WATER!

When we wake up in the morning, typically we go to the bathroom and we flush the toilet. We might get a drink of water from the faucet. At some point most of us enjoy a hot shower.
 To us, these are every day routine items that we don't even realize we have..... because we have always had them. We don't know otherwise.

 To the people of Brisas del Mar, water is a luxury. But for what we have had every day of our lives, they now have FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

 I was fortunate enough to be able to go see the well that now is functioning for the first time ever for this beautiful community. It is still a precious commodity to them and not something that will be taken for granted. But now they don't have to walk miles with buckets on their heads. Or bring a tractor in to haul water for the clinic's functions. They don't have to have water that is dirty from debris, dust or bugs. They can have clean water now.

 There were some key players in the raising of funds for the well to come to fruition and because one person had a dream and another began talking about it and then began doing something about it... now Brisas del Mar has fresh, clean water.

 Here's a little recap of what I learned about the well.

 The afternoon was very hot and we'd already worked hard at the construction site for the morning. Around 3, Bishop gathered us for the walk to the well. It is about 1K from the clinic site. The roads were dry and dusty as  we made the short journey. along the way, Pastor Javier pointed out some of the pipes that were in the process of being fixed . (some of the pipes that had been laid had some minor damages and needed fixed.) We met some people along the way. We got to the place where we needed to turn off the dusty road and walk through a field. A pathway of sorts had been cut through the grass, no doubt from those who man the well making the journey daily. The land where the well is placed is owned by the church, bought from an honorable man in the community.

 When we arrived at the well, it was explained to us. There is a small cement building erected around the pump, with an iron gate and a lock on it. That had to be put on there because of people who wanted to or tried to damage it. Or to keep it from happening in the future. Inside the structure is the pump. Every day someone turns the pump on for 3 hours, which pushes the water out to the village. After the 3 hours, it is turned off.  The water is pumped to the holding tanks- which we passed on our way to the well, about halfway between the village and the well itself. The holding tanks holds roughly 44,000 liters of water. The water then gets pumped to the water tower in the village. And from there water is pumped to the homes.

 The electric lines that were needed to run the pump for the well and tank were installed by the Brisas villagers, at a fraction of the price of what the government would have charged. At one point the transformer did blow during a storm, due to lines touching and creating the explosion.  The missionaries from Great Britain working in the city with the church funded the fixation of that. And spacers have now been placed between the wires so that does not happen again.

 Really, so much more could be said about this beautiful project. Feel free to leave comments if you have a question about the system. Honestly, it's a well-designed system and surpasses what I imagined for this community. I was not in on the start of the project, but I have come to know the people well enough to know what this gift means to them.
 I have been fortunate to have running water my whole life, so watching the joy on their faces when they talk about this teaches me to be grateful. What I have taken for granted forever they have for the first time.

 Like most of my experiences there, no words do the event justice. But, we praise God that they have clean water now. And for generations to come, because one person began the dream and spread that dream to others... hundreds for years to come will be impacted.

 We never know what can happen when we dream. Or where God will guide that.

 Fresh Water. Our every day luxury.... Their every day beauty.

Bishop inside the well, telling us excitedly how it works and benefits the community

The pipe that runs from the well and begins the journey to carry the water to the community

Here you can see the iron door used to protect the well once it's shut and left unmanned

The land on which the well is, owned by the church

The land has been fenced in as well

The electric lines 

Showing off the clean water

This pump is the one that is in the holding tank area and pumps it to the city "tank" 

John turning it on

The walk to the well, me, Pastor Javier and Paula

Juan, the owner of the land the where the well now is

The village water tower