One Day Older

(by Alan)

Life has been quite random recently. After three unsuccessful attempts to elect a new water committee in Catrigandi, the old president, Fredino, called a meeting, showed up early, renounced, and left promptly… definitely wise on his part given the prior difficulties he had in renouncing. By the time I arrived to the meeting to find out who were going to be the new committee members, about 40 community leaders had gathered, plotting in small groups. The meeting began rather informally but abruptly. I was nominated and voted in unanimously as president of the water committee and then given a chance to speak. I renounced the presidency, as gratefully as possible, and offered my support as a technician. The various offices of the committee were eventually accepted by several well-meaning, reluctant gentlemen, and we agreed to visit the Ministry of Health together to get our water project moving forward. The Ministry of Health claimed they could not see us, so I called their bluff and went unannounced with my trump card, Kalea. We are now BestFriendsForever with the secretaries, which is good, because all the higher positions will change the next time the government has elections.

Yesterday we found ourselves drinking overpriced coffee in a 5 star hotel lobby with a humble and world-renowned consultant in the international coffee industry, Andrew Hetzel, making conference calls to Hawaii. Because we´re now trying to help get an indigenous coffee cooperative off the ground, and we need a person with Andrew´s exact skill set and team of professionals whom we had no idea even existed, it would seem ridiculously coincidental that Andrew was one of six brave pupils in the community center Spanish classes I taught back in Hawaii. But we know there are no coincidences. Thank you Andrew for taking time to come see us and believing in what we´re doing… and for putting up with my inept, rambling attempts at teaching.

rubber ducky, you´re the one

And last but not least, today is a big milestone for baby Kalea as she turns the big 01. She has surprised us with her first steps and continues to speak to neighbors and strangers alike in a language no one understands but everyone enjoys. We thank God for her health and pray for wisdom in our responsibility as parents.

what mess?

I want you!