Pouch Mail Info! What it is and how it works

Pouch mail is a wonderful thing that makes sending letters to international missionaries a lot easier and cheaper. Instead of paying for postage from the US to, say, Mexico, and sending it through the Mexican Postal service (which can be SUPER sketch), you pay to send it to Salt Lake, then it is delivered to the  the mission home, then from there to the missionary-easy-peasy!

Draw backs are that it's not terribly fast and you can only send one page (on something thicker and sturdier than regular notebook paper) or a post card, but it's cheap and easy. Don't worry, I'll just bring a magnifying glass so that I can read all the tiny words that you write ;)

Here's a handy graphic to explain what to do:

Source: http://www.mormonmissionprep.com/mission-life/pouch-mail/ 

If you aren't one for graphics, here's some typed out instructions:

• Write your letter on ONE SIDE of the page
• Lay the blank side of the single-sheet letter facing down with the writing facing you.
• Fold the top of the letter about one-third of the way down, and crease.
• Fold the bottom of the letter to the top of the first fold, and crease.
• Use two pieces of tape or two sticker tabs on the top to secure it, not more than one inch from each side, but do not seal the ends.
• Do not include any other item in the letter such as printed pictures, currency or medication, etc.
• In the top left corner, write the return address.
• Affix a stamp in the top right corner
• In the middle of the sheet, write:

Sister Dallyn Marie Anderson
Mexico Ciudad Obregon Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150


But if that's all just too much work, another option is to send Pouch Mail through DearElder.com. , Click here, find the Mexico Ciudad Obregon Mission on the drop down menu, then hit "Instructions" (for more information and details), or hit "Write a Missionary" to jump right to sending me some written love! Best part about DearElder is that you can skip the stamp fee--since I'm in a "pouch mail mission," it's free!

P.S. If you want to write mi hermano, Elder Calvin Anderson, he's in the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission, and he can receive pouch mail too!

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"No matter where they are serving, missionaries love mail. Letters and packages from friends and family reassure missionaries that they haven't been forgotten while they are away from home serving the Lord."

                                           -Connie Myers, from her article, Missionary Mail
(if you have time to kill, or if you're totally stuck on what to write, this article is a great source. However, it was written in 2007, so some of the email information is a little outdated)