How to Send us Mail

***If you write "GIFT" on the box/package, we will probably not get charged for customs. :)

  How to send a package
It’s always fun to get mail, and some days a simple card or letter is a big encouragement. If you’d like to send a care package but have a little extra room, some extra fillers that we love would include:

• Seasoning packets (taco, dressings, frosting flavors, etc.)
• Sugar-free Gum
• Candy
• Decaf coffee (that's right, we have GREAT coffee here, but no decaf!)
• Pepperoni or pre-cooked bacon
• Parmesan Cheese (not fresh!)

Here are instructions on how to send us a package from the U.S. to Papua New Guinea.
If you learn any other tricks or if you’re asked to do something that we haven’t listed here, let us know so that we can update these instructions.

Our mailing address is:
Matt and Laura Young
Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL-PNG)
P.O. Box 1 (122)
Ukarumpa EHP 444
Papua New Guinea

Letters
For small items that can just fit inside a letter-sized parcel, you can just put a GLOBAL stamp on it or go to the counter and pay the correct postage to get it here.

Flat Rate Boxes through USPS:
USPS Flat Rate boxes are probably the easiest and most economical way to send packages to PNG as you can pack up to a certain amount of weight in a box for a set price.

Customs Form:
You will have to fill out a customs form with the package at the Post Office. Each Post Office seems to require different forms and levels of detail on those forms. The one we have had success with is a white form (Form 2976-A) with carbon copies. You will have to list out the items you are sending, so I would recommend writing out a separate list of what you packed and taking it with you so you aren’t left guessing at the P.O. Here are some tips on how to list things that you are sending:

• Food items should be listed as: culinary items.
• Group similar things under one heading
• General descriptions are fine; you don’t have to be extremely specific (although some Post Offices might be more demanding in this regard).
• Some Post Offices are more strict than others. It’s possible they will ask you to list individual weights next to each item. In that case, you can just put down estimates that add up to the total weight of the box.

Other information for the Customs Form:

• All overseas mail is now airmail; there is no option of sending by sea (rf. #6 on Form 2976-A)
• Check the box for “Gift” on the customs form to describe the contents (rf. #5 on Form 2976-A)

Other Tips

• Please pack any food items extra well, as rats often can get to it before we can, especially if it ends up sitting in a hangar or PO somewhere for awhile.
• Regardless of how fast you pay to have it shipped, there is no guarantee it will get to us in that time frame. The package may arrive in the capital city within that time, but from there it has to be sorted and delivered up to the Highlands, where we live. How long that may take is unpredictable; on average mail takes 3-6 weeks to get from the U.S. to us in PNG. In any case, speed is rarely important to us. We’re happy to receive mail whenever it arrives! All that to say, please don’t spend extra money trying to get it here super-fast!
• Receiving FedEx packages is really difficult and expensive here. DHL has an agreement with the our aviation department, so that is a much better way to go (but still expensive for us to pay customs on it). Regular mail is the cheapest option on our end.
• We’ve heard that the more tape you use on a package the better the chance that it will arrive unopened!