If you want to send a fun package but don't have the time or energy to think of a missionary package ideas, I've come up with 91 clever and unique package ideas for you! Missionary Packages can be so much fun! It's a way to connect with your Elder or Sister and put a little

This blog post is featuring a collection of care package ideas for every month of the year (plus a few bonus ideas for birthdays and "hump day"). We have at least one idea for every month (plus birthdays and "hump day"), with links to the original source if you want more information. But first, lets talk about some of the practical matters re: sending care packages... TIMING- You'll want to take into consideration that it's going to take a while for your package to get to your missionary (especially if they are in a different country), so you will want to look into delivery estimate times and try to plan ahead. For example, if you are in the United States and your missionary is also in the United States, you can send a package through USPS using "Priority Mail" and it should arrive in 2 to 3 business days (there are other -cheaper- shipping methods, but they do take much longer). If you have a specific day that you need the package to arrive by (such as a birthday or Christmas), then I would plan ahead to have the package arrive at least several days early. It's better to be on the safe side, since there can be delays (especially around Christmas). If you are shipping to a foreign country, it will take much longer for a package to arrive. The USPS website's "Postage Price Calculator" can give you an idea of the cost for a package and an estimate for how long it will take a package/letter to arrive (enter your zip code and the destination country). Again, this is an estimate, because the delivery time can vary a lot, especially in remote areas. So shipping early is key. RESTRICTIONS- If you are shipping to a foreign country, I recommend finding a message board or facebook group where parents with LDS missionaries in the same country as your missionary share tips because you will be able to find ideas and information about shipping to that particular country. When you ship anything to a foreign country, there can be a lot of restrictions about what can be sent (both because of policy and because of practicality). For example, a particular country might not allow certain types of food to be sent. Another county might allow food, but it isn't a good idea to send certain types of foods (like chocolate that can melt). If you try to ship restricted or illegal items (like fireworks), they would be confiscated and could potentially cause problems for yourself and/or for your missionary, so be sure to get the facts about what is allowed and not allowed. The USPS has information about shipping to foreign countries, and they also have all of the customs forms that you will need to send packages overseas. The last time I sent a package to an overseas missionary was several years ago, but unless it has changed recently, you actually have to go to the post office to mail foreign packages (you can't usually just click & ship from home). OTHER IMPORTANT SHIPPING ISSUES- Other common issues related to sending packages to foreign countries include theft and additional costs to your missionary. Theft is a significant problem in some countries where customs agents will open and inspect your package, confiscate restricted items, and may decide to keep things that they want for themselves. Even if your missionary is serving in the United States and the package won't go through customs, packages can be stolen from doorsteps. So if you try to send anything of value such as money, a camera, or even shoes, they might never make it to your missionary. I've heard that in some countries, if you need to send shoes to your missionary, it's best to sent the shoes in seperate packages on different days (because one shoe is not very appealing to a theif). Of course, there is always the chance that one of the packages could be lost forever and you missionary might be walking around with only one shoe! :) Please be aware that customs agents can and will open packages and inspect everything inside. So if you have wrapped items (like a twelve-days-of-Christmas gifts kind of thing), they may open all of the gifts to see what they are. COSTS- It costs a lot of money to send a package anywhere, even within the same country. The farther away, the higher the cost. Also, a heavier package costs more (an exception to this is if you are able to do a flat-rate box through USPS, which allows you to pay the same price no matter how heavy the box is, but there are restrictions and you must use a specific box (that you can get for free from USPS). So you definitely need to factor the cost of shipping plus the cost of the items inside to determine the actual total cost of sending a care package to your missionary. What many people don't realize is that additional costs to the missionaries can happen when they are required to pay customs fees when picking up a package in their country. Depending on the contents of the package, they may be required to pay high fees (basically custom taxes), and that money comes out of the missionary's support fund (food allowance). Imagine if they had to pay $100 to pick up a package that cost you $50 to send them? That would be devastating to their budget. For all of these reasons, you will definately want to learn everything you can about what is allowed (or will result in fees) and what you shouldn't send to your missionaries particular country. Alright, now that I've totally stressed you out, lets get on to the care package ideas! You may need to adapt to your situation and you definately don't need to send a package every single month (especially if your missioary is in a foreign counrty where the cost is much higher). Here is at least one idea for each month of the year, followed by a few extra ideas: JANUARY- "NEW YEAR, NEW START" CARE PACKAGE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a cute idea for a low-cost care package containing practical items like toothpaste, mints, etc. FEBRUARY- "VALENTINES DAY CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Check dollar stores for inexpensive holiday-related items and decorations MARCH- "ST PATRICK'S DAY CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Green-themed care package for St Patricks Day - basically, just anything that is green (note- I'd be careful about putting soap like the IRish Spring shown in a box with food. Even though it is wrapped, it is strong smelling and -trust me - all of the food items like gum and mints will taste like soap. I know this because this has happened in my 72-hour kit. If you really want to include the soap, I would double-wrap the whole package of soap it in thick zip-lock bags like freezer bags). APRIL- ''EASTER CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Several ideas for Easter. You could include any Easter-ish items, but its nice to have a gospel theme if you can, as in the 2nd Easter care package shown above. MAY- "MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a May-themed care package with the popular May 4th "MAY the Fourth be with you" Star Wars theme. Here, they include snacks with the labels changed to make them Star Wars related. JUNE- "BOX OF SUNSHINE CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This sunshine-themed care package would be good for anytime in the summer, but it could also be sent in the winter as a sort of cheer-up. PS- Some countries have the opposite seasons than in the United States, so if your missionary is serving in Australia, for example, it might be winter there when it is summer here. JULY- "4TH OF JULY CARE PACKAGE" LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE I'm pretty sure that fireworks are illegal to send anywhere, even within the United States, so this care package is fireowrk themed, but shouldnt contain any actual fireworks - it's just firework themed. Fun items like pop-rocks candy would be a good idea. Be sure to check whether it is appropriate to send nation-related items like American flags, etc., before you send, in case they might be prohibited. AUGUST- "BEAT THE HEAT CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE "Cool" or "ice" themed items SEPTEMBER- "FALL CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Fall themed items like nuts and other snacks with fall-themed flavors OCTOBER- "HALLOWEEN CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE NOVEMBER- "THANKSGIVING CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a really cute idea for a thanksgiving dinner in a box. Is your missionary in the United States and probably going to eat Thanksgiving dinner with a family in their area? Don't worry - they will still want this food! You can't have too much Thanksgiving! DECEMBER "CHRISTMAS CARE PACKAGE" Here are 3 different ideas for things to send to your missionary for Christmas. A common theme for a lot of Christmas care packages are things that can be enjoyed over time - either small gift or envelopes that are opened over time (days or weeks). Don't feel like you need to send regular Christmas presents (like you would normally give them back home). In fact, it's better not to. They don't have room for extra items in their luggage, so unless they specifically tell you that they need new shoes or a new dress, I would recommend sticking to small practical & consumable stuff like post-it notes, chapstick, socks, ties, snacks, makeup, etc. Here is a garland with envelopes that are opened like an advent calendar: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Here is a paper Christmas tree and "ornaments" featuring photos of family and friends back home. This is a great idea because it can be put up weeks before Christmas and kept up on display for a while after Christmas, so it has a lasting impact (while also being low cost). The missionary can eventually throw away the paper tree, but keep the photos with him in the next transfer. LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Stocking filled with inexpensive gifts like candy, etc (for most people, a stocking would be in additional to the main gifts, but for a missionary this is a very appropriate gift by itself) LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Please try to remember your missionary's companion when sending a care package, but ESPECIALLY at Christmas. It doesn't need to be something major, anything small will be appreciated. Some missionaries don't get much mail or any packages from home. Some missionaries don't get any sort of support from home, so it can be really meaningful to get something from someone who cares - even if they don't know you. HUMP DAY CARE PACKAGE: "Hump Day" is the halfway mark for Missionaries - for Elders that is the 1-year mark (halfway through their 2 year mission) and for Sisters that is their 9-year mark (halfway through their 18 month mission). It's just kind of a fun thing to recognize that they are halfway through. Here are some fun "hump day" care package ideas: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE BIRTHDAY CARE PACKAGES: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE HAVE FUN PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR CARE PACKAGES! YOUR MISSIONARY WILL LOVE THEM!

All the best gifts for missionaries right here! With over 75 ideas this gift guide has everything your missionary could ever hope for.

This was originally posted on my other missionary blog "Missionary Momming with the Overzealous Missionary Mom" (which is a blog with ideas for moms & other relatives or friends of full-time LDS missionaries). Even though this blog is primarily about preparing for an LDS mission, I thought I'd share this information here as well, since it's a missionary-related topic and some of you might be interested in missionary care package ideas! If you'd like to see my other blog, you can find it here This blog post features a collection of care package ideas for every month of the year (plus a few bonus ideas for birthdays and "hump day"). We have at least one idea for every month (plus birthdays and "hump day"), with links to the original source if you want more information. But first, lets talk about some of the practical matters re: sending care packages... TIMING- You'll want to take into consideration that it's going to take a while for your package to get to your missionary (especially if they are in a different country), so you will want to look into delivery estimate times and try to plan ahead. For example, if you are in the United States and your missionary is also in the United States, you can send a package through USPS using "Priority Mail" and it should arrive in 2 to 3 business days (there are other -cheaper- shipping methods, but they do take much longer). If you have a specific day that you need the package to arrive by (such as a birthday or Christmas), then I would plan ahead to have the package arrive at least several days early. It's better to be on the safe side, since there can be delays (especially around Christmas). If you are shipping to a foreign country, it will take much longer for a package to arrive. The USPS website's "Postage Price Calculator" can give you an idea of the cost for a package and an estimate for how long it will take a package/letter to arrive (enter your zip code and the destination country). Again, this is an estimate, because the delivery time can vary a lot, especially in remote areas. So shipping early is key. RESTRICTIONS- If you are shipping to a foreign country, I recommend finding a message board or facebook group where parents with LDS missionaries in the same country as your missionary share tips because you will be able to find ideas and information about shipping to that particular country. When you ship anything to a foreign country, there can be a lot of restrictions about what can be sent (both because of policy and because of practicality). For example, a particular country might not allow certain types of food to be sent. Another county might allow food, but it isn't a good idea to send certain types of foods (like chocolate that can melt). If you try to ship restricted or illegal items (like fireworks), they would be confiscated and could potentially cause problems for yourself and/or for your missionary, so be sure to get the facts about what is allowed and not allowed. The USPS has information about shipping to foreign countries, and they also have all of the customs forms that you will need to send packages overseas. The last time I sent a package to an overseas missionary was several years ago, but unless it has changed recently, you actually have to go to the post office to mail foreign packages (you can't usually just click & ship from home). OTHER IMPORTANT SHIPPING ISSUES- Other common issues related to sending packages to foreign countries include theft and additional costs to your missionary. Theft is a significant problem in some countries where customs agents will open and inspect your package, confiscate restricted items, and may decide to keep things that they want for themselves. Even if your missionary is serving in the United States and the package won't go through customs, packages can be stolen from doorsteps. So if you try to send anything of value such as money, a camera, or even shoes, they might never make it to your missionary. I've heard that in some countries, if you need to send shoes to your missionary, it's best to sent the shoes in seperate packages on different days (because one shoe is not very appealing to a theif). Of course, there is always the chance that one of the packages could be lost forever and you missionary might be walking around with only one shoe! :) Please be aware that customs agents can and will open packages and inspect everything inside. So if you have wrapped items (like a twelve-days-of-Christmas gifts kind of thing), they may open all of the gifts to see what they are. COSTS- It costs a lot of money to send a package anywhere, even within the same country. The farther away, the higher the cost. Also, a heavier package costs more (an exception to this is if you are able to do a flat-rate box through USPS, which allows you to pay the same price no matter how heavy the box is, but there are restrictions and you must use a specific box (that you can get for free from USPS). So you definitely need to factor the cost of shipping plus the cost of the items inside to determine the actual total cost of sending a care package to your missionary. What many people don't realize is that additional costs to the missionaries can happen when they are required to pay customs fees when picking up a package in their country. Depending on the contents of the package, they may be required to pay high fees (basically custom taxes), and that money comes out of the missionary's support fund (food allowance). Imagine if they had to pay $100 to pick up a package that cost you $50 to send them? That would be devastating to their budget. For all of these reasons, you will definately want to learn everything you can about what is allowed (or will result in fees) and what you shouldn't send to your missionaries particular country. Alright, now that I've totally stressed you out, lets get on to the care package ideas! You may need to adapt to your situation and you definately don't need to send a package every single month (especially if your missioary is in a foreign counrty where the cost is much higher). Here is at least one idea for each month of the year, followed by a few extra ideas: JANUARY- "NEW YEAR, NEW START" CARE PACKAGE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a cute idea for a low-cost care package containing practical items like toothpaste, mints, etc. FEBRUARY- "VALENTINES DAY CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Check dollar stores for inexpensive holiday-related items and decorations MARCH- "ST PATRICK'S DAY CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Green-themed care package for St Patricks Day - basically, just anything that is green (note- I'd be careful about putting soap like the IRish Spring shown in a box with food. Even though it is wrapped, it is strong smelling and -trust me - all of the food items like gum and mints will taste like soap. I know this because this has happened in my 72-hour kit. If you really want to include the soap, I would double-wrap the whole package of soap it in thick zip-lock bags like freezer bags). APRIL- ''EASTER CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Several ideas for Easter. You could include any Easter-ish items, but its nice to have a gospel theme if you can, as in the 2nd Easter care package shown above. MAY- "MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a May-themed care package with the popular May 4th "MAY the Fourth be with you" Star Wars theme. Here, they include snacks with the labels changed to make them Star Wars related. JUNE- "BOX OF SUNSHINE CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This sunshine-themed care package would be good for anytime in the summer, but it could also be sent in the winter as a sort of cheer-up. PS- Some countries have the opposite seasons than in the United States, so if your missionary is serving in Australia, for example, it might be winter there when it is summer here. JULY- "4TH OF JULY CARE PACKAGE" LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE I'm pretty sure that fireworks are illegal to send anywhere, even within the United States, so this care package is fireowrk themed, but shouldnt contain any actual fireworks - it's just firework themed. Fun items like pop-rocks candy would be a good idea. Be sure to check whether it is appropriate to send nation-related items like American flags, etc., before you send, in case they might be prohibited. AUGUST- "BEAT THE HEAT CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE "Cool" or "ice" themed items SEPTEMBER- "FALL CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Fall themed items like nuts and other snacks with fall-themed flavors OCTOBER- "HALLOWEEN CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE NOVEMBER- "THANKSGIVING CARE PACKAGE" LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE This is a really cute idea for a thanksgiving dinner in a box. Is your missionary in the United States and probably going to eat Thanksgiving dinner with a family in their area? Don't worry - they will still want this food! You can't have too much Thanksgiving! DECEMBER "CHRISTMAS CARE PACKAGE" Here are 3 different ideas for things to send to your missionary for Christmas. A common theme for a lot of Christmas care packages are things that can be enjoyed over time - either small gift or envelopes that are opened over time (days or weeks). Don't feel like you need to send regular Christmas presents (like you would normally give them back home). In fact, it's better not to. They don't have room for extra items in their luggage, so unless they specifically tell you that they need new shoes or a new dress, I would recommend sticking to small practical & consumable stuff like post-it notes, chapstick, socks, ties, snacks, makeup, etc. Here is a garland with envelopes that are opened like an advent calendar: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Here is a paper Christmas tree and "ornaments" featuring photos of family and friends back home. This is a great idea because it can be put up weeks before Christmas and kept up on display for a while after Christmas, so it has a lasting impact (while also being low cost). The missionary can eventually throw away the paper tree, but keep the photos with him in the next transfer. LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Stocking filled with inexpensive gifts like candy, etc (for most people, a stocking would be in additional to the main gifts, but for a missionary this is a very appropriate gift by itself) LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE Please try to remember your missionary's companion when sending a care package, but ESPECIALLY at Christmas. It doesn't need to be something major, anything small will be appreciated. Some missionaries don't get much mail or any packages from home. Some missionaries don't get any sort of support from home, so it can be really meaningful to get something from someone who cares - even if they don't know you. HUMP DAY CARE PACKAGE: "Hump Day" is the halfway mark for Missionaries - for Elders that is the 1-year mark (halfway through their 2 year mission) and for Sisters that is their 9-year mark (halfway through their 18 month mission). It's just kind of a fun thing to recognize that they are halfway through. Here are some fun "hump day" care package ideas: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE BIRTHDAY CARE PACKAGES: LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IDEA HERE HAVE FUN PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR CARE PACKAGES! YOUR MISSIONARY WILL LOVE THEM!

I had SO much fun putting this package together! It was tiring, and tedious, but I am rather please with the way it turned out and it was a whole lot of fun :) THE BOX: My strategy for this package was to avoid crazy shipping costs by getting a small box and just jam packing everything possible in it. Mission accomplished. I lined the bottom of the box with Christmassy scrapbook paper and the sides with polka dots. I painted the box red and made a "Merry Christmas" banner for when he opened it! It was perfect for the box shape. I'm not sure how I would do that in a box with 4 flaps. Another smart box idea that I didn't think of is getting a flat rate box from the post office. I was kicking myself for a while once the pounds started adding up, but it all worked out pretty well for me. Gatorade (aka Priesthood PowerAde) Chapstick Tic-Tacs (Missionaries can't chew gum) Hot coco with candy canes Fruit snacks Goldfish Beef Jerky Snickers Starburst M&M's Sheet music for Love Story by Taylor Swift and I Can Show You The World from Disney movie Aladdin 3 bookmarks -Missionary quotes -A poem -My favorite scriptures More "Open When" letters. I made these a couple months back but decided against sending them all at once because I am almost positive Joseph would just sit on his bed and open letter after letter until he had read them all haha! So I space them out, sending a few at a time:) You can find "Open When" letter post here. Making the letters was my favorite part of the whole package. Some of the topics were: -When you're having companion problems -When you need a good laugh -When you're bored -When you need to feel uplifted -When you are discouraged -When you feel like reminiscing It was so fun writing these! For all of the letters I prayed for guidance on what to write and say. Especially the spiritual ones. It was really uplifting for me as I felt the spirit guiding me what to say, scriptures to share, talks to print out, testimony to bare. It was such a cool experience. Warm socks for the winter months Lint roller Hand sewn Hand Warmers. I just sewed two square pieces of material, flipped it inside out so the seams weren't shown and filled them with rice before stitching them up completely. You can also fill them with oats and they will work the same. You pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and they will stay warm for up to a couple hours! Just slip them in your pockets and they will keep them nice and toasty:)  This was the final product before I shipped it away. I put the letters in the box and wrapped almost everything because I thought it would be fun for him to have something he could actually open on Christmas morning. Everything has a cheesy saying to go along with it, if you couldn't read them in the pictures just leave a comment on this post and I will send them to you:) I loved putting this together and any of my ideas are free to be used! Goodluck! All my love, Lauren.

Easy missionary gift -12 Days of Christmas features a tag with a missionary scripture plus a coordinating practical gift. So fun!

All the best gifts for missionaries right here! With over 75 ideas this gift guide has everything your missionary could ever hope for.

If you are looking for ideas for a healthy Halloween care package, that doesn't include junk food, you came to the right place! This box is perfect for college age kids or your LDS missionary!

Let your LDS Missionary you care - here are TONS of LDS Missionary care packages and gift ideas that will make them feel happy and loved!

A BIG list of seasonal care package ideas for the entire year! You'll never have trouble coming up with care package themes again!

Andrew has had his mission call for more than 3 months. We (Andrew and his mom) have done a lot to prepare him physically and a li...

Looking for gifts for sister missionaries? Any LDS sister missionary would be happy to receive one of these gifts while out on her mission!

Find the BEST gift ideas for Latter-day Saint missionaries! Everything from study and teaching tools to food to fun gifts for P-days.

Looking for gifts for sister missionaries? Any LDS sister missionary would be happy to receive one of these gifts while out on her mission!

In case you haven’t time for a 25 day missionary countdown, I present to you the twelve days of Missionary Christmas! Please be sure to include your missionary’s companion in any packages sent. Jesus Christ has over one hundred different names in the scriptures. Here are just a few of the names our Savior is […]

So I decided to jump on the band wagon and make the Read When Letters Word of warning: This is VERY time consuming! Make sure you...

Life was never promised to be easy. Here are 35 missionary quotes to help strengthen your faith as the trials of life arise.

We finally got Corrie's Christmas package (with her insanely belated Birthday goodies) in the mail to her yesterday...it's on its way to Chile!! :) I hope she enjoys some American sweets every day leading up to Christmas, along with scripture verses and uplifting quotes in Spanish from this past General Conference (in lovely print form from this site, they come in English, Spanish, and French!). In case you have someone you love and miss and you want to send them a Christmas count-down, here's how I sent ours to Corrie in Chile! :) We love and miss that girl...but we know she's having the time of her life serving in Chile. ¡Te queremos Corrie!

Missionaries know they will give up familiar comforts to serve, but when weariness sets in, a missionary care package can be the encouragement they need.

A few months ago I sent my missionary son a cake mix for his birthday. I asked him about the cake and he replied, “I loved it! We mixed it up and just ate the batter. Never made it to t…

The following article originally appeared on LDS Living in 2015.

Creative and creepy Halloween care package ideas to send your long-distance loved one a big box of love on this All Hallows Eve!

Open When letters are a great way to send encouraging words with your missionary that they can open any time then need them.

These missionary quotes will have you excited to serve the Lord and lift you up in times of frustration or disappointment.

Preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? 19 returned missionaries give their best advice for future missionaries.

So glad they called him on a mission, He’s leaving in a week or two, I hope by then we will be ready, With shoes, shirts, suits, socks, ties, scriptures in a bag or two… Here are 10 of …

I try to tell it like it is, and I'm being totally honest about this, friends - being a missionary isn't always "smiles times"...being rejected constantly, seeing the gospel rejected constantly, being hated, having people want to argue with you, being screamed at, the heartache of people letting you down, working at full speed all day every day, seeing the situations and the poverty that people live in (even in the United States), it can be all be tough on even the strongest person. As a missionary, I felt really, really down sometimes. Different missionaries experience different trials, even if they are serving in the exact same mission - because you will have different companions and be in different areas. Some areas that I was in were rougher than others. It was discouraging for me, personally, because I knew that people needed the message of the restored gospel, but I often felt like there wasn't anyone who would listen. We frequently went weeks without actually teaching anyone (and when we did we rarely got past the 1st lesson), but we still worked all day long (often in the worst weather I've ever experienced). It was tough. Somewhat tough physically, but mostly emotionally. Knowing all of that, do I recommend serving a mission? Absolutely, I do. Only you can decide for yourself if you are willing to serve. If you are not sure if the Lord wants you to serve, then you should definitely pray about it. If you decide to serve, know that it will be hard work and it will be a challenge emotionally. But missionaries aren't meant to be miserable...nobody is. We are here to experience many things, but one of those things is happiness. Men are that they might have JOY! Discouragement is natural for missionaries, just like any other person. Prayer, hard work, obedience, and making sure that you have the Spirit with you are all key to a happy mission, of course. But there are some other things that you can do to help make life HAPPIER as a missionary and today I'm going to share some of the things that I did to help keep my spirits up during the tough times. I have recommended all of these things to my future missionary daughter! #1- HAPPY BOOK Before I left for my mission, a roommate's sister (who had recently returned from serving a mission) told me about something that she did during her mission...she and her companions each had a "happy book." She showed me hers. It was a small journal. It was filled with long lists of phrases and inside jokes, listed in order by area/companion. She explained that starting with her first companion, she would write down funny things that happened and jokes that they had together (separate pages for each companionship). "You'll need one of these," she said. Before I left for the MTC, I converted an address book (that I didn't need) into a "happy book" by simply re-covering it. You could use any journal or small book for this, I was just using what I had available. Starting with my MTC companion, I began at the top of the first page with her name and the date that we started serving together (at the MTC). I didn't pre-mark the other pages in the book, because I knew I might need more pages for some companionships than others. When something funny would happen or we'd have an inside joke, I'd write it down. Just a phrase to help me remember later, like, "that time the roof exploded" or "the spaghetti incident". Nothing mean-spirited, of course. Whenever something funny would happen (like someone saying something crazy to us on the street or my skirt falling off while walking down the street), I would write it down. Then while I wrote, I'd also see all of the previous things I'd written down and crack up. It always cheered me up. This would really help to lighten things up at the end of a stressful day. Sometimes companions would read my previous entries and ask, "what does this one mean?" and I'd have fun telling them the story. I did this through my entire mission and I still have my happy book. Occasionally, I'll come across it and flip through. After all these years, I can't remember what every funny situation or joke was anymore, but I can still remember most of them. Every time I look at it, I still laugh so much that I cry. Since I've returned from my mission I've heard of other missionaries doing something similar (may be called different things, but the idea is the same). You might write about funny things that happened in letters home, but trust me, it really helps to have them all in one place that you can refer to at any time. And keeping them separated by companion helps you remember which joke you had with which companion and in which area (it will all start to blur together after a while). So get (or make) a happy book - like I was told, "You'll need one of these!" #2- HAPPY CALENDAR I'm not sure where I first saw this or started doing this, but I can definitely remember using a happy calendar in an area where my companions and I were having a particularly rough time. This is different than the Happy Book discussed in #1. All of our apartments had a monthly wall calendar (like the kind banks and other businesses give away for free) that showed the whole month at a time. We decided that at the end of every day, before we went to sleep, we would write at least one positive thing that happened that day on the calendar. It couldn't be something generic (like "we are alive" or "we had a good day"), it had to be something specific that had happened or something we had accomplished that day. If we couldn't think of anything positive that had happened (and there were days like that), we could at least write down something funny that happened. There were days and weeks when it felt like nothing was going right, but we could look at the calendar and remember that last Friday a returning member we'd invited had come to the ward activity. Or that 2 Wednesdays ago a ward member brought us some groceries. Or that on Tuesday someone accepted a Book of Mormon. So we could see that even when things seemed hard, in reality everything wasn't always gloom. #3- PLAN FUN THINGS TO DO ON P-DAY Planning ahead for something fun to do on p-day can really help to keep your spirits up because it gives you something positive to look forward to. If you have a baptism to look forward to, that would be ideal, but that isn't always possible. We would always look forward to district meetings and zone conferences (especially because we could see the other missionaries, since we were often in rural areas), of course. Another thing you can do is plan something fun for p-day - either with other missionaries, with members, or just you and your companion. Sometimes members will offer to take you sightseeing or on a hike, etc. Usually if we were in a rural area (i.e., not close enough to other missionaries to get together) we would plan something local, like going to a museum, visiting the state line, or taking pictures with a silly statue (they have a lot of those "Worlds Largest" statues in Minnesota). Just knowing that you have something to look forward to that is outside of your regular routine can give you a mood boost. Doing the same thing every day can start to wear on you, so doing something fun and different (even if it is low-key and cheap or free) will help keep you going. Me and a giant cow #4- PLAN FUN CHALLENGES WITH YOUR COMPANION My husband says that he and some of his mission companions would play games where one missionary would pick a word (like "hippopotamus") and then the other one would need to try to use that word in a conversation with the next person they talked to (when tracting or talking to people on the street). I probably wouldn't recommend this particular game, because I feel like it might be distracting from the Spirit when you are trying to teach someone. That's just my opinion. But there are plenty of things you can do to make things fun with your companion without distracting from your purpose. In my mission experience, most of our fun challenges involved food. My first companion and I lived in an apartment near a small diner called the "Victory Cafe." This was one of only a few small restaurants in the town. We decided that we would wait to eat there until after the branch had it's first (ever) baptism, because that would be a huge "victory." Every day, we'd walk by the Victory Cafe and look forward to that day. Eventually there was a convert baptism and we finally got to eat lunch at that diner. We took pictures of each other in front of the Victory Cafe that day... Here I am, celebrating the "victory" on p-day at the Victory Cafe Another thing I remember doing was promising ourselves a treat for getting through the day...like, if we had no appointments planned and were facing a whole day of tracting (going door to door) in freezing cold weather, we might say, "ok, after we do this, we're going to make hot cocoa when we get home tonight." Or we might say, "If we work really hard all week and keep a positive attitude, we're going to get ice cream cones on P-day." These sorts of things might seem silly, but they worked surprisingly well to keep us in a positive mindset. It's good if you can motivate yourself to work hard, but it doesn't always have to be about missionary work. In one area I was having a particularly rough time and I don't remember what was happening at the time, but I remember that I was really down and we'd driven to a nearby town to tract. It was so cold and I was wearing my ridiculous full-length down coat and snow boots. We got out to start our tracting and I just felt so discouraged. We were parked near a mini-mart next to a large field that had several feet of snow on it. My companion dared me to run across the field and said that if I did it, she'd buy me a hostess fruit pie at the mini-mart. Apparently, she was joking, but I didn't notice, because I TOOK OFF RUNNING into the field. I didn't get far, because the top of the snow had crusted over and although I had broken through the ice when I bounded into the snow, I was soon stuck in the snow up over my knees and couldn't get out because of the ice. I remember my companion laughing and getting out her camera to take photos. She helped me out of the ice/snow situation, then we went and got fruit pies at the mini-mart... Me stuck in the snow It was silly and we got a good laugh. I know that trying to run across a field wasn't very dignified (even if nobody was around), but in a weird way, it saved the day. #5- DON'T SAY NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT YOUR COMPANION (EVEN IN LETTERS HOME) This is a tough one. I think I was really lucky because while I did have companions who were very different than me (different styles or personalities, etc). We had our issues, but I didn't have any companions who I actually disliked (or who were disobedient to mission rules or refused to work). My husband had some issues like these with some of his companions. It's bound to happen sometimes. One thing that I really tried to do throughout my whole mission was not to complain about my companion in letters home, and NEVER to say anything negative about my companion to investigators & church members (this could really negatively impact their impression of the other missionary AND of me, which could affect the missionary work and the trust of the members)...and also NEVER speak negatively about my companion to other missionaries (more about this below). Have you ever walked into a room and had the feeling that people were talking about you (and not in a good way?). Think about this...You are going to be with your companion 24/7. For at least several weeks, probably several months. You will do everything together. You will always be together. If they are saying negative things about you, you can tell, even if you don't actually hear it. The Spirit departs. If you are saying negative things about them (even in a letter home), they will be able to sense that something isn't right in the relationship. So unless it is serious enough that you need to bring it up in your "companionship inventory," just bite your tongue. So yes, I was annoyed at times and felt justified in complaining about certain things, but I really tried to keep it to myself. And I know I did my share of annoying things, too, so I know there must have been a lot of times my companions bit their tongues also. Of course there are some exceptions, such as if your companion is in some sort of trouble or breaking mission rules and you've already tried to talk to them about it, then you would want to talk to your Mission President about your concerns. Some things are serious enough that you should talk to your Mission President anyhow, even if you have talked to your companion about the issue. The Missionary Handbook covers all of this and explains what is appropriate in these situations. But in general, if its just stupid things that you want to complain about, like you hate the way your companion chews or that they keep saying, "like" every other word, just keep it to yourself. If you complain about your companion to other missionaries behind his/her back (say, at zone conference), your companion will probably sense it and (even worse) whatever you said might get around the mission and eventually back to him/her later. Which would not exactly help your companionship or the work. You will feel happier if you just try to overlook faults and bad habits and try to focus on the positive. You probably don't want to hear this right now, but this sort of thing will be preparation for being married, because your spouse will have habits you don't like, either. Except that you are planning to be with your spouse forever, not just until the next transfer, so the stakes are higher! :) Best of luck to you on your mission!

Here are some ideas that I have used in my home to support my missionaries. Mission Map: I go onto the country's web sight and find a map of the area that my missionary is serving. I save it into my pictures. Then I have a large print made at Costco. It only costs about $9 for a large 20 x 30 print. Then I put it up on a wall. As my child serves I put pins in the areas that they serve with pictures of their companion. Mission Photo I like to have a special photo frame for my current missionary. I place this saying next to it. Mis-sion-ary: (noun) someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others may be with their families for Eternity. Here's what my mission photo area looks like: Mission Photo Wall I like to take a favorite photo of my child while they are on their mission and print it out in black and white. I mix it in with the other pictures that I have. Mine has a tropical/ water theme. Jacket with Mission Patches While we were shopping in San Diego my husband and I found a flag shop that carries flags from around the world. They also had these fun patches: When I got home I attached them to this bomber jacket that I had. Now when I wear the jacket I have patch representing each of my children and the mission they served in. A friend of mine has a dog tag with her son's mission. That one is next for me. I will post it when I get it finished. Display Mission Items as Works of Art This idea I got from my husband's grandmother. She had very fine taste, but would display items from grandkid's and such as a work of art. She just blended it right in with her other expensive items. I don't have the taste that she had, but I like follow her example. I take items from my missionary's mission and put them up with the rest of the stuff. Here is one example of a wall in my dining room. I have several items from different missions. Make a Skirt for Your Sister Missionary: My daughter and I made a bunch of easy skirts for here mission. Here she is at the Mexico Temple. She is the sister at the far right in the blues skirt that we made. Every now and then I like to send her another skirt that I have made. She seems to love them. Click here to see how to make it. Send Your Missionary an EGGcellent Care Package: I printed out tons of eggs, cut then out and then gave them to family, friends and ward members to color and write note on. Then I printed out the sign "Have and EGGcellent Day". I put them in a care package to sent to her. To print out the eggs and sign go here. Send Your Missionary the Ugly Tie Poem My boys loved to collect ugly ties on their mission and trade them with other missionaries. One of my sons had an entire suitcase of just ugly ties! This has inspired me to make this poem. To print it out go here: Make a Missionary Card For Your Missionary: Here is a cute card to make for your missionary. To get the printout and instructions go here : http://hollyshome-hollyshome-hollyshome.blogspot.com/2011/07/fathers-day-or-missionary-card.html Send a yellow package full of sunshine: Send the 25 days of Christmas Make some Shield of Faith ornaments for your missionary. Send your missionary a Believe in God and Yourself quote by Jeffrey R. Holland. Or you can make a Christmas ornament from a pass along card. Here are some cute ideas that I have found on the web: MTC Survival Kit, To see how to make it go here: Send you missionary a bunch of letters to use in time of need. To see how to make it go here: Cute Bunny Missionaries! To see how to make them go here: Oh the places he'll go party. Great idea for a missionary! To see it go here: Make a cute banner for your missionary. You could use it at his mission farewell, or as a welcome home banner. To see how to make it go here: Pies and Ties! What a cute idea! If you can't make one yourself you can have one made by going here: Make your missionary a tie. Get the tutorial and pattern by going here: This is so clever! Necktie napkins! To see how to fold them go here: Here is a clever idea to celebrate all of the missionaries in the family. I got the idea from My Mix of Six here: Here is a cute idea that I saw on Pinterest. It has no link to it. You could use Pringle cans to send cookies in. Dress it up like a Missionary Shirt with a tie:

Are you writing a missionary? are the struggling, or could they use encouragement? Here are 5 Types of Letters that missionaries LOVE getting!

These missionary quotes will have you excited to serve the Lord and lift you up in times of frustration or disappointment.

Our ward came up with a clever idea to send Christmas greetings to the missionaries serving from our ward. We have a LOT!! They cut rectangles of Christmas wrapping paper (just leave the width and cut the length only) and used push pins to attach them to the carpeted walls in the cultural hall. Attach name tags above each paper (see photo) so everyone knows who they're writing to...or you could just write their name at the top of the paper. Have markers available for ward members to use...pens and pencils will poke holes in the paper. If your nervous about the markers poking through the paper and writing on the walls, just attach a piece of poster board behind each one. Encourage the ward to write messages and not just sign their names. Fold each one up and send it on it's merry way. The missionaries loved it! Hint: If you're using dark wrapping paper, have the members write on the opposite side so their messages will show up easier.

Dear Missionary Girlfriends, **UPDATE! I’ve recorded a podcast episode with this info and more :) Tap the link to listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/club-candid/id1533466265?i=1000547884908 *** I’ve been asked by so many girls so many times to write a blog post about “waiting for a m