Excerpt from “Lord Give Me Pretty Feet” by Cindy Sue Baker, page 138-39:
“Packages and letters, the joy of receiving little remembrances of home, are invaluable (even if they are ‘material things’)… It doesn’t always have to be something big. Even the little tokens of home are a treat!… These types of things bring sunshine and fond remembrances of home to our lives! The cost for air mail to Vanuatu is very expensive* and many people are reluctant to send things our way because of it. In all actuality, you can fit a lot into a 6×9 padded envelope and the cost is roughly $10, depending on the weight. Why is it so difficult to part with $10 for shipping a package overseas and yet so easy to drop $10 at McDonalds? Think about it!”
*If $10 will get a package to Vanuatu (one of the more expensive places), the cost to ship to other foreign fields is likely much less. Check with the post office for rates and regulations for the country you wish to mail to. The post office is usually the cheapest way to ship abroad.
- Bookmarks, postcards, note cards, small gifts for the missionary to give to locals.
- Clipped articles you enjoy from magazines, newspapers, bulletins, etc.
- Packets of seasoning mixes (taco seasoning, Italian dressing, Ranch dressing, sauce mixes, etc.), packets of drink mixes (Kool-Aid, hot cocoa, apple cider, etc.), packets of sweetener (sugar, Splenda, etc.).
- Ziplock baggies in various sizes, folded up grocery sacks
- Fun, flat packaged treats (Dream Whip, Air Heads, Pop Rocks, microwave popcorn, Razzles, fruit snacks, Sugar Daddies, etc.)
- Pictures of your family, church happenings, other “normal” things
- A new movie on DVD
- Bookmarks, postcards, note cards, etc. inscribed to the missionary with notes of encouragement from you, your family, and/ or your Bible class
- Tide-to-Go pen (or the like), other on-the-go niceties
- Colored pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. to brighten up things they write or to use in children’s classes
- Batteries
- iTunes gift card
- Post-it notes, notepads, sheets of stickers, notebook paper hole reinforcers, other stationary items.
P.S. This list could go on and on. If you have suggestions, please leave a comment… especially if you yourself are a missionary… what do you wish for?
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Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!
Love this! Here’s one…travel sized lotion, soap, shampoo!
Erynn,
These are some great ideas. The only thing I would mention is that, at least for us, we are not able to purchase anything via itunes when we are outside of the U.S. However, we are able to buy music online via Amazon. I don’t know if others have run into that problem as well. Thanks again!
Wow these are awesome ideas!! These things seem so simple, but when they are not at the local Wal-Mart, you notice they’re not there!
Thanks so much for this article. Remembering that us “missionaries” are still human, every single time Scott and I get a package, the very first thing we do is look inside to see if there is a “treat” for us. Maybe it sounds selfish, but sometimes on a long hot tedious island day, finding a a few pieces of candy or any little thoughtful thing in the mail can bring such relief. We can get alot of stuff here, but there are so many little things that we can’t get or are just so expensive that we can barely afford them like: deodorant, hairspray, toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, “feminine products,” coffee, mac n’ cheese, etc. Its amazing when one day I can find organic cream cheese at the store, but can’t find any floss. This is just due to the slowness of the container ships coming in and the store owners not really knowing what to keep in stock. Thanks again for the article.
Most of us don’t think about the everyday things that many foreign missionaries cannot take for granted! Thank you for calling this to our attention, and for pointing out how simple it is for us to help them in a personal way. I appreciate it when my daughter says “Mom, could you send _____ in your next package?”!
Very helpful article. Makes me want to send out a big package to all our missionaries! We certainly need to count our blessings here in America!