**UPDATE3**: All matches have been sent! Don’t forget to check your email (check your Spam!) for information about your penpal. A few people were contacted via Reddit messaging due to issues with email, so check there, as well. Please let us know if you haven’t heard from your match by August 1 so we can help you out!
***
**UPDATE2**: Hello, penpals! We are having some issues with our email, so if you have any problems contacting your matches, please let us know us via reddit by messaging /u/lisafancypants, u/Pinkmmlover, or the mods. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
***
**UPDATE**: The Dear My Friend letter exchange form is closed! Matches will be sent via email by August 1, so keep an eye out for a message from rbangtan.exchange@gmail.com (don’t forget to check your Spam folder!). If you don’t receive an email by the deadline, please let us know so we can look into it. Thanks to everyone who signed up, [all 127 of you](https://tenor.com/view/taehyung-shocked-bts-shocked-taehyung-turning-head-around-shocked-bts-surprised-gif-23202241)!
***
Dear, r/bangtan! [Happy ARMY Day!](https://imgur.com/a/UT7zhOB)
Do you miss [writing letters](https://tenor.com/view/jin-kim-seok-writing-worldwide-gif-13249075), putting a stamp on, and walking to the mailbox? Do you wish you received mail that wasn’t a credit card bill? Want to get to know an ARMY a little better? Announcing the [Worldwide](https://imgur.com/a/D0O0VCL) **r/bangtan Letter Exchange: [Dear my Friend](https://twitter.com/Randomsplashes/status/1264785055169142786)!**
The idea is simple. We will match you with a fellow ARMY based on your preferences. You will [write and send a letter](https://tenor.com/view/hobi-writing-gif-20550783) (snail mail only!) and your match will do the same. What you write about is up to you! Your ARMY journey, what BTS means to you, how much you miss 2seok, the awesome book you’re reading, your favorite ramen recipe, your entire life story. Make your penpal [laugh](https://imgur.com/a/0xl471K) or [cry](https://imgur.com/a/cXFg5QB). It’s all on the table. All we ask is that you be respectful. Then, address your envelope, attach your postage, and [drop it in the mailbox](https://i.imgur.com/mnUBgIn.mp4)!
***
# Guidelines
*Read the following guidelines carefully and fill out the form if you’re interested!*
* Participants must be willing to share email address with project organizers. Your match will be shared via email. Email addresses will NOT be shared with matches
* Participants must be willing to share their mailing address with penpal.
* Your Reddit username will be shared with your penpal. **It is your responsibility to contact each other and exchange addresses**.
* By filling out the form, you are agreeing to participate in the project and follow through with your letter.
* Small freebies may be included (PCs, stickers, small candies, etc) but are NOT required. Participants are under no obligation to send freebies.
* Matches will be made to the best of our ability but your penpal may not match all of your preferences.
* Participants are responsible for all postage and any other fees.
* Participants will be required to submit a proof of their letter **and** a proof of mailing/shipping through the Proof Form (see below).
***
# How will we match?
Matches will be made based on the following preferences. Again, your penpal may not match all of these.
* Country/Location of penpal
* Bias
* Bias Wrecker
* Other interests
***
# Timeline
| **Activity/Task** | **Date** (KST) |
|:-|:-|
| Sign-up/Register for ‘Dear my Friend’ | July 9-15 |
| Sign-up form close| **July 16** |
| Matches will be sent out by | August 1 |
| Proof of Letter and and mailing | **September 10** |
| Letters should be mailed out | September 15 (unless you made arrangements with penpal) |
***
# Forms
## [Dear my Friend Sign up Form](https://forms.gle/a6kpwCXn1FCc8bkg7)
## [Proof of Letter and Proof of Mailing/Shipping Form](https://forms.gle/EfidK8mX8Xk6uLxs6)
* [Sample of Proof of Letter](https://i.imgur.com/whJHx13.jpg)
* [Sample of Proof of Mailing/Shipping](https://i.imgur.com/LdZnHVy.jpeg) (you can cover parts of your address or blur it out)
**For both proofs please add a note on a piece of paper, handwritten with your reddit username and date.**
***
# Please Note
* You will be receiving an email with your match by August 1st. Watch out for an email from rbangtan.exchange@gmail.com (it might go to spam!) In case you do not receive an email by then, please send us an email so we can look into it.
* We will be updating this post for pertinent info so do save it! In case you need to find this announcement easily you can also click the r/Bangtan Events tab on desktop or find it on the sidebar.
***
So let’s whip out the [pen and paper](https://tenor.com/view/taehyung-taehyung-write-dynataee-taehyung-cute-taehyung-run-bts-gif-22065870) and get to know each other! If you’re lucky, maybe your postman will look like [this](https://youtu.be/8a44IT028u4).
For any questions or clarifications, please tag /u/lisafancypants, u/Pinkmmlover or any mod in the comments below. You can also contact the mods via modmail!
With luv,
u/lisafancypants, u/Pinkmmlover and the r/bangtan mod team
by lisafancypants
I signed right up. Thank you so much for organizing this amazing project!
I’m going to sign up! This is such a cute idea. Also feeling somewhat nervous about being older ARMY/doing it wrong 😅 but I can see from comments I’m not alone so I’m sure we’ll all be fine!
Love the Tae pen and paper gif btw 🥰
Edited to add – I had to choose my favourite BTS song?! You meanies! 😂
This is my new favorite thing!
This is so cute 🥹🥹🥹
Great idea!!!!!!
I love this! Signed up, and looking forward to it!
Signed up! Inspired by seeing some of the “older” people participating! Thanks so much for organizing this, can’t wait to see my match.
I love this – I think that letters should make a huge comeback in general. Looking forward to my match!
Edit: seeing so many elder comments – I’m 38 so… 😀 We got this!
Awwwww yay thank you so much for organizing this!!! I love exchanging stuff with my Armys!!! 💜💜💜
One of my first experiences as an Army was the letter exchange when Permission to Dance came out and it was so special! So glad it’s coming back and y’all are the best for arranging it!!
Does anyone have any recommendations for places to buy BTS or BT21 themed stationary? I just snagged the 2022 Dalmajung set from the US Weverse shop, but would love to have more themed stationary on hand for this letter exchange!
This is such a great idea! I was a little worried about being old (44!) but at least I’m not the only one!
For my favourite song I went with my favourite *now*. It changes every day! 😄
this is such a great idea 🥹
Will be signing up to this! What a lovely idea 💜
Yayyy thank you for organising this!! And making it WW🫂💖💜
This is so cute 🥹 signing up asap!
This is so cute!!!
Just signed up, so excited!
Count me in! Always enjoyed the secret santa/pen pal activities we had pre-covid and been wishing for it to come back!
Eta: I made a mistake on the form and have sent a chat message to u/lisafancypants for help! Sorry for the trouble
Ohh wow this is soo nice, sign me up
Super excited :3
(Though I first de-aged myself a lot because somehow my brain parsed the question whether I’m below 18 as whether I’m over 18 and I pressed happily Yes and Submit 🤦♀️ luckily edit is possible)
Love this! Signing up now..
when will this event end?? and I don’t have any penpal
Thank you for this!! I’ve been wanting a pen pal for years 😂 why not an army pen pal
Holy cow, I love this! I need an army pen pal
I filled in the form multiple times without submitting out of anxiety that I would have nothing to write about, I’m such a completely boring person 😂 But at least there’s lots of time to think of something before the deadline!
This is awesome!! Sooo just to be sure, you will have to send out your letter in September? Not earlier right? I’m living in a different country rn than I will be in September hahah
What a wonderful idea! As someone who has enough stamps to honestly last me til I’m horizontal and still sends letters to my two friends of 40+ years, I’m game.
![gif](giphy|6U5xRbcNpsZvE7PLBq)
Yessss!
Is it possible to edit the form after submitting it?
I wish I bought the stamps now that I just filled the form out! So excited to meet new friends!
I am so excited!! Thank you so much for organizing this!!!
I’m so excited! This reminds me of postcrossing! I had so much fun when I used to do that, looking forward to something similar (tbh I think I’ll be more happy to use fun stationary I already have, than having to feel pressured to find the perfect postcard that expresses my town lol 😅, not that postcards aren’t also appreciated here, but I’m not often going places with local postcards, so having the option to send a regular card or letter feels better, and fun cards and cute stationary are easier to find).
Maybe this was already asked, I haven’t scrolled through all the way yet, but does each person have one penpal throughout, or is it something like getting a new penpal each month?
Wooo I just pushed myself to sign up for this after debating over it for the past week. Pretty nerve-racking since I tend to be silent and behind the scenes on social media platforms (I mean I only recently starting commenting here after lurking since 2016).
But these events look fun and I’ve always wanted to participate! Looking forward to this! 💜💜💜💜
Oh no, I missed the sign up deadline! Hopefully there will be a new form up after this first round? 🙂
When will this open again, can I still sign up or is too late 🥺🥺