Dear Missionary Parents and Friends,
Each year we ask parents and friends of our
missionaries to ship Christmas packages early to ensure they are here by
Christmas.
We are asking parents and friends to please
send all Christmas packages to the Mission Office and are asking that packages arrive
on or before December 1. This insures
that your missionary will get the package for Christmas without problems. Please address the package as below and also
mark on the outside of the box
“Christmas Package”.
Belgium
Netherlands Mission
(Your Missionary’s Name)
Schipholweg
66
2316
XE Leiden
NETHERLANDS
We
have had many inquires as to why we request you to send ALL packages to the
Mission Office and not directly to the missionary. Your missionary is out of the door every
morning by 11:00 am. Many times they do
not return until 9:00 or 9:30 pm. There is usually no one at home to receive
and sign for the package. Here in the
Netherlands and Belgium, they do not usually leave packages on the doorstep or with a
neighbor as they do in the USA. The
packages are taken back to the postal and a second attempt may or may not occur.
When the missionary receives notice that a package is at postal, it requires
the missionary to go to the postal to pick up the package and usually not on a
P-Day. Many times it is necessary to pick the package up before the next P-Day,
which requires your missionary and companion to use the Lord’s time to do a
personal errand for one missionary. Travel
to the postal and back to the apartment may be out of the way from the area
they are working. Another problem is how to get the packages home on their
bikes, many times they have to walk and use mass transit, which is an added
expense. Another issue is if a package
is sent to an apartment and your missionary is transferred, the package may
arrive after the missionary has left the area.
If this is the case, your missionary may or may not get their package in
time for Christmas. When you times this
by 150 missionaries, it is obvious the problems it creates in the mission and
the amount of time it takes from the missionary work which is why your
missionary is here serving.
By
sending packages to the Mission Office there is someone here to sign for the
package and if necessary, and we can track missing packages. By sending packages to the Mission Office we
can also monitor that ALL missionaries will be receiving Christmas
Packages. We deliver the packages to our
missionaries at our Christmas Zone Conference, which is after transfers in December. Another issue we have at Christmas—there are
some missionaries that receive 7-10 packages from family and friends. Please be mindful--some missionaries receive
nothing from home, but do receive a small package from the mission for
Christmas. It is very disheartening when
two missionaries are companions under such conditions. Also, if a missionary receives all these
packages at the Christmas Zone Conference, it is impossible for him or her to
transport those on public transportation back to their apartment along with all
the supplies they order from the office to do missionary work. Many times they
are serving in an area that requires a 3-hour train and bus ride to get home.
Please be mindful. We ask that you talk
with family and friends and help everyone understand the logistics of our
mission. Our rule: If it fits in a mail slot, (Christmas Cards,
letters, pictures, etc.) feel free to send it to your missionary’s apartment.
If not, please send it to the Mission Office.
We
will deliver Christmas packages at the Christmas Zone Conferences. If you have something special—a family
tradition that begins on December 1st and you want your missionary
involved—then plan on getting that package to the office by November 15th. We do not open Christmas packages to remove
certain items and deliver it to your missionary early. We have Zone Conference
the last week of November and again after December 15th. We deliver packages to missionaries at those
times only. The next delivery after that
will be in January 2015.
Just
a reminder that each package valued at $40.00 or more incur local customs charges
which along with any COD costs will be deducted from your missionary’s monthly
missionary support funds.
We
encourage you to be mindful as you purchase for your missionaries. You may wish to include items that they in
turn can share with investigators and / or church members. Again, not all missionaries receive the same
support from home. Perhaps including
something for other missionaries could brighten someone’s Christmas. Missionaries’ focus is on giving of themselves
during Christmas, not so much about getting, but they all like to be
remembered.
Thank
you for your love, prayers and support for your missionary and also for the
Belgium Netherlands Mission. President
and I wish you the best as you prayerfully prepare your missionary’s Christmas
package.
Our
love to each of you,
President and Sister Robinson
Belgium Netherlands Mission
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