The mail must go through

I remember when we first moved here, people would try to send us package, and--more often than not--we didn't benefit too much from their generosity. Either the package would sit in the post office and get consumed by rats, or it wouldn't arrive in the first place. Very occasionally, we actually received a complete package...and proceeded to pay an arm and a leg in duty for our chocolate chips and cake mixes. Eventually, people just gave up, I think. I don't blame them at all, but it sure became depressing when our neighbours were pulling out Now & Laters and M&Ms, and we were stuck with the local Buttermints.

But things have changed--or so I hear. I just talked to a missionary friend here who says he and his wife have received 24 out of 25 packages mailed to them in the past 14 months. My first (silent) response was, "Holy cow! They've gotten 24 packages in just over a year?!?!" I admit I was pretty shocked. We've gotten exactly four packages in our almost-two years of marriage, and three of those came through SIM in Charlotte. (The fourth came DHL from a very special friend!)

So my next (spoken) response was, "Wow! That's amazing! You only lost one!"

And it made me realise that maybe things have changed for the better here, as far as mail goes. But since everyone has given up on mailing us care packages, we would never know! If it really is better, maybe it's time to make another attempt. But what shall I do? Email all my friends and family and say, "Hi! Please send us a care package!"??? Hardly. That just isn't done. So I'll have to be creative and manipulative--crafty. [insert Cruella DeVil laughter here]