AUTHOR: Nancy TITLE: Sunday, October 4, 2009 DATE: 10/04/2009 02:08:00 PM ----- BODY:
Whew! What a night we had last night, and what a full agenda we have had! So, at the moment I'm sitting out by the pool at Agape Hotel in Sonsonate, El Salvador, but here's what we've been up to. (I only have about 30 minutes to sit here, and then we'll be of again...)

Breakfast yesterday was at AnaMaria and Marco Tulio's home with their three adorable (and I do mean adorable) children. For some reason, Maco had told AnaMaria that we needed a big breakfast so it was not only two poached eggs on toast, but fruit, french toast, coffee, etc. etc. Yummmm. Jack said he loved to cook so he and AnaMaria have an agreement that he will provide dinner for their family one night when he is there for language school this November.

We feel extremely confident in Maco and his family and know their project will be very successful. He mentioned that the mayor of San Antonio Aguas Calientes not only offered security lights and two good water connections to his factory, but also asked that he move and be his neighbor. Not a bad start for a new factory, eh?

The accounting seems to be in good order, we have confirmed an agreement with the two Rotaries, we are getting legal matters in order, and know what we have to do for the future.

Amilcar drove us back to the airport and our luck continues as TACA upgraded all of us to First Class for our 30 minute flight to San Salvador. It was great to just sit back and relax, even though it was only for a few minutes.

Arrival in San Salvador was as easy as usual and the van was there to transport us to Sonsonate with only a short stop to replace the cash deposit by Gustavo with the StoveTeam credit card.

Then came the surprise.... We asked Gustavo to stop at the cooking school as we hadn't eaten since our large breakfast, but instead we went to Juyua where we met our second mayor! Not only did we meet him, but he took us up the road past beautiful jungle foliage to his coffee finca. WOW! WOW!!! WOW!!!! It was his "little place on the finca" complete with three cabins, a few over the entire plantation, and a meal that was cooked from his own farms - tamales, grilled talapia, grilled chicken, grilled beef, rice, salsa, etc. all complete with tequilla, wine, beer or whatever else you desired. He is a new mayor in the FMLN party and has already started not only a coffee farm and a farm growing balsam wood, but a music school. He is buying our stoves and has brought water tanks for poor communities. We are welcome to stay with him at any time and when we return to El Salvador he may be the first person we call.

We arrived at Agape at around 11pm and fell into bed, but this morning we were up and ready to go.

Gerry and I met with Paula and her father, Antonio, as well as Elvira, Luisa and Gustavo so we could get all of the accounting in order and make sure all taxes are being paid and all documents are done legally. Of course many of the workers didn't want to have Gustavo deduct money for social security, but he insisted as did we. We have a lot of confidence in our accounting team in El Salvador and may use them in other countries as the need presents itself.

Then, of course we had to go to MetroCentro shopping center to get more cash from an ATM, and, of course, most of the machines were out of money....we'll survive, as we usually do, but it's always a nuisance.

Don, Jack and Susie stayed at the fatory and made a movie of the production process. Gerry and I arrived in time for lunch and for a short stop before returning to pay Paula for her services. The factory is, as always, impressive and the exciting news is that Salvador and Nery have both shaved off their beards.

We had hoped to have a little time this evening, but it seems we are off at 5pm to Santa Ana to meet with the Rotarians there at, of course, Mr. Donut.

More later, but I'm running out of battery charge and internet.

Nancy

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