A dad didn't listen to his missionary and sent a camera thgouh FEDEX. The package was stopped in Buenos Aires and several weeks later they let us know it was in customs. He begged us to help him get it to Rosario. We had to take the time to find a carrier that would get it out of customs and deliver it to our mission. It cost this father over $500.00 to get it out of customs and delivered. That was over and above the cost of the camera and the FEDEX charges.

This is for those not in Buenos Aires missions, but you should ask before assuming a delivery will be successful. Thanks again for all the work you and your husband do to keep this service going. I sure enjoy reading about all the emails. Especially those from our mission. Love to see the new group members with our mission attached.

Thanks again,
[Mission President's Wife]
Mision Argentina Rosario

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March 5, 2001

Dear Resistencia Argentina Missionary Parents,

This letter is to inform you of a severe problem that we are experiencing here in the mission with packages mailed from outside of Argentina. Packages mailed with a customs declaration tag must go through Argentine Customs here in Resistencia. The system is very cumbersome in that each package must be opened, identified and its contents listed by hand. There are no computers or technology involved. The result is that our materials secretary is having to spend an inordinate amount of time working on getting packages out of Customs. The volume of packages arriving at the Customs office makes it impossible to get them out and keep ahead of other arrivals. Missionaries sent here to teach and testify do not find the Customs Office a pleasant one. We are also experiencing some backlash against the missionaries and the church due to the volume of packages and the time the officials must spend with us.

The only solution seems to be to limit the volume of packages coming to the mission. Please send no more than one package per quarter or a maximum of four per year. A package is defined as any mailing that takes a US customs tag when mailed at the post office. That would include in most cases a cassette in an envelope. Any packages sent to arrive for Christmas 2001 need to be mailed soon after October 1. We are still trying to get the Christmas 2000 packages out of Customs. It has been very difficult and those Elders who have to work with the Customs officials become quickly discouraged. It is not a pleasant experience.

The contents of packages are also a concern. Packages are taking nearly two months on average to arrive from the USA. The temperature here is very hot, especially at Christmas. We are finding many times that packages containing perishable items arrive here in very poor condition, having melted or decayed often having escaped from their original packaging. Please take into consideration the contents of the package and how it will survive in the extremely warm and humid conditions.

Some items are illegal under Argentine law. Prescription medications in order to be legal must be accompanied by a copy of the doctors prescription order. Meat products (jerky) not in their original USDA stamped packages will be destroyed. Vitamins are not illegal as long as they are not identified as vitamins on the customs declaration tag but are listed generically such as "missionary supplies".

While it is nice to get packages from home, the missionaries are really not deprived of the necessities of life and so my recommendation is to be prudent in your mailing of packages and send only those items really needed by missionaries that cannot be obtained here. Cost also becomes a factor since the missionaries must pay 50% of the declared value as duty to receive their packages.

Thank you for your support of your sons and daughters and the work of the Lord here in the marvelous land of Argentina.

Sincerely,

President Shirley D. Christensen
Resistencia Argentina Mission

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R. Johnson, Florida
MM to a missionary in South Brazil through 2007

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I have been a silent, but happy subcriber. The biggest things I have learned from this: 1) Global Priority is a great way to send packages to Chile, even if the post office "bible" doesn't have Antofagasta listed as a place to send to. 2) How sweet and wonderful so many people are in this world.

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Foods

• Spaghetti, taco, chili packets
  
• Gravy packets
  
• Beef Jerky (cannot be sent to some countries)
  
• Lipton dry soup
  
• Kool-Aid, Tang, Crystal Lite packaged drinks
  
• Hot chocolate
  
• Jell-O, instant pudding pkgs
  
• Fruit Roll-ups
  
• Instant oatmeal
  
• CANDY--the big favorite. Make sure it is kept in the original package, and something that can easily be shared with others. Try not to send items that will melt.

• Good quality anti-fungal foot POWDER (Micatin, Tinactin, Gold Bond)
  
• Good quality socks, such as Gold Toe from JC Penney, Thorlo, Missionary Mall Walk Sock, white or black
  
• They use white socks on P-days
  
• T-shirt (with appropriate logos for a missionary)
  
• Bandaids and other First Aid items
  
• small pocket-sized notebooks
  
• pens, colored pens, pencils, small pencil sharpener, and scripture marking pencils
  
• post cards, stationery, paper, envelopes
  
• religious stickers, 3x5 cards, markers, small religious pictures available at Deseret Book or Seagull Book and Tape

• Shampoo
  
• Deodorant
  
• Toothbrush
  
• Pocket comb, travel brush for Sister missionaries, pocket mirror, etc.
  
• Toothpaste
  
• Shaving Cream
  
• Mascara for Sister missionaries, facial cleanser
  
• Pocket or Purse Kleenex
  
• Mini flash light, mini screw driver, bike repair tools
  
• Gloves, neck scarves for those serving in cold areas
  
• Sweaters
  
• Ties (conservative in design and color)
  
• Lip balm
  
• Small bottle of lotion
  
• Trouser socks for Sister missionaries (wear longer than the Knee-hi's)
  
• Postage stamps (if serving in the U.S.)
  
• LDS Jewelry (tie tacs for Elders, CTR necklaces for Sisters, etc.)

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Michael has to have hearing aids and he had to take all the batteries he needed with him for the whole mission. He is able to get anything he needs at the open-air markets, so you probably wont have to send him everyday things. You can send pictures to Peru by pouch, but only 4-5 in an envelope. Also, your letters can be four typewriter sized pages and a #10 envelope to get through the pouch, also good-sized greeting cards. You cannot send audio tapes by pouch. I send them once a month through airmail, and without the case it costs just a little more than a dollar in a padded envelope. You should have plently of time to get everything accomplished, if you start doing it now. Apply for his passport RIGHT NOW, and don't let him put off getting his immunizations because some of them require a second dose. I would call the missionary dept in Salt Lake and talk to the medical dept about his prescripition, or send them a letter asking your specific questions. We have no medical insurance, since my husband has a disability retirement and I do not qualify for anything, and the only insurance Mike had was through his college. We just told the church and they did not make any problems about it. Make sure that he takes a good heavy raincoat and waterproof boots with him. Mike got his at a military surplus store. My older boys did not have them on their missions and both wished they had. Rob, who was in Mexico city said that it seemed The all-weather overcoats with the zip-out linings are are not enough for a tropical area, where your son could be sent.

My son has been having a good, positive experience so far. He arrived in Lima on May 9 so he has been there about 6 months.

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I have visited it a couple of times. Today I decided to look and see if there were any restrictions on what we could send our daughter in Argentina. They have a small list of items that are restricted, and some are prohibited. I can't send my daughter a chinchilla! hahaha.

Anyway, for those of you who are sending off packages for Christmas, overseas, you might want to look at the country's restrictions. I just clicked on the top where it says, "calculate rates", then clicked on Postal Explorer (near the bottom of the next screen). Then I went to International Rates and Fees. Then down to International Country Listings. I had to click on this a few times because it kept coming up "error". I then clicked in the little box next to it, and it added a checkmark, and then I clicked on International Country listings, and this time it worked for me...

To find the country, scroll down while it flips through the pages alphabetically. Stop when you get to the country you are looking for. Then click in the little blue box (or around the blue box if it doesn't line up), and it will bring up the country information.

Betty Pearson, Listowner

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I first learned how to fold these envelopes into a box, from another mom in this group, and I saved her instructions for folding the envelopes. They are after my name below.

Briefly, get a priority mail flat rate envelope (poster-board, white with red stripe and blue lettering) free from the post office, and then practice folding, using the directions below.

It may not make sense at first, but just keep folding as outlined, and before you know it, you will have a box, ready to fill with fun things for your missionary.

Just remember there is a 4 lb. weight limit on international shipping. (That's why you may need to use two, if you are sending heavy items.)

Karen, Washington

Here are the instructions:

In my ward we have a Relief Society group called Missionary Moms. Once a month we get together and talk about our boys and trade excerpts from their letters for the Moms to send to their own sons or daughters so the missionaries know how their friends are doing. Recently at a MM meeting one mother shared something she learned I thought you all would like too. She showed us how you can take a flat rate mailing envelope from the post office and fold it up about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom (press the fold flat with a bone folder) and fold it backwards and crease it again. You fold in the sides an inch to an inch and a quarter and fold them backwards also. Then you pop out the sides and it turns into a box (triangle shaped), there should be 2 triangles on the bottom, but don't tape the bottom. Let it look like a big pillow.

The great thing about this is now you can put a nice amount of stuff in this little box and it is only $12.95 to ship up to 4 lbs. internationally. I took my first box to the post office and asked the clerk if this was legal and he said there was no problem with it as long as you do not cut the box and retape it.

Since finding this method I have been able to send many more packages to my son because it did not cost me $55 to ship them. I hope this is helpful to all you wonderful Moms and Dads out there. In this economy we have to figure out ways to save money any way we can. I also received a note that a post office said that the difference between a letter and a package is that a letter is less than 3/4 inch thick.

Click to open the Word Doc or to save, right-click

And thanks, Dorothy, for giving us this help topic.

We received this update from MM Joanne:

I refolded flat rate envelopes the first half of my Argentine son's mission (home in May 2009). About a year ago, however, the post office told me when I brought a refolded envelope that the new international regulation was that you could not change the shape of the envelope or use more than one piece of tape across the gummed seal (and only one piece of tape!). The lady at the post office said she would consider letting it by, but they could refuse it in Argentina. I decided not to take the chance, so I took it home and changed the whole thing. It may depend on the area you are in, but that is just what I was told by the USPS.

NOTE: Your mileage may vary, or in other words, check with your post office before assuming they will accept one of these 'boxes'.

Update from Ruth Ann, mm in Utah: I tried the fancy way of folding the flat rate envelope , which turns it into a sort of triangle as the directions above say. My post office clerk said that won't work. I had it all taped up top to bottom. So we just repackaged everything (thank goodness I didn't have to go to the back of the line) in a new flat rate envelope leaving it the shape it is and it all fit surprisingly well without the folds, taped it up again top to bottom and now just waiting to see if he receives it.

I'm not sure if anyone else has had trouble with changing the shape of the flat rate envelope--it may be my post office is just more strict about it. Just thought I would let you know.

Betty says: Lehi doesn't accept the reshaped package, but American Fork does, or so we've heard. Also, she says Lehi accepts these if you just fold the bottom of the box and tape it, which also makes it easier to put things in.

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October 17, 2002

Hi! I thought I would share the things I have discovered after mailing packages to Russia for about 16 months. When my son first went out I kept all of my packages under 4 pounds and in padded envelopes as recommended. A few people started mentioning that they didn't do that and it worked out fine. However since I had been told it was cheaper to send a couple padded envelopes no heavier than 4 pounds than one box at 8 pounds. I thought I was saving money. My son said he had noticed that other missionaries were getting larger packages yet when they compared postage I was over paying for my multiple small packages. I was spending too much on shipping and my son started asking for some supplies to help teach. I found the United States post office website and started playing around with a postage calculator they have on it (click on Postage Rates & Fees). I tried all different weights. My son's mission president and some returned Russian missionaries told me as long as the postage on the package is under $45 the postal workers usually let them through without inspecting or adding special taxes to them.

Now whether I use a padded envelope or a box I just make sure it is under 10 pounds. Here are some examples: