We'll be Blogging for a While

Our time in China is growing short, and we have had a whirlwind of experiences. We worked all day yesterday (Tuesday) preparing a presentation for the Shanghai Club. Frank did the heavy lifting of preparing the overall format for the PowerPoint, and he led the section on the water project. I started the presentation with an overview of why we want to complete the first project, and introducing the villagers. Frank talked about the specifics of the water project

Our greeting at the Sun Mountain water site, the new source of water for the region. The middle photo shows the reservoir, which is still filling with water diverted from the yellow river. On the right is the filtration plant. The water from here will be piped to a location in the village; our project picks up from there, to distribute water to each household. The farmers will dig all of the trenches by hand to distribute water throughout the village and to their homes.

Helen followed that with a review of the clinics, and Mel wrapped it up with his perspective on the schools, and other partners we can turn to for help in making the lives of the people here better. The club received us warmly, and we hope to make this project the first of many.

We'll all be blogging for a while, long after we get back. We experienced so much in such a short time, and have had so little free time to process it all, that we will all need the outlet of this forum to relive the experience, and create a record to share with others.

I will attempt, through my future postings, to adequately convey my experiences in such a way that you will feel as though you were on this journey with us. My friends Helen, Mel and Frank have been extraordinary travel companions. We have had no conflict, no personal issues to deal with, no disagreement. Each of us has been accomodating to the needs of the others, and we have grown together into a team dedicated to our projects, and to each other. We compliment each other, tease each, console each other, all when approriate. We also complement each other, in that each of us brings a different perspective, back ground and goals; they all just seem to meld together as we work. I hope that as you read our postings, you'll feel connected with us as well.

As I close this message, I'll leave you images of a few of the reasons we are doing this. Click on each one to get a better view. Please note that the first one is a video! Enjoy!