Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Left Home

Everyday instinct is often a close cousin to the Holy Ghost.  My instinct, when I was packing up my home and preparing for my son's family to move in and care for it for two years, was to have some familiar things with me that would help me retain a sense of  the home I was leaving.  We packed up a few boxes weighing under 20# and shipped them in USPS Priority boxes to the mission office in Quetzaltenango.  My dear husband often said things like, "They will have knives in Guatemala; you don't have to mail your knives."  We compromised.  I sent my favorite Wustoff forged knife and left the others home.    The comfort of settling into our new apartment late on a Saturday night and having the eight boxes we shipped to ourselves in our living room cannot be overstated.

If you are not in a financial situation that allows you to spend several hundred dollars shipping things to your mission, here are some suggestions that are inexpensive.  I'm a classical music buff, huge opera fan and I cherish the church hymns.  Although you will need a hymn book in the language of your mission, you will gain great comfort from having the hymns with you in your native language.  When our days are difficult, putting the hymns on in my apartment on my laptop is of enormous spiritual comfort.  I paid my grandson to put my favorite music on MP3 files and I brought a small CD case with me that holds 24 CDs in a very small space, including my yoga (brought my original DVDs to watch on my laptop), classical music, opera (CDs and DVDs) hymns and favorite Christmas music.  I really needed a list of the English hymns to insert into the back of my Spanish hymnal, as I'm not a Spanish speaker and the names of the hymns are often unrecognizable.  A small CD case can also hold your favorite DVDs.  As senior missionaries you have the option of watching wholesome movies when you have some free time.

The sense of smell is an emotional response and having things with you that smell familiar and comforting is crucial.  I am a big fan of natural medicine and use essential oils for much of my wellness.  I sent many oils ahead of me, separated into small bags in different mailing boxes to keep from making the customs officials concerned.  Having that fragrance and healing capability with me was very reassuring, especially when I've had to have some medical tests done in-country.  Even if you don't use oils for healing, inexpensive essential oils purchased at a health food store can provide aromatherapy.  My suggestion would be to take lemon, lavender and orange even if you're not an essential oil user.  Pack well in two or more Ziploc bags in a safe place where they will not be prone to breakage.  The cabinet below my kitchen sink was starting to mold from a leaky pipe and I kept the kitchen from having a foul odor with clove and other oils that would kill the mold spores.

Bring family photos along-your absolute favorites.  If they are single copies, have additional copies made in case they don't make it to their destination.  Don't take anything that is irreplaceable, even if you're serving in the U.S.

Having church art with you helps your new home feel spiritual from the onset.  It doesn't cost much to get copies of church art and put them in mailing tubes inside your luggage.  I selected one and had second thoughts when the suitcase was crammed full and left it home.  Now I wish it was hanging on my living room wall.  Our local distribution center doesn't have any of my favorite church art, so I'll have to settle for what they carry.

Next blog post will be crucial for international missionaries:  How to pack your bags when you leave the MTC