5/21/24

Hi everyone, so sorry for the delay. We lost wifi and I was unable to update you guys on our day.

Here is the update: During breakfast with our partner Josue, it was decided that most of our implementation work would take place in the late afternoons and evenings due to his commitments. We unfortunately did not start implementation on Monday which did push us back a day. We did not have the needed materials to start.

We did get the chance to go visit the orphanage where Dr. Underwood and a previous collab team installed solar panels. Dr. Underwood wanted to check how they were performing and answer any questions/fix any problems they were having. For the civils on the trip, this was definitely out of our expertise but Thomas and Dr. Underwood managed to fix one problem which would allow the orphanage to have more control on the solar panels. We also took advantage of this visit to drop off some books.

After we got back, we settled down for a bit and waited for Josue to come with all the materials we needed. While we waited, some of my family actually came to visit me at the Airbnb. For those that don't know, I was born in Guatemala and moved to the U.S. when i was 6 years old. Most of my family still lives in Guatemala so it was nice to see them. I made my grandma take a picture with us :)

Josue is pictured as well which mean we started implementation!! We decided to do it at in the Airbnb as there was more space for us to work. Our 9 by 9 sq. ft. area we were given had not been cleared off yet so it made more sense to begin elsewhere.

We reviewed all our materials and discovered that the sink size was inadequate for the batch sizes we planned to test. Josue took it back to replace it with a larger one. Despite some other minor issues, we are now well-equipped to move forward.

Another task completed was finding a laboratory for HPLC testing of our samples. With the help of family in the chemistry field here in Guatemala, I connected with Universidad Mariano Galvez. I spoke with the lab manager, who confirmed they could perform the tests, and was connected with a chemist in the laboratory. We are all set for HPLC testing!

Side Mission

Apart from the decaffeination system we are implementing, Josue has allowed us to also work with a local orphanage and the Tree for Hope School while we are in Guatemala. Today, we sorted boxes of books that will be donated to both places. We made sure the books were appropriate and in good condition. We cannot wait to hand them to the kids :)

Taking It Easy

After settling into our rooms and taking a short nap, we were greeted by one of our partners from Chica Bean, Josue, who then took us down to the coffee shop for some breakfast. We tasted the coffee, and it was indeed very tasty, as was everything we were served. Aleesa was present but volunteered to take the picture.... Maybe she could've taken a selfie

¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

After breakfast, Josue showed us around a bit more, specifically the roaster, which is where we will be implementing our decaffeination system. This turned into a mini tour, and Josue went into detail about their roaster, which is unique to Chica Bean since it is self-made. We got to hear more about Chica Bean and their story, and it's really amazing how far they have come.

We will be checking some of the material Josue looked into for us to confirm if it will work for our system but there won’t be much going on after that. We will also be going out to do some grocery shopping and maybe get a peek at Santa Lucia. Stay tuned for tomorrow as we will begin our implementation.