To the Mission Field!

President and Sister Brown with Sister Firth

 

Stirling, Scotland, 1898, David O. McKay: “I was homesick and a little discouraged on this day.  As we were coming back into town, I saw an unfinished dwelling, over the front door of which was a stone on which there was a carving. That was most unusual, so I said to Elder Johnston, ‘I’m going to see what that is.’ I was half way up the graveled walk when there came to my eyesight a striking motto as follows, carved in stone:  “ ‘Whate’er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.’  I said to myself, or the Spirit within me,  you are here as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. That afternoon, I accepted the message given to me on that stone, and from that moment we tried to do our part as missionaries in  Scotland”   

Edinburgh Scotland  

In 1840 Elder Orson Pratt, an LDS Apostle, climbed to the top of Arthur's Seat. There he dedicated the country of Scotland for the preaching of the gospel.  Today your missionary climbed the hill and dedicated themselves to the preaching of the gospel in this great land.

 

 

 

 ****On 26 June, 2013, we welcomed Sister Firth to the Scotland/Ireland Mission.  She arrived safely from the Missionary Training Center and we are excited to have her in our mission.  I interviewed her and felt her spirit and desire to serve our Heavenly Father. One of our very best missionaries, Sister Covey has been assigned to be her trainer.

Sister Brown and I will have the opportunity to meet with your daughter for a personal interview every two to three months.  In addition, we will see her periodically at Zone Conferences and other training meetings. Each week your missionary will be writing me a letter of her activities as well as a personal note.   She will also meet regularly with her district and zone leaders where she will be trained with other missionaries.  Therefore, with interviews, zone conferences and our weekly letters I should be able to help her meet any challenges she may have, and answer any questions you may have.

We are grateful for the part you have played in preparing her to serve in this important work. We would encourage you to write her weekly letters of encouragement. Letters from home provide a powerful sustaining effect on the confidence and morale of our missionaries.

If you at anytime have a concern about your missionary, please feel free to contact us here at the Mission Home in Edinburgh.  We testify of the truthfulness of this work and are grateful to be a part of it.
Sincerely,
Alan H. Brown
Alan H. Brown, President
Scotland/Ireland Mission
51 Spylaw Road
Edinburgh Scotland
EH10 5BP
Email:  2018500@ldschurch.org
Phone:  +44 131 337 1283

 

--Missionary Finances

To the parents of all missionaries:
The Church-wide Financial Program of all single missionaries throughout the world works extremely well.  The basic principles of the program are as follows:
a. Monthly financial support in the amount of $400 U.S. (or its equivalent in other countries) is deposited each month in the ward/branch Missionary Fund.  These sacred funds are then transferred to the General Missionary Fund to cover missionary expenses throughout the world.

b. Mission Presidents draw money from the General Missionary Fund to cover the essential living expenses of all single missionaries including your missionary.


c. The General Missionary Fund does not include money for such items as clothing, eye and dental care, nor personal items such as cameras, souvenirs, etc.

It is the constant responsibility of the Mission President’s wife to see that missionaries eat properly with a well balanced diet.  Missionaries will never go hungry.  In addition to the monies provided, the members are very generous in having the missionaries for dinner appointments.  We assure you that most needs can be anticipated and planned for within the funds allowed each missionary.

Our responsibility is also to help missionaries’ budget their funds.  We find that missionary needs expand to consume all available funds.  The missionary experience is intended for the missionary to stretch their “funds” rather than stretching their “needs”.  If a missionary has more money than needed, it can create stress and tension within any companionship.

Please remember that your missionary will not have money to purchase gifts for Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions.  If gifts are to be sent home, money will have to be sent to the missionary.  Also, it is wise to note that if souvenirs are purchased, it may add weight to their baggage.  This over weight will have to be paid by the missionary not the mission.

We sincerely thank you for your support.  Your daily prayers and weekly letters to the missionary are of immeasurable value.  May the Lord continue to bless you as you support your missionary in the Scotland/Ireland Mission.

--Mail Guidelines for the Scotland/Ireland Mission

At the beginning of each move cycle, each missionary should advise family and friends of his/her current address where letters should be sent, and the Zone they are serving in. Letters and packages sent during the last two weeks of a move cycle may arrive after a missionary has been transferred out of the zone to which the mail/packages were sent and could take an additional four to six weeks to be delivered. 

Mail/Post:  Normally letters can be sent directly to the missionary’s flat within the first four weeks of a move cycle. Airmail letters arrive in 6 to 7 days.  Surface mail can take from 4 to 6 weeks.  Letters sent to the Mission Home will be forwarded to those in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Letters are held for those serving in the Republic of Ireland (Limerick and Dublin Zones), which means they may not receive the letter for up to six weeks after it arrives in Scotland. All letters and packages must have the missionary’s full first and last name. 

Packages/Parcels:  Packagess should not be sent to the missionary’s flat, as they would usually not be at the flat when the package is delivered. When the recipient is not at home, the packages are sent to a distribution centre which could be well outside of the missionary’s assigned area, and they would be unable to retrieve their package(s).  It normally takes about two weeks for packages to arrive from North America. We would encourage you to mail packages within the first two to three weeks of a six-week move cycle.

* Packages for missionaries assigned to Scotland should be sent to the Mission Office in Edinburgh.

* Packages for missionaries assigned to Ireland or Northern Ireland should be sent to the addresses listed below according to which Zone they are assigned. We have made arrangements with local members in Belfast, Dublin and Limerick to have missionaries’ packages mailed to their business establishments where someone is available during normal business hours to receive them. The packages will then be picked up by mission leaders and delivered to the missionary.
Mark all packages “PERSONAL BELONGINGS” or “GIFT”.  This marking will help avoid any taxes, customs charges and/or handling fees.

It is not wise to declare a value of more than $50.00 as your missionary will have to pay an additional customs duty. The current Value Added Tax is 20% of the declared value.  Therefore, if you declare the value to be $75, your missionary will have to pay $15 in taxes and an additional handling fee before they may receive the package.

It is generally much cheaper to provide your missionary with additional funds to purchase needed clothes and personal items than to send them via the post.

Packages sent to the Mission Office for missionaries that are serving in Ireland may not be delivered for an additional four to six weeks since those packages are only transported to Ireland by way of leaders traveling to the country.

Reminders:

* Use first and last names
* Letters must not be too large 
* Send letters and packages during first two to three weeks of a transfer
* Send to the correct address



Please do not hesitate to contact the Mission Office if you have any questions.  The phone is answered 24 hours a day, although we may sound very tired when you call after 3 p.m. Mountain Time in the USA, due to the seven hour time difference.


Scotland/Ireland Mission 51 Spylaw Road Edinburgh EH10 5BP
SCOTLAND
44 0 131 337 1283
44 0 131 313 1282 (fax)
From Outside UK 011-44-131-337-1283
Fax from outside UK 011-44-131-313-1282
2018500@ldschurch.org