Project Update

It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of February. Andy had to remind me that tomorrow is Leap Day (I’m not sure if that’s really a word or not, but it is in my book)! We’ve been here for a month already. Crazy how time flies. I can’t decide whether I think we’ve made good progress or not. There’s still so much to do… We have met a lot of people, and we have traveled quite a bit. So, I consider it a success so far!

Our digester project is coming along. Slower than I would like, but then again I run on American time, not Brasilian time. No. I can’t blame it on them. Andy and I are the ones having issues. Doing this on our own is foreign to us. So, doing it on our own, in a different country, and in a different language? Seems pretty impossible. Luckily we’re still talking to each other, and I have faith it’ll all work out. For people who want technical details: the sewage flow is too fast for us to divert it all straight into a digester. So, we’re thinking about designing a settling tank for the water to flow through, depositing the solids on the bottom, and then taking those solids and putting them in a batch digester. We’re not sure yet if that’ll make the water clean enough, so there may be another step in there. We won’t have any problem with digestion and methane production. Methane is already bubbling up from the bottom in the sewer flow itself. Kind of impressive that a body of water moving that quickly can have such an enormous amount of anaerobic activity.

Here’s the intimidating part: Thursday, Andy, John, Ricardo and I are going to talk to Senhor Campello. He’s pretty much the city planner of Sobral, kind of important. It intimidates me to talk to well-educated Brasilians. I know that sounds funny, and I don’t mean it to sound condescending, it’s all about my lack of Portuguese. It’s easier to speak with people who also make errors. Sr. Campello has volunteered his time, and found money w/in the city budget, to design a type of completely sustainable house that will accompany the digester at Banco de Mudas. He’s a very well accomplished architect. Most all of the amazing city changes that have happened in Sobral over the last 20 years or so have come about from him sitting in a place, looking at a slum area, sketching some ideas, and building from those sketches. I’ve already met him once, and he’s an awesome guy. Super nice and friendly, John’s good friend. So in reality I shouldn’t be so scared. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Today we met with a Professora from CENTEC, the technology center right next to our house in Sobral. Her lab is going to do some tests on the water for us next week, which is great. I’ll get to be in the lab helping out, which is a really familiar and wonderful feeling. Next week as well, we’re heading back up to Serrinha to install an underground dam next to their well and go to the mass their having up there on the 8th. I’m so excited to go back and see everyone, and even more excited for the mass, because EVERYONE, all the kids, all the families, all the elders of the community (no pun intended ha ha ha) will be there to celebrate. I think we’ll get a chance to see Serrinha like it once was: full of life and laughter.

We’re still working on getting our visas extended and our plane tickets changed so we can stay until the end of May instead of the end of April. I sure wouldn’t mind :o) The weather is beautiful, the people are incredibly hospitable and the food is great. What more could anyone want?

We hope you guys are having a good week and can’t wait to hear from you. If anyone wants a post card or a snail-mail letter, just email us your address.
Beijos e Abracos