My Address (Letters & Care Packages)

Hi friends and family!

In case you didn’t see on my facebook page, I have a new mailing address! Here it is:

Christy Nichols

P.O. Box 14267

Outapi

Ombalantu

Namibia

Receiving letters is incredibly exciting. I just got two yesterday (thank you Emily and Jag!) and I think I had a smile etched onto my face for the next few hours! It’s great to see someone’s handwriting, hear their stories, and get to spend some time writing back to them and feel like we’re really keeping in touch and taking time to maintain our friendship. As a side note, even things that may seem like “silly” everyday events to you are really fun for me to read! My everyday in the village here is likely pretty different from yours, so it’s fun to share those everyday moments with each other via old school pen and paper! So, if you feel inspired to do so, please write me a letter! There are global forever stamps now in the USA, so you can go there and buy a bunch one time so that you don’t have to make a special trip more than once. I believe they cost $1.20.

I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about care packages recently, which is really exciting and humbling; thank you so much for your supportiveness, generosity, and kindness. Really, I’ve been touched by the amount of inquires there have been on the topic—your message of support has been received, loud and clear, on the other side of the Atlantic.  I thought I’d compile a list of items that I’d love to receive in a care package, at any point during the next two years! Any items you want to send, I'm thrilled to receive! I just wanted to make this to give you a jumping off point if you're not sure what to send.

General Care Package Wish List

-Mexican food (salsa verde, corn tortillas [or a bag of masa harina to make them here], taco seasoning packets, etc.) 

-Dried fruit (anything! Cranberries, cherries, pineapple, etc.)

-Nuts (again, anything! Pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)

-Crystal light packets to spice up the insane amount of water I drink here! (Any flavor except for raspberry lemonade, please! I know I like strawberry lemonade and plain lemonade. I would be excited to try other flavors, too!)

-Cheese powder for mac n’ cheese or Gluten Free Mac n' Cheese (either the packets out of some boxes or you can order the powder by itself on amazon)

-Reese’s 

-Reese’s pieces
-Starburst
-Skittles
-M&M's 

-Herbal tea (vanilla chai, green tea, mint, etc. Anything herbal!)

-Stickers for my learners (stars, smiley faces, etc. – stickers to go on exams and homework)

-Barbeque sauce

And if anyone figures out how to ship a Chipotle burrito bowl, some Graeter’s Ice Cream, and an entire American thanksgiving dinner… Well, then I think I know a genie and also have a new best friend.

*******INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING A CARE PACKAGE - Very important! You’ll have to fill out a customs declaration form. Please don’t use high prices on it, as it makes the package more attractive to thieves and makes it more likely that I’ll have to pay a lot of money to pick it up. (I've heard many horror stories of volunteers having to pay ~US$100 to receive packages with expensive declaration prices.) So, use “garage sale” type prices on everything. The total that you write definitely shouldn't be over US$10... the lower the better! Don’t be too detailed on the form either—we don’t want thieves to know exactly what’s in there. If it’s not food that you’re sending, then write that the items are used (even if they’re not). This makes it less likely to pay tax when I pick it up as well. And if you are sending food, then SEAL IT IN ZIPLOC BAGS INSIDE OF THE BOX if it’s something that rats or insects could get into. And lastly, Namibia is a very religious (Christian) country, so write something like “God Bless” or “God is watching” or something that might deter someone from dipping into the package! It sounds silly, but I think the 30 seconds it’ll take to write it on the box are worth it!

If you’re wondering what type of box/envelope to send, how much it’ll cost, etc., I’ll try and give you a few answers. Just so you know, it’ll be a bit expensive. The USPS has “flat rate” boxes and there is a standard rate to ship to Namibia in these boxes. I don't remember the exact costs, but I have listed an approximate below. There is the small size (it’s sort of a joke it’s so tiny), medium (a good size—costs ~$60), and large (big—costs ~$80). If what you’re sending is heavy, then definitely send via a flat rate box. If it’s not too heavy, then you’re better off with a regular box (any box you find at home) or a padded envelope. If it’s something smaller like tea, then take them out of the box, put them in a Ziploc, and pop them into an envelope! They’re the cheapest way to ship if the item is small and light. 

That's all I've got for now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!