I got a picture to post. I am really sad that I didn't get more to post, but I am glad that you got to see Rob running with the bulls!
Today, I am taking the coward's way out. I am starting to not feel well, and I am mentally exhausted, so I am relying totally on guest bloggers. First, hear from Kristen Zimmer, one of our hygiene members:
"The village that we go to is beyond poor. I have never been on a mission trip nor seen such poverty firsthand, and yet, I never, ever imagined that it would be like this. There is dirt everywhere, on everything. Rarely is there a child who is not filthy. It has been heartbreaking to see how this part of the world lives. But my heart smiles each morning as we are driving to the community because of the faces I know will greet us when we get there. There isn't a time when we don't have children following us, asking questions, wanting to play ball or frisbee, or carry something for us. One in particular, Juan Carlo, has forever touched my heart and I will always remember what this week meant for him and the other children. I praise God who chose me to be a part of this team, who is awesome by the way, to come here to fulfill His purpose and for the opportunity that will change this community's lives for generations to come."
Now, here are some impressions from Lauren Gibbins:
Now, here are some impressions from Lauren Gibbins:
"
I haven't had time to fully process my feelings on all that's happened in Nicaragua so far, so writing this blog is hard for me... Here it goes...
In some ways, it's exactly what I expected. It's hot and its rustic. The people are poor. The language barrier is great. The kids love the simple things.
In other ways, I've been thrown curveball after curveball. I have been shocked by their poverty. What the village was like was one of the unknowns of this trip. It turns out that this is one of the poorest communities they've done in this region. The sight of such dirty children is heartbreaking. The area is so dusty that even after bathing most end of filthy within minutes. And did I mention the giant lice?!
But, on the flip side of that poverty, I've seen a joy in these people that you don't often see at home. They're awed by the simple: blowing bubbles, throwing a frisbee, a rousing game of "pata pata pollo."
I lay awake early one morning wondering if these people had any hope of a better life. Of course, clean water will make a huge difference for them: less sick days, more working days, more hours to do something other than collect water. But I was thinking more of my own standard of living, which isn't necessarily "better." It turns out that we can be just as happy without all the "stuff" my life is crowded with at home. What a great lesson to learn that God blesses both the rich and the poor and that the "rich American" isn't necessarily better!"
In some ways, it's exactly what I expected. It's hot and its rustic. The people are poor. The language barrier is great. The kids love the simple things.
In other ways, I've been thrown curveball after curveball. I have been shocked by their poverty. What the village was like was one of the unknowns of this trip. It turns out that this is one of the poorest communities they've done in this region. The sight of such dirty children is heartbreaking. The area is so dusty that even after bathing most end of filthy within minutes. And did I mention the giant lice?!
But, on the flip side of that poverty, I've seen a joy in these people that you don't often see at home. They're awed by the simple: blowing bubbles, throwing a frisbee, a rousing game of "pata pata pollo."
I lay awake early one morning wondering if these people had any hope of a better life. Of course, clean water will make a huge difference for them: less sick days, more working days, more hours to do something other than collect water. But I was thinking more of my own standard of living, which isn't necessarily "better." It turns out that we can be just as happy without all the "stuff" my life is crowded with at home. What a great lesson to learn that God blesses both the rich and the poor and that the "rich American" isn't necessarily better!"
Due to a technical problem, Theresa Turner's post did not arrive. You will hear from her tomorrow.
Now, here is our driller perspective, from Dan Richardson:
"Today's work was by far the easiest we've had over these past three days, but I feel more tired than yesterday or the day before. Maybe it's the sun wearing me down. I am more used to the vitamin-D-burning illumination of fluorescent lighting. Or maybe it is because I slept poorly last night. We are all having a bit of a hard time getting well rested. Our room's air conditioner is one of the culprits as it is not quite adequate for the task it's been given. Whatever the case may be, today we were blessed with good work, the joy of friendship, the laughter of children, and with success as well as some disappointment.
We finished the actual drilling yesterday so today we let bentonite (slimey water) flow through the hole to get the walls stabilized. We needed to drop the casing down into the borehole and if the walls were to collapse while we were doing that then we would have to start over almost from scratch.
Waiting for the walls to be conditioned by the flowing bentonite gave us an opportunity to visit the hygiene trainers and their group. It was wonderful to see the children laughing and playing and to see the training team enjoying that. The water well that we are preparing would have no meaning without the families who will use it, and the hygiene team is our deepest link to those families. They are here to inspire a deep appreciation for how important clean water is to a healthy family. If the hygiene team were not here, the we might just as well have stayed at home, too.
When it came time to insert the casing, I in my ignorance was totally confident that we would not have any problems sliding the 20 foot sections of 7" PVC pipe down the 7" borehole. Pushing down the pipes turned out to require quite a lot of effort, with three men coordinating (ad-hoc) in a twisting and downward pushing motion.
On the fourth of 8 pipe sections, the pipe got stuck. We were unable to push it any further. Had the borehole collapsed under the pipe? If so we would have to pull up 80 feet of pipe and re-drill the hole!
Adrian, our guide on this journey, told us what was at stake. He said that we had to double up and give it everything we had, and to rotate the pipe clockwise at the same time. We got one more man on the job and redoubled our efforts--bearing down with whatever strength we could call upon, and twisting with whatever torque we could achieve on a 4" round PVC pipe. The lord blessed us with success as we pushed through the unseen obstruction!
With the casing set we were ready to force air down into the well--air that would force water up from the bottom. This was the moment of truth. Would water shoot up out of the well or would we be disappointed? Slowly we descended the air piping into the well and prepared the compression fitting at the top. We connected a 20 foot section of pipe to the well's outlet to divert the (hopefully) gushing water out to the road.
With anticipation and with a huge 20 foot pipe hanging out over the village's main road, we started up the the giant air compressor. But as the Lord blessed us with success He also blessed us with a small setback--the battery in the compressor was dead and it wouldn't start. It was an anticlimactic end to a wonderful day.
Tomorrow, with fresh morning air, clean clothes, and rested bodies we will have our big moment. What does God have in store for this well, for these people?"
And finally, a couple of You Tube videos, courtesy of Tech Man Dan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu5GW1gWYX8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntp72FXeSNE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ouyyFrjMM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Thank you friends, for listening. As always,
May my steps be worship, may my thoughts be praise, may my word bring honor to Your name.
Waiting for the walls to be conditioned by the flowing bentonite gave us an opportunity to visit the hygiene trainers and their group. It was wonderful to see the children laughing and playing and to see the training team enjoying that. The water well that we are preparing would have no meaning without the families who will use it, and the hygiene team is our deepest link to those families. They are here to inspire a deep appreciation for how important clean water is to a healthy family. If the hygiene team were not here, the we might just as well have stayed at home, too.
When it came time to insert the casing, I in my ignorance was totally confident that we would not have any problems sliding the 20 foot sections of 7" PVC pipe down the 7" borehole. Pushing down the pipes turned out to require quite a lot of effort, with three men coordinating (ad-hoc) in a twisting and downward pushing motion.
On the fourth of 8 pipe sections, the pipe got stuck. We were unable to push it any further. Had the borehole collapsed under the pipe? If so we would have to pull up 80 feet of pipe and re-drill the hole!
Adrian, our guide on this journey, told us what was at stake. He said that we had to double up and give it everything we had, and to rotate the pipe clockwise at the same time. We got one more man on the job and redoubled our efforts--bearing down with whatever strength we could call upon, and twisting with whatever torque we could achieve on a 4" round PVC pipe. The lord blessed us with success as we pushed through the unseen obstruction!
With the casing set we were ready to force air down into the well--air that would force water up from the bottom. This was the moment of truth. Would water shoot up out of the well or would we be disappointed? Slowly we descended the air piping into the well and prepared the compression fitting at the top. We connected a 20 foot section of pipe to the well's outlet to divert the (hopefully) gushing water out to the road.
With anticipation and with a huge 20 foot pipe hanging out over the village's main road, we started up the the giant air compressor. But as the Lord blessed us with success He also blessed us with a small setback--the battery in the compressor was dead and it wouldn't start. It was an anticlimactic end to a wonderful day.
Tomorrow, with fresh morning air, clean clothes, and rested bodies we will have our big moment. What does God have in store for this well, for these people?"
And finally, a couple of You Tube videos, courtesy of Tech Man Dan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu5GW1gWYX8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntp72FXeSNE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ouyyFrjMM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Thank you friends, for listening. As always,
May my steps be worship, may my thoughts be praise, may my word bring honor to Your name.
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