Helpful Information For Missionary Moms
During The Mission

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Table of Contents

Note 1:  An Idea For Grandparent Letters
Note 2:  Communicating With Recordings
Note 3:  Family Letter Writing
Note 4:  From MTC to Airport
Note 5:  Gift Ideas
Note 6:  Gifts for Missionaries
Note 7:  Holidays Valentines
 Note 8:  Holidays Valentines 2
Note 9:  Mailing Valuables
Note 10:  Postage Mail Pouch
Note 11:  Postage and Pouch Mail
Note 12:  Pouch Mail
Note 13:  Saving Emails
Note 14:  Scrapbook Ideas
Note 15:  Scrapbooks
Note 1:  An Idea For Grandparent Letters

I thought I'd share a fun thing my mother has done for her two grandsons who are currently on their missions. She faithfully writes to them every week and for the first part of their missions her letters were a bit "boring." She mostly recounted her weekly activities which are pretty much the same week in and week out. My nephew came up with the idea and asked her to tell her life's story. So she started at the beginning and has been giving them "the next chapter" for many months now. They have both commented several times how much they enjoy her letters now and can't believe what an amazing life she has lived. My nephew is due to come home from his mission in a month and is already regretting that he will no longer receive her letters (she lives near him). This has been a real blessing in their lives. My mom has also made copies of what she has written so the rest of us will be able to read these accounts in the future.

Linda

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Note 2:  Communicating With Recordings

Hi everyone,

Something really neat to buy your missionary son/daughter is a microcassette recorder. We bought one for our son and one for us so we can send audio tapes back and forth through the mail to each other.

We bought Sony 'clear voice plus' at Walmart for around $25-$30 each. We just listened to the first tape and hearing "God Be With you Til We Meet Again" sung by the district (in Spanish) at the MTC was wonderful!

Lora
Elder - England 2001-2003
Elder - Arizona 9/06-9/08

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Note 3:  Family Letter Writing

[This email is in response to a sister who is very frustrated about older inactive siblings who had promised to write their younger missionary brother. They have failed to do so and have basically ignored her imploring requests.]

Betty,

I am not sure if I have any ideas to help this frazzled mom, although I can see why she is so frustrated. My son has also sent home boxes of his letters that he wishes to save, it becomes evident those who are writing and being the most supportive. As a mom you are so grateful to those people.

I would just like to share a few things I have done that can be done as a group that are small, but may get everyone involved.

At Christmas I cut out red and green construction paper the size you would use to make a paper chain. I then mailed out pieces of the chain to friends and family asking each member of their family to write a few thoughts on their "chain" and return them to me by a certain date. Much to my surprise all of the chains I sent were filled out and returned in time for me to mail to our missionary to make a paper chain in time for Christmas. There were scriptures, drawings by little ones, thoughts for the day and simple hellos. Our missionary loved reading each one as he assembled his "chain for Christmas.

It only took a few moments to fill out so I think that is why it was so successful. For Valentines Day a red banner reading " We love Elder Rohwer" with again thoughts of family members, stickers, drawings etc. We even included a paw print from our dog. Construction paper/card stock hearts with a few words and signed by members of the family or friends also work well. Anything simple where just a little note can be jotted, then collected and sent off by mom if need be. Even missionary cards that could be written in by each person in the family and sent off.

I also purchased a small container like the ones they use for Chinese food. I think they were around .79 at our local Zurchers store. It had red hearts on the outside. I filled it with treats. Then as a family we came up with fortunes to tuck inside. Like "we are fortunate to have you in our family, serving a mission", etc.

Also before our missionary left we got a hand held tape recorder for him and for us. My daughter has taken it to neighbors/school for friends to say hello, we have taken it camping and along on family activities, when it has about a 1/2 hour on it we send it off. More than that would take too much of the Lord's time.

My daughter has her own stationery box, stamps and stickers. As an 11yo, it makes it easier because she loves writing to, and making things for, her big brother. I also bought my husband his own stationery. It is in a convenient place and has worked well for him.

I hope some of these ideas will help. She may have to do the work for a bit, but we moms are used to that. It may well pay off in the end by making it easier on those she wants to participate.

MM in Utah
Elder in Florida Ft. Lauderdale-Spanish
April 2005, April 2007

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Note 4:  From MTC to Airport

Hi All,

I thought I'd pass on a bit of advice my neighbor gave me.

When her oldest went to Italy and her youngest to Russia and they called from the airport she asked them to bear their testimony in their new languages.

I asked my son to do that and I was amazed! They can do it and it's very cool!

Julie, Anziano, Italy Rome 9/05-9/07

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Note 5:  Gift Ideas

Send little squeeze flashlights that can be attached to their key rings. You might be able to get them cheaply at a discount store, especially if you bought several. Perhaps you could attach to them something about being a light to the world. Our sons both have appreciated having a little flashlight when they have to unlock their apartment door and there's no light in the hallway or on the street. They would be very lightweight and even though they don't have replaceable batteries, they seem to last a long time and YOU don't have to send the batteries.

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Note 6:  Gifts for Missionaries

If you are near an LDS bookstore, go pick up stamps with pictures of Christ, or little lapel pins with pictures of Christ on them. Sometimes they are great conversation starters in countries that are not "Christian".

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Note 7:  Holidays Valentines

I was at JCPenney yesterday and saw that their ties were drastically reduced. Knowing that Elders are sometimes very tired of the same ol' stuff to wear, I bought 2 of them with red in the design. I'm going to send them in a heart shaped box with a note attached that says something like, " tied together in the love of the gospel". does anyone have a better idea for a note to attach? Of course, there will be the required goodies as well.

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Note 8:  Holidays Valentines 2

For Valentines I was thinking about making one of those candy bar posters (the ones where you substitute candy bars for words) and cutting it up like a puzzle.

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Note 9:  Mailing Valuables

I wanted to make sure that this worked before I made this suggestion about sending cameras and valuables through the mail to Uruguay, etc. I sent a digital camera through the mail disguised in a mac and cheese box (Velveeta shells & cheese). I took out all the mac & cheese, put the camera in its case in a Ziploc bag with the batteries outside of the camera for safety. Put the Ziploc bag with the camera in the box. Then I put some of the noodles back on top to make it sound like the original contents, making sure that it weighed the same as the original contents (12 oz) - at least by my cheap kitchen scale. (The package did bulge just a little.) I glued the box shut and sent it in a small box along with some padded envelopes, a couple of Pay Day candy bars and copies of pictures for our missionary. I put bubble wrap inside to keep everything well packed. Postage was a little over $13 and I marked the Customs Declaration as "missionary supplies -- mac & cheese." (I didn't send the camera manual or anything that might call attention to the camera in the box.)

Joel got the package just fine and said the packing was ingenious. He mentioned that he would have had to pay around $200 for it if I hadn't sent it that way - not sure if he meant buying a camera there on his own or if he would have been assessed fees for receiving valuables sent through the mail.

I should mention that I prayed every day that the camera would arrive to him safely and not get "lost in the mail" or confiscated.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Jeanne
MM of Elder
Uruguay Montevideo 11/05 - 11/07

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Note 10:  Postage Mail Pouch

It does not help to send U.S. stamps to a foreign country. The missionaries have to buy postage there when using the postal system. If they use the pouch system they do not need postage. The letters go into a pouch and do not enter the postal system until they arrive in Salt Lake City. I have heard that some missionaries think that the mail is faster if they do not use pouch (ie. Brazil) so they use regular mail and must pay for the postage. Only letters are allowed in the pouch and they will return them if you put anything else in with your letter (this is for customs)

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Note 11:  Postage and Pouch Mail

I asked Neil about pouch mail in Romania. the missionaries didn't pay postage--the church did. But in Ty's mission in Mexico we have to send stamps. I guess it just depends on the mission.

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Note 12:  Pouch Mail

I called the Missionary department to clear up these questions about the pouch. What I was told is that missionaries are encouraged to bring with them and use appropriate postage. In the event that they do not affix appropriate postage (the price of stamps went up, they ran out of stamps) the church will take care of it and make sure you get the letter.

I'm not to sure why some missions make a point of telling the elders to bring stamps and others don't. But regardless if a stamp or sufficient stamps aren't affixed you get it anyway.

It seems to me that if you have the means to provide appropriate postage (imagine 33 cents times however many Elders are on the pouch-- a hefty sum for the church) it would be well to do so. If you haven't been told to provide stamps make it a matter of prayer. Obviously any less demand on the missionary funds for stamps frees up money to be used for other missionary needs. Bottom line is we still get our missionary mail!!!!!

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Note 13:  Saving Emails

I have copied my sons emails on a special designed paper. I put email from his sister, father, myself, on plain colored paper. I have made a calendar with each transfer noted, names of his compaions, where they are from. Then I place each email between the pages of the calendar according to transfer dates so when he gets home, he'll have a chronological history based on area.

I also have a map that I print of each area in BAN he has served. I have saved each map and can type in each location. I've enlarged each map so we have been able to track his moves. A large wall map would not fit a photo album. Then I've copied his pictures, the few we get from each area and search the internet for additional pictures of each area.

So far we have a really great looking missionary album.

I bought two of the same type of album that have a slot in the cover for a picture. I made a label for each so we know which book represents which year of his mission.

Mary, MM to Elder in Buenos Aires (Argentina) North Mission

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Note 14:  Scrapbook Ideas

Save the pink missionary tags from the temple. Since we have 5 boys, and my husband is their escort, we saved the escort tags from when Neil went, and we used the same tags for our second son. On the back we wrote the son's name and the date he went through the temple. We'd like to continue with each of our sons as they go through the temple.

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Note 15:  Scrapbooks

I have been keeping my sons scrapbook up to date since he left in July. I find I have just loved it and it has made me feel very close to him. I took it to the airport when he left for Atlanta and he was thrilled with it so far. If you need an idea for a beginning page, I put CALLED TO SERVE in gold letters shadowed with black and his picture we had taken for the plaques they have in our ward. Then at the bottom of the page I put his favorite scripture. It made a very striking page.

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