Important Package Info

Important information regarding sending Tyler packages:

Brasil´s government is trying to protect the country from imports. I can understand their reasoning, but they´re a little too hardcore for a missionary... Let me explain.

I got a call this week from the secretary saying that I had some good news and some bad news... The good news was that I received a package. Whooop! Seriously, receiving packages is the greatest thing ever. The bad news was that Brasil put almost a 300 dollar tax on it... Yes. Let me repeat that... 300 Reais.

They asked me what I wanted to do. I honestly was heart broken. I knew if I bought the package, I wouldnt have money this week. I thought if I delayed until today, I could write you guys and have you put some money on the credit card (please read what I wrote again about the username and password information to activate it online again) so I could buy it. Buuuttttttt, Brasil continues to increase the import tax every day. They told me that it would be better to buy it now and tell you how to avoid this in the future. So, I bought the Catholic package (btw, holy cow mom! Haha the pictures of Mary made me laugh because you tatooed that box with her - good thinking though. She has a lot of power here in Brasil. No one will break in to that package) and ate beef jerkey and Peanut Butter for the rest of the week. No problem though. I love both of those things.

BUUUTTTTTTT, PLEASE READ AND READ AND REREAD THIS PART.

You can´t tell the truth with the things you put in the box. I know, that sounds horrible but its true because Brasil thinks I will receive it and sell it on the streets. For example, you bought that awesome water filtration system and sent it to me. On the ´´Custom´s Declaration Note´´ you wrote exactly how much it cost there in the states - 50 dollars. You also put the exact amount of money it cost for the clothing - 30 dollars. When everything was totaled up, the price of the items inside the package was MORE EXPENSIVE than what it cost to send it here to Brasil. I think everything inside the package was a little over 100 dollars, where it cost 60 dollars to send... When the price of the items inside the package is MORE EXPENSIVE than what it actually cost to send it, Brasil will stamp a fat tax on that puppy... So, in the future, what you can do is this

Peanut Butter.....quantity-2; price-$3.00

USED clothing.... quantity-15; price-$7.00

Half eaten granola bars ..... quantity-8; price-$5.00

etc....

Try to make the stuff sound not wanted and make up the quantity and price of the items. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE ITEMS IN THE BOX ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER THAN THE PRICE IT COSTS TO SEND IT.

I´m a little worried more packages are on the way... Haha this should be an interesting experience here in the next couple of weeks. Sorry I didn´t know and send this information out sooner but, it´s a funny story I can tell people about after my mission on how I survive on packages sent from home and not the money I actually receive as a missionary.

Just to let you know however, paying close to 300 reais for the package was totally worth it. Why? Because I finally received PEANUT BUTTER! WHOOOOOOOO!!!!

I let one of the Brasilians try some peanut butter here and he about died.... Haha it was so funny. The Brasilians here LOVE peanut butter. Hey, that might make me a Brasilian then... Anyway, thank you for the Peanut Butter.