comforts from home

We’ve had a lot of people ask us lately what they can send in care packages, either for us or for our work here.  We figured that making a list on our blog would be an easy way for you to get ideas.  It’s amazing what is available here – and we’re blessed beyond belief.  So the things for us certainly aren’t needs as the Lord has provided for all of our needs.  Some are just comforts from home, or close substitutes for said comforts (since you can’t ship a tub of Cool Whip….).  The second list is items that would be helpful in our ministry at Lusa.

For us:

Foodstuffs:

Dream Whip – closest shippable thing we’ve found to CoolWhip

Great Value (Wal Mart brand) Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese (you can even keep the noodles and just send the sauce packets – definitely a favorite for Luke)

Great Value or Crystal Light sugar free drink mix (the kind in the tubs that you mix w/ a pitcher of water)

Fat Free No Sugar added pudding mixes – vanilla, chocolate, lemon

Parmesan cheese (or other cheeses that wouldn’t need refrigeration in sending)

Splenda

Marshmallows.  We have them here but they just are all flavored – they taste great but don’t work so well for baking or making s’mores!

Extra Spearmint gum

Taco Bell Sauce Packets (just save your extras when you hit the drive thru!)

Coffee

Kashi GoLean Cereal (the original – not any of the special flavors or anything)

Seasonal goodies – candy corn, peeps, jelly beans, etc

Spices: Jamaican Jerk, allspice, cinnamon, chili powder

Dried fruit - Prunes, cranberries, etc. (Raisins are easy to get here and we don't like banana chips though!)

Otherstuffs:

Lexmark printer cartridges – black 14 and color 15

Razor blades – Venus for Tiff; Schick Quattro Pro for Luke

Anti-perspirant –Lady Speed Stick; Old Spice High Endurance (not red zone)

Flea collars and/or tubes of flea treatment (frontline or advantage or generic) for dog and cat

Recorded sermons

Books – novels, anything

Cookbooks or cooking magazines

Workout videos/DVDs/Wii games – High energy cardio type stuff

CDs or DVDs – we’ve been here over a year and a half now- what’s new?

For Lusa:

Balls (deflated) and a pump

Nice wooden, glass, metal, or even plastic beads for jewelry making

Craft wire and other jewelry-making supplies

From our experience, first class mail items take about six weeks toarrive and cost varies by weight. Flat rate shipping is one rate based on the size of the box, so if you're sending heavier items, it’s more cost effective AND it arrives in about two weeks.  We also enjoy receiving letters and pictures!   All packages and mail can be sent to us at PO Box 110079, Solwezi, Zambia.  Thank you in advance.  Again, these are just ideas for those who have asked – please don’t feel like you have to send anything.  Blessings and Love!