From coast to coast

Our lovely young women of New Jersey

I was thrilled when a friend of mine in my old ward in Utah thought of a pen pal activity with her young women, and the young women in our ward. I thought that would be one great way for different young women across the country to get to know each other through their written testimony, and eventually become long distance pen pals, or in our generation today...Facebook friends.

Sierra brought the idea up to her Young Women President and it was a done deal. Although it took a couple of months to get it started the girls in our ward finally had an activity of where all the young women  wrote out their testimonies along with an introduction of who they are.

I helped Sierra make these cute cards with the theme for this year, "Arise and Shine Forth" labeled on the front of each card, and had each young woman choose one to send to their pen pal in Utah.

So many of us today are not into handwriting letters especially for those who find it so easy to email, text, and Facebook a message. I know it's a lot easier to communicate that way, but I know from personal experience that receiving a piece of mail that is not junk or a bill can really brighten up someones day. 

I have had countless experiences of receiving good mail, as well as sending off good mail.  A piece of mail can be a light in someone who is having a dark and dreary day. It can also be an answer of hope to a young soul who feels lost, and thinks to herself, "wow, there is someone out there who loves and acknowledges me." You never know who you will be uplifting by simply sending a handwritten note. Sometimes those handwritten notes mean more than an audio or electronic message. It is saying that you took the time to sit down and put pen to paper to write down a few simple sentences. It's saying that you do care, and that you want that individual to know that you do. 

Sierra has grown to love writing letters, and I think it helps her talent by having a love for her english class, as well as having an amazing talent in writing essays. She knows how it feels to receive good mail, and has found the joy in handwriting a letter. She wants others to have that euphoric feeling knowing that someone far away is thinking of you, and taking the time to jot down a few words on your behalf. 

I am so grateful for the friendship that I have kept with Vilisha. It has been almost seven years since moving from Utah and I still keep in touch with her and her family. It's through letters that have kept us in touch this whole time, and when I got on Facebook two years ago...it made us closer. It also became easy in not writing as much, but I still try my best to keep up with handwriting letters to many friends, (and I have a lot!)

 

There are so many young women who will benefit from receiving good mail. Especially those who just turned 12 and are new to the program. I'm sure they will be thrilled to be receiving a sweet message on handwritten paper. 

I hope that all the young women in both wards will strive hard to keep up those handwritten letters. Even if it's just a simple postcard where you don't have to write a whole paragraph! It's the thought that will count, and believe me when I say this...that simple thought will do its justice through a handwritten simple little note, and the person receiving it will be cheerful. They will truly be cheerful.