Thanksgiving 2009

Greetings:

It is interesting watching the perspective from the English News on Central Chinese TV-5 and the local newspapers.  I see President Obama wearing Traditional Chinese Garb and bowing to retired Asian Leaders.  There is also a good discussion on who has the correct definition of Capitalism. The USA Team says the Chinese system is not a purely Capitalist for the currency does not float.  The China Team counters with, "We have Capitalism with tighter Government Control." It seems, the USA is growing closer to the Chinese and the Chinese is growing closer to the USA! Regardless of the direction, it is all in very big Government and Corporation control.

Losing the Iron Rice Bowl:  With Capitalism gaining steam here in China, it is means losing the Iron Rice Bowl, the stalwart rule of the early Chinese Liberation in the 1950's.  The Iron Rice Bowl meant that everyone would be taken care of from "Cradle to Grave."  Although, it may not have been much, it was something and it was secure.  Now, or it has been occurring over the past 10-15 years or so, the Iron Rice Bowl is being dismantling for Free Enterprise, which is good if you are the Upper Manager, but the for the average worker it is very insecure.  Many are very nervous about their future and we know this all too well as our good friend Fred, the one who helps me with the taxes and company renewal is feeling this with his company.  He is a Quality Control Inspector at a State Run Cable Factory and they are now in the process of privatizing. It will help the company become more efficient but many people will be losing jobs and their lifetime pensions in the process.

Visitors: We were glad to have some visitors here to Kunming. Pete and Shirleen from Florida come most every year for a day or 2.  We get together for some meals and then a Holy One! This time Pete prayed for healing for Elaine and our friend Xiao Li.  Xiao Li has a problem with her ears and no one seems to figure out the problem.  She has no money to get the proper care. She is almost 40 and she has been working with us for 10 years.

Another couple, the Lam's came to Kunming to pick up their lovely new adopted Daughter.  It nice to meet with them and see them at the start of a new adventure in their lives.

Coffee Update: Floating Towards Boston: On October 22, 528 pounds of Raw Coffee Beans was packed and wrapped for shipment.  I was told last week it is now on a ship heading to Boston. It should arrive sometime around Christmas!

Also, our friends Peter and Du are planning a trip to Coffee country in the next few weeks.  Peter is an excellent photographer, so he should come back with some good photos.  The Coffee area is also where many Dai live and it is an area that has not been given much or any attention by Christians. A decent portion of the Coffee Bean farmers are Dai!

Organic Rice: Sometime this week I will pick up a 2 pound package of Organic Rice.  It comes from Dai farmers in the Western Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.  This area is know for this particular type of Rice, so we will see if it is any good.  It is supposed to officially stamped with the "Organic" label, but we will see.

Unplanned Expense:  Peter and Du asked me to join them in their trip to Coffee Land, but we were surprised by the USA Consulate that our whole family is required to be present, with photos, when verifying that our children, Clara and Colman are truly ours.  They need new Passports and apparently the new rules require both parents to be present. So, there is an unplanned expense!  I am sure they will take one look at us and think, "Wow, we just wasted their money!"

I am also in the throes of the Company Renewal, so traveling to Coffee Land would not be easy.  Fortunately I have Fred, my Pit bull, working with this. It will save some money if he does it.  Upon successful completion, I hope to resign from the usual company that has done this.  This will save $70-75/month!
 
Western Dai Update & Requests: We have been able to meet with Mr. M a couple of times this past month.  The latest was today. It is amazing what is happening in his area!  In March 2008, I visited him with Don Engstrom and Colman.  We met and prayed with a group of about 20 Dai who were reaching out to their own people.  Since then, around 30-40 families or around 100 Dai have become members of the Church.

Elaine and I hope to visit Mr. M and these new Dai believers this Spring.

Mr. M also is hoping to purchase a $6000 Van to help with this on-going work.  It would make everything easier.  Currently, they use bus, tractor, feet or anything that can get them to the villages and back.

Another request is $3000 for Rice Money for the School.  The new semester starts in early January.  There will be around 250-270 mouths to feed.

Request Visitation People:  Everyone here hopes that there will be some who will want to come here and do Visitation with Mr. M, the Dai and others here in Yunnan.  Below are some pricing for flights. These are based on current pricing and can change!:

Beijing (Great Wall)-Xi' An (Terracotta Soldiers)-Kunming-Beijing   $654/person

Beijing-Xi'an-Kunming-Guangzhou   $566

Inside Yunnan the cost will range from $240~$300 for round trip flights depending on where one flies to.

Food can be very inexpensive, especially if eating local. Western food can also be affordable. It just depends on the ambiance one wants.

Hotels:  Outside of major cites the price ranges from $15-25/night for a nice clean place with hot water.  A 5-star hotel in Kunming will be around $80.

The main cost is airfare.

If interested contact Don Engstrom.


Family News

English Club:  Elaine and I have particularly enjoyed the last 2 English Clubs. The topic has been Old Kunming vs. New Kunming. It is incredible how much Old Kunming has virtually disappeared since our arrival in 1999. There is just little pockets that are left and the expansion has been incredible.

As always, there are 2 views on this and the sides are very clear.  Those not from Kunming see the "progress" as good since Kunming People are lazy and backward and need to improve.  Local Kunmingers say, "We are not lazy, just laid back! We also liked our dear little old city and it is sad it will never return and there has been no concern to preserve the history."  It was a good and lively discussion.

This past Saturday, we went around to some of these remaining historical spots.  Elaine and I and this time Clara, learned a lot.  We were introduced to some famous Kunmingers and buildings and history we never knew and could only know by walking around talking with these young professionals. We also got into other conversations regarding China/USA economics, culture and other things generally interesting.

Clara's Studies:  Clara has been studying the Transcendentalists in English and early Muslim History in World History.  It has been fun reading Emerson, Thoreau and Wordsworth with her.  Not so much for her for she asked dad to get involved and then had to tell him to step back.  Dad's can get excited sometimes.  She nailed her essay on the early history of Islam from Muhammad and the first 4 Caliphs.  She is a good researcher and writer.

Boy Scouts:  Colman is still very keen on the Scouts.  He had another 2 Day camp out this past weekend.  He has got some important Merit Badges lined up so he can get to the next level.  He is hoping to get his Eagle in the next couple of years.  He passed his First Aid test and now is working on his Camping, Environmental Science and Physical Fitness Badges.

If you anyone is interested Boy Scout Popcorn ( it makes good Christmas gifts) please let me know and I will forward the instructions! Colman will also make some on it for his Scout needs.

General Wish List:

1. We ask that we will be able to smoothly pay our Full Year's Rent in January.
2. The Company  Renewal and Visa Extensions will go well and everything completed in good time.
3. We will be able to visit Mr. M and our new Dai friends in the Spring of 2010.
4. Have the finances to return to the USA next summer.
5. Be with the school and and the Dai workers as they continue to grow in all ways!
6. Coffee Sales for this goes toward projects. Tea and hopefully Organic Rice will be added to this.

That is all!

Doug, Elaine, Clara and Colman Culver

September 27, 2009

Greetings:

As I write this, firecrackers mixed with some louder BOOMS, have been going non-stop for about 15 minutes.  It is just a warm-up for the REAL THING this Thursday! Of course, it could be new building or business opening up. It is common to get a flurry of firecrackers before auspicious openings.  In the old Chinese Worldview, which is still alive and well in many parts, the noise of the firecrackers drives the demons away and clears the way for peaceful home and successful business.

Anyway, life is definitely in full swing mode!  Colman had his first Boy Scout Campout combined with his first 10 mile hike. To say the least, he was 'Potato" on the couch yesterday afternoon! Elaine had a 3 day retreat with about 100 other woman at a Nearby Spa the previous weekend. More on this later!  The weekend before we spent the day at the 'English Club' and then eating out. Good fun! Interspersed with all this was a flurry of meetings with some old friends.

Outside the Singaporean Box: Around 2005, we met Larry from Singapore. It was his first visit to the Homeland and he came seeking how he could move Yunnan. He traveled around and asked many questions.  About a year later he returned with a friend of his. We got together and discussed how one could start business along with the advantages and disadvantages of doing this. Well, for about 2 years, I wondered where was Larry? I asked our mutual Singaporean and Malaysian friends and they told, "They were not certain, but they heard he was teaching at an International School in Shanghai." All of us, scratched our heads and thought, "Why Shanghai if he wanted to work in Yunnan? It does not make any sense!" It appeared he was abandoning ship!

Well, I had a good 3 hour chat with him last week and discovered how easily our judgements are wrong. Even himself admitted that the move to Shanghai was strange, but the International School position was the only one he could find and he and his wife had a strong complusion of "Go, do not delay prompting from a power larger than themselves." So, they went despite the zaniness of it all. Now, almost 2 years later, he has got an extremely interesting sevice to the poor in the Yunnan Mountains that is primarily supported and participated by young wealthy overseas Chinese living in Shanghai. They are building a community bathroom and a new school with other projects and scholarships on the horizon. It is a situation way beyond his wildest imagination. The move to Shanghai was 'way outside the box' for him.  His family packed and left Singapore with no idea what would happen. They are simply following in the wake of One who is paving the way in front of them.

English Club Update:  It is always interesting to participate in the English Club. There is always something new to learn about China, Yunnan and their perceptions of Westeners.  For instance, I first heard about the 8 flavors of China, when I asked a Chinese friend what the meaning of a certain local restaraunt sign.  He reply with, "This place offers the 8 flavors of China."  Translation, a Diner with a large menu with all types of Chinese food with flavors from all over China.  The spicey Hunan, Sichuan (Szechuan in the USA), the sweet and salty Southern, the hearty Northeast and on.

The most interesting discussions I had, however, were the 'Lost in Translation' stories that are universal. We often discuss our experiences traveling to foreign countries or even within our own and everything gets confused. One woman, who works for a Dutch Company has been to Holland on several occasions and shares her craving for Chinese Food after 3 days of Cheese and Bread only to get bad version of Chinese. She said, "It was terrible and tasty at the same time!" Another woman went to Australia dressed to the hilt to impress her hosts but ended up walking for 2 hours because she could not find a taxi.  She also had a craving for authentic Chinese food, so she and her colleagues, whom she finally met up with, would catch wild rabbits and make a stew! On and on we would go! See, culture shocks are for everyone, especially when it comes to food!

Lacy Time:  Some friends of ours, who are from Maine and we have known since the late 90's and have been working and serving in a nearby province, came to Kunming.  She came to attend the Retreat and he came to explore some business possibilites. We ate a place called the Silver Spoon.  A place in Kunming that probably serves the best Western Style Sandwiches, Shakes and Burgers. We would definitely take you there, if after 3 days of Chinese Food, you just need a Burger! Well, the Lacy's, just needed a Burger or at least, Gobs of Cheese topped with a Chocolate Shake. Other than the delicious high-fat food, we had great time catching up and exploring business opportunities. The time went by quickly and suddenly we had to part!

Spa Time:  Well. it was at a Spa that I was able to go to a woman's retreat with over 100 women from around the nearby provinces. I knew about 20 and got to know several others along with most of the speakers and helpers from Arkansas. I haven't been to do anything like this in all the time I have been in China. I really had no expectations of what was going to happen. What did happen was very thought provoking and encouraging. The women were from all over the world and varied in ages from teens to 70's. Backgrounds were varied as well, but we all felt unified in the Lord. I found the time relaxing and came back very positive and peaceful. I was able to reknew some old friendships, and deepen others.  I am looking forward to going again the next time there is one.

Mid-Autumn (Mooncake) Festival: Aside from the big 60th National Day Celebration, there is also the Mid-autumn festival. It falls on the full moon on October 3rd.  It is more appropriately called the 'Mooncake' Festival for it is a time to celebrate one of China's oldest traditions. It is over 3,000 years old. If you want to know more about this the following site is very helpful  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

As for us here, we stay away from eating the Mooncakes, on account they are not very tasty, although we did join with our friends at the Chinese Language School for a meal and play.

 

 

Boyscout Popcorn Ordering:  Please think of ordering popcorn for the Boyscouts!!  It definitely helps with the trips and supplies.

1. Go to www.orderpopcorn.com
2. Enter my order key  TEWJH7C
3. You should then see Coleman C.   I know it is spelled incorrectly, but most people think of Coleman Stoves and not Colman Mustard!!
4. Start Shopping!


Thanks for thinking of us!

Doug, Elaine, Clara and Colman Culver

September 8, 2009

Pre-60 Year Chinese Liberation Extravaganza


Greetings:

As Labor Day passes in the USA and the End of Summer Fun concludes and School revs up, the Chinese are all focused on October 1, the 60th Celebration of the Liberation!  Naturally, the powers-to-be want everything to go smoothly, so there is a lot of work to maintain the 'Peace.'  This can be seen in what is happening in the West and much closer home here in Kunming.

Some of you may have heard of the Kokang Refugee crisis.  About 37,000 Kokang, Han Chinese who fled the Ming Dynasty in the 1600's and just kept going into Burma, well, now the Burmese Military Junta is driving them back into Yunnan, China. The Junta is concerned about creating a 'peaceful' atmosphere for next year's elections, which they will invariably win, but this 'consolidation' will ensure no 'ugly' heads will rear up at the last moment.

These Kokang are in the middle of Junta 'consolidation' and Chinese 'maintaining the peace.' Apparently, things are starting to calm down, which means someone was successful. Anyway, having traveled to this area and personally knowing people who have relatives in this area, has made everything more personal. So, we do think of these people and those, including ourselves that are affected by this.

More Info can found on the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokang

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16723

http://www..irrawaddy.org/multimedia2.php?art_id=441

All place names that start with Meng signifies a Dai Speaking township.

Facebook:  In the past month, several people have been asking about getting connected with our Facebook.  Well, this site has been blocked for a few months and probably will continue to be so until after the week long 60 year celebration. The celebration and the difficulties in the Western China and here in Yunnan also add to the situation. There are other sites that are blocked or cannot be downloaded. Fortunately, it has not affected the School connection, which happened in March 2008, when the Tibetan Area was in an uproar! Yunnan borders Tibet, so things can get a little exciting at times.

Singaporean Bathroom:  About a month ago, we were watching a TV special on Singapore. Interestingly, about 15 minutes of the program focused on the Bathrooms of Singapore.  According to the show, Singaporeans like their Bathrooms nicely painted and at times just plain fun!  Well, a couple of days later, I was talking with a Malaysian friend of ours, who is doing some relational and physical development in the Dai-Jingpo Autonmous region, told me how he got our mutual Singaporean colleague to bring in an Architect with the purpose of building, what else, a bathroom!  It is what the village needed and they had skill and the money to make it happen!!

Please keep these Malaysian and Singaporean folks in mind. They are very creative and aggressive, but wise enough not to push things too far too fast.  They are doing excellent work!

Western Cuisine English Day: This coming Saturday is another English Club at the local Public Library. The topic is Western Cuisine. Afterwards, we will go an Italian Restaurant owned and operated by Rocco who is from Napoli, Italy, the Birthplace of the Pizza.  It will cost Elaine and I about $10 to get authentic Neopolitan Food!

Woman's Getaway: Elaine has signed up with about 80 other woman from Yunnan and Greater China to attend a weekend Woman's Getaway.  The will be at a Spa and will have speakers from the USA there.  It has been a long time, since she has done anything like this, but she is looking forward to it!  She has been to only one conference since 2004, so it may take her a while to get into the flow of things.  She may even experience some "Cultural Re-entry" issues since it will be very Western in flavor.

Shadow the Husky, the Neighborhood Terror:  A young couple has returned to the States for 10 days to attend a wedding and we are watching their 7 month mostly housebroken, 45 pound Husky.  Since, we have a nice area for Dogs to run-around, I let him go.  On a typical morning walk, he will tree about 3 cats and scatter a few more and inflict fear on all the other smaller dogs! At his age, he has no fear, although a couple of cats have stood their ground and nearly clipped him with their claws!

Marx?:  I have been growing Beard for about 6 weeks now.  It is the first time I have grown one while in China.  The response of the Chinese has been interesting.  A few of the responses have been, "You look like Karl Marx!" Of course, if in the USA, I highly doubt Marx would be the first person off the lips of who I look like!

Musings: This past Saturday, we went shopping at our favorite supermarket called Metro, the German version of Sam's Club. On the way, the taxi driver, a woman in her 40's asked me if I was Christian. Since she was, we rambled on about the various local Pastor's we knew at the 3-Self Church. She added on that the local 'Trinity Church' now has a 'Daughter Church' near the Supermarket and she would show it to us.  They are vigorously looking for land to build a new one on for the current facilities are overflowing and it has only been there 3 years! She also gave me her testimony and we discussed on how best to communicate the message to those we care about.

I present her as a typical face of those attending the local 3-self Church.

Thanks for thinking of us!

Doug, Elaine, Clara and Colman (Who just turned 14 this past Sunday!) Culver

August 2009

Greetings:

Our Year of the Dog(s) is officially over.  For nearly a full year, we had at least one dog and on several occassions there were three, but on Wednesday the last one was picked-up and we are now dogless! We did have a good time with them and even miss the noise and funny antics that happen, especially when there is more than one.  The primary caregivers have already slotted the Chinese New Year onto the Calendar for their return.                                                                                                       

Seeking Reps!:  We are currently in the process of ordering a larger batch of Coffee Beans and Tea to be shipped by Sea.  If all goes well, with the quality and shipment, it should arrive at Don Engstrom's place some time in late October or so.  In the meantime, we are looking for folks who could be sales representatives. All the details are still under discussion but input on how others wish to work would be welcome!

Sa Wa Dee Time:  Sa Wa Dee literally means, "Greet the god within you" in Thai. Of course, when it is used so often the meaning can be dulled. Much like "God be with you" and "Good bye."  Anyway, we used some Air Miles and used the Train and Midnight Bus to travel to Southern Thailand for 10 days.

We had a quiet and relaxing time, especially so with all the Westerners not traveling there and the wonderful discounts that were available. There was a great clean beach and water. We ate a lot local Seafood. One evening, we had BBQ'd cow tongue and udder!  Clara and Colman did some Go-Karting and they enjoyed this very much.  Aside from eating as much Thai as we could, Elaine loved just walking around the wonderful Grocery Stores. One store in Bangkok was indeed incredible. It even offered Pizza by a Chef from Rome!! As for me, I bought a couple of shirts that fit!! It is interesting that China rarely has my size, in Thailand I am a XXL and in the USA I am Medium or a Large.  It is all a matter of perspective.

Leprosy Village: Rounding out a rather full summer for Clara and Colman was a 2-day excursion to a couple of Leprosy Villages. They went to help clean houses, cut hair and generally anything they could do that these folks have difficulty doing themselves.  Colman and Clara spent most of their time doing road repair.  With all the rain, the roads in and out of the village were hazardous, so they and some others broke up used old roof tiles and laid them on the road so vehicles could have better traction.  They came home with sore arms and shoulders.

When I asked Colman what the houses were like, he said, "Oh, they were the typical Chinese Countryside House made of mud, dirt floors and a lightbulb."  Clara then piped in, "You should have seen the bathrooms!"  Elaine and I  both gave a quick reply, "Been there, done that and we do not need to hear."  We all laughed.

English Fan Club: This past Saturday, we were invited to the English Fan Club by our good Chinese friend Anna. It is a time for some Chinese who want to improve their English. We met at the local Public Library and talked and discussed for over 2 hours.  The Topic was the differences between Western and Chinese Interpersonal Relationships.  We went through many topics such as, Marriage Cermonies, The Use of Titles and those in Authority, Sex and Young People, Responding to Compliments and Religion. One young man had many questions about God, Church, Jesus, The Cross and Faith. It was great fun to discuss and to hear what the Chinese from the ages of 17 to 35 are thinking. Elaine, Anna, myself and one Spainard who joined us half-way through were over 45!

Starting School:  Clara and Colman are starting their third week of school this week. The first week was busy for me for I was downloading new software and generally upgrading the computers so they could do their school. This seems to be pretty well-ironed out, but now we need to get used to the downloading and uploading of assignments, papers and tests! We are starting early so we can end early and hopefull visit the USA during the summer.

Musings: Provision and the Future 3 R's: Since our return to China in August 2008, we have seen God's continual provision. Similar to many people around the globe, we were affected by the Economic Downturn. There were times, when our water was threatened to be shut-off and we had run into a main office to pay one day before the deadline. Another time our phone and Broadband was cut and I quickly went in to pay the bill. There were other instances, but we were always able to pay.  To be honest, we have had many these instances here in China and after 10 years our belief in Provision is only all the stronger.

Having mentioned the above, we still have items of concern before us. Namely, the 3 R's of Rent, Renewal and Return.

1. Our Rent in Chinese money is the same, but 20% higher in USD, so we are now looking at $5500 for a one-time payment in January. Hopefully, all will be available at that time or I will have to negotiate with the Landlord for more time.

2. Company Renewal is not nearly as expensive as the Rent, but I will have to renew Clara and Colman's passports and this may mean a flight to the USA consulate in Chengdu. There is also an added step in the company renewal process that involves documents be sent to a Government Office in Stockholm and then to the Chinese Consulate and then mailed back to me.  I just hope they do not demand me to fly to Sweden to do it!! Again, if I do have to go, I will use the recourse of negotiating with the powers to be.

3. Returning to the USA. We hope to visit the family and friends next summer. Currently, we are preparing ourselves for the possibility of only 1 or 2 of us returning or simply at different times.  Colman still wants to do the Boy Scout Camping in Japan and often I am busy in late May and early June, so we will see!

Of course there is still school payments we need to contend with.

So, we hope you continue to think of us as we trust for the finances to be covered!!

Regards,

Doug, Elaine, Clara and Colman Culver

July 2009

Greetings:

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!! Ours is chugging along. Clara and Colman have been busy with Camps they enjoyed very much.  Now, we will use our Air Miles and visit that friendly country to the South of us. We always enjoy being in Thailand, The Land of Smiles.  With it Low Season and the Tour Business hurt badly by Politics and Swine Flu all the prices are 30% lower than they were last year, so it is a good time to go I suppose.  There is a lot of Swine Flu discussion, but we should be fine!

Coffee &Tea Update:  We sent our second batch of Raw Coffee Beans last week and should be arriving in the USA some time this week.  It was only 44 pounds, but with the Air Freight it is still very pricey.  Thankfully, there is a demand for Coffee and hopefully for the Tea as well.

Don Engstrom at frontierproductions@charter.net  has several roasted blends, so if interested in purchasing or being an Agent please contact him! Of course, you could always buy the Raw Beans and develop your own Roasts.  We are working toward buying the Best Quality Beans possible!

Hopefully, our next purchase in August of a larger batch of say 500~600 pounds of Beans will be of the Highest Quality that can be purchased here in Yunnan. We also want to add 100 pounds of Quality Pu'er Tea and ship them by container to Boston in August. We are and already have been looking into the details of getting this done.  So, all the pieces are coming together.  If this batch continues to sell well, we will go for another larger batch later this Fall.

Brief History of the Coffee Bean in Yunnan: Coffee Plants were introduced in Yunnan by French Jesuit Missionaries. These same Jesuits introduced Wine Making as well. Then during the Liberation the Tea Plantations of Yunnan began growing Beans for the Russians. This all fell to pieces in the 60's & 70's and then revived again in the 80's & 90's, but now just beginning to have quality beans for export.

The Goal of the C&T Project: As mentioned in an earlier letter, the buying of the coffee and tea provides work for those in the remote mountain areas. It also supports servant workers both local Ethnic and Western to work with these isolated people. Hopefully, once this is steady some of the proceeds will go to other projects such as Scholarships, Motorcycles, Food Support and if we can dream, a new Bathroom for a Training Center!

Colman in Korea:  Colman had a great time in South Korea! About 70 or so boys were able to stay on a Military Base. As, one of the Kunming Scout Leader said, "They never had it this nice in Yunnan!" The local Scout Leaders were very proud of the Kunming boys.  They were very diligent working on their badges. Colman, in particular, led the pack with 7 Badges!! He still has to finish his Wilderness Survival and Cooking badges, but should accomplish these in the next couple of months.  If you would like to help support Colman in his Boy Scouts, please consider ordering some popcorn or other products from the web below. One of his friends sold over $500 worth and got a $60 gift certificate from Coleman Camping!

Ordering Boy Scouts Popcorn: 

1. Go to www.orderpopcorn.com

2. Enter my order key  TEWJH7C

3. You should then see Coleman C.   I know it is spelled incorrectly, but most people think of Coleman Stoves and not Colman Mustard!!

4. Start Shopping!

Slogfest at the Border: Another 70 or so young people met at Camp near the Myanmar border. It rained every day, so muddy, muddy, muddy and did I say, "Muddy!" Fortunately all was fun! Clara and Colman and many others mentioned that this was a fun camp and would return!

The second week was a Science Camp. They were able to dissect Rabbits (affectionately named Thumpers) and Pigs. We can send photos of the work! They were not squeamish at all!

Visiting a Leper Community:  Clara and Colman were slated to spend a couple of days at a nearby Leper Community in early August, but it is now on hold.  Hopefully, the logistics and money will be there for the Kunming Youth Group to visit.

Future Tour Possibilities (WWF):  After we return from Thailand, I plan to meet with a local WWF or World Wildlife Fund Representative with the goal of organizing Birding, Wildlife and Flora and Fauna tours in Yunnan.  This again will be in connection with Don Engstrom at frontierproductions@charter.net.

Who knows maybe Colman will be your Tour Guide!! He is well-versed in the Birds, Wildlife and has basic Knowledge of the Flora and Fauna.

We are also considering Coffee & Tea Area tours, Golden Quadrant (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Yunnan) Tour, Spa Tours and of course, if you want the Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Naturally, if folks want to see the Terracotta soldiers and the Great Wall that can be easily arranged!  We have a good Chinese friend who has been in the Tour business for over 10 years, so anything can be arranged. Translators in China, Malaysia and Thailand are available if requested!!

Musings: We have seen the recent economic difficulties as a creative opportunity. Things have been tight, but we continually see the faithfulness of God and His nudging us to explore new possibilities. Would we have considered Coffee, Tea and Tours without the economy going sour?  More importantly, would we have an authentic voice with the struggling poor Chinese, Dai, Lisu and the other ethnics who are subsistence farmers?  Now, we have a Real voice and they actually understand us much more than before.  We are not just "those wealthy Westerners, who have an endless supply of money!"

Thanks for thinking of us!

Doug, Elaine, Clara and Colman Culver