Many have asked Beacon Light Ministries how we get supply items from here in the United States to the missionaries in Haiti. We wanted to inform you of the process, some items of caution, and where we might need your help.

BLM basically uses two carriers to get items to Haiti. Our primary source of transporting of goods is MFI - Missionary Flights International. Visit their web site at www.missionaryflights.org. This is a group of non-denominational Christians dedicated to the exclusive non-profit ministry of providing passenger and cargo flights to Haiti and to a lesser degree, the Dominican Republic or other poor Caribbean countries. Most of the employees of this organization are either voluntary or have raised sponsorship monies from various churches and other organizations to support their salaries. Any expenses charged by MFI generally cover only the operational non-salary expenses associated with the company, such as aircraft cost, fuel cost, warehouse and office facilities, etc.

We plan to do a more in-depth article of MFI's service in the future. Please be aware that the people we work with at MFI are tremendously generous with their time and love for our mission. They play an incredibly valuable role in our efforts; they are another part of the honor we have in being associated with such giving people.

Any item we "air-freight" to Haiti via MFI currently costs the shipper $1.00 per pound of cargo sent (subject to increase by MFI as needed). This does not include the custom charges that are incurred on the Haiti side. As a general rule, you could expect the customs agents in Haiti to charge approximately 15%-20% of the value of the item. On the lower side (15%) if the items are used or small; on the higher side (20%+) if the items are new, larger, or "appear" expensive. These Haitian customs charges vary greatly depending on the relationship between the customs agents and the missionaries. It some cases, there's no charge. If the agents are having a bad day, the missionary receiving the goods could be hit with very high charges. There's no formula or guide. It's purely based on the whim of the customs agent. Part of the Haiti culture.

If shipping to our team members via MFI, BLM is billed for and initially pays the charges associated with the items shipped. However, BLM IS EXPECTING/REQUIRES the shipper to reimburse BLM for the freight expense associated with the shipment unless a previous arrangement with a BLM Florida volunteer has been previously worked out. As an example, if you're sending a package via MFI to any of the missionaries we sponsor and the approximate weight is ten (10) pounds, we would want you to send a check for $10.00 ($1.00 per pound) to BLM via our address. We would also encourage an additional check to the missionaries of approximately 15% to cover customs charges. In some cases, some shippers have chosen to send the shipping expense monies directly to the missionaries, which is generally fine, although that also means they (the missionaries) in turn have to send a check back from Haiti to BLM in Florida. It would likely be simpler to send directly to BLM, with a note in the shipment box that shipping expenses were sent directly to BLM. Along with shipping payment, the following identification is necessary for our records:

1. Intended recipient.
2. General description of the items.
3. The date the items were sent.
4. Who they were sent from.
5. When they were sent.
6. Special instructions or notes related to the shipment.

The exception in shipping costs is letters and correspondence of less than ½ a pound. MFI offers letter carry service to and from the Haiti missionaries free of charge. The only expense is the U.S. postal charges incurred when the letter is mailed. Anyone wishing to correspond (which we highly encourage) with our teams can send letters via the addresses provided below, and the missionaries will receive them. As you can imagine, letters, cards, and very small items are special treats of encouragement.

Shipments/mail service to Port au Prince only occurs on Thursdays. Shipments to Cap Haitien occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but generally are only received by the Cap Haitien missionaries on Thursdays. Please communicate with any missionary you're sending items to so they can expect and be looking for the item(s).

CASCO stands for Caribbean Atlantic Shipping Company. It's a "for-profit" shipping company that is located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The vehicles of transportation are ocean-going ships. The company came highly recommended, and we have used them for about 1 year and have been very pleased.

In general, CASCO ships based on size of shipment (i.e. volume), NOT WEIGHT. So, for heavier, non-perishable items, we try to use CASCO. The disadvantage is their location, approximately 1-½ hours from BLM's base and they only ship on average of once per 3-4 weeks. They do not have a Christian affiliation, but do offer a discount to our groups supporting the missionaries.

Cargo can be sent directly to CASCO, but payment and cargo descriptions must be coordinated. Shipping cost has historically been $8.00 per cubic foot going to Port au Prince and $6.00 per cubic foot going to Cap Haitien. This charge includes all customs fees.

We've shipped automobile engines, transmissions, dense food items, paint products, dense furniture items (RTA furniture), etc. - All without major incident. Where minor issues were incurred, they were corrected as timely as possible.

If you have an interest, questions, or need our assistance in using CASCO, please contact BLM.

How secure/safe is shipment via MFI or CASCO?

In general, very secure. We have used both of them to ship many, many items. Some items with extremely high values. We have never had an incident of the items being lost or misplaced long term. Yes, like the U.S. postal service, minor misdirection does occur on occasion, but overall MFI provides excellent service. It's impossible to describe how important the factor of security and trustworthiness is when it comes to shipping items to Haiti. As a country of tremendous corruption, both shippers are very valuable partners in our ministry.

How do you decide when to use MFI or CASCO?

CASCO is slow and generally less expensive for dense/heavy items. Since CASCO charges based on cubic feet and not weight, we ship very densely packed, non-perishable, non-critical items via CASCO. Examples would include heavy food items (canned goods, apples, etc.), engine motors, engine transmissions, pressure washers, paint, books, plywood, pipe benders, unassembled cabinets, unassembled furniture (i.e. desks); etc.

We use MFI to ship items that must arrive quickly or take up large space, but minimal weight. Examples would include: frozen or perishable food items (frozen meats, vegetables, fresh perishable fruit - grapes, etc.), potato chips; cold cereals, etc. (Items we take for granted but are received as an incredible blessings by our missionaries - largely unavailable or very poor quality in Haiti); assembled furniture and storage devices; computers; emergency car parts; U.S. currency - only in extremely rare cases; etc.

What if we don't have the money to cover the shipping expense but still want to send the items?

BLM has on many occasioned received and shipped items on behalf of the missionaries, at no expense to the shipper or receiver. However, our request is that you work with BLM and the intended recipient prior to shipment and allow us to coach you on the value of the shipment versus the cost of the shipment. We've never declined a shipment, but we also reserve the option to do so.