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Note 1: Bishop Involvement
| We have eleven missionaries serving from our ward. Our bishop assigns
someone from the ward to write to them each month at least once. The
bishop then reads parts of the missionary letters over the pulpit almost
every week. I think that is one reason why we have eleven missionaries
from our ward and eight eagle scouts waiting to go on missions.
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Note 2: Bishop Involvement 2
| We have been really blessed to have a Bishop who loves the missionaries
and knows how important letters from home are because he was a missionary
who struggled when he first hit the mission field several years ago. He
says that it was ward and family letters that kept him in the field when
he was struggling most (plus he had an awesome Mission Pres). My son is
the first and only missionary to ever leave our 9 year old ward. Recently,
our bishop directed a special fast for the missionaries world wide with a
special focus on our son and the missionaries serving in our area. On Fast
Sunday before the congregation left the chapel the bishopric invited the
Aaronic Priesthood to hand out addressed envelopes that he and his
councellors had personally addressed with our son's address. He asked each
family to write a letter to our son during that week's family home evening
and to bring it back to the bishopric the following Sunday. Our family was
humbled and deeply touched by the love shown for our missionary. They
could have assigned someone else.
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Note 3: Displaying Addresses
| Missionary addresses are kept up to date in our ward and printed on every
program and newsletter, and even on handouts from the auxiliaries. With
that information constantly in front of them, many think to write who
otherwise might not.
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Note 4: Getting Members to Write
| The missionaries addresses and reports from them are in every ward
newsletter. The family members of missionaries in priesthood meeting give
a missionary report every fast Sunday on all our missionaries. The fifth
Sundays are combined RS/Priesthood meetings with reports from Missionaries
moms or other relative or friend. The bishop keeps plaques with the
missionaries pictures in the hall and posts letters from the missionaries
on the bulletin board. Sometimes he reads letters from the missionaries
over the pulpit. Our former Stake President is the Ward Mission Leader. I
think all these things help people to think about the missionaries and the
more they think about them, the higher the chances they will care enough
to write - or at least send a Christmas card. My son told me in his email
today that he received a package from the YW in our ward who did it as a
YW activity (for all the missionaries) and he has also rec'd several
Christmas cards already from ward members. Since it takes 5-9 days for
cards to get to him, I think that's pretty good.
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Note 5: Members Taking Turns Writing
| I was in a sacrament meeting for another ward a couple of years ago and
saw the following announcement in the bulletin (I can't remember the exact
phrasing so this is approximate). "We would like to thank the SMITH family
who were in charge of writing to the missionaries serving from our ward
this week. Next week Sis. Jones will be responsible for those letters." I
thought it was a really awesome idea because you probably would not have
to do it real often if the whole ward participated and everyone's lives
are so (too?) busy but they could probably do it every so often. I am not
sure if people in the ward have written to our son. He has not mentioned
it so I am assuming that they probably have not. I do know that several
members of our LDS homeschool support group have written to him which
makes me feel so happy. Missionaries love letters and although we write
every week, it is wonderful to think that someone took the time to write
him. Also I am in charge of printing the weekly sac. meeting bulletin and
so every fast Sunday, I post all the missionary's address on the back.
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Note 6: Mending for Missionaries
| [Betty's Intro] This is such a good idea! Some of you may not know Luise.
She is a Missionary Mom in Germany, and my son served in her ward. Bonnie
is also from Germany, and now lives in the states. Anyway, I'm including
her idea because I think it is a great idea. I wonder what other services
could be offered?
Hi mm's,
Yesterday I had a great day and I want to tell you about [it]. In our
stake house the missionaries had their Zone Conference. I went there,
packed with my sewing maschine, thread, lining, etc. and mended the
clothes of the missionaries. For me it was the first time and so they
didn't bring too much. I'm sure when I go there next time they [will] have
a lot of work for me. If anyone knows Bonnie Butz, she did it for some
years. This is a way of service which doesn't cost a lot but is of great
worth to the Elders.
May the Lord be with you all.
Missionary Mom in the Nuremburg Stake, Germany Munich Mission
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Note 7: Missionary Addresses
| Just one thing our Branch has done that has seen a good response,
concerning the missionaries addresses: A sister prepares a printout of the
addresses, with an appropriate picture above, like a valentine, or
mailbox, or santa or whatever, then along the bottom edge, there are 8 or
10 copies of addresses, clipped between, so members can just tear off a
strip, and have the addresses to take home, eliminating the need for them
to find something to write on. It's the same thing you see on community
bulletin boards when people are selling a car or a pet or lessons and they
have their phone number on tear strips so interested people can just tear
off a slip to take with. The sister keeps the addresses current, and puts
up new sheets when they've all been torn off. We put them in 4 places, the
seminary room, YW room, Adult Sunday School/RS room and in the hall. Our
Branch has 4 going on 6 missionaries out, and the member support has been
great!
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Note 8: Missionary Bike Safety
| The Elders have been here for a while getting their bikes 'fixed up' with
safety equipment. Some ward members became concerned, felt the missionary
bikes needed reflectors, lights and a few other items. So, they took up a
'collection' and my husband and a HP leader bought the items. Today my
husband helped the missionary put the items on the bikes. (Tomorrow he'll
help the Sisters with their bikes - everyone is on a bike here)
They also bought them reflective vests to wear at night. The bikes stay in
our area at transfer time - they are mission bikes not Missionaries's
bikes - (I know many missions have missionary's bikes.)
When the Elders came in to wash up and get warm, it's cold today, before
leaving for their dinner appointment, Elder Sparhawk mentioned that
Missionaries sometime "feel safe with getting safe": It caused me to think
of the scripture: FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD, [MARK 16:16] and that was a
rather chilling thought. We all laughed but there was perhaps more truth
than we wanted to think about!
Make sure your missionaries remember to be safe.
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Note 9: Missionary Parents Potluck
| You may be interested to know what we are doing in our ward on Saturday.
We are having a potluck dinner for all the missionary parents in our ward.
Everybody is going to bring pictures and letters to share, and we are
going to talk to our hearts content about our missionaries......nobody
likes to talk about them like their parents!!!!! We are just having it at
our home, and hopefully it will become a bi-monthly thing, and we will
rotate the homes. I will let you know how it turns out.
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Note 10: Missionary and Servicemen Newsletter
| When we first came to town they had a 1st Ward missionary newsletter.. I
pushed to have the Servicemen put in also.. This newsletter has been
combined to include all four wards, however not everyone puts in their
report. I think the missionaries themselves would like to see reports on
each other-they know each other from school, and seminary... Every
Christmas some big rolls of paper are spread out.. they use computer paper
right now having a print out message to each missionary and serviceman..
Example one of our boys it read :Merry Christmas Elder Mark Webber. There
is one for each missionary/serviceman in the the wards. They are spread
out on long tables in the gym each Sunday for about three weeks in the
overflow and or the gym with pens and pencils for everyone in the wards to
sign... I think they all enjoy it... These are sent off to them... Some
are more decorated than others--depending on who printed them up....
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