Photos of My House in Madagascar

Here are some photos of my house. It has banana trees and mango trees in the yard. Yum! The outhouse and building for my bucket showers is in the back. My house does not have running water, so I have pay someone to carry water to my house several times a week. The water is stored in a big barrel. I have to chlorinate some of the water, boil some of it, and then mix the two together before using any water at all. It is a routine that I have gotten used to now.

The photos of the inside of my house were taken when I visited my site in August. I was still in training then so that's why the house looks a bit empty. I sleep underneath the mosquito net that hangs from the ceiling above my bed. The malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite only at night.

So...now you know what my "Home Sweet Home" looks like. Want to come for a visit?

School in Madagascar

Here are some photos of my school. Students are required to pay to go to school. They have to buy notebooks, too. They must wear uniforms which their mothers make for them. There are no teaching supplies or textbooks to use in the classroom. Some students travel a long distance to attend the high school, so they have to live with relatives in town during the week while they go to school.

The students in these photos have become pen pals with my Mom's students in West Virginia. They are very excited about corresponding with them in English. They recently received our first letters so hopefully their letters will be reaching us by January. We are all hoping to learn from this international "World Wise Schools" project.

Photos of Ifanadiana

My house sits up on a hill behind the market in Ifanadiana. On the left (far side of the street) is what a typical general store looks like. The metal roof on the right covers the home to the butchers, vegetable sellers, etc.

Ifanadiana is a Great Place to Live

Greetings from Madagascar!

My mother has been updating my blog for me, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to write for myself for a change. I'm rather sick with Lord knows what, probably some sort of microbe; thus, I'm staying in the Regional Capital, Fianarantsoa, for a few days until I recover.

So…. Life in Madagascar- where even to begin?!? I officially became a volunteer on August 28^th and moved to Ifanadiana, my site and permanent home for the next two years, on September 1^st, 2007. Ifanadiana is a great little city, the perfect size for me. It has between 8,000 and 10,000 people. However, only a couple thousand live in the actual town, which gives it that quaint, small-town feel. Many people live in the countryside and walk several kilometers to get to Ifanadiana for market days, etc. Ifanadiana is nestled in some small hills. The climate is best described as a temperate rainforest. Thus, there are tons of interesting trees, a little river/stream that runs through town, and beautiful flowers. There's also one paved road, the Route Nationale 25, which runs through the center of town. Subsequently, all of the stores, buildings, and the market line this road. You can walk the whole main street in a matter of minutes, which is nice, because I've really had the opportunity to meet people.

As you walk the main street, you'll find a small post office that receives only letters every Tuesday, several small stores that sell a variety of things from buckets and brooms to eggs and candy, some small restaurants (called 'hotely' in Malagasy) that typically serve one-two dishes a day, the central market place full of stands selling fresh vegetables and beans, and some butchers. There are three bigger 'general store'-esque places in town, where I can purchase cheese (Laughing Cow…), yogurt, pasta, etc. They are sort of your all-purpose type places. The families that run these stores are extremely nice and have been quite helpful to me thus far. There's also two little computer places, where I can type documents, a store that sells radios and other electronic gadgets, and a few churches (the three main ones being a Catholic, Protestant, and Seventh-Day Adventist Church). There are two private schools affiliated with the Catholic and Protestant Churches, a public elementary school (called E.P.P), a middle school (C.E.G) and a high school (lycee) in town as well.

Everyday there are people lining the streets selling food at little stands or on the ground. Right now there isn't a lot to eat, because it's spring and things simply are not ripe yet. Thus, you can purchase tomatoes, spinach, a strange crushed leaf called Rav-toto, beans, onions, garlic, peppers, green beans, etc. There are some bananas, but other than that fruit is pretty sparse at the moment. In December and January, my town is apparently flooded with fruit, which will be really exciting. The fruit I have had thus far is absolutely amazing. We, as Americans, have never tasted such amazing fruit! In December, the market will come alive with jackfruits, mangoes, leeches, papayas, oranges, and the list continues! I have a feeling that I will be eating a TON of fruit salad! Every Thursday is market day in my town. It is an exciting day, because people come from other towns to attend; the streets are bursting with people; and there are usually tons of interesting things for sale. People set up stands that sell used clothing (called Frip); a woman sells shoes, you can buy cloth, pots, dishes, etc. Plus, there's usually an ample supply of foods for sale as well. Most of the clothes are extremely outdated, but it's a lot of fun to search through them for interesting finds or good laughs!

My house: I have my own cute little house that sits up on a hill above the market place. It's made of cement and attached to a town meeting room and a center for Sports et Jeuneuse, where three young guys around my age live. My house is basically one big room with two windows. A previous volunteer built a divider wall made of 4X4s and a tarp to separate the bedroom from the kitchen. Now, when I say kitchen, I really mean a gas camping stove and a huge bucket filled with water! I have a lovely kitchen table with four chairs, a set of shelves for food and dishes, a double bed, dresser, and desk! I DO have electricity, which is really exciting, but I do not have running water. Thus, I have a large garbage can in my kitchen that I pay someone to fill with water three times a week. There are public water pumps in my town, but they only work from 7-10am. Thus, as you can imagine, there are usually several women and children waiting with their buckets. Outside of my house, I have a little cement front porch area, a shower stall for my bucket baths, and an outhouse (kabonet in Malagasy). I have a little fenced yard that's home to some nice trees that keep my house shaded and cool. My house is located near the Bureau de District (sort of like the Town Hall…), a few other houses, and an empty stadium-like spot that's used for town events. It's never quiet, because the neighbor kids love to come over and play. I've slowly been collecting toys for them to use. They're really great about playing with the toys and then cleaning up and returning them when they're finished. I've taught them to wash their hands when they're finished as well. I taught them how to play "War" with cards, and they play for hours. I also have some sidewalk chalk, a pack of crayons, and a Frisbee, that they absolutely love. If you wish to send anything, games or children's toys would be great! My "best friend" is a little girl that comes over daily. (I should probably mention that she is six-years-old!) She comes over just to talk, helps me cook, listens to music, etc. Although she's young, I can tell that she's really smart, because she recognizes that I do not always understand Malagasy. Thus, she's great about rewording things for me.

Teaching: I teach 15 hours a week at both the C.E.G. (middle school) and lycee (high school). My two schools are located in opposite directions, about a 15 minute walk to each. It's nice to walk there, because I usually see several of my students along the way. I teach 5eme (sort of like 7^th grade) and 2nde (like 10^th or 11^th grade). My middle school classes are pretty big, with approximately 50-55 students per class, whereas my lycee classes are very small, between 20-30 students. Teaching can be frustrating at times, but I do really enjoy it! There is definitely a different work ethnic here. Thus, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get the kids to do things, but slowly we're making progress. I have some really bright students, and all of them seem to enjoy class with the crazy, foreign teacher. I've been using a lot of gestures in class, dancing, singing, etc. From what I can tell thus far, and I definitely do not want to generalize, the Malagasy teachers have more of a lecture-style approach to teaching. Thus, when the student's crazy American teacher is standing on a table to make a point, the kids are extremely excited. I am also starting an adult class that will meet every Wednesday evening. The goal of this class is to help shop owners and other interested people learn English that they could possibly use—mainly business and tourism English. I'm also starting an English club in two weeks, with a few goals: 1) I want those students who are extremely passionate about learning English to have an extra opportunity to practice, 2) I want to gear the club towards different messages about diversity, cultural differences, etc. 3) I want to expose kids to pop culture and motivate them to learn about the outside world as a way to better appreciate their own culture! Hopefully it will be successful! The kids seem really excited about it.

So… other than that, life here in Madagascar is progressing. I cannot believe that I've already been here for four months! It's amazing how quickly time flies. Most of you know how difficult it was for me to decide what to do with my life post-college, and I really feel confident that I made the right decision for myself. I've learned so much about life and myself in the last four months. Plus, it's really refreshing to be reminded of what is really important in life. I think that we, as Americans, often get consumed in the material world. I am definitely guilty of wanting one too many pairs of designer jeans or the newest clothes. However, here, people are happy with the smallest things. The neighbor kids use my trash to build toys and one small piece of candy lights up a kid's face. Plus, people are able to find beauty in nature and the 'simple things' in life.

In closing, here are some funny anecdotes that do not fit into any part of my letter:

1) Three weeks ago, I met Madagascar's biggest pop-star! His name is Lola (feel free to Google him and download a song!) He came to my town for a propaganda concert! Since I was the only foreigner in the audience, I got to meet and chat with him after the show! It was a lot of fun!

2) I attended the above-mentioned concert with one of my closest friends at site. We were dancing like fools throughout the whole thing and just having a general good time. Little did I know that they were video taping the concert. That evening, they set up a HUGE drive-in movie-esque screen in town and replayed the footage of the concert. As I was watching with my friends, all of a sudden the screen was filled with an image of just ME dancing for a good four minutes! I could have died!!!

3) I was offered fried grasshoppers at a party I attended last week with the Ministre d'Environment for all of Madagascar. I guess it's a good source of protein.

4) I saw SIX lemurs last month in the rainforest!! It was extremely exciting!!

5) VAZAHA is the word for foreigner in Malagasy, and I hear this word daily… over and over and over again. It is usually coupled with some word talking about my size. It used to bother me to be called fat all the time, but I guess that I've sort of embraced who I am!

6) Every time you see someone in my town, you greet them as follows:

~Akoriaby (How's your health?)

~Tsara be fa misaotra (It's good, thanks.)

OR…. Salama (Hello)

7) I speak Malagasy every day, which is both exciting and exhausting. There are some days when I simply feel as though I cannot say another word. Then there are others when I could talk for others! My vocabulary is still extremely limited, but it is improving daily. I carry around a little notebook and write down every word I hear!

8) My closest friends are a girl who just graduated from high school last year. She's really smart and actually very good at English. We hang out a lot, and she's been really helpful with helping me figure out vocabulary. I also have a really close guy friend who comes over a few nights a week. We play cards or just chat.

9) I'm taking a Malagasy class at the local elementary school every Tuesday morning. It's with kids that are 8-9 years old! Hahaha…. It's interesting and about at my level of Malagasy.

Well… I hope that this paints at least a vague picture of what my life is like in Ifanadiana. Thank you so very much to everyone who has sent letters or packages. Letters are seriously one of the biggest treats ever! It really brightens my day to receive mail! If anyone is interested in sending packages (although letters are more than enough), here are a few things that I would like:

· Construction paper and craft supplies for my classes (I'd like to do some stuff at Christmas)

· Packs of tuna fish or chicken in those little bags

· Toys for the kids to play with at my house

· Note cards (the big ones to make flashcards)

· Christmas decorations

· M&Ms (peanut… a personal favorite! )

· Pictures of America to use in class

· Children's books.. (perhaps a Christmas book or two for my classes?!? They need to be a very EASY level!!)

· Pasta sauce packs

· Dried strawberries

· Magazines (The Economist, People, etc. I receive Newsweek from Peace Corps every month)

I hope life in the United States is going well! I've been trying to follow some of the news, but it's definitely a challenge! Please continue to write, and if anyone stumbles upon a large sum of money or wins the lottery, fly over and see me!

Lots of love,

Maribeth

A new experience for me!

Greetings!

So life here in Madagascar progresses slowly. Life has had its ups and downs, but I am happy to say that I am indeed surviving. It has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions. Some moments are over-the-moon fantastic, while others are pretty low. Yet, school starts Monday; so I'm sure things will start to pick up then. Plus, I'll need to work on lesson plans all weekend and prepare. Today is Thursday, and I decided to take a trip to nearby Ranomafana National Park. It's market day in my town and I decided that there were just too many people for me to handle. Thus, I paid one dollar, hopped on a taxi brousse, and here I am in Ranomafana. Ranomafana (or hot water, as it would translate in English) is a really touristy town. Thus, it has internet- gmail and google only, but hey, that's better than nothing. It also has some vazaha, or foreigner-like, restaurants, where I will have some lunch today. Plus, I'm going swimming in the hot baths.

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me. I've started to make friends. However, I should probably mention that they are all under the age of nine. Ahh well, you have to start somewhere, and the kids are kind, talk slowly, and always want to play. Sixteen small children and I sat on my porch for hours just playing cards. I taught them how to play war, and they loved it. In the afternoon I did some walking around town, tried to get my work schedule sorted out, bought some random items I needed, and had dinner at a local restaurant. The big news in town yesterday was that there was a crane (not the bird but the bulldozer thing) in town. Everyone was so excited to see it. For hours, people just stood around and watched the machine pick up rocks. I must admit that it was really nice to not be the center of attention for once! I'll let the crane take the floor anytime.

Hmmm.... not much else is new. Today the weather here is absolutely beautiful-- sunny skies, not a cloud in site-- perfect for swimming!!!! I'm really excited to be in Ranomafana, because they happen to have the best pineapples in the world!!! I'm defintely going to purchase a couple, maybe one for the neighbors, etc.

I hope everything is going well in the U.S. I'll be heading to Fianar, the big regional capitol, next Thursday or early Friday to bank, relax, and take a real shower. Also, I'm really excited, because I realized that I have a week of vacation at the end of October. Thus, I'm going to visit my friend Danielle, who lives north of Antananarivo on the largest lake in Madagascar. It should be a lot of fun!!!!

Well, have a great week everyone! I am so happy to have this experience here!!!!

Maribeth

phone conversation on August 13, 2007

This is a summary of our conversation with Maribeth on August 13, 2007.

--posted by Louise Black, Maribeth’s Mom

Hi! Things are going well, but every day is a bit overwhelming. Absolutely everything is new and different here!

Recently, I visited the village where I will be living for 2 years, beginning at the end of September. It took 2 days to get there. It is located in the temperate rainforest and yes!!! I DID see lemurs!! J The village is located about 10 miles from a national park, which should be great! It is located on a national route, so there are markets and shops along the road. It is a small, safe town. They have had other female PC volunteers so hopefully this fact will help with my adjustment to living there.

I will be living in a house with one long room. There is a make-shift divider constructed of wood and a tarp so that there are actually 2 rooms—a bedroom, and a living area. The bedroom has a huge dresser, a desk, and a big bed. I actually slept at my house one night which was nice. The kitchen will be furnished with a camping-type stove, lots of shelf space, a table with 4 chairs, and a big water filtration container. I will not have running water, so I will need to pay someone to carry water to my house a few times a week. The house has a front porch and is attached to a church and youth center. I’ll have my own shower room (for bucket showers) and my own outhouse. In the front yard are 2 banana trees and a mango tree. Yum!!

My teaching assignment will be teaching 3, 7^th grade classes (2^nd year English) and 2 or 3 10^th grade classes. I’m sure that it will be a challenge!

Once a month, I will travel to a bigger city to do my banking. There will be a Peace Corps building there where I can stay and see other Peace Corps volunteers. They will also have some “luxuries” for us to enjoy like hot showers.

The Malagasy language has very long words, but I seem to be doing fine in learning it. I have always loved languages, so I suppose that helps!

Last week, I attended an exhumation. They laid out all of the dead bodies. Some were 2 years old, while others had been dead for decades. Believe me…it was an intense experience.

On Tuesday, August 21, I will be leaving my homestay. I will spend about a week in TANA and will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps volunteer on August 28. On August 29-30, I will be moving to my own home. A Peace Corps representative will travel with me and inspect my home before I am left to live there on my own.

I know that living on my own is going to be a new challenge for me. I will be the only American living in the small town. I have made GREAT Peace Corps friends that will be scattered all over Madagascar. We are already planning to get together for holidays! Every 2 or 3 months we will meet back at the Peace Corps headquarters in TANA, so we will see each other then, too.

Thanks to all of you that have written to me! It means SO MUCH!! Please continue to write. I will still be able to receive your letters through the Peace Corps headquarters address that you have already been using. Mom can give you the updated address, too, if you want it. So far, I have written back to everyone whose letters I have received and I will continue to do so! I LOVE receiving mail!!

(Note from Maribeth’s MOM: If you want to send small padded envelopes, Maribeth would LOVE some hard candies & peanut M&M’s J )

Well, I guess that’s all the news for now. Take care and keep in touch! I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me to hear from you!

Love, Maribeth

An Update from my 7/21/07 phone call

Here is some information from today's phone conversation posted by Maribeth's Mom.

Hello again! Well, it has been 5 weeks since I arrived in Madagascar and I absolutely love it! It is definitely challenging, but wonderful, too. I have had lots of training and they are even going to give us cooking training soon! Oh...and I've had 11 shots so far. Ouch! They do take good care of us.

I have made some great friends! Even though we will soon be living in different towns throughout Madagascar, we will be able to get together every 3 months or so for Peace Corps gatherings.

I passed the first Malagasy language test a few weeks ago. I am now at the "intermediate low level". They want us to all be at the "intermediate high level" by the time we finish our training at the end of August.

Right now I have been teaching everyday for 2-3 hours. It is a lot of work but rewarding. I have been teaching different classes for young children up to adults. This will help me to be prepared for my 2 year assignment which will begin in September.

Thanks to all of those who have written letters! I just love reading what is going on in the states. I actually have received one of the packages that Mom sent--it was a pair of dress pants and a fleece shirt, so now I am warmer. :)

My assigned town will become my home at the beginning of September. I've been told that there are already some things in the house so I won't have to buy everything. :) I will be going there in a few weeks to see it. At the beginning of August, a representative from Ifanadiana will come to get me and take me back to the town. I think that I will be staying there for 4-5 days. It will be good to be able to see it before I actually move there at the end of August. I also think that I will be able to get a cell phone at the beginning of August. Won't that be great!!? Then perhaps some of you can call me. I would REALLY like that!

Well... take care. Bye for now!

Notes from my phone call home on 7/7/07

Here are some notes from our phone call with Maribeth on 7/7/07
(posted by Maribeth's Mom)

Student teaching starts on 7/9/07. Students can choose to come the "English camp". They are on vacation right now. I will be teaching 2-3 hours per day and will end up "trying out" every grade.

The food is OK, but I seem to get quite a few stomach aches. Nothing that I can't handle, though.

My family has been very patient with me. They have been instructed not to speak to me in French or English, so that I can hopefully learn Malagay more quickly. I get along will with my Malagasy brothers, ages 11 & 13.

Once in a while I will be able to check my email. So...if you wish to leave me an email message, please use maribeth.black@gmail.com. Thanks!

I have just received my Peace Corps assignment and will be living in Infanadiana beginning after August 28, 2007. Ifanadiana has a population of about 8500. It is located near the largest national park in Madagascar and has lots of lemurs. Ifanadiana is located about 1/2 hour from the ocean and is near the rainforest. I will be living in a 2-room house with a latrine. There is no running water, or even a well, so I will have to carry water from the town to my house. I will, however, have electricity, and a telephone. There have been 3 female Peace Corps volunteers teaching there before me. I will be teaching either middle school or high school.

I have made lots of friends here including a girl from Wisconsin and a guy from Arizona.

I would still LOVE to receive mail from everyone so...please write!! Thanks!

exerpts from my 6/22 & 6/26/07 letter

Here are some exerpts from Maribeth's letter dated 6/22 & 6/26/o7
(posted by Maribeth's Mom) The letter arrived in West Virginia in 12 days.

6/22/07 Greetings from the Red Isle! Well, I have officially survived my first week of Peace Corps boot camp (literally!) Life has definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions. Madagascar is unlike any country that I have seen before. There's so much to take in. It's been an exhausting yet life-changing week. We have training from 8 am until 5 pm daily. It's quite intense. I usually get up at 5:45 am to start preparing for the day. There's so much to do. We must make our beds and clean (sweep) our floors. Then, we get water from the well and heat it for my bucket bath in what we call the "ladoucy." After a quick buck bath, which is surprisingly refreshing (and the warmest I feel all day), I get dressed, eat a quick breakfast which usually consists of rice, bread, and Malagasy coffee, then head to school on a road filled with mud craters.

So...you know the whole stereotype about Africa being warm? HAH! What a joke! I've never been so cold and wet in my entire life! The Peace Corps downplayed the cold. Now, it wouldn't be so bad' however, there are 2 problems:
1- There is no heating anywhere!
2- It rains a lot and hard--almost everyday! Thus, my one sweatshirt becomes so damp that it fails to keep me warm.

So...I walk over 5 miles a day, which is great! However, between all the walking, the classes, the new language, culture, etc. I am exhausted by 8-9 pm. Most Malagasy people go to bed early for 2 reasons:
1- The electricity may not be working.
2 - They are too cold to do anything because there is no heat!

My classes are interesting. We have multiple hours of Malagasy a week, coupled with health classes, safety classes, courses on how to teach, cross-cultural classes, and the list goes on. We've learned about more diseases than I ever cared to discuss. I already received 6 or 14 shots!! including those for rabies, hepatitis A booster, yellow fever, and meningitis.

I've already made some great friends--Guy, who lives in Georgetown and just graduated from University of Michigan and Erin, who is from Illinois and went to college in Chicago. Erin and I walk home together because she lieves across the street from me.

6/26/07 Today is Independence Day for Madagascar. That means that last night there wer all sorts of parties. There was a parade, small fireworks, etc. I attended a small dinner party with Malagasy and American friends and then took to the streets. Today there was a parade and ceremony. It was pouring rain and the ceremony was outside. As the "American guests" we were asked to stand on the stage for the entire 3 hours! I needed windshield wipers for my glasses. :)

This weekend we are going to Tana, the capitol, for the night. It'll be nice to stay in a hotel and take a HOT bath/shower. In fact, I may take multiple baths!

Well...I hope that all is well in the states. Please write soon and please write often. I loved receiving mail!

Until next time! Bye!

Hello Again!

So.... no one was using the computer, so i thought that I'd say hi again! It's raining a bit, and I'm really wishing I'd opted to bring the fleece!!! :-( However, things are going so well. I received my rabies shot and Hep A booster this morning! OUCH!!! Then, I had an interview regarding my teaching abilities. I'll finish with an interview with the Peace Corps M-car director, Bill Bull. This morning we had pancakes and french bread to eat, complete with M-car coffee. I showered with a bucket and some warm H2o. My walk to school is just beautiful-- I live in the rice fields and thus must walk past everything-- the entire market.

Welp... it's lunch time (we're having tacos!)
Maribeth

I made it to Madagascar!!

Greetings from Madagascar!!!

I just wanted to send a quick message to let you know that you made it safely. :-) After what seemed like days of travelling, we arrived in Madagascar. The weather is actually quite chilly, which is nice, because I feel a lot cleaner (if that's possible). Our town is very interesting. Although they are used to seeing trainees, it was quite exciting to walk to the PC training center this morning. I live the farthest from the school (almost a 2 mile walk), which is really exciting, because I'll get a lot of excercise!! I have a large house and my own room. We have electricity but no running water. I have a host mum and two brothers, ages 15 and 12. This morning I took a bucket shower, which was suprisingly refreshing. It's definetely overwhelming, but in a really good way! I've already started learning some of the language but there's a TON to learn. :-)

So... about mail: PLEASE SEND ME SOME SOON!!!
My address: Maribeth Black, PCV
Peace Corps Madagascar
BP 12091- Post ZOOM Akorondrano- TANA 101- Madagascar

If you write "Jesus Saves" and draw some crosses, we'll have the best luck of me receiving things. I'll be sending some cartes postales soon!!!

Well... I better share the computer. This is going to be quite an experiece. I'm definetely excited/nervous, but having a great time!!! The people are sooooo kind and considerate! :-)

VELOMA!! (bye in Malagasy)
Maribeth

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

Greetings!

So... in attempts to keep the world updated on my Madagascar adventures, I've created this page. I am officially leaving for Madagascar in two short weeks! I cannot believe how quickly time flies. The last few weeks have been filled with parties and ‘good byes.’ Now I must focus on packing up my stuff and finishing tons of last minute odds and ends!

I’ll be in Washington, D.C. for two nights before flying to South Africa and finally Antananarivo, Madagascar on June 15-16. It should be quite an adventure! For the first three months, I’ll be training with approximately 30 other Peace Corps volunteers. We’ll have intense Malagasy language classes, learn TEFL teaching techniques, and more. During this time, we’ll also live with homestay families, which will be an excellent way to gain a greater understanding of Malagasy language and culture.

After my three months of training, I will be placed somewhere in Madagascar, where my adventure of assimilating into the community will officially begin! Although I am sure there will be days when I’ll feel lonely, I am really looking forward to immersing myself in a new culture, learning how to view the world from an innovative perspective.

So…..Where do you come in?! I WOULD LOVE MAIL and promise to respond to all those gracious enough to send me some love.

Below are some sending details:

My current address in Madagascar until September 2007:

Maribeth Black, PCV
Bureau du Corps de la Paix
B. P. 12091
Poste Zoom Ankorondrano
Antananarivo 101 Madagascar

Some mailing tips:
-Mail may take up to 3-4 weeks to arrive.
-Number your letters
-Red pen or other religious insignia may help expedite the delivery process.
-Write soon!! Write often!! Write TONS!!

I PROMISE to write back!!


Stay tuned for updates and photos!! Let the life adventure begin!