Maybe a Postcard Will Do



Here's the thing...you've got to write letters to get letters.  People are great to send a letter to your missionary occasionally but if they never hear back, then the writing slows down and they just don't think about it any more.  It's a rare person who writes letters expecting nothing in return.  Our lives are BUSY!!

 

I had a goal while serving my mission to reply to each letter that I received.  I did it!  It was hard, but I did it.  I remember many a p-day when I would pump out 14 letters.  My handwriting has never been the same.  I used to get a blister on the callus of my writing finger.  Seriously!

 

When Mason was on his mission I realized that most missionaries just don't have the time to reply in long letters.  Maybe it's a 'girl thing' but he just couldn't do it.  He would write, but it was taking him forever to get caught up and he was getting stressed and missionaries NEED mail and they DON'T need more stress.  It occurred to me that many of us (mom's and dad's NOT included) don't really need a LONG letter.  They just need something...

 

"Thanks so much for your letter!

It's wonderful to hear from people at home.

Things are great here!  I love missionary work.

Stay strong and keep the faith...

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Doesn't take much to keep a niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, or ward member happy but all will be thrilled to receive anything in return.  Every missionary, no matter how busy, has time to jot a few lines.  Postcards keep things nice and tidy and short and simple AND the postage is less.   Winner, winner chicken dinner!

 

 

For the Elders...

 

 

...and for the Sisters.

 

When Mason was serving in Ohio I was able to go through some of his photos and have them made into postcards (see that post here) but Matt wasn't as...creative?...with his photos and I just couldn't find anything that would translate into a good postcard so I searched the internet for free photos that were applicable and went to work on Photoshop.  I came up with four styles for the Elders and four for the Sisters.  Had them printed (front and back) at Alphagraphics (love that place!) on a heavy cardstock that is glossy on one side (for the photo or picture) and matte on the other (for writing).  Tied them up with ribbon and sent them on their merry little way with some postcard stamps.  I even had his mission address printed at the top for the return address.  All Matt's mail had to go through the mission home anyway and that way I didn't have to worry if he was transferred. 

 

Printing Tip: If you just copy these files on 8.5x11 paper you will have a .25 inch white border around the entire edge of the paper as the copy machines are not designed to print right to the edge of the paper.  You could have them shrink down the file (for the front and back) so that the entire post card prints...or...you could have them print on larger paper and print two copies on each page.  This is the option that I usually do as I am always sending more than four post cards in my package.  Print the 'back' of the post card onto the back side of the front image and cut out.

 

Here's the postcards for the Elders:

 

 

click here to download the Elder post cards (fronts)

click here to download the Elder post cards (backs)

 

...and for the Sisters:

 

 

click here to download the Sister post cards (fronts)

click here to download the Sister post cards (backs)

 

 

And just so 'ya know:  Here's what the back of the post card looks like...

 



 

I wrote and included this sappy little poem to use as a package topper...

(with the help of my good friend, Tonya)

 

For the Elders:

  

 

you can download the poem by clicking here

 

For the Sisters:

 

 

you can download the poem by clicking here



Send post cards

Whenever you go anywhere that is different than where you usually are...grab yourself some post cards to send to your missionary.  If anyone else is going to be there that knows your missionary...grab some for them as well.  This past summer Jeff and I went on a business trip to San Francisco for a KFC convention.  My friends and family were great sports to write post cards to Matt.

Missionaries LOVE mail!  They don't care who it's from or the size or shape. They just want to know that they're not forgotten and what's going on at home. Make it easy on yourself and others by bringing labels (return and for your missionary), and post card stamps with you on your trip.  If you purchase the post cards and have them already pre-stamped and addressed, it is much easier for someone to just jot a few lines and hand it back to you and you can pop it in the mail.  Most hotels have a gift shop that sells post cards and they also have daily mail pickup. Just ask at the front desk.  Some hotels even have free post cards of the hotel.

Christmas Idea #1 - Postcards

Monday is my favorite day of the week.  It hasn't always been that way.  Before I joined the workforce to help finance Mason's mission, Monday was always cleaning day.  Get the kids off to school then clean the whole house top to bottom.  I was raised with cleaning day being on Saturday the theory being that the house would be spic and span for Sunday worship - didn't always work that way but it was a theory.  I tried that for a number of years and it just wasn't working for me so I changed it.  Mom's can do that.  If I clean on Monday the house can stay relatively clean for the whole week.  I don't mind cleaning. I love the feeling and the smell of a clean house but there are always other things I'd rather be doing.  Now, I work on Monday so the cleaning happens whenever it happens and we've learned to survive.  So why is Monday my favorite day of the week?  Simple.  Monday is P-day in the Ohio Columbus Mission and sometimes I manage to get online at the same time as Mason and we have a few minutes that we can email back and forth.  I love it!

Almost a year ago, during one of these wonderful email opportunities, Mason mentioned the four inch stack of mail that he was trying to get through.  You have to know Mason.  He likes to reply to each and every piece of mail with a personal message back to you.  Well, a missionary's time is finite.  I tried to tell him that but then I remembered the average of fourteen letters a p-day that I used to pump out while on my mission.  Pondering upon this in the weeks to come I had an epiphany.  Postcards! 

At the time my daughter was planning her wedding.  I contacted the company making her invitations and thank you cards and asked if they could make postcards as well.  They were all over the idea.  I found a photo of Mason and his companion and emailed it to them and within a few short days I had them in my hot little hands.  They are on a postcard weight cardstock.  Photo on the front with Mason's name and mission.  The back has his return address in one corner, line down the center, and three lines for the mailing address.  Just like a real postcard.  I had the printer print the Mission Home address so that he would get his mail even when he gets transferred.  Since then I have had another set made through Inkley's in Layton, Utah.  They were so helpful and willing to set up a template and print them for me.  The weight is not as heavy but they seem to come through the mail just fine.

The cost for either place is dependant on how many postcards you have made.  The more you make, the lower the price.  For just a small number of cards I would recommend going through Inkley's or some other comparable print shop.  I ordered the first set through Beautiful Wedding Announcements.  They were amazing to work with and invited me to send as many photos as I liked as there was no additonal charge for changing information on the cards.  I was able to order postcard Thank You's for the wedding and postcards for Mason.  You could contact other missionary mom's and get together on one order to lower the price.

For more information on postcards through Beautiful Wedding Announcements, email collette@beautifulweddingannouncements.com)