Check Before You Eat

It occurs to me some 20 years after drawing this strip that it could have been funnier had Elder Austin replied after learning the true nature of the gingerbread and while taking another bite, "Eh, still tastes better than most of stuff we get at dinner appointments."

Girlfriend Potential?

Beggars can't be choosers.

Long Lost Care Package

If Elder Ryan is not eating that fudge, I doubt anyone will.

Lost Package

Any missionary serving far enough away from home has likely experienced a lost care package will serving. It is likely one of the "thorns in the flesh" Paul spoke about of his missionary service.

Christmas Care Package

Here's the problem with slowly rolling out the missionary adventures of Elder Van Dyke one strip a week: you end up with a Christmas storyline in the middle of summer. (Of course you can avoid this issue by reading the whole thing in book form--order here.)

Care Packages

For missionaries, care packages are a huge deal. Unfortunately, not all care packages are, themselves, huge.

Girlfriends and Care Packages

It's kind of ironic that as a missionary, I received lots and lots of care packages during the eight weeks I was in the MTC where I never had to worry about lack of food; but when I went to the mission field and had to pretty much fend for myself food-wise, the care packages pretty much dried up. Still, the care packages were good while they lasted.

Missionary Request

I keep unearthing strips that are completely out of date. What kind of missionary writes letters home these days? Let's all pretend, then, that Elder Van Dyke's mission is a magical place where internet is spotty enough that it becomes necessary to write home most weeks.

Care Packages Redux

The problem with care packages is that they often get lost in the mail for a period of time. (This is the resolution to a strip I posted three and a half years ago!)

Care Package Dreaming

I realize that today's missionaries' experiences with mail are completely different from my experiences 20 years ago. Back in my day, we'd look forward to getting mail after a long day of tracting. Mail for us came in the form of physical letters on paper inside envelopes. Weird, huh?

Sometimes, there would be a little postcard in with the mail informing us that a package was waiting at the post office. Since we usually didn't see the mail until the end of the day, We'd have to wait overnight before picking up the package. That made for an extremely long night. Today's strip hopefully captures the experience.

I could go on, but I've got to go yell at some kids loitering on my lawn now.

Missing Care Package

Merry belated Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Care Packages Part 3

Mystery solved!

Christmas Care Packages Part 2

Last week we got a glimpse of Elder Austin's giant care package, today we find out who it's from, and next week we'll find out just what is inside. The suspense, I'm sure, is killing you (which is appropriate because that's very much what Christmas feels like to little kids).

Christmas Care Packages

Possibly the only thing better than getting a Christmas care package from home as a missionary is getting a Christmas care package from home that's bigger than your companion's.