• Your LDS missionary can still have a happy birthday, even far from home.birthday cake image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
  
  When a member of your LDS family is called to serve, he must go where he is called. But just because he's miles from home, and possibly even in a different country, that doesn't mean he can't have a happy birthday full of thoughts of his family. Give your missionary a birthday that lets him know he is never far from your heart, no matter how far he may roam.
  
  

A Few Good Words

• Send a pad of sticky notes full of encouraging thoughts and well wishes from family and friends.sticky notes image by Alexander Zhiltsov from Fotolia.com
  
  Send your missionary a pad of sticky notes packed full of words of encouragement from everyone at the home ward. Create a decorative string of interlocking paper rings, each marked with a favored verse. For a spring birthday, send her a wicker basket full of plastic eggs. Each egg should have a verse of scripture or message of encouragement inside, along with a small trinket or memorable gift item. Instruct the missionary to begin opening the eggs on her birthday and include enough eggs to last until the next big gift-giving holiday. She will be reminded that your thoughts and prayers are with her each and every day of her mission.
  
  

Scrapbook From Home

• As soon as your loved one leaves on mission, start to gather pictures, newspaper clippings and other items from gatherings and events he is missing while he's gone. At family and ward gatherings, post a small sheet of cardstock where friends and loved ones can write messages to the missionary. Take a few pictures from your gatherings and Photoshop the missionary's head into a few of them to let him know he was there in your hearts even though he was miles away. Put the items together into a scrapbook to send to your missionary on his birthday. He will be happy to know he is never far from your thoughts while he is out on his important mission.
  
  

Birthday Party Kit

• Send a birthday party care package, complete with balloons.Happy Birthday Balloon image by Dawn from Fotolia.com
  
  Missionaries are often stationed in areas where they are unable to obtain certain treats they took for granted back home. Send your missionary a package full of all of her favorite treats so she can throw herself a home-style birthday party with all of her new friends. Send a cake mix so she can prepare her favorite kind of birthday cake, along with a package of birthday candles. Send party décor, such as a large Happy Birthday banner, a birthday party tablecloth and party hats and favors.