What are some good words of encouragement to say to someone who's serving a mission?


mt_mck7
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I'm currently writing to a missionary who's been out in the field for about 10 months now, and I've run out of words of encouragement to say. I always keep the e-mails positive and uplifting and I always try to end it with a recent spiritual experience if I can. I'm also in a group e-mail, and I receive his mission updates every so often, so I leave a comment or say something about that and leave encouraging things with that, but I always end up saying the same words of encouragement at the end which are "stay safe and keep up the good work." At first it would end with "Hope all is well," and then I changed it to stay safe.

In e-mails and letters before I've expressed how I'm really glad he's chosen to go on a mission, and I want to say other encouraging words along those lines, but I don't want to wear it out or say it too much. What other words of encouragement could I use?

I'm thinking about writing in my next letter something like this: I don't want to say this too much because I feel like it'd lose it's meaning. Just remember this with this letter and all the letters I have written and all the letters I've yet to write.

(and then I'd put in that I'm seriously proud of him for serving a mission and I'm really happy he's serving a mission and wants to serve a mission) but I don't want to seem too romantic with it. Does it seem romantic?

Edited by mt_mck7
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Just writing, and letting a missionary know you are thinking of him, is encouraging! :) 

I know from my personal experience that I used to just want to hear about normal life back at home.  Being a missionary, it is easy to lose perspective sometimes, and I used to love phone calls and letters that talked about normal life because they helped me see the "bigger picture" and have some perspective.  Perhaps this isn't good advice for everyone, but I never felt homesick or distracted after Christmas phone calls - I liked to hear that life was going on back at home, and that life would be awaiting me after the conclusion of my mission.  Such letters were a means of de-stressing from the demands of missionary work.  (That said, keep it lighthearted and don't talk about drama - drama can be distracting, especially if it is romantic drama!  I have seen that happen repeatedly on my mission).

You could always ask the missionary if they want to hear about normal life, or keep the letters strictly spiritual.  

But yeah, I think just communicating with the guy is going to, in and of itself, make a major impact, no matter what you say.  Just keep doing what you are doing!

Edited by DoctorLemon
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Send him beef stew! 

You would be surprised at how hard it can be to find beef stew in some countries.  A box full of canned beef stew can be a major morale boost.  It always was for me!

Edited by DoctorLemon
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