Missionaries live away from home and family for years at a time to serve people they’ve never met in an unfamiliar place. And while they find joy in their mission, it can also be lonely, tiring, discouraging, and hard. Sending a thoughtful gift at the right moment can help lift a missionary’s spirits and remind them of your support.
If you love someone serving a mission or served one yourself, you can guess how your missionary will feel when they open a package of fresh-baked cookies. You can see your son’s or daughter’s fists pump as they grab the chocolate chip cookie and toss their companion a glazed sugar cookie. Or you can imagine the gratitude in your parents’ eyes as they savor a bite of a snickerdoodle after a long day of service.
Because cookies bring comfort and love in an easy-to-mail box, many families of missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints use treat deliveries to stay connected with their loved ones. And you can double that impact by marking important mission milestones with cookies.
(Luis Quintero/pexels)
1. First Day in the Mission Field
The first weeks of a mission can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Your missionary is learning new routines, meeting new companions, adjusting to a different place, and serving people every day. Even if they feel prepared, the transition can still be a lot.
Sending cookies at the beginning of their mission can make their adjustment less jarring. Your name on the box can remind young elders or sisters that they are not alone. A simple note can help them feel a little more at home in unfamiliar surroundings, and a familiar cookie flavor can motivate them to pay the love forward.
If you time the package well or use a cookie-delivery service, the treats can arrive just as the novelty is starting to wear off and the reality of daily missionary life is settling in. Then your encouragement from home can hit the mailbox right when your missionary needs it.
2. Important Family Holidays
Missionaries often talk about the impact of celebrating holidays with the people they serve and sharing in new traditions. And while your missionary in West Virginia may only have positive things to say about Bridge Day, family-centered holidays hit differently when you are away from home.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day often make missionaries of all ages emotional about the traditions they’re missing at home. Your cookie gift can be a comforting bridge between the mission field and home.
Think about which other holidays are important to your family, especially those that traditionally include treats. Holiday cookie gifts for Halloween or the 4th of July create a small pocket of celebration in the middle of a busy week and a sense of connection when your missionary may be missing home.
3. Personal Anniversaries
Every missionary keeps track of how long they’ve been out and how long they have until they return home. They know when they’ve hit the six-month mark, the halfway point, and their final transfer. Sending cookies for these milestones can acknowledge how far your missionary has come, giving them treats to share with the people around them, or a private sweet to save just for them.
But birthdays are the most important anniversaries to mark. Celebrating another year of life away from home has a unique emotional texture. Missionaries may feel grateful for the opportunity to serve at their age and joyful that their life holds so much meaning.
But a birthday can also remind your missionary of how far away they are from the people they love and who love them unconditionally. A simple package of favorite flavors that arrives in time for their birthday can carry your missionary through the complex emotions and create a personal, memorable celebration.
4. Mission Transfers
Transfers are natural checkpoints, making them the perfect time to send cookies to missionaries. Your package can be a consistent touchpoint as your missionary adjusts to a new area or a new companion. A delivery of treats they can share also gives them an easy way to say goodbye or to introduce themselves during these transitions.
Cookies can help with the emotional side of transfers, too. If your missionary is leaving a place they loved, the change can feel bittersweet. A warm, soft cookie can be a comforting hug from home and a distraction from the painful reality. If they are moving after a difficult transfer, your missionary may feel relief mixed with exhaustion. A sugary treat can boost their spirits and remind them of good things to come.
5. Just Because
Mailing cookies on a random day can have the biggest impact on your missionary. It shows that someone out there is aware of their needs and loves them enough to reach out for no formal reason. There is real value in sending cookies simply because your missionary crossed your mind, or because you felt prompted to reach out.
These “just because” packages are even more meaningful when mission life is challenging. If your missionary seems discouraged or tired, cookies can lift their spirits. If they are struggling to serve a particular family, a box of treats to share can smooth their way forward.
You know your missionary and can sense when they could use a boost. Trust your instincts. Sending a box of cookies may mean a lot to your loved one on a mission. And even if it doesn’t radically change the course of events, life is always better with dessert.
Share the Moments with Your Missionary
Mission service includes countless moments worth remembering. Some are expected, like your grandparents’ first day in the field or your nephew’s first birthday away from home. Some are surprising, like the day your aunt and uncle helped execute a successful zone conference or your daughter sang to a celebrity in the hospital. Each of these moments covers a range of emotions, sometimes all at once.
You can help your missionary remember their experiences by acknowledging their milestones with care packages. And warm, homemade cookies in the mail can carry your love across the miles so you can share in the good, bad, overwhelming, monotonous, or joy-filled moments with them.
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Infographic
Missionaries give years of their lives to serve others far from home, and a well-timed cookie delivery can provide real comfort and connection at exactly the right moment. Find out missionary milestones that deserve a cookie delivery in this infographic.
