Care Packages

As a general rule, the more recently someone has arrived overseas, the more care packages they get. Our security guard at school comes in, mail delivery in hand...and it's usually for one of those cute young gals who works with us...who just started this year. But that makes sense, the longer you live somewhere, the more you adapt to the products that are available in that place. And we are not forgotten, far from it. Every summer our families load us up with so much STUFF we can hardly get our suitcases zipped. At Christmas, a group of our friends in Memphis go in together and send us some goodies. We get all warm and fuzzy, and the girls think every tube of sparkly lip gloss and package of hello kitty notepads are the "best thing they ever had." But this year somehow after summer, but long before Christmas, we got two surprises. They came the same week. One came from across the street, one came from across the globe.

A dear family knew that things had been a little rough lately. They are here with the US government and get all those good American products that our only hope to acquire otherwise is to delve into some black market scheme (we don't). They just wanted to bless us. Crunch berries! Lucky Charms! Marshmallows! Oreos! My 4 year old said, "What's an oreo?" I think her sisters were hoping I would leave her uneducated. You know, it's more for them, kind of thing.

They also gave us a big ol' ham and some Country Hearth bread. That is just not something that ever appears here. One can't even bring that back in luggage. This week we had ham and potatoes and ham and cheese melts. I plan to use every last bit of it. The ends will go into a split pea soup. Thanks, friends!

And then, just when I thought I could not be more blessed, we got a care package from Singapore. Our dear friends (and former landlords) sent us a big envelope of all the things we miss. Ginger chicken, chicken rice, curry powder. Mmmm. Thanks for not forgetting us old timers. We feel loved.

And then of all things, Campbell Clansman just emailed me and said, "A former school administrator (with our organization) emailed and wants to send us a care package...." It didn't take me long to make him a list. I'm afraid I am getting a little spoiled....