Mail

Post by Lara

*Updated 11 July 2012*

21 June 2012

Some friends and family were interested in having our mailing address and wanted some ideas for things we would like in a care package. First, a disclaimer: we are living in a developing country, where the postal system is not always reliable. Most packages and letters are delivered, but not all of them, and there isn’t much of a system for recovering lost mail.  If you do decide to send something our way, we would really appreciate for you to let us know when you send it so we can be aware that something is on its way to us.   *DHL delivers to Sierra Leone and may be cheaper. We know that a large flat rate box with the post office costs $60 to ship. Also, we’ve been given the advice that writing “GOD IS WATCHING” on the outside of packages may help ensure their safe delivery, so it can’t hurt to try. Also, when filling out customs forms, we've been told that writing "teaching supplies" and/or "Official Peace Corps supplies" can help protect the package as well.

If you're using USPS, our mailing  address is:

[Name] c/o Peace Corps

P.O. Box 905

Freetown

Sierra Leone

If you're using DHL, our address is

[Name] c/o Peace Corps
34 B Old Railway Line
Signal Hill
Freetown
Sierra Leone

Things we would appreciate in a care package:

• ·         Candy/treats that won’t melt in heat (Must be well sealed- the post office has rats)
•  Dried fruit
• Boxed baking mixes
• Non-perishable food items (Skyline chili and fruit pie fillings would be awesome)
• ·         Instant hand sanitizer
• ·         Water flavor packets such as Propel or Crystal Light
• ·         Ground coffee (it’s strange that this is listed on Wikipedia as an export of Salone, but they only have instant coffee to buy. Something about being a former British colony I guess.)
• ·         Plastic playing cards
• ·         Printed photos from home (friends/family, buildings such as houses and schools, big events such as weddings, snow—We get a LOT of questions about basic aspects of home- what does a school look like, what does your house look like, what the heck is snow, etc. So any photos you have of relevance would be appreciated.)
• ·         Burt’s Bees lip balm
• ·         Small souvenirs from Ohio/USA (Note: there are no refrigerators here so magnets aren’t so useful)
• ·         Spices – Cinnamon, Red pepper, Garlic/Onion powder, Italian herbs)
• ·         Several USA, Ohio, and World maps (laminated would be awesome but we know that’s tough. A lot of people we meet here don’t really know where the US is, let alone individual states and cities)
• ·         Math teaching aids (No textbooks here, so things like a multiplication table poster, PEMDAS poster, etc would be super helpful)
• ·         From St. Louis folks: Hermann Handmade Soaps, particularly the Rosemary Shampoo bar and the Cyprus and Lemongrass bar. These are sold at Soulard Market and we love them!

Also, we just would like to add here that this is not a plea for gifts and packages so much as a helpful list should you choose to send a package our way.  We have all of our needs met here, but of course we miss things from home and we would welcome care packages if you are able to send them!  Finally, Lara has a kindle wishlist on Amazon.com where she has highlighted some books she is interested in. This is a super cool gift because you don’t have to pay shipping and it’ll get delivered to us wirelessly!

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of support, encouragement, and love that you sent our way as we prepared to leave for service. We appreciate all of our friends and family and are thankful to have such a strong base at home that we can rely on.  We will probably have rough days, weeks, even months here, and during those times we will definitely be leaning on you. Please keep the kind words coming!