Rather than exchange gifts, each year we pick a family in need and give them Christmas. 
It was really fun this year making gifts for missionaries. I called the mission home and talked to the sister who I imagine is the mission secretary. I asked her what we should send and in the sweetest voice, she said "Well Sister Johnson, you know the answer to that....you just need to follow the Spirit!" So with that missionary reminder, the girls and I set out to make 20 missionaries Christmas packages. We gathered the essentials.....food, hot cocoa, gift certificates, and candy. We wrapped them in individual baggies, Michael and I included our testimonies and a family Christmas card with our photo, and sent them in a big box. Then we wrote a letter to Josh and sent him his Christmas package as well.
On Christmas day, I get this phone call. The voice on the other end introduces himself as an Elder from the Florida mission. He then begins to tell me that they were really concerned with some of the contents in our Sub-For-Santa package. I got really worried. Was it the testimony? The family photo? I had specifically said to Sister Dalling, the missionary I talked with, that we would send a letter and photo because we knew the missionaries would never know us but it would make it more personable. I got really worried maybe missionaries found out we were related to Josh and that caused some uncomfortableness....? Then the voice on the phone said, "Yeah, Sister Johnson, some of the things you sent were.....well, inappropriate." I got this sick feeling in my stomach. Then I thought, Isabelle......did she somehow smuggle underwear or tampons in there?" But then I heard his voice crack like he was about to laugh and I new it was Josh! We laughed and laughed.
He wished me a Merry Christmas and thanked me for all the family's hard work and generous gifts. He said that he didn't know we were doing his mission as our family Sub-For-Santa because all of the pictures and letters we sent to him, he didn't get or open until his mission Christmas party....when everyone else got their presents. He said the mission president stood up and told the missionaries that a family had chosen their mission and sent gifts. Josh said he thought that was such a great idea and what a cool family. Then, his companion got one of the gifts. He opened it and read the letter and testimony. He turned to Josh and showed him the family photo. He asks Josh "Isn't that a good-looking family, Elder Prisbrey?" Josh sees our photo and said he was overcome with gratitude and was so humbled to see the familiar faces in the photo. He said everywhere he looked, there were missionaries opening shirts, coupons, treats, cookies that his family sent. He said it was the greatest Christmas he's ever had.
Well, on our end of the experience, it was equally awesome. The girls had a great time helping with the assembly and loved the idea of helping missionaries. Michael and I thought back to our own missions and tried to think of what we would have loved as missionary gifts. We reminisced of our own missionary Christmas experiences. We all loved doing this!
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