Packages to Ukraine

Yesterday I stood in line at the post office to send two small packages to Ukraine . . . for the last time! This missionary

is coming home soon!

A month before he gets home is his birthday, so we packed modified flat rate envelope packages (the most economical way to mail internationally) full of treats, American food, birthday cards, and recent pictures of the family.

(By the way, I have learned a lot over the two years about sending packages to Ukraine. First of all, packages are expensive.  But, it's a very worthwhile expense. Second, so far all our packages have arrived safely, despite a corrupt Ukrainian postal system notorious for opening packages and removing items. I'm going to credit the incredible amounts of tape I wrap around every package and the Russian Orthodox religious icon stickers I plaster all over each them. Third, filling out the customs forms is always a pain. The rules have changed constantly. About six months ago our local post office began to require that the forms be filled out online and printed. The website and online forms were completely non-intuitive, but I got pretty good at it after sending Christmas packages. Pictured above, for the birthday packages I mailed this week I had all the forms printed out on self-adhesive sticker paper, cut, and signed.  I also had a separate label on each package with Brandon's address in Russian. But when I went to the post office I was informed that I was supposed to write "UKRAINE" large somewhere on the package as well.  What???  This was like the 8th package I've mailed, and I've never heard that.  Oh, Postal Service, always trying to keep us guessing . . .)

Prior to this, the last packages we sent were for Christmas '12.

We tried to be creative to add some fun, and each item was wrapped and had a scripture reference on the tag.
 
He was supposed to look up the scripture and try to figure out what was inside. There was something to open each day in December. This would have worked well if the packages had arrived in time. As it was, he received the packages just before Christmas, and reportedly opened everything in one day, which is just fine too.

Fitting all the mini packages into our big box was a challenge. I had to call in the big guns - Aubrey's logical mind helped me fit the "puzzle pieces" together.  Almost everything fit.
 
Except for the stocking. That was sent in another package.
 
We sent packages about every three months during Elder Porter's mission. Some of the things he requested over the two years: a C.S. Lewis book, a jump drive, new socks, peanut butter (this was a most desired item and was included in every package), pictures, warm gloves, good razors, contact solution, and vitamins. We also sent lots of American food and candy (especially Milky Ways and Reeses) and assorted gear to handle the icy winters.

By far the gift we were most excited about was sent in December '11. We printed out the Russian letters spelling "Merry Christmas" and sent them to friends and family around the country. They took pictures of themselves holding a letter and emailed them back to us. We made the pictures into a Christmas garland. It was a lot of work but so awesome.

 

 

So now the package we are working on is the "Welcome Home" package which will be waiting for him. So far we have bought some big Milky Way candy bars, new scriptures (his request), Sudoku and Kakuro books, and an ipod touch (well, Aubrey's old ipod touch, but it will be new technology for Brandon!).  We can't wait!