01/06/2026
We want to share this simply to help clarify something: there are things we are responsible for, and there are things that are completely outside our control.
For example, all flights in and out of Amsterdam today were canceled due to severe weather. Some people are upset and expect the airline to “fix” the situation, as if the airline controls the weather. It doesn’t. No one controls Mother Nature.
The same applies to shipping. We recently sent a shipment to Tonga by sea, and the vessel experienced multiple delays. While we understand how disappointing delays can be, we don’t operate the vessel or control its schedule or the conditions it travels in. All we can do is stay in contact with the shipping company, wait for updates from the vessel, and share any new information as soon as it becomes available. We truly wish there were something more we could do to speed things up. We want this shipment to arrive just as much as everyone else does but unfortunately, it’s not something we have the ability to control.
We also import goods from Tonga. When the FDA which is a U.S. government agency that regulates and oversees many food products entering the United States places a hold on certain items, there is nothing we can do to speed up that process. It works similarly to immigration, where government agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection determine who and what is allowed to enter the country. We can’t interfere with their inspection, override their procedures, or make decisions on their behalf. All we can do is wait while they complete their review and decide whether the products will be released, refused entry, or required to be destroyed.
We know these situations can be frustrating, but they are not caused by a lack of effort. They are realities of weather, international shipping, and government regulation which are things that are simply beyond anyone’s control. Understanding that difference matters.
