E-mail has rendered snail mail less important to missionaries, but the missionary care package will never lose its place in the hearts of the servants of the Lord.
Care packages always send the same message: You are loved.
What kinds of food do you send to your missionary? And what are some things to think about before packaging up that 80-pound Christmas package to your missionary in Zimbabwe?
In a series of informal straw polls, the most popular items were those that cannot be obtained easily — or cheaply — in a foreign mission. These included root beer (or root beer concentrate), peanut butter, dry drink mix of any kind, seasoning packets and beef jerky. A favorite candy or snack food was also suggested, as were gift cards to chain restaurants. Another suggestion was to send Popsicle molds with Kool-Aid or Jell-O, especially for missions with hot climates.
Regardless of what you send, here are two “rules” for sending food to your missionary:
Rule 1: Behind every elder or sister receiving a package is a companion who didn’t get anything. As a thoughtful family member of a missionary, remember that you don’t know the circumstances the companion is going through. Sending a package with items for both missionaries will do great things for companionship morale and for your missionary’s figure.
Rule 2: Make sure you know the rules for shipping various items to the country your missionary is serving in. Some items — like beef jerky, for instance — can’t be sent to certain countries. In other locales, customs fees or duty fees make missionaries pay extra money just to receive the package. Some missionaries have had to pay hundreds of dollars. They received some nice gifts, but ended up eating Top Ramen and macaroni and cheese for the next month.
The best way (besides asking your missionary) to know the shipping rules of any given mission is by calling the mission office. You can obtain the mission phone numbers by going to mission.net, clicking on the desired mission, and then clicking on "mission info" or "information for new missionaries." While the majority of missions just have a phone number to call, some — like this South African mission, this Argentine Mission and this French mission, give information on how, where, and what to send your missionary, along with other important mission information.
Regardless of what you send your missionary, it’s the thought that counts. Your missionary works hard every day to serve the Lord and the people in the area. While it’s nice to know that people at home are thinking about them, actions speak louder than words.
Don’t spend too much time and money trying to think of a fantastic gift. Just send something!
e-mail: nnewman@desnews.com