how to send packages and letters to drew

Hello Parents—

We have had a rash of packages from America being sent to missionaries using the wrong address. The Russian post will not deliver packages sent to the Malookhtinsky address. Instead, they park them at random post offices all over St. Petersburg and send us a notice to come and pick them up. The notices are not always delivered immediately. If the missionary does not show up at that post office within two weeks and personally show them his passport along with the notice, the package is returned to the United States. Sometimes it is impossible for a missionary to get to that random post office within the time limit. Some of the post offices are very far away and difficult to find. It is very frustrating for the missionaries and it eats up their entire Preparation Day. Plus you often have to wait in line at a Russian Post Office for 2 hours. (The post office is also where many bills are paid and other government business is conducted. It is crazy sometimes.) One elder just told me he informed all his family he would cut off their heads if they sent anymore packages to the Malookhtinsky address!

Our driver goes twice a week to our post office box and picks up all the mail. Do not think it is faster to send mail directly to the Malookhtinsky address. The missionaries do NOT come into the office every day. They don’t even always come in every week. The ones not serving in the city center only get here every few weeks, and sometimes only at transfer time. We do our best to get their mail delivered to them as circumstances permit.

So…   for the sake of simplicity, when sending things through the US Post Office,

USE ONLY THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS FOR PACKAGES AND LETTERS!

Russia St. Petersburg 190000

a/я 122              [this is like saying PO Box 122. The small A “a”  and the backwards R “я” are important]

CRO The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS in Russia

*Missionary name* [Do not include Elder of Sister]                  

Russia

_________________________________________

Notice that I put “Russia” again a line or two below the regular address. I now suggest doing this if your post office freaks out at the address because it is backwards from the way Americans do an address. Russians read the top line first, Americans read the bottom line first. If you stick Russia on the bottom, separate from the address, it should aid the American postal workers to get the package to Russia. Once here, the Russians understand the address perfectly.

Please send this address to all your family and friends who might want to send a package to your missionary. Tell them to throw out the other address. Your missionary will be very grateful!!

Thank you,