Happy New Year to everyone! Our SAVE IT or SHAVE IT fundraiser back in December was a lot of fun, and very successful too! Thank you again to everyone who was able to participate. Team SHAVE IT won by a landslide, and thus, the beard had to go.

I actually shaved it at the beginning of January, but am just getting a chance to post this now. I had a new addition to my family at the end of the year, and the little guy has been keeping me very busy. But I had to prove that it actually happened, so here you go. After 2+ years with the beard it was very strange not to have it at first, but I’ve gotten used to it now. I think being able to eat a sandwich without having to pick half of it out of my beard helped. So, once again, thank you to everyone who contributed!

In other news, I’m really excited to say that thanks to all of the generous donations we’ve received, within the next couple of weeks every household in Candelaria Arriba will have a ceramic filter, and CLEAN WATER! This is a huge step towards our goal of bringing health and prosperity to this community, and I can’t wait for everyone to receive their filters and start using them.

Also, I’ll be heading back down to Colombia in March to help complete the rainwater harvesting system at the school, and connect it to a new solar water pump. Once the work is done, the elementary school will, for the first time ever, have a reliable source of water! Having water at school is a HUGE deal, and will help these kids be able to focus on learning, and not worry about having water for the bathrooms and to drink.

I’ll be sure to send out updates as things progress, and as always, thanks for following HydrateLife!

Brian