OREGON has a new ELDER

Congratulations!

We just had our brother return home from Brazil at the end of September. And are now preparing for another to leave. He is anxious to go and has been held back due to extreme orthodontics. We are happy to announce that he finished his papers and waited for his call, and we guessed and gathered as he excitedly uttered his MISSIONARY CALL! Called to serve in the EUGENE OREGON MISSION!

So happy for you brother! And soon to be Elder. Can't wait to bombard you with packages and love!

We will miss you dearly but are so proud of the work you will be doing come February.

Sister of a Sister

• I just had to share these ridiculously cute ideas, from my friend Shey.

  
  

  Postal Mail

   "Send our sister (who is serving currently) a one word letter for like 5 days in a row until it's complete. It could be longer than one word, but make it a continuation of a letter for the week or something."

  It could be an inspirational cute, an inside joke, a story, or a scripture. 

  Small Package Idea

  "Unique to her and her situation...she is serving in Kansas (you know, where the Wizard of Oz was done) and she has a charm bracelet so I told her she is there as the Mormon girl missionary form of Dorothy, Dorothy had to click her heels three times to get home but she is there teaching the 3 pillars of the Gospel that people need to know to get home. So I got her a ruby slippers charm!"

  This is a great idea for sister missionaries! A charm bracelet for Christmas that you can expand on for different holidays, seasons, or special events. 

  Themed Package

  "The first package I sent had random fun stuff in it, but I named each of them for Halloween...I put in a bracelet that was made out of metal & had leaves on it & said that it was petrified pumpkin leaves. Some Reese's & called them cremated peanuts, etc & labeled each item with a Halloween spin on it."

  This is an excellent idea for any season or holiday or even color. I am sure your will get an overload of themed package ideas on this blog :) 

  Wrapped Package

  "Before she left I gave her a gift that I wrapped to look like a shirt..

  

   And I also made her personalized stationary." Send a message to sheydoodles@gmail.com for more information on personalized stationary and to see her work check out 

  http://sheydoodles.blogspot.com/ 

  

  "I made her a pennant banner to decorate her room with and laminated it so that it would travel well. Also gave her a little stuffed Snow White doll (she loves snow white) to put on her bed. Atmosphere just is really big to me & her too..so I thought it would be fun to have those little things to make her room look happy."

  
  

  I love all these ideas they are simply fabulous. Cute, unique and so fun for our Sisters in the field. 

"... Over mountain or plain or sea;"

Photograph by Jed Clark

I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go

Hymns, no. 270 (PDF version)

1. It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.

[Chorus]
I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I’ll be what you want me to be.

2. Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand’rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I’ll say what you want me to say.

3. There’s surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth’s harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life’s short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.

12 Week of Missionary PREP

For those sending their first son or daughter away into the missionary field, I thought this may be helpful. I am amazed by this Mother's organizational skills. Maybe one day I will use this for my son, but I still have a while before I need to start thinking about that :)

From http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com 
"As we count down the days until our number three son leaves on his LDS mission (enters MTC March 2nd) to Stockholm, Sweden, I'm busy working on those last few details. Today he's off skiing with his dad for the last time. I love this boy of mine that has grown up and become a man with his own independent thoughts and direction. We are excited that he will serve in an area where my ancestors are from. I have immensely enjoyed the last two months with him before he heads out on his mission, I am grateful he went to BYU for 6 months, to help with the separation anxiety this mom may have.
Attached is the missionary preparation timeline that has helped me with all three of my sons regardless of where they served. It's on Excel so I could adjust for their various missions and number of weeks before the mission. Feel free to copy and adjust for your own use. This time I put the items in my Google calendar as an all day event and it has helped me pace myself. I hope someone finds it useful."

12 Weeks of Preparation PDF version