Adventures in mailing…
Sending a box to Malawi really is an adventure. There are three basic ways to send a package: ground, USPS or DHL. I have tried all three ways. My favorite way is option #4….fly there yourself and deliver it in person.Sending a package by “ground” takes about 3-6 months and the package arrives looking like it traveled on a ship across the sea for 3-6 months. I have only done this once and never again! I sent the package in March 2007 and it arrived in November 2007! Using the United States Postal Service takes 4 to 6 weeks and costs about $100 depending on how heavy your box is. DHL takes 4 business days and costs 1 kidney and 3 pints of blood. I like DHL in that it gets there quick, but not only is it expensive it is extremely stressful. I have sent three packages via DHL. The first one was delivered to a different orphanage with a similar name; the second was delivered to Savannah’s nanny, while Thandie was driving to town to pick it up at the office. That leads me to the story of the third box…..
Last week I sent some supplies for Blesssing’s and his siblings and a few things for Savannah-Hope. These were items that aren’t readily available for purchase in Malawi. The package was supposed to arrive on Valentines Day, but it got held up in customs. When you mail a package overseas, you have to write a list of everything in the box and state the value of each item. Being the honest person I am, I wrote the list and listed the value of each item. Typically the value is about half the cost of the postage, and that remained true for this box as well. Malawi doesn’t allow any used clothing items to be mailed there, so if you mail clothes you must mark new on the list, which I did. When the box arrived to customs with a value over **secret amount** and listed as ‘new’, the customs officials decided this would be a great opportunity to get their fair share by taxing the box. The box is now being held hostage at the airport with a fee of 40,000K!!! ($290)
Nice! To make matters worse, Thandie is the only one that can try to resolve the issue since her name is on the box. Savannah’s Nanny had a death in the family and had to go to the village. Thandie has to remain now at Good Samaritan with Savannah-hope as she is recovering from a respiratory infection and can’t be taken off campus. The only other staff member that could watch Savannah-Hope is Miss Ester “the Matron”, but she is busy caring for two of our orphans who are extremely ill. So the box remains at the airport. Please pray that this gets worked out and the box can be released to Thandie soon and without any fees.
..........Alinafe K. ...............................Simion.............
Please continue to pray for Alifnafe K. and Simion. Both children have extremely high fevers and were taken to the hospital today. Neither child was admitted and both tested negative for Malaria. The doctor suspects Simion of having pneumonia. Alinafe is suffering and infection but the doctor can't determine the source. Both children are on antibiotics and being cared for by the Matron, Ms. Esther.
..............Junior.............Victoria........................
Please also pray for these two children. Junior has a headache and the chills and Victoria has been having stomach pains. 
Late last week Crystal recieved a letter in the mail from the Memphis, TN homeland security office. They requested more paperwork and documentation for the adoption. Crystal has everything together that they need and will be overnighting the package tomorrow. Please pray for the officer that will be reviewing their file this week. God's timing is perfect....but the wait is so hard. There is also added pressure of plain ticket prices going up in the Spring...and you never know when Madonna is going to show up in Malawi and turn everything upside down again. Please keep Savannah-Hope's adoption journey in prayer.
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