Uplifting Music All Year Long

Though men may be difficult to shop for on Valentine’s Day, this CD by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the perfect gift for anyone serving a mission. Filled with beautiful songs about love, this album not only fits in with a Valentine theme, but can also be enjoyed for the rest of the year.

Order the Album here

A Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Organizational supplies, while not the most exciting present, are still a good idea when mailing a Christmas package to a missionary. I have purchased the Command brand of hooks and wall mounting supplies, and I really like them. My sister and I found several other types of hooks and hangers that our brother could easily install without damaging walls or doors. Anything to help him get organized!

It seems like it’s always harder to think of presents to ship to missionaries serving in warmer climates. My sister and I searched hard to find things for our brother (who is leaving for Honduras today). One of our ideas was a lightweight, battery-operated fan. I know that when I lived in the Dominican Republic, it was so nice to have a little breeze when trying to fall asleep — the rooms were usually sweltering. When I asked my husband if a fan would have been nice in Brazil, where he served his mission he said he would have loved it, and added that the smaller hand-fans work out very nicely, too. This is a picture of the fan we bought for my brother. I included the batteries in the photo to show the size of the fan (they are D batteries), but my sister and I decided not to send them — way too heavy! You be the judge.

 One easy project that I have done for several different missionaries is a checkbox letter. Unfamiliar with this concept? It’s simple: the goal is to create a letter that your missionary can complete and send to her friends and family – the fun part is, she can only choose answers that you have provided. Start with a list of statements (for example “The food here…”  or  ”My companion is…”), and then beneath, like a multiple choice exam, list several optional answers, and tell your missionary to check all that apply. Don’t be afraid to get creative — it makes it more fun! For instance, under the food statement, you could list options such as:    ”…is nothing like mom’s”     or     “…kills a little piece of my heart each day”    or    ”…is probably going to be my Abrahamic test while on my mission”    or     “…watches me as I eat it.”  You get the idea. Be sure to send multiple copies, so that your missionary can send them to friends as well!

You all remember these delicious desserts, right? Well what better way to celebrate summer than by sending your missionary the simple ingredients for dirt cups.

What to include:

1. Chocolate pudding mix (be sure to get instant – it’ll keep things simple)

2. Oreo cookies (try to find the six-packs for cheaper shipping)

3. Gummy-worms (spice it up with sour gummies)

There are not a whole lot of ways a person can mess up dirt cups, but perhaps you’ll want to include some instructions, just to avoid unforeseen misunderstandings. If you are unfamiliar with this recipe, the instructions are simple: Make the pudding, scoop some into a cup, crush the Oreos on top (it’s supposed to look like dirt), and then decorate with gummy worms. It’s that easy! You can send a single serving’s worth, or enough for your missionary to share with his whole apartment — a very good way to get the “in” with his friends. You’ll be the coolest girlfriend/mom/sister on the block!  :)

This is a cute idea for Elders and Sister Missionaries alike, and it comes from blogger MomoMushy. Compile a mini address book, filled with the mailing addresses of his family, friends, or ward members. Be sure to keep things in alphabetical order, and include several blank pages at the back in case he needs to add an address or two sometime throughout his mission (often missionaries like to keep in touch with companions who return home before they do). Another way to show your support would be to send a him a blank book toward the end of his mission, so that he can collect the contact info of members and investigators he wants to keep in touch with after he gets home. Talk about going the extra mile — you will show him that you care about the people he cares about.