Got Mail?

We've had a lot of people ask us lately how they can mail us things.  We'd love to receive letters but it is a bit tricky.  We do technically have a house address that is on our lease and will be needed for legal documents.  But people in Haiti don't really refer to anything by it's address.  For example, yesterday I heard one missionary explaining to another where we might be able to buy a puppy.  This was the explaination, "Go up the road toward the market and turn where the guy got electricuted in the dump truck.  Then go up the hill until you see the house with the chickens and pigs.  They breed dogs." 

Another complicating factor is that there is no postal service in Haiti.  Well at least not in our town.  I asked our language helper about the postal service here and he was quite confused.  I in turn was confused not knowing how'd we pay our electical bill or how we'd even get the bill.  Apparently once in a while (very sporadically) someone from EDH will come read our meter and give us a bill if we are home or leave it by the meter if we aren't home.  Then we go to the EDH building in Leogane to pay it.

Anyway - so how do you get us mail?  Our amazing friends Rachel and Alan Burdette have agreed to collect mail for us at their home.  When I hear of a team of people coming from the US to stay here with ReachGlobal I will alert Rachel and she can send our mail to a person on that team via US postal service.  Then the team will bring it in their suitcase for us.  Teams come quite regularly.  The next team comes in late October but then it should be at least once monthly.  We will be sending letters out with teams to mail via US postal as well.

So for now our address is: 4045 12th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 

(letters or very small items only please)

In the future we may get a private mail service in Port au Prince.  We shall see.  I think a "Donkey Express" would be useful here.  Maybe one day.