Ep. 210 - The World Cup of Kindness

⚽💧 What if the world's greatest team wasn't playing for a trophy...but for clean water?

In this special episode of The Kindness Chronicles, we welcome the Salesforce and WASH for Life volunteers who traveled to Malawi, Africa, for what we call The World Cup of Kindness.  Representing five countries across four continents, this international team united with one mission: to bring hope, dignity, and clean water to children and communities in need.

Together, they:
💙 Celebrated 7 new well boreholes providing easier access to clean water for more than 2,000 students
🌱 Supported regenerative agriculture at Tembwe Farm
🏫 Improved schools and dormitories through volunteer service and donor generosity
🎁 Delivered school supplies, clothing, bedding, soccer equipment, and countless acts of kindness

Along the way, they were welcomed with joyful songs, traditional dances, heartfelt hospitality, and unforgettable moments that forever changed their perspective on service, gratitude, and what it truly means to be part of one team.  You'll hear inspiring stories from "Coach 'Papa' Steve," Jon and Julia Neustedter, Phillip, Sarah, and other volunteers as they reflect on a journey that proved kindness has no borders.  Because in this World Cup...Everyone wins.

If this episode inspires you, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help us spread more stories that celebrate the power of kindness.

#KindnessChronicles #WorldCupOfKindness #Malawi #WASHForLife #Salesforce #CleanWater #Volunteer #Kindness #Africa #Service #Hope #GivingBack

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome back, Kindness Nakon. Your auto token update begins now.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Welcome to the Kindness Chronicles, where once again we hope to inject the world with a dose of the Minnesota kindness that it desperately needs. It's real smoky outside here in Matamidai, Minnesota. It's coming from the boundary waters. Jeff is back there tooling away on his uh his magic machine. Hi, Steve. Hi. Uh KG is out again. He's uh we're gonna have to have him on as a special guest one of these days.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

At some point. No.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

But Jeff, you've been working real hard on this one.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

I'm super excited. Well, take it, man. Every four years, the world comes together for soccer's biggest tournament.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

So Fernandez! Argentina! They always find a way!

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Nations unite. Fans cheer. And for one unforgettable month, the world's captivated by a single goal. But this year's a different kind of World Cup. The players weren't professional athletes, they were volunteers. They came from four continents and five countries. But in Malawi, they all wore the same colors and played for the same team. Their trophy wasn't made of gold, it was clean water. And together they helped create new wells for seven schools, supported regenerative agriculture on local farms, and transformed schools and dormitories through the generosity of Salesforce volunteers. Their efforts will help bring easier access to clean water for more than 2,000 students. Today, we relive the journey through the eyes of those who lived it and discover what happens when people from around the world unite with one mission and one goal. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the Kindness Chronicles, the Salesforce team, and the Wash for Life team. Welcome everyone. Can you hear us okay? Sure can. Was it February, John, that you were here on our last episode?

SPEAKER_08 2:15

Yeah, February Papa Steve and I were present with some of our team from the prior year that uh was involved with this project in Africa. And with us today are some others that have uh joined the team since.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Awesome. You were getting ready for your trip, which took place in May back to Malawi. I remember you had said you were interested in kind of getting a more international exposure. How do you feel about how it came together? Why don't you introduce who we have on the team and what country they're from?

SPEAKER_08 2:46

Yeah, it was pretty cool. Like uh last year we had US and Canada represented, and this year I just kind of felt that if we can broaden awareness, um it would increase the impact, um, as well as maybe lessen some of the travel. So I kind of had my eye on Europe, honestly, thinking, well, they're closer in and maybe they can travel easier than the rest of us coming from further away.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 3:11

Um so I just kind of reached out and our company were in the business in 30 different countries and uh tried to make our story from last year uh available so that for people to learn about. And you the podcast in February was helpful to get a real snapshot of what life is like in Malawi and what impact we potentially could make. And I put the invitation out there and found a whole bunch of like-minded folks. Um uh Julia here is my daughter. She was with us last year as well. Uh, but everybody else uh that joined us was new. Uh, they came from, as Jeff said, various different countries US, Canada, Argentina, uh, UK, uh, Australia. And what was really fun was when we got there, when we realized that almost everybody was from somewhere else originally, uh, in the sense that we had other countries like Poland and Italy and uh Ecuador, and I'm probably forgetting someone, Japan, India, all representing.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Awesome job. That's cool. And when you got there, it's almost like you formed your own unified World Cup team to help these kids. And I've noticed on the right there, kind of the ringleader of this whole thing. Uh, we call him Papa Steve. He's the coach of this team. And uh, can I call you Steve, or do you want me to call you Papa or what? I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 4:34

I've been called so many things.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

You're welcome to how about just coach for this for this episode? We'll call you coach. And sounds great. The first day it looks like you guys went to somewhere called the Tembwe Farm. It was on the 17th of May. Tell us about Patrick and how you met him.

SPEAKER_06 4:51

I met Patrick when he was going to Lakeland University a number of years ago, actually, probably 11 years ago, uh, when he was attending Lakeland as a student, and then eventually he came back again to get his master's degree, and um he became a contacted friend, and he was highly respected by all the Malawians over there. So that's how I originally met him. And when the Grove Girls started to put this program together, he's a great school children putting this program that started this that we're all participating in. Um, he was the natural guy to go to. And he had actually done work on an aquaponics farm here in Sheboygan County. Many of the teachers at the school had been over there to help him build his business over there. So that's how we met Patrick. And over now that we've had uh 69 boreholes, and we've had such a wonderful uh relationship with he, his family feels like a second part of our family. And so that's basically how I met him.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

And boreholes are basically these wells that you're standing around right here, right? You put in wells and you've been doing that for how long?

SPEAKER_06 5:57

Uh basically, we started this program about 11 years ago and it continues to work. And so all these have come in since then. And of course, with Salesforce now, it's like everything's on steroids, everything the whole thing is picked up, and the energy is so much higher. So uh we're just so pleased.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Uh, Coach Mr. Papa Steve, uh, see, I threw it all in there. Coach Papa Steve. Uh we just had a picture of the whole group up there, and I'm wondering if you uh only invite attractive people to participate.

SPEAKER_06 6:28

Um there seems to be that's the number one that's the number one problem. Good-looking, wonderful people, and the thing you can't see is the size of their hearts. These people have better go on there. It really gets me. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

Um do we get to talk to Philip about what just happened in Argentina? Those messy jerseys. Clearly, there's some uh I don't know, favoritism going toward a particular team. Um that just tickles my heart to see that. Uh Philip?

SPEAKER_10 7:01

Well, uh, can you blame the Malawi people for choosing the right side? So, yeah, well, there's a lot of excitement here in Argentina. I'm based in Buenos Aires, which is the capital city of Argentina, and there's a hell of a noise outside. Argentina has just made its way into the World Cup semi-final uh finals by beating England in the semifinals. So we're against Spain on the finals on Sundays, and hopefully we'll be like that little kid over there at the focus enjoying on dancing ourselves around.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

So quite a match. You packed all these jerseys up and you donated not only jerseys but uh goals and maybe soccer balls and things. Tell us a little about what you brought on this trip.

SPEAKER_10 7:50

Yeah, well, I I decided there's this kind of like a funny feeling about us Argentines that we want to share our world, our country with all the whole world. So I decided it was a great idea to pack soccer jerseys or soccer as you call it, we call it football. Um, and what better thing to do it than to pack a messy jersey? He is he's our best ambassador, and uh football is something worldwide, you know. It's not exclusive to any country, it's not like uh maybe rugby, baseball, or American football. Yeah, and um so I decided it was a great idea to to share our flag in that way. Uh and John over, uh John took some uh soccer goals, and then uh Tom had taken some football, some some soccer balls, and it all came out, it all added up quite naturally because um you just need a soccer ball to be happy with that. Uh you don't need more than that. And when you added the goals, the kids were like over the moon, you know. Wow, they really enjoyed the fact of now they have uh a soccer pitch in their in their own um orphanage, it's in it's in their own home, you know, and that that is quite something.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

That's super fun. I just have to one last Argentina thing. Yeah, my son works for an accounting firm, uh PWC, which is a big, big accounting firm, and some of his favorite co-workers happen to be from Argentina. He said they're just the the hardest working, kindest people. So let's hear it. You know, not only are you good at soccer, football, whatever we're calling it, we're you're also apparently good at counting beans.

SPEAKER_10 9:33

It would seem so, yeah. There's a lot of uh it's a big company over here in Argentina. Very cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

What is it like to be a guest at a family farm like that uh in an orphanage? Do you feel welcomed or are they scared of you? What happens when you first arrive at a place like that?

SPEAKER_05 9:55

I would say um, maybe at first there's a little bit of like intimidation on both sides. Like I think it's kind of like, oh what? It's a little it's just uh unfamiliar situation, I feel like, for a lot of people going into that. But then as soon as one person smiles or like wades or even like high-fives, there's a lot of high-fighting, a lot of handshaking, someone like breaks the ice, it's immediate um smiles and like welcomes, and even sing song singing and gift giving and just everything all over the place. And so I think it can be intimidating at first, but then you see how welcoming they are and how happy um the kids and teachers and staff and everyone that's there to welcome us and um know like how far I guess we came to be there and how much we want to be there.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Do you set this up through like the State Department, through the embassy? How is it that you make the connection? Um you don't just show up, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_08 11:03

I will begin that and then I'll maybe bounce to Bapa Steve, but it's his relationship with the individual mentioned earlier, Patrick Temway, who owns the farm, which actually resides just next door to the orphanage. So there's a relationship there from back in the day that they've known each other for 10, you know, 15 years, whatever it's been. And now uh there's been uh annual visit um that we've grown to establish. And um, I think the very first time that they, or one of the times that they were visiting the farm, no one had been to the orphanage uh from the wash team, and they went over there and just introduced themselves, and it's it's gone from there. So um, so it's really through that relationship that it began.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_08 11:46

My first year was last year, and we you know showed up at the farm, and I I do remember understanding that as I was there, is in the distance there's a tree that there was just filled with children uh because they were watching us at the farm because they knew we were coming. So it's like they could climb the tree and they were they were noticing us there because they I think had an expectation for us to arrive in the afternoon over by now.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Joey, what did it feel like when they were singing to you like that there?

SPEAKER_09 12:23

Oh man, uh as Julia mentioned, they they have a song and dance for everything. I feel like from welcoming us to uh just the program that they plan for us in the auditorium. I think just hearing their voices and no instruments, um, just the a cappella voices really just moved me to tears and gave me goosebumps in the moment, just because the passion, the conviction, the love that they sing with um would touch anyone's heart, really. And just the privilege to be there in person, um and to even just share a few gospel songs and play my guitar with some of the kids just uh really touched my heart.

SPEAKER_03 13:08

Yeah, I I feel like uh in the last visit that we had with your group, the group that went ahead of you had the same uh experience. They heard these kids' voices from afar, and as they got closer, um the kids uh you know welcomed them with this song. And I think it's so amazing how you guys, you know, the the language is not a barrier with link with music. Once you get music going, it is such a connector, and uh that's kind of a theme with our show we see all the time. Looks like you have a little travel guitar there, that's kind of cool.

SPEAKER_09 13:40

Yeah, I was able to find that on Marketplace because my my standard guitar is a little too bulky to bring on the I'm just curious how you what's the difference between a travel guitar?

SPEAKER_02 13:50

Is it because is it?

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Well, either either he's an enormously large man. No, it's a it's like uh it's just a easier to travel with. Uh guitars are pretty big. That's uh you know, like a western style guitar. It's not a ukulele, that's a guitar, and uh, and it's just like a great a great thing you could bring along.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

So where are we calling? Where are you calling from? From California, the San Francisco Bay Area.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

Oh, okay, very cool. Yeah, we're all over the place. Yeah. Um, I want to hear from Sarah. Is it about a chicken gift? What's that all about? Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_04 14:23

Absolutely. Hi everyone, Sarah. I'm based in Toronto, Canada. Thanks for having me. Uh yeah, the chicken story. Uh, last year, if you listened to the previous episode, you would have heard that we were gifted a chicken at one of the schools.

SPEAKER_07 14:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_04 14:38

And that this year we were gifted two chickens at one of the schools. Um, and in addition to that, visiting Patrick's farm, um, what seems to be uh tradition is we catch the chickens. We, as in the folks who went on this trip, we capture the chickens, um, slaughter the chickens, and then they go off and they cook it for us, and it becomes part of our lunch. Um so, you know, sounds a little bit odd to receive chickens as a gift and to go to someone's house and you know, they make you slaughter the chicken and eat it. But um, I got very curious about this because it seemed to be a theme. And after doing some research, it really we should be very honored to be a part of this um tradition at the Temboy farm and to be gifted chickens because we are very privileged in the areas we come from where you know you can store chicken in your freezer, you could go to the store and buy chicken if you want to cook it. Um whereas in Malawi, they don't necessarily have fridges. And so um, you know, if someone slaughters a chicken to feed their guests, um, it's really uh active, you know, um hospitality and um respect and honor. Um, because if you think about how much time went into raising that chicken, it's not like they have an unlimited amount of chickens in their coops. They maybe have five or six chickens. So it's quite an honor for you know Patrick and his family to take two of their chickens and then, you know, slaughter them and feed them to us is really an act of them welcoming us and them showing us how important we are as visitors and how honored they are to have us. Um so yeah, that's what I learned. And I think, you know, going into this trip next year, I we'll probably look at that experience very differently.

SPEAKER_02 16:40

And I would imagine you'd be expecting three chickens if we're doing the uh you know, managing the numerology. You know, I've always uh I I can't help but make a comment like, you know, I've never really been a fan of getting to know my food before I eat it. Um, but this puts a lovely twist in the concern there. As she mentioned, we live in a very different place. My question is what language do they speak in Malawi?

SPEAKER_04 17:07

Um what is the main language? There's multiple languages spoken.

SPEAKER_06 17:14

Chichawa and English. Are they two government approved languages?

SPEAKER_02 17:19

So English is one of the government approved languages?

SPEAKER_06 17:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_08 17:24

That helps a lot. But not necessarily well known by many.

SPEAKER_06 17:29

It helps a lot in the in the cities, not necessarily the villages.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Okay. I understand, uh Sarah, you had to kind of pull together a lot of equipment and supplies to bring there. And what are we looking at here?

SPEAKER_04 17:43

Yes. So this is my mother. God bless her. Um, I brought her over to my house um when I had a friend of a friend donate 36 sheet sets for the beds at the orphanage. Oh, sweet. Um, and you know, I was very excited to receive this until I realized, oh, I need to somehow get these sheet sets to Malawi. And at this point, I had already connected so many donations from friends and family. And I knew I needed to get these sheet sets over there because it would be such a blessing to the orphanage. And so, you know, I used my call a friend and I called up my mom and she came over and helped me um, you know, remove all of the packaging from the sheet sets, um, full them in a way that they would be more compact. And then we vacuum sealed everything to get them to fit in the suitcases. So um I guess one of my one of the things that was a bit nerve-wracking for me on this trip was um being nervous about customs opening up one of the vacuum-sealed bags because everything half like sardines into my suitcase, everything was vacuum sealed. And so I was concerned that they would pierce one of those packages and there would be no way I could get that back into my suitcase. So thankfully that did not happen. Um, but you know, a bit a bit of a tip for those who are going next year, the vacuum sealing method really did work for me. I was able to fit everything into my suitcase and get all those 36 sheet sets over, along with all the other donations that I had collected.

SPEAKER_03 19:19

So, what was the reaction to the sheet set? I'm curious. What what was the kids' thoughts and what what did they say about it?

SPEAKER_04 19:27

Yeah, so the the sheet sets weren't unpacked with the kids. Ingrid, who is the founder of the orphanage, was great very grateful for them. And um, you know, there's just so much thought that went into that. Like the donor who donated that, um, deciding to pick sheets that had like fun patterns on them versus just solid sheets I thought was very special. And that donor also donated um like name labels so that the kids could actually label some of their belongings because I feel like in an orphanage everything is shared. So it's special for a kid to be able to kind of label something as their own. And so, yeah, just very thoughtful people who contributed to this.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

I often think of the practicality of of uh of travel like that. What did your bag weigh with 36 sheet sets in it? I I have a wife who has an ability to travel with uh you know 75 pounds of shoes for a week-long trip. Shoes she wearing.

SPEAKER_04 20:34

Yeah, I did have to check an extra bag, so I was traveling traveling with four pieces of luggage.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

Okay, wow. That sounds like my wife. So very nice. That's cool.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

Um I well, I have a I have a logistic kind of question about this.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

We're interested in the logistics.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

No, I'm more more about like, okay, the group that went last year, um they went to an orphanage, and is this the same orphanage? Are you going to the same spot and then you go out and and help with the water, or are you re uh going to different orphanages? That's my that's my main question.

SPEAKER_08 21:11

Yeah, I'll take that. That's a perfect question. In the sense that the the day one with the farm in the orphanage was uh indeed the same. Okay. Um, however, every day thereafter is different, uh, in the sense that Papa Steven, his organization, has been raising funds uh throughout the the year that then builds war holes and wells in different villages and communities around the country.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 21:35

So uh other than the first day when we go to the familiar spot, uh every other place was new and had it just received uh that gift of water uh for the first time.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

Cool. Okay, that's what I thought.

SPEAKER_02 21:47

I just was curious about how that kind of laid out, but it's sort of a ceremonial moment when you arrive there every time because it's kind of your can you explain what a what a day is like, you know, when you're when you're providing the Water, what what is the process that you go through and how does that all work?

SPEAKER_05 22:04

Um, we get there after a long bus ride, and we're very welcomed by a lot of sometimes feel like it depends on different schools, but a lot of times it's a lot of kids welcoming us, very excited, just for like guests or for a new schedule, a school schedule, and um the teachers are there to welcome us as well. And sometimes we spend some time in the classrooms to interact a little bit closer with the kids and maybe talk to the teachers and try to try to teach a little lesson or just have some interaction. Um, and then we go to the borehole, like where it was built, and there's usually a sign for who donated it so we can say thank you to them and thank you for this to the school. And then sometimes a lot of the times the school will have something for us, like a speech prepared, or some kids will do like a poem for a dance, um, and yeah, give us some some welcoming, and it's usually how it goes, but you never know. There's always something that's thrown in the middle of it.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Julia, what's it like going on a trip like this with your dad?

SPEAKER_05 23:23

And is it your first question?

SPEAKER_01 23:25

Is it your first one?

SPEAKER_05 23:27

This is my second one.

SPEAKER_03 23:28

Second one, okay.

SPEAKER_05 23:29

So yeah, this is my second year doing this specific trip, but on that topic, I would say that we've done some volunteer trips like this in the past, and um he he's done many, and then I've tagged along on maybe three that are different from Wash for Life. So I'd say it's really special to like have that shared interest and to have that um the role model to to want to do those things and like the shared interest of traveling and volunteering. So it's really special to be able to share that. And also, Wash for Life has made it even more of a community and a home. And yeah, it's always funny when people ask how I get involved in it, and I'm like, I you'll have to ask my dad. It's exciting, it's really cool. It's fun to be able to um yeah, talk about it and have like a family connection.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

I do have a quick question for dad. Um, does uh Julia try to control all the music? Like do you have to listen to her music constantly?

SPEAKER_08 24:34

Uh she's she's got a good musical face. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

That's a great answer.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Good response.

SPEAKER_08 24:39

Um, but she's she's actually a lot of help. Um so like the first year, I mean, social media, you know, she kind of helped with that kind of stuff and photos and all the things that I am not as good at. Um, and then the second year having her there just being a veteran, I I'd say for the group that you know hadn't been there, she's coaching me a bit and things that I should should know. And and and it was great traveling together.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Speaking of traveling, you know, Philip, I was struck by what you shared during our prep call, a little bit about life in Argentina and what that's like, and how you were blown away at the sheer scale of what you saw. Tell us a little about what you were sharing with me about the kids and how the team kind of grew and bonded.

SPEAKER_10 25:27

Sure. So for coming from Argentina, there are I kind of spotted it for some some similarities on uh areas of poverty. But um because Argentina is also a very vast country, you know, it's it's it's a huge country and it's got a lot of it it's not that populated in its own areas. So riding around those long bus rides that Julia mentioned, it felt like something I knew like um finding just a home and then another home and eventually you find a school. Uh but what blew my mind was that all of a sudden in one of the schools, two thousand kids just rushed to the van and and and they the the sheer joy of us being there and it was seen it it was what what's impressive is it's not something of just one school. It's something that you find all around the place. And maybe if even if you're not stopping at the school, you know, might you might be going on the road and and kids see the van and they rush to the van and just waving. It might not stop, but they're still waving and trying to to to get a hi from you. And uh so that was amazing. It was beautiful to see. You know, it was the sheer joy of us being there and being to share being able to share with us. Um and and the team, yeah. It went we all came together for that. As John said, we're all from different places, but uh the there was a feeling of a family in there. It was uh we're all united through that cause, and it uh it felt beautiful for everyone, I'd say.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Just um for those of you that don't know, Steve Brown, who's here with us, is a uh a bona fide rock star here. And uh when your tour bus rolls into town, you get the same kind of reaction, don't you? From from the people. No, no, not really. Okay, it's very different.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

No, but I I know what you're saying, and I the the it must just it you are the most exciting thing that's happening in that town in that moment. You your arrival of your group, even if your group is going through, they see it as something exciting, right? Something exciting is going on, something new, something different. Um to be a part of that, especially like I like how Jeff put this whole thing together in that it's a you know, you're a team uh from around the world, people from everywhere. You're unified in that feeling in that moment together. That's uh that's gotta be something you never forget.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Joey happens to be a very talented barista in addition to his guitar playing skills. So I understand he helped give everyone a nice hot, freshly brewed cup of coffee during a tough day. But we also had Philip brewing green tea, I guess, on the bus while they were driving through Africa and fill and giving everyone fresh green tea. Is that right, Philip?

SPEAKER_10 28:25

It's not actually green tea, it's uh mate, which is the Argentine drink. The way to describe it was uh like like tea for everyone to understand that it's uh healthy and there's nothing wrong with it. Um but it's not our most iconic beverage.

SPEAKER_11 28:43

Really?

SPEAKER_10 28:44

And what is it called?

SPEAKER_11 28:45

What's it called?

SPEAKER_10 28:47

It's called mate, it's called like uh spelled like mate. Oh and it's about sharing because I drink on this and I I'd add some water and I'd share it with an extreme, and it's all about sharing. It's on a different scale as Joey's coffee who was there up to get everyone on a rise and shine in the morning, early in the morning. Uh so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

I have a question for Papa Steve. Coach Papa Steve. Coach Papa Steve, uh, as you've been living this for as long as you have, uh you must just feel tell us how you feel about the sort of the legacy that you've created.

SPEAKER_06 29:30

Well, first of all, I feel I'm I'm so grateful that I'm part of the legacy. I don't feel like I've created anything, but I've been part of it. I look at us all as being on a train. Uh who's running the train, where it's going, it's not up to me. It's up to everybody and a spirit that's bigger than all of us, as far as I'm concerned. But I'm just so happy to see what's going on and to have people of all ages get together, be able to receive joy, to be able to do things for each other, to be able to bring our world together is I think is absolutely phenomenal. And it's brought, I've I've I've been retired now for a number of years, and uh I never thought I'd receive so much joy thanks to everybody here, and all the friends of my life. I never thought I'd be able to receive this kind of joy uh at this stage in my life, and it just again reminds me that it's available to everybody.

SPEAKER_01 30:22

That's just wonderful. Yeah, so cool.

SPEAKER_06 30:24

Can I ask a question, though, as long as everybody's here, Jeff?

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 30:29

I got a question. I got a I got a um something in the mail from the I think everybody was at the long way hotel, and somebody forgot something. And I was wondering if this on on the front of it, on the front of it, it it says it says team cap team captain. In size wondering if anybody forgot this.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

What in the world is that, Coach Papa?

SPEAKER_06 30:53

I don't know. Oh, John's laughing the most.

SPEAKER_08 30:55

Maybe he can tell you.

SPEAKER_03 30:57

What is that, John?

SPEAKER_08 30:58

It's it is kind of interesting to look at that zoomed in. Um, I did not leave it uh in Malawi. I actually brought it with me, but it was a it was a gift uh that I was given, uh, award, maybe is another word, uh, while we were in Malawi. Uh others that had traveled before me were given it, and this year it was my turn. Um, it's called, I guess it's goat. Uh it's a goat, it's goat skin crown. Uh it would fit on Papa Steve's head if he were to attempt to wear it. Okay. Very nice. Okay. For those of you listening, it's not worn.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

So uh for those of you the the people that are listening uh to this podcast, instead of watching it on YouTube, could you describe what this uh what this it's it's kind of Franken looking?

SPEAKER_03 31:47

Gold tail.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Multicolored ring crown full of fur, basically is what it is.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

And it's a one-size-fits-all sort of situation.

SPEAKER_06 31:58

Absolutely. And the idea being that gold stands for greatest of all time. Absolutely. Uh the reason John got there's only been a couple of people that have received it. And the reason John got it is because he is certainly the team captain for Salesforce. He's done a phenomenal job of bringing everybody together, works extremely hard, and is also like everybody at Salesforce has made a huge difference. So we wanted to be sure that John received that and received it hopefully in front of all of you. I hope we embarrassed, I mean, I hope we really feel good about it.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

Honored you, yes. Well, that's very cool.

SPEAKER_06 32:33

I think he should.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

John, you didn't want any of that attention, and I understand that, but it's well deserved because you organize this group, and just based on how everybody's responding to you, I can tell that they do feel like you're the greatest of all time. But tell us about what you did there with funding of the wells and how many you installed, and how we can help get the word out.

SPEAKER_08 32:57

Sure. Yeah, I mean, every dollar matters to to the cause of building these wells and other projects that we've taken on while there. Um, from the Salesforce perspective, though, we kind of set a goal that everybody would raise a certain amount of money. Um, that amount uh through the Salesforce uh program uh is doubled. Um so if somebody donate uh raises $500, it becomes $1,000 and it all goes toward the cause of building uh borehole or well for our community in need. Those are identified throughout the year and then selected based on you know their application. Uh we've also uh been able to extend that beyond the boreholes in some situations. So for example, we uh fixed the roof that was uh we we didn't personally fix it, but uh we donated the money that paid the individuals that uh repaired the roof that had termite damage. Um and we're planning now uh what we do next with some of the other funds that have been donated from the individuals that are traveling or from their friends at work or from their family outside of work. So everybody you know contributes something and it comes to a certain amount that we then are be able to take on these projects uh and help the folks that you know can benefit from them.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

The pictures that we're seeing of these children in Malawi just scream oxytocin joy. Joy. The joyfulness what describe why can't we be like that? Why can't we experience that kind of joy here in the good old USA?

SPEAKER_08 34:40

Yeah, um, I don't know if I can say this right, but one of the folks that was with us, Sanchi, had kind of written about that uh post-trip, and uh she wrote about abundance and scarcity and the abundance that we all have, and and and that is more physical uh conveniences, uh but maybe we're scarce in some of the the you know internal uh feelings that we all have, and there it's kind of the opposite.

SPEAKER_02 35:07

God, what a brilliant observation! Yep, yep, very smart.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Just kind of illustrating on that. This is kind of a funny story, uh, but listen to the kids singing and rejoicing and laughing and having fun as the Americans and the tourists or missionaries, I should say, are trying to figure out how to do what they do, which is carry the water on their head. Um, and they're just enjoying it.

SPEAKER_08 35:32

There is the the the water is retrieved by the children uh in a pail from a stream um until the barhole now resides outside their school, and then they can fill the pail more easily, but they still have to carry the pail and they still have to pump the well, right? But so here we are. There's uh Sarah or I or others on the team taking our turn to see if we could possibly balance that five-gallon pail of water on our head and walk down the street as they do, and you'll see the the two that could and those that couldn't.

SPEAKER_04 36:04

So mind you, it's an empty pail that we're trying to balance in the audience belt.

SPEAKER_08 36:10

And one more thing is there in the picture that just previous to this one was Patrick Tenway. Um uh so this is one of the students at the school, uh, but just before that was uh the farm uh owner that we spoke to.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

And I was just gonna mention, as a person with an unusually large cranium, I feel like this might have been something that I would have excelled at.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

You missed your calling.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

Yeah, I missed my calling. You remember, like, did any of you play high school football like the American football? They used to hand out helmets at the beginning of the season, and they would all the kids on the team would get one kind of helmet, and the coach would look at me and say, We got something special for you, kid. And honestly, I had to wear a different brand of a helmet, and to this day I I'm I'm troubled by that. Um it's clearly I've got problems, but uh again, a lot of brains. Yeah, is that what it is? Yeah, I'm not sure that's the case.

SPEAKER_03 37:04

That looked like so much fun just in that moment, playing, you know, doing that game of of trying that. It's so unique for Americans to do anything like that. Um, I I've been to India myself, and um just being in a different culture, it it brings everything in a new frame of light. And I would love to be a part of something like that. I know exactly how that must feel, and I that's I think anyone should be encouraged to get involved and do things like this because it's unifying us and it's bringing us together, making the world smaller.

SPEAKER_11 37:36

You should get a job at uh Salesforce.com. I should.

SPEAKER_08 37:39

You know, that would that wouldn't be it's not limited to them. So we had others and work at Salesforce. We had Vanessa who works at university in Australia, and any family, friends, or podcasters or else.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Podcasters, yes, should do a show out there, that'd be great. Help them out and do a little show.

SPEAKER_06 37:59

It's can I make an invitation?

SPEAKER_01 38:01

Absolutely to any one of our listeners or ourselves.

SPEAKER_06 38:04

If you if you'd like to come along, or any of your group would like to come along, there's a special celebration of a birthday, at least I think it is next June when we're going about in the third week. I won't tell you how old I'm going to be, but we're going to celebrate it at the 80th borehole that we have. Wow. And so I don't know. Julia's asked if she could be the one to dump a bucket of water over Papa Steve's head. I I'd love to have you do that, Julia. I'm afraid there's 10 people in line who will have to take a do a raffle or something. But Jeff, I would put you in that group as well if you want. Birthday party? So we we're gonna do that next year, and uh by that time we'll be serving over 80,000 children with such a simple thing as water.

SPEAKER_03 38:46

Wow, beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 38:47

Avoid it that make the difference.

SPEAKER_03 38:49

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Is this just um leading up to your safari then that you kind of cap your trip off with?

SPEAKER_06 38:57

Yeah, we end up with a safari because it's just such a beautiful experience. Most of the people around the world that we've gone with, including myself, when I've been there four times, this will be my fifth time. Um, and by the way, I brought five of my grandchildren. I hope to bring the other two this the spring. Um, but uh going on a safari, everybody just loves it. It's a good chance for us to sit back and uh see nature in its natural in a regular form and just the animals we don't have a chance to see, and also sit back and just to enjoy each other's company.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

Wonderful. Well, I I would assume that Philip at some point would like to get out and party with the rest of his Argentinian uh he's ready to hit Argentine.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

How is it Argentine? Is that how we ask him? Was this a strategy on your part to kind of begin spreading Argentina fans throughout the world as you guys take over uh football soccer as we know it?

SPEAKER_10 39:49

Well, we've got the best team in the world. Now we've got the biggest out of Africa. That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 39:55

I love it. Can I just say thank you for all of you for showing us how to share your skills, your time, your energy, your talents, and your compassion uh for for other people that would never get that? I I that just means a lot to everybody that's listening.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Yeah, I I second. What an experience for the people that get to you know to participate in that. I myself have I'm an avid indoorsman, so some of the outdoor stuff that you have there looks a little uncomfortable for me. Um is there a JW Marriott in Malawi? That uh probably not. Okay. They'd find something for you. Just take a lot of pictures for me, Steve. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

Well, it's an absolute pleasure to have you back, and uh, we'll do whatever we can. We're gonna include links to those websites that we saw where people can donate and help out or inquire about a trip.

SPEAKER_08 40:46

Thank you for what you all do. Um, it's cool. Um appreciative uh you're including us in that, and we'd love to be back and some of the last 15 minutes, a lot of stories we did not include in the 16 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 41:00

Wonderful. And hey, happy 40th birthday next year, Papa Steve. That's gonna be fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

Alright, thank you, everybody.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

Have a great one for your weekly dose of positive propaganda. Subscribe on YouTube and wherever fine podcasts are found.