Post office Adventure!

Post office Visit by John, to Retrieve our Boxes, Shipped by Dear Friends in Washington! August 4

Parked at the post office down-town. Costs 50 Liberian dollars (70 cent) to park for an hour.
Went throughout the Ministry of Post and Communication, searching for our 5 boxes. Finally found the correct window, no thanks to any Ministry employees. Told them my name, and they found the first box - it was Cheryl M's box of donated youth soccer jerseys. They asked me "how did you know to come down here". I said" Cletus Toe told us they were here, and he goes to our church". They all know Cletus Toe so no more questions like that.
I then pulled out the donated, new reading glasses that were handed down and given to us (for the purpose of donating to people in need of magnification!), which I had carried along, and set them on the counter, with the intent of making some friends. The precedent for this was set by another American missionary couple who found they got attention and assistance with the "sharing" of free reading glasses. I offered the glasses to a few "seasoned" folks, who looked like they could use the help. People swarmed around me like ants after about 5 minutes!. Word spread like wildfire through the building that a crazy American was giving away "Free Reading glasses in the Postal Ministry Lobby". Postal workers, cleaning people, security staff - anyone and everyone were mobbing the scene, grabbing them and wanting to try them on. People ran down the hall to get at them, others ran from upstairs. All of them were yelling and hollering because they were excited about the prospect of something free. One guy grabbed a purple pair and ran off with them.
An elderly cleaning lady came by, got some glasses, and many minutes later was wearing her new reading glasses which still had the tag and sticker on it which obscured the view out of one lens. 30 or 40 pairs of reading glasses - all colors, styles, magnifications - gone like dust in the wind! At this point, a helpful window manager went upstairs and grabbed 4 more boxes that had been stowed away, so now there was a total of 5 boxes.

So now at this point, John thinks he has smoothed the way to just walk out of the Post Office with the 5 boxes of donated goods ( Materiel for the nurses in the NICU donated by TGH nurses and things like breast pumps which don't exist for most Liberian mothers; Soccer jerseys for the neighborhood team; toys donated for the orphanages; OK and a few treats for Dr Golden and his kids!) All donations for Liberian children, babies, mothers!! But Nooooooo - now the customs lady officer comes up and says "you must pay $30 dollars for these packages" Well I did not want to pay one Liberian dollar for these donated goods! And only later did I contemplate the notion that she had a grudge against me because she did not get any reading glasses! So now I go into negotiating mode! (Serious side point - while in Tanzania recently, a shop-owner asked me if I was an attorney, HA! He said I was a clever negotiator, because I fought him tooth and nail on every price he offered on our items. And I did get him way down on prices for all items!).

Carefully, slowly, and clearly I explained to her, and many interested Postal Worker bystanders wearing reading glasses, that the box contents were all donated items intended for the children of Liberia. She told us we had to fill out duty free forms to get them for free. I would thus have to go to another Ministry, the Finance Ministry and get Duty Free forms for the donated goods. I told her I did not want to do this - I challenged her to show me her duty tables, calculations, fees, math etc., so I would know this was "official" She does the calculating; I plead with another customs official to just let us walk with our packages - he declines, and the first lady now informs me "you owe 59 dollars for the duty on these items". Again I tell her I don't want to pay a thing for these boxes; she calls her supervisor on the phone, and after that call helpfully tells me I can get off free If I will go get the duty free forms at the other Ministry (I just want my boxes!! I have made a trip downtown, got to the Postal Ministry before they closed, and would have to make another special trip the next day to two Ministries - just to claim my 5 boxes).
Again I make the point, " No way! I'm not paying anything, because the people sending them have spent enough". Now to be forthcoming - I did check my pockets prior to this, fearing I may lose this match. I only had a $20 bill and told my Customs adversary, " all I have anyway is a 20 dollar bill". Customs Lady walks away at this point - she does not seem interested in my dilemma any longer.

Different plan. I asked some of the postal workers, feeling like they were my friends, "what would happen if I just walked out with these boxes?". These two nice postal ladies said that they needed to have a customs receipt, so I couldn't just leave. Lots of my newly found Postal Worker friends, wearing new reading glasses, are standing around witnessing all this. So I turn to each of them, now feeling quite put out - " alright, give me my glasses back! Hand them over - if this is the way I will be treated here, I want my glasses back right now!" They all proceed to laugh at me, at this point. I think they sense the drama in my approach.

To anyone who would listen at this point, including some customs officials, I say - "WE JUST HANDED OUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN GLASSES SO WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING!". I think I started getting somewhere at this point, as well as with the demand for my glasses back. My postal friends find their supervisor; OH YES! She is the one who grabbed TWO pairs of glasses - one for her, and one for her mother! Her staff are talking to her about something, she leaves in the direction of the customs counter. She returns a few minutes later, chuckling at all that has transpired. Her staff are now miffed at the customs lady - "we could lose our free glasses over this" is what I imagine they are saying. A few short minutes later, Customs Lady is back; she addresses me "I will take the 20 dollars now - this is your customs duty". I quickly wager this may be the standstill I need, that will prevent me from returning again the next day, and "what the heck, I am getting off for only 4 dollars per box!". So I hand over the tired 20 bill (most bills here are dirty, soiled, and used over and over) and get a receipt, showing that Indeed the calculated duty fee comes to exactly 20 dollars. I am satisfied, she seems well with it, and my postal friends who are heading for the door with their free glasses seem good with the deal and its finale.

So off we go, William my Liberian friend and running buddy, carrying our 5 boxes to the car. On the way, I say to him - "William, Liberia is crazy!"

Epilogue to my tale: when the packages are examined at home, it appears the pet rodent at the Postal Ministry got into one of the boxes and played with some of the contents, to our chagrin. Good old Liberia - always a surprise when you don't expect it. To all who contributed to these packages - many, many thanks. They will be put to wonderful use as noted above.