells, and homecoming.. I think it depends on the people in the area, the bishops. For some reason one of the counselors (he is no longer a counselor) used to say "this is ........farewell, oh we are not suppose to call them a 'farewell'". They call them "farewell" again now.

At other wards it seemed like there was a guest speaker, with a short talk from the missionary leaving.

In some wards I have seen families crying all over the pulput at the farewell about their son/ brother/sister leaving on a mission...It almost seemed like it a funeral at times...

Our oldest son and daughter had the family speak. We tried not to make it seem like a funeral, we tried to be cheerful. Our 3rd missionary (4th child) asked the stake patricarch to speak at his farewell. Our 4th missionary (3rd child) asked us to speak, however my dh was going thru such tramic problems at the time that he did speak..

We didn't have an Open House. We just went with others to the other meetings. Our kids didnt leave until days later. There are some families here that as soon as the "farewell" is over they go over to a family dinner..most of their close relatives are here.

The same as been with the Welcome Homes... The meetings where the missionary gives their report it seems like it was the missionary that spoke, except here. Often so many of the family members talk that there is only 5 minutes left for the returned missionary to give a report. Too many times there is sobbing by the family like a funeral... It was the same way about welcome home dinners.. some families will disappear and not stay for the rest of the meetings.

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This gives these young men a great opportunity to use the tools they will be using once they enter the mission field themselves.

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Last valentines day I made poster-sized valentines with family pictures on them, had all family members and friends write messages, and then cut them out like a jig-saw puzzel before mailing.

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"You may need additional funds for clothing and nonessential, personal items. The best method of receiving such funds is to arrange to have money sent to you through the International Exchange Agency, PO Box 30709, Salt Lake city, UT, 84130, tele. 801-524-4858. Please write or call for detailed information. These funds are transferred from the IEA to your mission. Allow up to four weeks for the transfer. There is a charge of approximately US$2.00 per transaction for this service."

However, my two missionaries just use debit cards to get money off their checking accounts. They can use them wherever they can use any visa credit card, ATMs etc. Notice I said debit cards and not credit cards. You could get the forms for them and mail them for signing, and have the cards mailed back to you from their banks if they still have their accounts in force. You also should have the bank statements sent to you so that you know how they are using their money and if they need more money put on their account.

The debit cards save a lot of hassel, and my daugther in Pittsburgh just uses it in stores like a check.

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