What should I send my missionary - advice from some return missionaries

The question every mom or dad has... 

"What should I send my missionary?"
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Below you will find some ideas and we will continue to add to the list.

• • the 3 c's - Clothes, Candy & Cards
  • mission appropriate music
  • HANDWRITTEN LETTERS
  • homemade rolls & jam
  • gift cards 
  • licorice
  • dry shampoo
  • letters
  • useful food
  • jello
  • peanut butter
  • beef jerky
  • American candy if they aren't in the states
  • food that you can't get in that mission
  • "anything"
  • anything homemade
  • pictures
  • handwritten letters  - this was on the list multiple times
  • makeup
  • deodorant or antiperspirant
  • razors
  • tampons
  • pens, sticky notes
  • HOLIDAY items (small decorations, candy, misc holiday items)
  • recipes (good idea to send recipes that are EASY to make and the food is easily found in the area they are serving in.
  • "Dental floss, contact lens cleaner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mustard... my RM from Chile said those things were so expensive in Chile. Couldn't afford them often."
  • Homemade strawberry jam and jar (Costco) of peanut butter!!!
  • "Anything that I would use on my mission, that wouldn't just add weight to my suitcase.... like makeup, food that I couldn't get in Sweden (chocolate chips, good peanut butter) mission appropriate music...  Really though, I just loved getting letters and reading about whats going on in my friends and families lives!"
  • "My mom was great- she sent a package for each holiday.  For my first Thanksgiving, she sent me two sets of long garments... and I LOVED them!  I wore the bottoms under my hose/tights all stinking winter... both winters... and even now!"
  •  "My favorite things I ever received was a hug.  Around Christmas time my family rolled out some wrapping paper and traced their upper bodies, one on top of the other.  So when I opened it up I could wrap myself in it and it was like a group hug from my family.
  • "I always really liked a long letter from home included in the package more than anything in the package.  And my mom always sent 2 of everything which was nice because you didn't have to share.  Plus my companions all loved it too."
  • "Anything you forgot like a blanket... my gosh that was my saving grace."
  • "An old fashioned letter was always treasured."
  • "I loved getting handwritten letters, but I especially loved getting pictures. Pictures were the best!"
  • "Letter & pictures" (We hear this the most!)
  • "Also I loved getting things from little kids.  (Picture notes, handmade crafts)  The primary sent me stuff occasionally and I loved it.
  • "Recipes. My daughter is in a Spanish speaking mission, and eats LOTS of Mexican food, which she loves, but after a year wanted American things again, so I sent some of her favorite recipes."

check out:
http://missionarymommamall.com/

A fun blog with lots of ideas

http://missionarymail.blogspot.com/


There is an AWESOME thing called Amazon Prime Pantry!!! It is SO cool! You can fill up a box (or 2) of groceries, household items, toiletries, etc. and send it to your missionary in the US for only $5.99 shipping!! It usually takes only 2 days and its EVEN MORE COOL when you remember to change the ship to address to your missionary.

If you have other ideas, please comment below.