As I've mentioned before, missionary closets are few and far between. We've now visited 3 churches with a closet after nearly 8 months of travel. Since one of my readers is interested in finding out what is truly useful and/or what other chuches include, I've decided to list some things we have either enjoyed discovering and/or some things I've thought of along the way. Some are obviously more useful to us since we're traveling with a baby and small children.
Hand Sanitizer (constantly shaking hands necessitates this one!)
Kleenex (travel and regular size)
Paper Products
Diapers (have yet to see these, but would love to!)
Wipes (Regular and Flushable)
Baby Food/Cereal
Gifts Cards (Gas, Walmart, Groceries)
Legal-sized Envelopes
Printer Paper
Forever Stamps
Activity Pads/Puzzle Books
Underclothes (some may balk at taking these items, but we didn't!)
Medicine (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Allergy)
Juice Boxes
Snack-sized chips, cookies, crackers, fruit snacks, desserts (haven't seen these in a closet, but someone gave us a box of various snacks and we've put them to good use)
Bottled Water
Disposable Changing Pads
Bibsters (just got a box of these on Sunday!)
Dirty Diaper Bags
Children's Books
Laundry Detergent (especially for missionaries who need to use a laundromat)
Thank You Cards
Travel-sized Toiletry Items (a big bottle of shampoo is nice - and all closets have them - but they're not the easiest to travel with)
Having items for children is a wonderful idea. It makes our boys feel very special when they get something just for them. It doesn't have to be a larg item - Matchbox cars, art supplies, a book, or a small stuffed animal can do the trick!
Hope this gives you some ideas to put to use in your church or even as a family. If your church does not have a closet, you could fill a gift bag with some of these items and give it to a visiting family.
1 comment:
Thanks for the ideas Adele. We just got to move ours from a closet to a little room, so we're planning to make it cute and stock it with a few more things. I'd never thought of the snacks, water, etc. I wonder if the medicines would get taken quickly enough to not reach the exp. date first. I love the idea of paper and envelopes. We try to keep diapers in ours and they are always snatched right up. Glad to see how God is providing for you, even in these little ways!
Steph
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