It is time to write home, and you are trying to remember what happened this week. You were busy. Plenty of things happened. Now that the email is open, none of them seem to come to mind.
A weekly missionary email template can help you get started. You can write about one experience, something you learned, and an ordinary detail you would like to remember. Add a few photos if you have them, and you have an update!
You do not need to use every section below. Use the parts that help and leave the rest out.
Pick One Thing That Happened
Start with a moment you can describe. Maybe you finally understood a phrase you had heard all week, tried cooking something new, or noticed that a familiar task was getting easier.
Instead of writing only that the language is going well, explain what happened. You might say that you got through a whole lesson without forgetting any words or that you had a vivid dream in your mission language.
That gives your family something to picture. It also gives you something specific to look back on later.
Copy This Template
Subject: [Date] - [A few words about your week]
Hi everyone,
This week:
[A short update and any context people need to understand it.]
A moment I want to remember:
[What happened? What made it stand out?]
Something I learned or noticed:
[A thought, a skill you are practicing, or something you are grateful for.]
Something about the culture [Food/tradition/holiday]:
[Something new that ate, a local tradition or festival, or a unique holiday that they celebrate]
An ordinary detail:
[A meal, a language moment, the weather, or something that made you laugh.]
Photos:
[Add a short caption and include people's names if it is relevant]
Note for Home:
[A little gratitude or a response to news from home.]
Love,
[Your name]
Once you have filled it in, you can remove the section labels if you want the email to read more like a regular letter.
Here Is an Example
This is a made-up letter to show how the pieces can fit together:
Hi everyone,
This week I got more comfortable starting conversations in the language. I still forget words halfway through a sentence, but I am getting better at trying again.
On Thursday I talked about the Book of Mormon with someone on the street, just like I had practiced with my companion and I made it all the way through without help. I was sweating bullets, but the words came out smoothly and companion told me that I did great!
I have been thinking about patience. I want to notice progress every day, and some days it is hard to see. Reading my scriptures I realized that God works in small increments, not big leaps and bounds so I need to have patience just like God has patience for me.
This week a member fed us a local delicacy, chicken feet! At first I was not going to try it, but the member was so happy to share that I had to do it. Turns out, they are not too bad, just have to get over the claws scraping your face as you chew on the leg...
Thanks for the family updates. I loved hearing about the trees growing in the garden I was so worried about those. Love you!
There is no big event in that letter. There is still plenty for the family to enjoy reading.
When You Really Do Not Know What to Say
Just write three sentences. See if it takes you anywhere, if you can't write more than that, that is OK! At least you tried and now you have something to share. You can always share more photos and that may help spark some ideas too.
Add the Details You Will Want Later
Include the date, explain unfamiliar abbreviations or words, and write a sentence about the photos. You probably know exactly why you took that picture today. Two years from now, you may appreciate the reminder.
Be cautious of sharing other people's private information. You can share appropriate details, but it is better for you to focus on what an experience meant to you without sharing everything about someone involved.
When the emails arrive home, Letters Home can help keep them together, with the photos and dates ready for a book when you want one.