Living Waters Guatemala Project UpdatePrecious Pure Water In this country we use purified water not only to drink, but to bathe, flush our toilets, water our lawns and put out fires. Would you want to live in a country in which the only pure water must be purchased in bottles? We give thanks that our country has been prosperous enough and our forbears visionary enough to create our countrywide system of water purification. For countries less fortunate there are many infant deaths, stunted growth in children, and recurring adult illnesses due to drinking impure water. These are countries where typhoid fever is common and occasional epidemics of cholera may kill hundreds or thousands of people. Living Waters for the World (LWW), a mission resource of the Synod of Living Waters of the Presbyterian Church (USA), trains and equips mission teams to share the gift of clean, sustainable water with communities in need. LWW water treatment systems and related educational programs fill a critical niche in the world water crisis - communities with available but contaminated water. Churches of all denominations and civic organizations are welcome to participate with us in this life-changing work. Our local group is jointly sponsored by First Presbyterian Church and the Elizabethtown Noon Rotary Club. We also receive support from the Elizabethtown Lions Club, several other area Rotary clubs, individual donations and proceeds from the Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours concert. Our most ambitious trip is coming up in October when we hope to install water purification systems in four different communities. We would appreciate any support. Current Operating Partners Caserio Tuilo'j - Originally Installed in Aldea Casaca in 2008 and moved to Tuilo'j in 2009 because of problems with the water source, it is serving the smallest community of all our partners, about 40 families. They are giving most of the clean water away through the local church and school. In addition to the water system we were able to restore hearing to Doris Garcia, the 11 year old deaf daughter of the system operator. The Elizabethtown Lions club financed the doctor visits and purchased a hearing aid for her. Now she is speaking for the first time after only a year of hearing. San Rafael Petzal - Installed in 2008, it is serving a community of about 2,000 people with plans to expand service to 8 other small communities near by. They also experienced challenges with the water source, but are now back in operation and have acquired a 3-wheel delivery vehicle to deliver the water to all the communities around them, a population of about 6,000 people. San Sebastian, Iglesia de Cristo Palabra Miel Agua Viva - Installed in 2009, this church changed its name by adding Agua Viva (Living Water) when the water system was installed. They are providing clean water to a community of about 2,000. They also offered to host the first Living Waters Operators Conference for all the water system operators in the department of Huehuetenango in February 2010. They are doing it again in October when we return. Huehuetenango, Iglesia Nueva Jerusalen - Installed in 2009 they are providing clean water to an orphanage and 2 schools as well as the members of their church. They have been constrained by the amount of raw water they had access to, but now have acquired the rights more water which will more than double the capacity of their water system. The two churches that became operating partners in 2009 were a direct result of the translators that worked with the team in 2008. When they saw how these water systems were changing lives, they wanted their churches to become involved. Malacatancito, Iglesia de Dios Fuego Santo - Installed in 2010, Pastor Nelson Ramos had heard about the water systems and attended the operators conference to learn more. Four months later a water system was installed at his church providing clean water to about 60 families in Malacatancito from a well owned by Pastor Nelson. He and his father Neftaly Ramos are the system operators. It is one of the fastest growing systems serving more families every week.  Dr. Bill Handley next to the water system at Casa Materna | Huehuetenango, Casa Materna - Our newest operating partner installed in May 2011, provides clean water for their patients. Every year thousands of pregnant women and their families from the remote mountain villages of Huehuetenango come to Casa Materna to receive prenatal care and live there while waiting to deliver. Casa Materna is located across the road from the national hospital in Huehuetenango and when it is time, the women are walked to the hospital to deliver their babies. The list of required things that patients must bring with them to the hospital includes clean water.
 Partners Waiting for a System
Three churches have signed covenant agreements to operate water systems for their communities and are waiting for the team to return in October.
The Huehuetenango Health Department studied 3 different water purification systems and selected the Living Waters system as the most reliable. They will install a system in their headquarters to supply clean water free of charge to 33 health clinics and 3 national hospitals located throughout the department of Huehuetenango, the second most populated department in Guatemala, about 1 million people. The potential for this system to have a huge impact on the health of all the people in Huehuetenango is very exciting. The Line Continues to Grow El Manzanillo like many other mountain communities heard about the water systems and requested an opportunity to learn more. The team visited with them briefly in May and will spend more time there when we return in October. With each trip to the western highlands of Guatemala the team is approached by more and more communities that desperately need clean water. The system hardware alone costs about $3,000, but it will produce 300 gallons of clean water every hour when operated continuously. Will you help to share the gift of clean water? |
