Go Beyond | Water

My friends Geremias and Antonio serve on the staff of Agua Viva El Salvador. These guys along with the rest of the staff there host teams that come to drill water wells in impoverished communities. Geremias and Antonio were assigned to lead our Kingsland team in drilling a water well last week for the people of Los Robles, a small village nestled in the hills not far from the Pacific Ocean.

A few days ago, Geremias emailed me a few photos that he took during our time in Los Robles. I was especially moved by the photos of the children. In one photo, a young boy named Julio is holding a New Testament given to him by Marina, a hygiene specialist with Agua Viva. You can see the intensity in Julio’s face as he prays to invite Jesus to live in his heart. He was one of sixteen people who professed faith in Christ that week.

In another of my favorite photos, a group of children are assembled around their new water-well. Again, you can see the intensity as these children placed their hands on the pump and expressed their gratitude to God for their new water-well. They know what this clean source of water will mean to their families and how much time it will save them. Because I grew up with an abundant supply of running water in my home, I never once prayed at the faucet or stopped to give thanks for water. I just took it for granted.

In another photo that Geremias sent me, a little boy is bending over and drinking the fresh, cool water that our team provided. He was sincerely grateful and drank with enthusiasm. I can’t remember the last time I was actually excited about drinking water. In fact, I don’t drink enough water — and the thought of drinking more water than I do sends me reaching for a Diet Coke instead. But for those who have limited access to water, there is nothing better or more refreshing than two cupped hands filled with clean water.

I’m glad that Geremias sent me the photos of the kids. They remind me of how blessed I am to live in a place where water is at the very bottom of my list of concerns. These photos also remind me that what is at the bottom of my list is at the top of the list for 844 million people on the planet who lack access to clean and safe water. I’m glad that we will return to Central America three more times in the coming year to provide the poor with water and the Word.

Along the Pan American Highway in El Salvador

The Pan American Highway is the world’s longest road, stretching from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska all the way to Tierra del Fuego in South America. La Panamericana, as it is known in El Salvador, winds its way through 23 countries and boasts some of the most beautiful vistas on the planet. This morning, our water-well drilling team decided to travel down the portion of La Panamericana between Playa Salinitas in the district of Sonsonate to Cuscatlán International Airport located just south of San Salvador.

I have traveled this route once before and fell in love with the drive. The views of the Pacific Ocean along the way are nothing short of magnificent. On many stretches along the way, the road is completely shaded by trees forming an arbor tunnel. And, the road also passes through five tunnels blasted through solid rock. Add to all of this sights of fishermen mending their nets, colorful boats, fruit vendors on the side of the road, and you have all the makings of an enjoyable drive.

When we arrived in San Salvador, we stopped by a scenic overlook to take in a panoramic view of the capital city. From our vantage point we could see thousands of homes and could easily identify bigger structures like beautiful cathedrals with their heavenward-reaching spires. The evidence that El Salvador is proud of its Christian heritage is seen everywhere. From public busses adorned with colorful messages like “Jesus es Señor” to street vendors with names like “Tortilleria Bendiciones de Dios.”

We head back to the States early in the morning, grateful to God for a great week among the people of Los Robles, a village we had never heard about until a week ago. Long ago the people of Los Robles began praying for a water-well and this week that prayer was answered. And now, the people of Los Robles will forever have a place in our hearts. Their village is now a part of the geography of our lives. Although names may fade over time, our experience of working shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Los Robles will remain with us for a lifetime.

Los Robles, El Salvador

People who do not have access to a reliable source of clean water often suffer from water-related diseases. According to Living Water International, “water-related diseases cause 2.2 million deaths a year; every day, diarrhea takes the lives of 2,000 children in Africa—more than any other single cause of death. Safe water, a toilet, and clean hands could prevent 90% of these deaths.” That’s why hygiene training is an important part of every water-well drilling initiative.

This week, while our team of guys worked hard to drill a water-well for the people of Los Robles, our friend Marina Medrano focused on teaching women and children important lessons on basic hygiene. She is an amazing lady — a gifted teacher and story-teller and very knowledgeable about all things hygiene. We take for granted that everyone in this day and age knows how germs are spread.  Marina knows otherwise.

All week, Marina has been surrounded by women and children. She has taught about everything from how germs are transmitted to how to properly brush one’s teeth. And she has done it all in very creative ways. Beyond teaching basic hygiene, Marina has taught the folks of Los Robles about Jesus and why He came. This week fourteen teenagers and two adults placed their faith in Christ for salvation as a result.

After we dedicated and presented the water-well this afternoon to the people of Los Robles, there was a buzz of activity around the well. Everyone was grateful for the new well in their village, and everyone was grateful for Marina’s good work. Mom’s and kids thanked her for the important lessons she had taught them and vowed to practice better hygiene. And Pastor Marcos will follow-up on the people who made spiritual decisions this week.

As always, it was hard saying goodbye to the people we have come to know and love this week. Los Robles is a tight-knit community of people doing their very best to survive from day-to-day. Like parents anywhere, the moms and dads here want for their kids to have opportunities for a better and healthier future. We are thankful to have played a small role in strengthening their community and being the answer to their prayers for clean water.

Los Robles, El Salvador

Marcos is a man of faith and one of the hardest working guys I have ever met. He is pastor of Iglesia Principe De Paz in the village of Los Robles. And he cares deeply about the people of his village. They are the sheep of his pasture and he takes seriously his responsibility to tend to his small flock. Within a short time it became apparent to me that the people of Los Robles hold Pastor Marcos in high regard.

The people of Los Robles have wanted a water-well for quite some time. The shallow hand-dug wells in the village produce dirty water and the closest river is named Río Sucio, translated Dirty River. The problem is that they have not had the money, even collectively, to hire someone to drill a well for them. Pastor Marcos told me that he has repeatedly reassured the people, “Debemos confiar en Dios” — “We must trust God.”

More than once Pastor Marcos and the people of the village have told us that we are the answer to their prayers. It’s been humbling to hear those words from so many different people. The gratitude in Los Robles is palpable. And Pastor Marcos has led the way with his words and with his work. Every day he calls each of our team members by name, tells us how happy he is to see us, and then rolls up his sleeves to join in the work.

Pastor Marcos is one of the hardest working pastors I have ever met on any of my travels (and I have been on a lot of travels). No task is too small for him and he does everything with a smile. And because he leads by example, his people follow him without hesitation. The men and women of Los Robles have not only worked hard, they have extended every kindness to us in order to make our time among them enjoyable.

This afternoon we put the finishing touches on the long-anticipated water-well for Los Robles. We all rejoiced when cool, clean water from deep beneath the village flowed to the surface. As we pumped water to the surface I looked over at Pastor Marcos. He was smiling. And so was every person there. This, I thought to myself, is what answered prayer looks like — the result of trusting God.

I always look forward to the people I will meet as I lead teams to serve in so many places around the world. I am especially glad to have met Pastor Marcos. I can’t help but believe that men like Marcos will be far ahead of me in the reward line in heaven. He serves joyfully in a tough place and is a faithful shepherd to his small flock. Los Robles is not as dark as it might otherwise be because of Pastor Marcos. He is leading the way in teaching his people what it means to trust God.

by Jason Hall, Team Leader | Aguacayo, El Salvador

We ended our wonderful week in El Salvador by formally dedicating the water well to the school in Aguacayo on Friday, March 1, 2013! There was a sense of excitement when we arrived, among the schoolchildren and among the members of our team. We were all very eager to see the finished well, and were exceedingly grateful to the dedicated staff of LWI El Salvador, who had worked late into Thursday night to make the dedication ceremony possible.

As we got out of the van, we were treated to the same endearing smiles and laughter that had greeted us each morning throughout the week, and we had a very nice time playing with the children in the school’s main courtyard for a while before the ceremony got started. Eventually, everyone gathered in the school’s “auditorium” and there the children played a variety of party games to earn candy prizes, as well as some of the donated toys and supplies that we had brought with us to El Salvador. Some of the kids seemed a little hesitant at first, but once they saw the prizes, things got very competitive, and a whole lot of fun!

After the games were complete, the multi-talented staff of LWI El Salvador put on a puppet show to entertain the kids, while at the same time reiterating some of the key concepts that had been taught throughout the week by the hygiene team. They were very careful to cover the meaning of differently-colored beads of the “salvation bracelets” that the kids would keep as a tangible reminder of God’s plan for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

Near the end of the program, our team starred in a Oscar-worthy portrayal of the story of the Good Samaritan. The Scriptures were read aloud in English and then translated into Spanish. Each member of the team participated, and I must say that our costumes really helped us get into character!

This was followed by heart-felt speeches of appreciation from the school’s principal, and from a couple of other parents, each of whom thanked us for coming and for caring about their village. By that point, I was too choked up to speak, so I was very grateful that team member Mary Crenshaw stepped forward to eloquently say the words that I couldn’t — essentially that WE were the ones who had been blessed that week by the people of Aguacayo, and that we had been compelled to serve out of our common love of Jesus Christ.

We concluded our time in the village by assembling at the new well on the hill overlooking the school. As everyone gathered around the well for prayer and dedication, the air was filled with joy and laughter as everyone watched the clean, clear water pour out of the spout!

On the front of the pump there is a small, simple plaque that reads, “This hand pump is dedicated to the people of this community by Living Water International to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. A cup of water in Jesus’ name. John 4:10-14.” Our sincere hope is that each and every member of this community will one day experience the “living water” offered by Jesus.

We are grateful, humbled, and honored to have been the team to drill the well that was funded by Kingsland’s kids. Please continue to pray for the people of Aguacayo, even as they pray for us.

We love you guys!
Jason

by Jason Hall, Team Leader | Aguacayo, El Salvador

Sometimes the sweetest victories in life occur after the toughest struggles. Today we arrived in Aguacayo ready to complete the well in the morning, and then dedicate it to the school in the early afternoon. Ultimately, things didn’t quite work out that way, but we still praise the Lord for a great day.

The morning started normally at the Living Water International (LWI) house, with a time of praise and worship (singing the same songs we sing in the U.S., but with a decidedly Central American twist!), as well as a powerful devotional, followed by a delicious breakfast. Then we loaded up the work truck with the rest of the equipment we’d need to complete the well (the pump mechanism, additional segments of PVC pipe, and metal rods) and headed for the village.

We made rapid progress in lowering the smaller PVC segments inside the well-bore, but as it turned out, the style of pump that we were installing for Aguacayo is an Afridev pump, and was almost as new to the El Salvador LWI staff as it was to us (it’s only the second one they’ve installed…they previously installed a type of pump called the India Mark II). As is often the case with new designs, there were a few “growing pains” as we tried to get everything working right.

Most of our difficulties had to do with lowering the down-hole pump to the required depth, as well as getting the all-important check valve located at the bottom of the well to seal properly such that water could be pumped to the surface. We worked on it for as long as we could, but ultimately, after a lot of blood, sweat (and maybe some tears), had to postpone the dedication ceremony that we had planned to do in the afternoon.

A little disappointed at not being able to hand the well over this afternoon, our team headed back to the Living Water International house, but the dedicated staff of LWI El Salvador remained at the well site, and with help and cooperation from the some men from the village, kept working until long after sundown in an attempt to finish the well early enough for us to participate in the ceremony before heading to the airport tomorrow.

Ultimately, their persistence paid off, and they finished the well! They called about 8:30 p.m. to tell us that they were pumping water, and that we would be dedicating the well tomorrow morning about 9:30 a.m.! That was great news to our team, on so many levels!  Mainly, because we know that the lives of hundreds of people will be forever changed by the gift of clean water. Secondly, it was a good reminder of how God answers our prayers, because soon after we had gotten back to the LWI house this evening, we walked out to the beach and offered God praise for our imperfect day, and we prayed that our friends at LWI who were still out there working on the well would be successful in their efforts. We committed everything to God, and He provided!

After all the struggles we encountered today, we are looking very forward to a sweet dedication ceremony tomorrow morning. We are very grateful to the LWI staff (and the people of the village) for hanging in there tonight and not giving up. Please continue to pray for our team.

We love you guys!
Jason

by Jason Hall, Team Leader | Aguacayo, El Salvador

Once again, we are thankful for a great day in the village of Aguacayo. After being greeted by the endearing laughter and joy of the precious little schoolchildren, we walked up the hill to put a few finishing touches on the well. We added a little more gravel down the well-bore until we had attained the desired level, and then we flushed the well for about an hour and a half to clear out any debris that might have accumulated downhole overnight. Then we removed all the pipe out of the hole and moved the large air compressor and drilling rig away from the well in preparation for pouring the concrete slab for the well-pad later in the day.

John Lummus and Clay Lewis. Who’s the guy in the middle?

We broke for a delicious lunch of pupusas, lovingly prepared by the cook at the school, and afterwards we set up a DVD player and projector in a large classroom so that the students at the school could watch the Jesus film and hear the powerful testimony of Angel, one of the staff members of Living Water International El Salvador. Both the film and Angel’s testimony were well-received, and many of the children seemed to be engrossed throughout. Although the school’s tight class schedule precluded a detailed follow-up, our sincere hope is that seeds were planted in fertile soil, and that all of these children will ultimately come to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

As the students were watching the film, a few of the men from the village helped the drilling team by mixing the concrete for the well-pad slab. There was a brief moment of apprehension when we seemed to be running short on materials with only half of the concrete poured, but the village of Aguacayo really came to the rescue!

Students to the rescue.

One of the teachers at the school put out a call for help, and seemingly out of nowhere a small army some of the older students, mostly in their early-to-mid teens, appeared and immediately went to work. Some of the guys were dispatched down the hill to fetch additional water from the well that had been drilled the previous week, while others were sent to retrieve some of the leftover sand. They were very diligent and very efficient. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever seen shovels and wheelbarrows move so quickly!  Seeing these kids so eager to help their own village was very impactful to the team, and demonstrated to us just how important this well is to them.

Jason Hall setting the dedication plaque into the concrete slab.

By the end of the day, the slab was complete. The concrete will set overnight, and we’ll install the pumping mechanism tomorrow morning. We’re looking forward to the dedication ceremony where we will formally hand the well over to the village.

Finally, another word from Clay to Omar: Slow is good, but rapido es mejor! 😉

Please continue to pray for us. Love you guys!
Jason

Mary Crenshaw with school kids.

Chris Kincaid with a new friend in Aguacayo.

by Jason Hall, Team Leader | Aguacayo, El Salvador

We praise God for another great day today in the village of Aguacayo!

The schoolchildren were very excited to see our team again. They immediately surrounded us upon arrival — excitedly asking us to play ball, take pictures, and a million other things that we couldn’t quite make out because they were all asking so fast, and at the same time!

The children learned some very important lessons today about health and hygiene, and simple things that they can do to help prevent sicknesses from spreading. They also played all kinds of games, like jump rope and limbo. And they learned to use soccer balls as volleyballs … a new concept, but one to which they took very quickly! Later, they sang songs like “Jesus Loves Me” aloud and also using sign language.

Mechele Howard with kids at hygiene training session.

On the drilling side, we were very thankful today to reach water at about the 180-foot level, and we ultimately drilled to a total depth of 210 feet. We then installed the PVC casing and gravel-packed the well-bore. We have some additional work to do tomorrow, but we’re on track to dedicate this well to the school in Aguacayo on Thursday.

Nicole Crenshaw at the drilling controls.

All in all, a very good day of sharing Water and the Word! Please continue to pray for us!

Love you guys!
Jason

Nicole Crenshaw, Chris Kincaid, and Clay Lewis. Happy with the drilling progress.

by Jason Hall, Team Leader | Aguacayo, El Salvador

Our team started drilling today at the school in the little town of Aquacayo. The students were excited to welcome the team with some inspiring (and humbling) words and songs of greeting, including a beautiful rendition of El Salvador’s national anthem! They were especially excited when I told them through the translator that the well was funded by Kingsland’s kids!

We reached the 130-foot depth today. Clay Lewis wanted me to remind everyone that we’ve never drilled that fast when Omar was here! 😉 But, no water yet as we are drilling high upon a hill and need to drill about 90-feet just to get back to the baseline elevation of a well that was drilled nearby last week. All in all, we expect this water well to be about 200-feet deep.

Please continue to pray for us, despite Clay’s comment!

Love you guys! 🙂

The Aguacayo school kids welcomed our team.

Agua Viva staff members Enrique and Jeremiah setting up the drill site.

Team members waiting to start at the drill site.

Early yesterday morning, a team of Kingsland volunteers boarded a flight to El Salvador where they will drill our eighth water well in cooperation with our good friends at Living Water International. I am grateful to Jason Hall for serving as point man for this trip.

The exciting thing about this particular water well is that it was funded by some kids at Kingsland. After reading our Go Beyond Just for Kids issue on the global water crisis, some moms and kids got together and came up with a plan to raise $5,000.00 to sponsor a water well in El Salvador. By making small sacrifices and changes in spending and eating-out habits, these kids and moms collectively saved the money to fund the drilling of a water well.

Last night, Jason sent me a text message informing me that the team had arrived safely in El Salvador. He also said that the team will drill a water well in the little town of Aguacayo or “water blister”— named after a woman who was always asking people to bring her water. Jason added, “The well funded by Kingsland kids will be drilled at a school!” This water well will serve 253 students between the ages of 4 and 17 years old and their 4 teachers. How cool is that! Kids helping kids.

I am so proud of our Kingsland kids and for the many ways they have made a difference among the nations. Even though they are young, our kids have demonstrated their concern for the kids who live in the places where we serve around the world. Over the past several years they have found creative ways to raise funds to help kids in Mongolia, India, Cambodia and now, El Salvador. Kingsland kids continue to demonstrate that you don’t have to be a grown-up to make a difference. You just have to be willing to go beyond — to do more than you have ever done for God and His purposes.

Thanks, Kingsland kids. And thanks Jason and team for serving the people of El Salvador.