Christmas can be a difficult time when you are away from family. It is important to remember the missionaries in your Christmas celebrations. If you have missionaries out in the field, you should remember to send them a card and possibly a package. It is also important to remember the missionaries that are serving locally in your area. You can do this in several ways.
1) You may want to invite the missionaries over for Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner. This can do a lot to help to ease the homesickness that the missionaries may be feeling. The missionaries may have permission to stay a bit longer than normal. You may want to make sure that you adjust your traditions and plans so that the missionaries can comfortably take part.
2) My ward compiles stockings for the missionaries serving in our ward. They gather small donations such as gift cards, stamps, gum and put them in the stocking for the missionaries. These small gifts go a long way when you consider the tight budgets that missionaries live on.
3) Missionaries would love to receive a referral for Christmas as well. Carefully consider someone that you can share the gospel with this Christmas season. This will allow the missionaries to do what they are here to do as well.
4) Another gift you can give is to send your love and gratitude in a Christmas card to the missionary’s parents. These parents love to receive any news of their missionary. I know that it has meant a lot for the sudden phone call or letter from someone telling them how their missionary is doing.
5) You may consider dropping off some goodies to the missionaries. You may pack up an extra plate, so that the missionaries can deliver some Christmas goodies to any investigators as well. This will allow them to share the Christmas cheer without having to take away from what their focus should be on.
Related Articles:
Five Ways to Support the Missionaries
Three Ways to Help Your Local Missionaries