Music in the Mail

Music can have a great influence on us. It can make our days better, bring the spirit and give us strength.

 Many missionaries are allowed to listen to music from an approved list often made by their mission presidents. A great gift and pick me up for our sisters and elders out there is the gift of music. Good music that fits into the requirements set by the mission office can be a great gift and can be easy sent in the mail.

This great gift can really help bring a feeling of peace and love to those missionaries that need to be lifted from time to time.

MTC mail

After talking to a few different returned missionaries about their missions I have gathered that the first week in the MTC can be one of the hardest weeks on the mission. 

A great way to help ease the transition into the mission field is to send a little love to your missionary before they even get there. Having a package waiting for your missionary at the MTC is a great way to help them feel the love of their friends and family as well as their support. 

Good ideas for these kinds of packages are foods that you know they love, things you know they will forget, photos and notes of support. 

There is a lot to learn in the MTC and it is a very different world then most new missionaries have experienced up to that point in their lives. It is a great help to remember that out there in the world there are people that know what they are doing and love them.

   

A message in a bottle

This shipping idea comes from a friend of mine who served her mission in New York City a few years back.

She always loved getting mail while on her mission and loved keeping in touch with other sisters from her areas. After a while just sending letters got to be old hat so the girls started coming up with better ways to send mail. This was the birth of the message in a bottle.

The girls found that USPS would send empty and dry water bottles through the postal system.  This works best for domestic mail within the United States. The first step is to find a dry water bottle that can be sealed tight. Fill this water bottle full of anything small enough to fit through the opening, if you want to mail something that can’t fit cut a hole in the bottle but be sure to tap it back up. Fun things that might fit are letters, candy, small toys, and socks.  Once the bottle is full place a new label over the bottle’s original label and take to the nearest post office.   

The shipping cost will be more than a paper envelope but your missionary is sure to love this creative idea!

Steal the Hearts of the Children Package.

Here is a fun package idea from one of our return missionary friends!

Consider sending your missionary a bunch of little trinkets to give to kids. In 3rd world countries, kids can be the best way to get to the hearts of their parents. Some people soften their hearts when they see missionaries being kind to their children, especially when missionaries give their kids things that are either 1) not available for purchase, or 2) out of reach financially for their family.

These trinkets include: those cheap green ctr rings, scripture marking crayons, pocket sized children hymn books, etc. They can be handmade crafts: like scripture markers or a collection of small pictures of favorite Book of Mormon characters. If you’re looking for more inspiration, think about what you bought for your kids to uplift and inspire them when they were young.

Once you’ve decided what to buy or make, consider buying or making ten to fifteen of them. Trust me, your son or daughter will find a good home for them. You’ll be indirectly improving the lives of children around the world, and helping your missionary in his or her all important work of changing lives.

Send these packages with your missionary’s favorite candy every 3-6 months and you’ll make a difference in the lives of your missionary and those he or she serves.