Tips for writing Chantel

I'm so excited to serve a mission in just two short weeks (oh my gosh that's so soon!) As I'm getting ready to leave, I've been thinking a lot about letter writing. I am so grateful that we can now email friends on missions, because I feel like that will be a lot easier to keep in touch. 

However, I know that I have been TERRIBLE at writing missionaries, so I understand that I might be subjected to karma and not receive many letters. Which is fine, I get it. We have busy lives, and sometimes it just slips your mind and then its 2 years later and they're home! 

What I DON'T want is if someone wants to write me, but doesn't know what to say and then doesn't write at all. That would make me sad. I'll try to make sure everyone has my updated address as often as possible. If you are running out of letter writing ideas, may I suggest the following: 

• Send me pictures! I want to be able to recognize you when I come home! Tell me what's happening in the pictures. 
• Send me wedding invites, baby pictures, graduation announcements. I want to share in your joy. 
• If you are getting married, tell me how you met your special someone. G-rated please. :) 
• If you go on vacation, that's awesome! Tell me! But don't send me too many details, I might get jealous. 
• If you start a new job, or get a promotion, I want to hear about it. 
• Tell me funny stories from your life. 
• Just keep me updated on what's happening to you!!!
• Don't tell me about movies/pop culture. The only exception is someone needs to send me a brief synopsis of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. Gosh I'm a nerd. 

But most importantly...
I would love to hear some sort of spiritual nugget in every letter. It doesn't have to be much. Tell me if you bore your testimony and what you talked about. If you prepared a lesson for Sunday School/RS/Priesthood or spoke in church, tell me the highlights. If you found an amazing scripture, tell me how you felt about it. If you had a tender mercy and saw God's hand in your life, let me know. This isn't a requirement, but I know I would try to do this with (the few) missionaries I wrote. It really makes you think how your own spiritual progression. 

Hopefully this will help you out if you are suffering from missionary writers block. Like I said, it is not a requirement for anyone to write me. But I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you and I promise I will write you back. 

Thanks again for your love and support! See you in 2015!