Package of Love

A while back, Xander mentioned that an elder in his district was craving muddy buddies.  So of course, I whipped up a batch and sent them on with a letter to the elder.  In the letter, I mentioned that he should let me know if anyone else wants anything special sent.  Well, last Friday, I got 4 letters from elders asking for assorted snacks.  It was quite funny.  The best part was all the nice letters and the nice things they said about Xander.

Elder Alexander wrote:
"...You should be proud of your son.  He is a "real man" as he would put it and I have a lot of respect for how he resolves conflicts.  He is far more mature than most Elders here and I mean that with all seriousness.  He is a fine young man.  I am 22 and trust me, I can see the difference between him and others here."

Elder Williamson wrote:
"...I would like to thank you for raising such a wonderful chap of a missionary.  I will miss him very much when he goes to Suriname and I, to Denmark.  Being the only Danish Elder, Elder Hulme helped me fit in and feel a part of the district despite our new language barriers."

Then, on that same day, one of Xander's teachers in the MTC showed up at the bike shop, shopping for a bicycle.  This teacher had such nice things to say about Xander - that he was learning the language quickly, that he kept everyone laughing, that he helped make this district a cohesive group of friends.

Nothing could've been more comforting than to hear all these nice things from complete strangers.  Perhaps the elders just wanted to be extra nice since they were asking (very kindly) for treats.

These are the assorted snacks which were requested.  Sunday, our kitchen was a nicely run bakery.   Oli made the chocolate chip cookies, I made the no-bake cookies, and Milly made the muddy buddies.

We divvied out the snacks to 6 missionaries - the 4 elders who wrote to me, and Xander and his companion.  Xander had included a short note requesting that I please remember him in the "Package of Love."

One week from today, he'll be on his way to Suriname.  We can't wait to hear about all his adventures.