Letters/Packages

[En Español] 



Dear Missionary Families,
We know that missionaries love to receive emails, letters and packages from home.  We realize how important it is for missionaries to feel loved and remembered.  To help avoid problems in this regard, we have the following recommendations for your consideration:
1.      Place “Gift Money” on your missionary´s personal credit or debit card.  This is the easiest and safest way to give your missionary a gift for Christmas, his or her birthday or any other occasion.  There is no postage charge, no customs fee and no risk of a package being lost or arriving late.  Many missionaries have told us how much they enjoy being given money to buy a gift for themselves while here in Argentina.  We strongly urge you to consider this safe, inexpensive and convenient option instead of mailing a package to your missionary.
2.      Letters and Small Padded Envelopes.  If you send letters, cards or small padded envelopes to your missionary, it is best to send it to the mission office at the address below.  It normally requires two or three weeks for letters, cards or small padded envelopes to arrive in Argentina.  It may take an additional two weeks to be delivered to the missionary´s area of service.  Letters and small padded envelopes are not usually required to be screened through customs.
3.      Large Padded Envelopes and other Packages.  Please keep in mind that you are required to make an honest declaration of the total value of the package you are sending.  We suggest that you include a purchase receipt of the items in the package, if possible.  If those at the customs office don’t have a receipt, they will decide the value of the contents of the package. The price they decide is often much higher than what was paid for the contents of the package.  Once your package arrives in Argentina, it is inspected and an import fee of 50% of the total value, declared in U.S. dollars, is charged.  Also many items are subject to special customs fees, but it is hard to predict if additional customs fees will be charged and if so, how much will be charged.  Sometimes customs fees can be very high.  Your missionary is required to personally pay the customs fees charged upon delivery of the package here in Argentina, plus a small mailing fee.  For example, a missionary recently was required to pay a custom fee of about $20 on a box of assorted seasonal candies plus the mailing fee for a package sent from home.  In addition to the customs fees and the charges to missionaries, the import restrictions are frequently changing.  We have recently been informed by customs officials that all medications, vitamins, food supplements, seeds (of any type, including roasted sun flower seeds), and used electronic items will not be allowed into the country.  In addition, new items carry a much higher value here in Argentina than when purchased in the United States.  This is especially true of electronic items.  One of the reasons we encourage you to consider putting money on your missionary’s personal credit or debit card is that it avoids any potential problems with customs fees.  If, in spite of these challenges, you decide to send your missionary a package or a large padded envelope, it must be sent to the mission office.  Be careful not to send perishable items.  All packages sent to the mission office will be delivered to your missionary as soon as reasonable possible, but delivery might take a considerable amount of time because our mission is one of the largest geographic mission currently in the Church.  Packages or mail sent to the mission office should be addressed as follows:

Elder or Sister Full Name of Missionary
             Misión Argentina Neuquén
                 Zapla N 24 – Casilla de Correo 321
                 8300 Neuquén
                 Neuquén Argentina
           

Thank you so much for considering these guidelines.  Please share these guidelines with family and friends who might be sending letters or packages to your missionary.   
We love your missionaries and are so grateful for the privilege of working with them.
Best personal regards,
President and Sister Paul R. Lovell
Argentina Neuquén Mission

10 comments:

  1. My daughter is scheduled to go into the MTC at Provo April 29th. We are interested in ANYTHING you can tell us about the area.
    Thanks!
    Gloria Smith

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  2. How exciting that her call is to the "Greatest mission in the world"! What specifically would you like to know about the mission?

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  3. I'm going to the "Greatest mission in the world" and i'm super excited..I report to the Provo mtc on June 5th, but what I wanted to ask is about the whole letter/packages/emailing ordeal. As far as emailing..do we receive emails? Can we just email our immediate family or can we as well reply to other friends and family? I know the receiving things through the mail is risky and can take a while, so I just wanted to get an idea of what my options were and what other missionaries do.

    Thanks,

    Jennsine

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    Replies
    1. That is a good question. Yes...you will be able to receive e-mails on your myldsmail.net account. In the missionary handbook that you will receive it says:
      “E-Mail. You may communicate with your family (we interpret this as parents and siblings whether they are still living with your parents or are married) and mission president by e-mail, according to approved guidelines.”

      Your friends are welcome to write through regular mail or through “Dear Elder”.

      As far as receiving things that are mailed…we feel that we receive everything that is sent by mail.
      Elder and Sister Ehmke go to the post office every week and are standing right there when the packages are opened for inspection. The only things we have had problems with are those items outlines in the post under “Letters and Packages”.

      This is a good question. I will also include this in "Information for New Missionaries".

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    2. Sister Lovell,

      I've heard rumors that the e-mail policy has changed church wide and that missionaries can now send and receive e-mails from friends, also. This change supposedly took place in the past week or two. Can you confirm this? If it is true, does it mean that missionaries will be allowed additional computer time to respond to these e-mails? We want to make sure we are following the rules to the 'T'

      Thank you so much for all you do for the missionaries in your care. As a mom, I am comforted knowing my son is in very good hands :)

      Thank you,
      Annette Haroldsen

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  4. I served in la Gran Mision nequen from 2006-2008. I just found iout today that the mission was split for the new comodor mission. I am curious what the boundaries are for both missions. Any information? Thank you.

    Alex Cahan

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  5. Mi hijo Èlder Candia està en su primer sector en la misiòn Neuquèn y està feliz por ello y yo agradecida por el tiempo que dedica a la obra del Señor.

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  6. In the mission packet, the physical mailing address is the same as above, but doesn't have the Zapala N 24 part...so we have given it out without it. Does that need to be on it? Not sure how the addresses work in Argentina, but want to make sure our missionary gets the letters that are sent to him. Thanks!

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  7. The mission has the post office mailing address of Correo 321 which must be included for mailing letters and packages. However, the officials at the post office also know us as Zapla 24. I suggest that our mailing address include both pieces of information: our mission office physical address as well as our post office box number.

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