You're going to have an activation fee first. Then you can choose 2 plans that are monthly- one gives you 30 messages, I believe and three preset messages that are free no matter how many you send. The other is half the price, but you get only 10-15 messages, and everyone after that is 50 cents. Plus the same preset 3 messages. It works out to be the same thing.
If you don't go out in the winter much, I wouldn't do the yearly plan. I do go out every week but I still do the monthly plan.
My 3 messages are something like: 1. I'm safe in camp. thank God. 2. I'm in a village resupplying (when I was in the Pyrenees) 3. I'm scared/anxious/afraid, please pray. I try not to send the last one to my family much so they don't worry ;-).
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