This month found us in a very remote area of Southwest Yunnan. We went to a little village where we’ve been before, with the objective of repairing a water spring we had tapped a couple of years ago.  We are trying to maximize the amount of drinkable water to the village so that there is enough water for them year around.It was a great time reuniting with the village and as always we feel at home with these old friends.  We had several of the village men working with us, even though many villagers were busy harvesting rice and wheat crops.

It was great to reconnect with these folks  and to see how our community development efforts have made such a difference. It is really their efforts that have made the biggest difference. They continue to make their village a better place for their children by encouraging them to be healthy and to get an education. The closest school is about 4 KM away, but the kids gladly make the daily hike.

Over the last three years we have helped to provide clean accessible drinking water, provide basic health care training and assist with development strategies for the village. Our goals for the near future are to continue giving nutritional training to young mothers and children. We also are hoping to begin some micro enterprise opportunities for the village in order to help raise their income to a more reasonable level.

Your friends at: Hani Coffee Co.

Hello,

I’m writing to update you about my internship in south China.  It’s been quite an adventure thus far.  I’ve had several unique experiences with the different food, culture, and people.  Most, if not all of them, have been very humorous experiences.  I’m a bit strapped for time so I’ll save the details for when I get back.

I am already halfway finished with my trip, and I have taken water samples in 37 villages so far.  From this point on, I’ll mainly be focused on designing future water infrastructure for a few of the villages in need.  The area where I’m staying is extremely beautiful, and I hope to be able to show you some of the photos that I’ve taken along the way.

Overall, its been a great experience.  The people are more than generous and extremely friendly.  They are a people rich in culture and customs; however, there is a very large western influence finding its way into Chinese life.  The food is a bit strange, in my opinion, but that was expected.  My diet has been radically changed from the typical male college student’s diet, but I can usually find a few dishes that remind me of home, at least in some ways.  I’ve even had several meals where I would’ve liked to get the recipe.  One thing is for sure, the Chinese people do not lack food or appetite in my experience - they feed you ’til you’re full and then feed you more.  Since I’ve been here, they have fed me 3 square meals a day and I’ve never left the table without being extremely full.

I’m having a great time, and my research is going well.  I’m also anxious to get back to Texas and see family and friends.  Thanks for all the prayers and support.  I hope things are going well on the homefront.  I’ll be talking with you soon.

-Calvin

Water to be sampled:

Collecting a sample:

Recording data:

And, some sweet local children: