Pineridge Blog

At this time last week Brett Jacobs, a member of Pine Ridge, and I were driving a rental car through the dramatic landscapes of Guatemala.  Brett drove; Rubenia, our translator and guide, navigated; and I bounced around in the back seat.  My neck still hurts from the rough roads and twisting turns through the volcanic mountains!   In the end we successfully signed a covenant with the First Station in Genova who has pledged to prepare a place for our church to return in the fall to install a community water purification system.

We were very warmly greeted in Genova by Able, the Fire Chief and Mayor Sheili Vasquez who is one of only 10 women mayors in all of Guatemala.  Abel had heard about our coming to Guatemala and had reached out in hopes that we might visit them and consider installing a system in his fire station.  In the end we felt like God had led us to where the system we hope to install would be needed most in this poor community in near the coast.

We have installed four systems in previous years in Guatemalan fire stations all of which are still providing clean water for local families, hospitals, and schools.  We have found the fire fighters easy to work with and dedicated to the people they serve.

Living Waters for the World, a mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is based on the idea of forming partnerships to share simple water purification systems in developing areas.  Unsafe water is one of the leading causes of illness and death particularly among the very young and the elderly in much of the world.  Churches in the US have technology to share, and the partners in places like Guatemala know their people best and assume ownership for the systems in order for the program to be successful well into the future.

It was a great trip, and I look forward to returning with a team in the fall to help install the system, to share the all-important education about the proper uses of clean water, to see our new friends and enjoy some more great Guatemalan coffee! 

Peace+,
Jim