Tips on Sending Us Mail or Packages

In 10 days we will be leaving for Benin!  That being said, the PC says that it takes 2-4 weeks for a letter or package to arrive.  If you'd like to write us, you can start now.  If you do write us letters, be sure to number them on the envelope because they may hold our mail until we get more so they can give it to us at once or they may come out of order.  Also, from what we have read, we will probably not have access to internet for an extended period of time after we arrive, like 1-2 months!  So don't worry if you don't hear from us online.  Snail mail may be the only way you'll hear from us during our first couple months so get the ball rolling and start writing us so we have letters to respond to.  :)

As of now, no packages are necessary at this point because we don't know what we will have access to and what is available over there yet, but if you want to send your dear friends/family a care package in the future, here are some tips for any future packages: 

Never write the real contents of a package.  Write general items such as "food," "clothes" and "magazines"- not the specific items or brand names. Don't give them any reason to want anything that is inside.  Also, if you're sending something like seeds for our garden, definitely don't tell the post office that. 

Never write the real value of items on the customs form.  Always put $10 or less otherwise, we have to pay taxes on packages.  If they think there are valuable items in a package, they will open the package and then charge us more money or they may take the contents for themselves.

Write "Dieu Te Regarde" on the package in large letters.  This translates as, "God is watching you" and if they are religious, there is less of a chance it will get opened and looted through.  It also helps to write everything (even addresses) in big RED letters because that is generally associated with government or top secret things that they don't want to mess with.

You will want to include an itemized list of the contents in the package so if there is something missing, we will know it.  If they don't know English, then they won't know what the note says, and even if they do, they will know that someone paid attention to what was sent so if everything doesn't make it, there is more of a chance of someone following up.  Lastly, use the US Postal Service- not a FedEx or UPS.  The best and fastest way to get us a package is by mailing it in a flat rate box, or a padded envelope which is the fastest method of them all. 

Thanks for all the support!