Here’s some common questions and answers. If you have any other question, just Contact Us – we’ll reply as quick as we can!
What is this place, anyhow?
It’s a place where you can easily share your missionary letters and pictures for all your family and friends to see. And it is quite easy to use.
But I Can Create a Blog Myself!
True. But it will cost more than you think. Here’s an example: We had a family member that wanted a blog for their missionary. And it got to be a big hassle: find a domain name and register it ($$); find a place to ‘host’ it (more $$$, some geeky stuff); install some blogging software (time and geeky stuff required), figure out how to set it up (more time and more geeky stuff), figure out how to create and publish ‘posts’ (entries) (more time, more geeky); and hope that it all works. Whew! What a process!
So we came up with MissionaryLetters.com. We do all of the setup stuff. We do all the geeky stuff. You just sign up, pick a plan, and we’ll create the site for you. You can add entries with a simple email – even add pictures. Just email your missionary’s letter, and it will appear on your missionary’s site. That’s all there is to it!
OK, but I don’t need a blog. I’ll just use Facebook (or whatever).
Yes … but have you seen all of your FB friends’ posts? Do their posts disappear down the newsfeed? Ever try to re-read an old FB entry? Ever try to find an old FB status? Ever try to ‘catch up’ with old FB statuses? Not easy, we think.
It’s much easier here! A simple setup process and you’re ready to go in well under an hour. Just send an email with the latest letter and pictures, and you’re done! Your friends and family can easily read the latest missionary letter – or catch up on prior letters – or re-read older letters. Plus, we can take all of your missionary’s posted letters and publish them in a hard-bound “Mission Book” for your missionary – or you – to keep!
I Can Email Everyone, though
Yep. Just keep a list of all the email addresses. And add and subtract names from the list. And handle any email ‘returns’. And hope your email doesn’t get caught in a ‘spam trap’. Whew! Another big hassle!
It’s much easier to use MissionaryLetters.com. Just send an email with your missionary’s letter. Give it a subject, and add pictures if you want. Then send it. All done!
And if people have ‘subscribed’ to the notifications (a simple box on the site where people put their email address), they will get an email message about the latest letter. And you don’t have to maintain the email list! Easy-peasy!
How Easy is it to Use?
Just email the letter and pictures. Done! That’s all there is to it.
How Do I Add a Post?
It’s quite easy. The simplest is to just send an email with the letter and pictures. Or you can use the built-in editor. Or you can use Microsoft Word (and maybe other word processors) or Microsoft Live Writer to create your post ‘off-line’ on your own computer. Just type away, or paste in your missionary’s latest letter. Add pictures if you want. When it’s ready, just hit the Publish key. But sending an email is the easiest and fastest way!
Can I add pictures?
Sure — and you can add as many pictures as you want! Just plop them into the email or document screen, and Send or Publish. Easy-peasy!
What about comments on letters?
Sure! You can decide whether to allow comments on any (or none) letter. You can moderate them so you can approve them before they are visible to others. And you can decide how long to allow comments on any post. You can even get notified when new comments arrive.
But my missionary is already on their mission!
No problem. If you can email all of their old letters, we’ll make sure that they appear in the proper order on your missionary’s site. (Available on enhanced and premium plans.)
What about Comment Spam?
Yuck! That’s when automated ‘bots’ add spammy comments to your entries. We block them pretty effectively with several processes. And you can always easily delete any comment spam that sneaks into your site.
Can I have a Contact Form for people to email me?
You bet! And we provide a comment form that blocks most spammers, to help prevent getting spam emails from your contact form. (Enhanced and Premium plans only.)
Can I have a Mailing List signup so people will know when there is a new entry?
Sure! It’s part of every single plan we have. It’s a simple box on your site where people can put their email address. And it’s an ‘opt-in/opt-out’ system, so anyone can easily stop the notifications (but why would they want to?).
What about the Mission Book?
When your missionary comes home, and you finish the final entry, we’ll gather up all of the entries and put them into a book format. We can then add extra things to the book. Then we’ll print the book with a hard-bound cover, and send it to you. It’s an extra-cost feature, but it will be a great memory book for your missionary – and your family! More information about the Mission Book is here.
Are my entries safe from damage?
Yes! We do backups daily, and use a well-regarded hosting place (JustHost) that ensures that your entries will be safe.
What if I want my own domain name?
We can do that for you. We’ll help you find a domain name, and get it registered. Or you can purchase the domain, and then we’ll set it up. It’s part of our Premium plan.
What is the site’s content management system?
We use a multi-site version of WordPress. It’s used by tons of sites around the world – big ones and little ones. It has lots of features, and lots of things that can be added.
What about site updates?
We handle all of that for you. We make sure that WordPress is absolutely current, and that all the ‘plugins’ (add-ons) we use are the latest and safest versions.
What about support?
If you need help, we’ll be here to help you out. Just use our Contact page to let us know how we can help you.
Are you affiliated with the LDS (‘Mormon’) Church?
Nope. Although we are members in good standing. And we have a few missionaries in our family that use this service. (We do give them a ‘family discount’.) This site is privately run as a service to missionaries and their families. There is no endorsement by or affiliation with the Church.
How do I get started?
Easy! Just use our Getting Started page. Pick the plan for your site with the “Buy Now” button. That will take you to a PayPal page (we use a secure access to PayPal for credit card payment, even if you don’t have PayPal). After completing the PayPal process, you’ll return to a simple form for the information about your missionary. We’ll do all of the geeky stuff, and then send you complete instructions on how to send an email for your first letter (post). Your site will be ready the same day, in most cases. (Our Missionary Letters team does get to sleep sometimes.)
What are your terms of service?
They are all on the Terms of Service page (aren’t we clever?). Basically, it says that you and we will behave properly, and ensure that there is proper content. If anything improper is posted, we’ll block it (and we’ll have a friendly discussion about how to fix things). If needed, we’ll block your site permanently. But we don’t expect that will happen.
What If I Have More Questions?
You can always Contact us if you have any questions or concerns, or need help.