Asia Trip Day 9: Stay in School Kids

June 4, 2007

Today we spent a LOT of time on a bus! Fairly early on we headed across the border of Hong Kong and back into China. On the way out we had to go through the entire customs process both for leaving Hong Kong and entering China. Apparently there is a middle ground of No-Man’s land in-between the two.

Once into China the views of the countryside from the bus were great. The landscape was very beautiful and we were able to see a lot of homes and farmlands. I really enjoyed it for the first while; however, given the amount of travel we have had the last little while, by the 2nd and 3rd hours of driving I was ready to get off the bus! I was able to get some reading done, but not a lot as if I read too much on those buses I tend to get a little car sick.

After our three hour journey finally ended we were treated to lunch at a pretty nice restaurant. We had what is called (in Cantonese I’m assuming) Dim Sum. It was basically a lot of different types of dumplings and ManTou’s (not sure how to describe those). I’ve always loved the Chinese breakfast foods and this was basically what we had for lunch. Although we also had a few really good seafood dishes as well. We literally ate until we could eat no more.

After lunch we visited PerfectTech Toy factory where they make toys for Japanese toy distributors. Today they were making Power Ranger toys that also transform. The toy factory employs over 2000 factory workers and another 250 office staff. The factory was very hot and very humid. However, all of the employees that we watched seemed pretty happy on the job. The young girls from the office staff that toured us around were also very nice and seemed to really enjoy having us visit. Granted the office staff all looked about 12, when I talked to them most of them had worked there for at least 3-4 years. In fact, the average employee (including line workers) had been working at PerfectTech for over 2 years.

The factory has 60 sets of injection machines and over 400 seats for paint spraying. The production line can make up to 15 types of toys. The thing I was most impressed with was the amount of quality control at every stop. Each worker had a clear picture right in front of them that showed how the toy was supposed to work after it was done with their station. I was surprised by how much of the process was manual labor and how little of the process was automated.

The factory workers make about 86 cents an hour. However, because housing is provided most of the workers are sending money home to their families out in the farmlands. I think the most astounding thing for me was seeing how satisfied the workers appeared. In the states it seems that a lot of our minimum wage workers don’t seem to be the type of person who would be so willing to work hard with a smile. I definitely think that with great wealth has come a certain sense of entitlement. I think that in America we could really take a lesson in gratitude from what we see here. I know that I have felt an increased need to be more grateful for all I have. I certainly feel fortunate for the educational opportunities I've been given.

In my undergrad I remember learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This trip has really shown me how accurate that hierarchy seems to be. In the United States most people are at least to the level where their physiological and safety needs are met and thus have moved up to the need for belonging or the esteem of others. It is actually really refreshing seeing people who are able to gain satisfaction just from meeting the needs of food, shelter and safety. On other legs of this trip its been interesting seeing other areas (like Beijing) where they are somewhere between today’s factory workers and the business people we visited in Japan. I’m not sure if this paragraph made any sense at all…but my point is just that it is interesting to study Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in this setting. (For those not too familiar I recommend using Wikipedia.org and typing in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for more information and a far better explanation of what I am trying to say here).

At PerfectTech (which by the way is in a town called ZhongShan near ShenZhen in GuangDong province) I think I lost at least a liter of sweat. It reminded me of the mission in Taiwan. Sometimes I am still amazed that I was able to work all day in the heat and humidity over there. That is one part of my mission I don’t miss very often.

As we were leaving the toy factory they gave each of us a Power Ranger toy to take home. Regan was great and let me have his (given that he has two girls) and I just know that Tyler and Marcus are gonna love them (at least Tyler will for now). In fact, I’m guessing that these will be a greater hit than anything else I could hope to pick up on the trip.

The ride back was similar to the ride in…it was LONG! Again, I enjoyed parts of it as I was able to see the farmlands etc. However, I was good and ready to get off when we finally got back to the Hotel.

This evening we once again followed Jason Bell and took the Subway to another part of Hong Kong where we had dinner, saw a night market and sort of just experienced what we could. I got a pretty good kick out of watching some of the locals play basketball and would have loved to join in if I wasn’t wearing sandals.

The evening didn’t bring about too much to talk about, but it was kind of fun just seeing more of Hong Kong.

Falling in Love with Hong Kong

June 3, 2007

Today was a travel day, but for the only time on the trip, the travel day did not start at a ridiculously early time. In fact, we were able to have a short sacrament meeting before we had to head off to the airport. We were encouraged not to fast this week as we would be traveling and dealing with humidity and a few other factors. However, we did have a fast meeting.

I surprised myself, I’m not really one for bearing my testimony a lot in public; however, I have felt so strong a tie to the Chinese people for so long and have felt the need so great for the gospel to come to this country. Anyway, I ended up bearing my testimony of how grateful I am for the knowledge I have and expressed how much I think the gospel could transform so many of the problems that we saw here in Beijing. Other members of the group bore very spiritually nourishing testimonies. It was one of the better meetings I had been to in a while. Of course, it probably is easier to feel the spirit when you aren’t wrestling with kids.

It was pretty funny when we were in leaving the hotel I noticed a sign in the lobby that listed the “Days Activities.” There in bold letters was our “Church Service.” I guess I’m not really used to seeing Church Service listed on a marquee (but it was kind of cool).

From here we bid farewell to Beijing and went to the airport. Due to our flying an international flight, we were there plenty earlier. Regan, Dustin Olson, Todd Rhodes and I ended up playing a few more rounds of Rook. Been a long time since I have had so much time to just play games and the like. I think I could get used to this kind of lifestyle…too bad retirement is still 20 plus years away!!

On the flight to Hong Kong I had my own aisle so I was able to spread out and enjoy. I mostly read on the flight. I finished a book called “Blink” which I would recommend to anyone and began a book called “Mao’s Last Dancer.” I also tried to do a little journaling, but in the end took a brief nap instead.

When we began our decent on Hong Kong I knew immediately I would like this place. President Hinckley in his biography mentions a love for Hong Kong…I’m with him! Basically Hong Kong just springs out of the South China Sea. There are all these beautiful little mountain-like islands that just pop from the sea. If you have been to Hong Kong you know what I am referring to, if not I recommend you get a window seat if you ever fly there. I’m usually an aisle seat guy, but wow, I think it would be worth dealing with the trapped in feeling for the flight just to see the landing!

Leaving the airport it was fun to see blue sky again. Hong Kong seems to be very lush with vegetation, that is wherever there aren't megaskyscrapers. Once we got checked in at our hotel we were led by Jason Bell (a former Hong Kong missionary) for some authentic food. We had what was similar to PaiGu Fan in Taiwan. Basically it is some type of pork that is very tasty. We also had some Chinese veggies that are yummy too. The side streets definately have a feel that is very much like Taiwan. In fact, if the people were speaking Mandarin or Taiwanese instead of Cantonese I'd swear I was back in Taichung. On the way back I noticed a great sign on the side of our Hotel. In huge bright lights it read “Sorry We Are Open.” I hope I never feel the need to apologize for my business being open :-)

My love affair with Hong Kong continued after dinner. Any city that has a choreographed laser light show across their bay every night at 8pm…A-Okay in my book! It was pretty awesome seeing the city by the bay all lit up and then watching different color lasers being shot across the bay. I know that Adam, Clayton and Tyler would love this place.

As a large group we took a ferry across the bay and then took a tram to the top of Victoria Peak. The views were AMAZING! Very difficult to capture by camera, but take my word for it…AWESOME. If Jamie had been with me I would say it was totally romantic, but with Regan by my side…I’ll just say it was very serene.

Throughout the trip my digital camera has been taking some grief since it is about three times the size of most of the other students’ brand new digital cameras. Whenever I whip my camera out they all tease me about it being the first digital camera ever made and stuff. Well, tonight that large digi camera and I fought back. My camera seemed to do the best at capturing people and still not fading out the entire background of the city by the bay. As such, I was asked to take a lot of pictures for different people. Ah the sweet justice of Revenge. I doubt anyone else will make fun of my camera now! Of course, I’d like to believe the power was in the photographer and his expert use of the camera settings…but I could be wrong.

Back across the bay and to the hotel. I tried to make my call to Jamie fairly quick. I want to see if I can get in a deep sleep before the bulldozer (Regan) gets cranked up to high gear. I’m especially worried here because there is at most a centimeter of space between Regan and I’s beds in this hotel. Although the hotel is extremely nice, the room itself is a tad small and I fear if I am not careful I may get a full whiff of Regan breath in the morning…I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

PS. Regan if you want to fight back, talk about what sounds I make in my sleep, or just add any comments in general on things I may have missed or forgotten...please feel free to hit the comment button.

Asia Day 7: Wrapping up in Beijing

June 2, 2007

Our final day in BeiJing. I’m sad that we will be leaving China so soon. As with most mornings on this trip, I am exhausted as we head out to our first visit. Seems I am still unable to sleep soundly. Last night Regan’s snoring was the worst yet. Poor Miranda, I hope that as she ages she is always able to be a deep sleeper.

Our first visit today is to a company called Terex. Terex builds dump trucks, cranes, and other building machinery. The contact at Terex is a guy named Heinz Dickens who is also in the regional presidency for the church in China. He gave us some good insights into both working/business in China and how the church is doing in China.

He started his remarks by quoting Woody Allen who has said, “I don’t trust air I can’t see.” What a great quote for this city. As you have probably seen from the pictures, it is very hazy and smoggy here all the time. Pretty great quote for someone who has been living in Beijing for over ten years.

Heinz seemed quite interested in hiring someone to come over and help manage some of their production facilities in China. As such, he highlighted a lot of career goals, what he looks for in an employee and keys to being an ex-pat in China.

I really liked the perspective he had on career path. He said, “Whatever is in front of you do well, give the best you can, and never do anything that will take away choices from your future.”

He talked a lot about hiring based far more on experience and the feel of individuals than on what school a person has attended. He states that working in Asia means a more demanding work week for him, but that his wife has a lot of perks. She has her own driver, her own maid and a cook (who also grocery shops) so that she is able to be more involved with their children and the international schools (which he says are very expensive but usually paid for by the businesses in China and he feels those schools offer a higher quality education than those offered in America). He talked about the challenge of hiring Chinese (local) workers because once they were trained they are hard to retain as the new skills opens up a lot of opportunities for them with many companies. He also discussed a little bit the issue of piracy and employees stealing ideas. His feeling was similar to that of the people at BeiJing Benz in that piracy is helpful in the sense that it forces innovation. He seemed frustrated that piracy took place, but saw the upside in constantly having the pressure to perform or else someone will come and take your clients from you.

Last, but far from least, we talked a little about the church in China. The church is able to proselyte to any foreigners but are still not able to preach to native Chinese. The church is growing though and the government does allow Chinese citizens who are baptized abroad to hold church meetings and baptize their immediate family (this is progress since the last time I was here). However, the Chinese and the foreigners are still not able to meet together and must have separate branches and activities.

After our visit to Terex we went as a group to lunch where we had a hearty lunch. At lunch we celebrated the birthday of our director’s wife and had a singing performance from Dave Anderson, a student on the trip. Taking a trip with Dave is like taking part in a musical, he seemed to have a song for everything. His performance of Beijing, Beijing (to the tune of New York, New York) was a riot!

After lunch we made a visit to Tiananmen Square and the forbidden city. I really enjoy Tiananmen Square (day or night). They are currently doing a lot of work around the square (probably in prep for the Olympics) and the Maosaleum for example was not open.

On our way to the square, Jamie Morningstar and Sean Naef were approached by the typical street vendor selling watches from a little briefcase like box. They were able to buy the entire box from the vendor and had many fake (bad fakes at that) Rolex and Gucci watches to sell. It made for great fun!

While at Tiananmen Square, Regan accomplished one of my goals for the trip. I wanted to get a picture of the split pants that the Chinese people use to potty train their children. It is always so hard to explain to people the split pants concept, so I was hoping to catch a good photo. Sure enough, Regan got a great one at Tiananmen and fortunately, I don't think any of the people there noticed him scoping out the children's bottoms.

There is also a good deal of renovation going on within the Forbidden City. The Forbidden city is basically courtyard after courtyard after courtyard of amazing Chinese architecture and was the home of the Emperors up through about 1926. Only the Emperor, his concubines & wives or eunuchs were allowed in the Forbidden City. It really is a remarkable place to see.

When we got through the last courtyard, a student had brought a copy of and read the Chinese dedicatory prayer that was given just inside the rear exit of the city. Both times now that I have seen the Forbidden City I’ve been with groups on time constraints and both times I’ve wished for more time at the final courtyard where it is more of a garden feel. The trees back there are just stunning. Maybe next time I come I will have the time to enjoy the gardens more.

Apparently, not all the students were sick of shopping yet and so we visited the Pearl market. I was pretty well sick of shopping (especially barter style) but couldn’t veto the trip down and so along with the group I went. I was envious when I learned that one student had not made the bus from the Forbidden City. I think I would have preferred more time there as well.

After the market I finished up some laundry and packed for our Hong Kong trip. Then we played a few rounds of Rook with Dustin Olson and Todd Rhodes. Those are two guys I didn’t have a lot of association with throughout the program, but who were a lot of fun to spend time with on this trip. I am glad that I was able to get to know them better.

Asia Trip Day Six: Ice Cream, Automobiles and TianAnMen

June 1, 2007

Our business visits in china really started with a bang. I went to the place where my favorite Watermelon popsicles I used to eat on my mission are made. We went to Unilever’s ice cream division here in China called “Walls.” Not only did we get a ton of great ice cream to try out, but we also had a very informative presentation on marketing in China.

The head of marketing for Northeast Asia was a British man who went through the thinking behind a recent campaign introduced throughout China for their ice cream cone product called Cornetto. The campaign had a clearly Asian feel to it. Quite melodramatic and overtly cheesy. However, the point of the presentation did show the power of coordination among marketing programs and how they are really working to constantly enhance their image and keep the people wanting more of their ice cream cones. The campaigned involved their working with a couple of teen pop singers and using cell phones as a way to input codes for prizes etc.

I found it interesting that China is just now moving out of the necessity purchasing stages and are beginning to purchase on the basis of wanting to experience things. (Of course, this applies mostly to the big cities as Walls has literally no presence outside of the 4 biggest citadels in China.

Another interesting fact from the presentation was that currently over 80% of the retail business in China is unorganized. Meaning that over 80% of all purchases in China come from street vendors or little ma and pa shops. Grocery Stores and stores like Wal-mart are an extremely small part of the retail commerce in the country. As such, although Walls is a major player throughout the globe they are trying to adopt a strategy of thinking globally, but acting locally.

As we toured the production facility, I was very impressed with how many workers ran the machines. The production facility runs for 16 hours a day, which is two 8-hour shifts for the workers. The workers are brought in from neighboring provinces and given dormitories to stay at. They are also provided lunch everyday and given health insurance. However, the pay isn’t great. They make about the equivalent of $100 a month. The workers work for 7 days a week for 8 months and then the facility is closed for four months. The factory produces approximately 300 million pieces of ice cream in a year.

A few other key business insights: we discussed the fact that dealing with piracy really is just a part of doing business in China. They try to look at the fact that the competition will be allowed to mimick anything they do as incentive to always stay on the cutting edge of marketing (thus managing demand). Most retail business in China are seeing quarterly growth rates that are in excess of 15%. Crazy growth means that even poor campaigns can result in growth, but in order to stay ahead of the competition growth rates of over 20% would be necessary. Clearly remarkable the growth that is happening in China.

An anecdote regarding the freezer cabinets they use to sell ice cream out from. Walls used to give them away to their distribution channel. However, so many of them ended up getting stolen they have had to come up with a policy of requiring owners to buy the freezers and then reimbursing them over time. In 2006 Walls placed over 100,000 new freezer cabinets.

On the bus ride after the Unilever visit the professors asked that I stand at the front of the bus and talk about my experiences in China last time I was here. It felt quite awkward. Its funny how many of my previous experience has come back to the forefront of my memory though. Although I wasn’t a big fan of having to stand at the front of the bus, I hope that I gave some good information. Most of what I talked about were the other places I visited (like the terra cotta soldiers) that I really enjoyed.

For lunch we had the traditional Peking Duck. There was a lot of food and it was very good. Perhaps my favorite meal of the whole Asia excursion (to this point).

Following lunch we visited the Beijing Benz-Daimler-Chrysler plant that was opened just 9 months ago. It is a joint venture between the Beijing government, Mercedes and Chrysler. It was a far more sprawling factory (and less automated) than the Toyota factory. It also had a lot more of the work that got done in batches rather than straight line production. The factory here is expected to produce only 45,000 vehicles this year, but eventually grow to producing 120,000 vehicles a year which represents maximum capacity.

The Q & A section of this visit was very good. We spoke with an Italian from Mercedes who was the Finance guy and an American Chinese (who went to the University of Michigan). They talked a lot about being ex-pats in China. They both seemed to like it. They also discussed the importance to the Chinese workers that you don’t just work with them, but also spend time socializing with them after work.

Once again we discussed a great deal about the issue of piracy in China. Intellectual Property is seen as something that should be shared and common in China. The Italian made a great comment about the way the Chinese view piracy. Rather than viewing it as stealing I.P., they feel that if a company can find a cheaper way to provide the same goods that is seen as smart and inventive.

That night, I led a group of students over to see Tiananmen square all lit up at night. It really is a great place to see at night. We ran into a cute little family roller blading and we walked around a little bit. We talked a little bit about the monument to the people and the things (both good and horrible) that Mao did in his lifetime. I think the students who came were all glad that they had.

On the way back we took mo-ped taxis. The drivers tried to pull a dishonest trick at the end. They had told us they would give us a ride for 30 yuan; however, when they dropped us off they wanted $30 (A difference of over $25). Fortunately, we were able to settle up with them without any incident. We paid a little more than the original price they asked, but clearly they didn’t want to make an issue of this any more than we did and they had lost the leverage by changing the price after they had driven us back to our hotel.

That evening, before going to bed, a few of us played Rook for a while. That sure was fun! I wish I had more chances to play cards. Seems like it is always so hard to get a good group together to play with.

Asia Day Five: Singin' in the Rain

May 31, 2007

So today was really great, but I must admit to being a little bummed too. We had a great day seeing some of the best sights in China. However, unfortunately the weather was not very good and rained most of the day.

Our first stop was the one that disappointed me the most. We went to the Great Wall of China and took a tram up the mountain to a key viewpoint. However, we were unable to see much because of the rain and the fog. In fact, the visibility was so bad we almost couldn’t see from one post to the next. As you can see, you couldn't even always see from my camera to me and I was always within a foot or two walking distance. (Good time to remind any readers that if you double click on any small photo posted here it will expand for easier viewing).

However, it did not keep my spirits down for long. I still enjoyed walking on the wall and talking with the Chinese people that I ran into. Dave Anderson and I even did a little dance number to “Singin in the Rain.” It would have been nice if the weather had cooperated for us, but overall it was still nice to be back at the great wall again. One day I’m going to bring Jamie here…I know that she would enjoy it.

On the way back to the bus I had a few great conversations with peddlers who set up their shops at the base of the wall. I really do enjoy the Chinese sense of humor. I wish there was a way for me to keep my current life but enjoy more contact with the Chinese people. And, of course, I can’t keep the words to the song “Because I have Been Given Much out of my head.”

After the wall we enjoyed a GREAT meal at a restaurant not far from the wall. It was the Chinese food that I fell in love with. Typical wok cooked dishes with lots of vegetables and several different varieties. It is a lot of fun seeing some of the other students’ first experiences with the food and culture. I have been able to make much better friends with some of the other students this trip. I have really been enjoying the fact that as we travel the walls come down and are left with no pretension.

After dinner we went to a government owned shop where they make a certain style of pottery that was developed in the Ming dynasty called Cloisonne. The pots are clay, then coated with copper and have copper wiring designs. It was fascinating watching the people hard at work, particularly bending the copper and painting the very fine patterns on the pottery.

Our next stop was the Summer Palace where the Empress Dowager, when she was in power, lived from April to October. The Empress Dowager was quite the egotistical woman. She literally killed off her own children in order to maintain control of the political affairs of China in the late 1800s. When she dined the amount of food brought in was enough to feed a village and that was just one meal for her. I studied quite a bit about her the last time I was here. If you are interested, ask me sometime and I’ll share a few more stories.

One quick anecdote…the Empress’ ego inspired her to want to create a magnificent Jade boat (the Chinese people really do love all things Jade). Of course, once the boat was completed it was way to heavy to float. So, it sits at the dock on a slab of concrete to show off what an overactive ego can do!

While looking at the boat, I met the cutest 75 year old Chinese woman who was selling (illegally I am sure) post cards. She was so animate as I spoke with her. She told me she was 75 and when I said “I’m not quite that old” she cracked up and started dancing up and down laughing. We talked about how many Americans come through here and she was just a riot. Several of the nearby students had a good laugh as well. In the end I bought a few postcards just because I wanted to help her out.

After the palace we went back to the hotel. A few students went to see the Beijing Acrobats. Having seen them before, I went with a group to a nearby market again. I go more to enjoy talking and using my Chinese than anything else. Of course, I do end up buying things which is the harm in spending so much time in the markets. The upside is that most things here don't cost very much.

It is interesting to see the different styles used to negotiate and the different tastes that come out. I know that Regan and I are shopping for different things. It is definitely neat being able to have someone here that I know I will have a long term relationship with. We may be sick of each other by the time this trip is over, but I feel lucky that we are able to share this experience. I have a feeling we will be boring the family at gatherings with stories from our trip for years to come.

I ended my day with a few laps of swimming. It felt good to get some hard exercise and I gained a better appreciation for how hard Jamie worked to get in shape for her recent triathlon. I sure miss her and my boys. The fact that we keep busy doing stuff probably makes it easier than it is for those at home. However, at every turn I think…if only Jamie were here. I especially miss having here as the designated picture taker. I really hope to bring Jamie here in the future. I also really miss how great Tyler makes me feel and being there to see cute little Marcus.

If one day I somehow become a millionaire, I would love to lead a big group of our extended family over here to enjoy this magnificent culture. However, don’t hold your breath…I’m a long ways from millionaire status.

Asia Day Four: From Sunshine to Smog

May 30, 2007

Today was mostly a travel day. We had to wake pretty early to get on the bus and head to the airport. At the airport we spent some time playing card games and chatting. One poor student accidentally left his passport and boarding pass at a store where he had purchased a drink or something. Fortunately for him, another student saw it and picked it up for him.

On the plane I sat next to a couple of older ladies that came to Tokyo from Beijing to visit Tokyo Disney. They were friendly and even ended up taking some video of me because I could speak Chinese. I am surprised at how just beginning to speak Chinese again brings back so much. I need to work a lot harder to keep my Chinese up, but I was relieved somewhat when I found that a fair amount of it started coming back as soon as I began interacting with these two older ladies.

On the flight I tried to take some time to write up my experiences from Japan. The previous blogging I have done to this point were mostly composed on the flight from Japan to Beijing. On the flight, I was able to sit on the upper deck. Although that was interesting as I had never flown upstairs before, it really wasn’t anything special.

When we got to China we were, of course, immediately greeted by the smog and humidity. As we bused from the airport to our hotel I couldn’t believe how much Beijing had changed just since I was last there in 2000. Not just in preparation for the Olympics, there are a LOT more skyscrapers than were here last time I was. Unfortunately, there are a lot more cars as well and traffic was slow and the air quality just awful.

Prior to hitting our hotel, we stopped at a silk market. The Chinese people have definitely developed a knack for bartering style markets. At this market I did pick up a set of Terra Cotta Soldiers that are just a little bigger than my last set. It was something I wanted. I also bought a bunch of ties for just over a buck. I was surprised that so many of the merchants were willing to take American dollars. I was glad that I had followed the advice and brought so many Ones from home. Thanks again to mom for getting the ones from the bank for me.

One thing for certain, our hotel here is the nicest place I have ever stayed. It is absolutely amazing. The lobby is breathtaking! Our room is very nice also, but especially impressive is the gym/swimming pool area. This is a high class joint for sure.

Shortly after arriving we went down for dinner in the hotel. A couple that lives here in Beijing and has raised their children abroad was there to discuss the pros and cons of business in China as well as raising an LDS family in Asia. They also brought their son who is currently doing an internship in Beijing and is a junior at BYU. One of the students in this group also had a brother stationed here in China who joined us for dinner. He is an economic analyst and seemed to be quite a whiz!
The dinner was okay, unfortunately, it was Szechuan style which is a little too spicy for my taste. It does seem that the more the Chinese people try to impress with the dishes they make, the less I enjoy them. Here’s hoping we can get down to the good food the rest of the trip.

It is so interesting how much emotion comes back being in China. I have feelings towards the Chinese people that I can’t explain or even fully understand myself. It is so moving to be here again. It is also so heartbreaking to see the poverty of some of the people. This is a land that needs the gospel. I know that the teachings of Christ would go a long way in changing the overall make-up of this land.

Oh by the way, I just heard that my friend Todd Rhodes has posted a few comments and pictures from this trip also. You should check out http://www.ficklematter.blogspot.com