Back in the US of A

posted by Sharla

I was a bit delayed by the flu, but I'm back in the states. I was so sick on the night I was supposed to come back, that I couldn't fly. I left the next day, spent a day resting in New York, and now I've begun my trip back to Texas. My car has been up here since my trip this fall.

We are the process of developing our programs, which includes feeding our kids and getting them underwear. For most of them, the clothes that they have were donated, and people don't usually donate underwear. So we're working on that. We're also developing our curriculum and adding new components.

The coffee business is also in the developemental stage. We are able to purchase the coffee from a local farmer who will hire people in his town to help him harvest and roas the beans. We are paying him higher than market prices for the coffee so that he can pay fair wages to those who work on the farm. Normal pay isn't much more than about $2 a day, and we want to contribute to a cause that will provide a better source of income. Proceeds from the coffee will benefit our educational programs. Who wants some coffee? This is really good stuff, by the way.

Thanks for your prayers for my time in the DR! I now have a lot to do in the next few weeks and I'm excited to get back to Austin.