Dear friends and family of a missionary January 10, 2016

I was wondering today about whether I had acquired wisdom for those who are not in the mission field.  I decided that I have learned some important things.

1)  Your missionary LOVES to get packages.  It doesn't matter so much what is in them, it is just that someone remembered.

2)  However, I have seen a few boxes of candy and treats left at the office when the missionary indicates that he/she still has some left from the last package.  Change it up.  They enjoy a surprise.

3)  I have found that the missionaries always need cleaning supplies like wipes and light bulbs.  They have a limited amount of money in their accounts and they really hate to use it on such things.

4)  Many missionaries quit going to check for mail in their mailboxes.  It is sad to go every day and not have anything in the box.  So, if you do send something to their mailbox, they may not realize it is there for a while.

5)  I always thought that missionaries would think it is weird to get a letter from me when I did not know them well.  At least it is mail.  Inspirational materials are nice to receive.

6)  At least here in our mission, the mail service is REALLY slow.  Plan on about two weeks for a letter.  Don't think that the weekly e-mail is enough.  Missionaries like paper letters.

7)  In our mission, packages sent to the mission office have a good chance of getting to the missionary, even if they are transferred.  That may not be so if sent to their residence address.  However, you may want to ask the office of your missionary whether that is the case in their mission.

8)  Monday holidays may change the day that the missionaries get to e-mail.

9)  Transfers are to be expected.  Every six weeks, the Mission President has to determine which missionaries are leaving and who may be coming in.  The President makes it a matter of prayer to determine where the missionaries are to be serving.

10)  There are no missionary assignments that are more important than other assignments.  I learned this lesson several years ago.  I had grown up believing that leadership assignments were a "promotion".  How wrong that is!  Whether it is the assignment of a proselyting missionary, a trainer, a district leader or Zone Leader or Sister Training Leader or Assistant to the President, every single assignment is important.  Which is more important for a car to run:  the gasoline, the tires or the engine?  The fact is, that car is not going to run without all of them!

11)  Missionaries need your help.  They need to have you be willing to go with them to teach, they need you to help investigators and new members.

12)  When the missionary returns home, they have grown.  They have been able to live independent of parents and family, support them as they use what they have learned.

This week, write a letter to someone, send a note of encouragement, tell someone the difference they have made in your life.