|
|
|
Hello Everyone,
Its been a very busy
two weeks here in the Creel area with Mike and Sandy
Green along with Joe and Becky Wells from our church.
They all came down to help us with a couple of water
projects. We had the opportunity to show the Jesus
film in a remote Tarahumara Indian village for the
first time,
finish one water project and begin another. It was a
real blessing having them here during this time, they
really encouraged us. I realize it was a sacrifice for
them to come down because it takes three days of
driving to get here and a day to recuperate from the
trip. Also the little house where they stayed at was
very basic, just the bare necessities, no creature
comforts! They all had to get used to the change in
altitude here in the mountains, we are over a mile and
a half up and it doesn't take much to get you out of
breath. We did a lot of walking up and down mountain
trails to get to the places where we were working.
We began one project
near the village where Marcos Mancinas lives where
there is a spring about 350 to 400 feet down at the
bottom of a small canyon. We installed the pipe and a
gasoline powered pump, but the pump could only lift
the water about half the distance we needed. The next
thing we did was to make a trip over to Cuauhtémoc to
see if the Mennonites had a pump that could do the
job. We found one place where they were very helpful
and found us a pump that could do the job for $750. I
am researching these pumps on the Internet to find out
what would be the best option for the price. I will
probably go with an electric powered pump to lift the
water since
Bro. Santiago has
generously given us his old generator which will be
sufficient to power a smaller 115 volt pump. This
project had to be put on hold for the time being , but
we will complete it one way or
another. Anyone wishing to be a part of this outreach
by coming down and helping or donating toward the
purchase of the pump please let us know by e-mail or
calling.
The next project we
began was in the village of
Guaguitare'.
Those of you who heard me speak when we were home in
May and June had the chance to hear about and see the
short video about this project. This village is only
nine miles off the main road, but it takes an hour and
a half to get there. It is situated on top of a
mountain about 40 minutes from the edge of one of the
largest canyons in the Sierra Madres. Their water
source is a spring located over a half mile (985
meters) down into a smaller canyon. One and a quarter
inch black tubing was installed and connected to a 230
volt Grunfos deep-well submersible pump located in side
a large cistern. The pump is powered by the generator
that was anonymously given to complete this project.
We and the people effected can't thank you enough for
this wonderful gift, you saw the need and you obeyed
God! Around 40 families will now have easy access to
clean drinking water. There will be many more
opportunities like this to help out with up coming
projects.
This project took us
four days to complete. We had some problems getting
the water up to the top of the mountain because of a
combination of things. It required stopping all the
leaks where we were losing pressure, installing a
check valve and cleaning out some of the pipe that had
been clogged. Also I had no idea that
I would have to do some diving to get this project
done. Once when we were letting the system
build pressure, the pump came loose from the tube
inside the cistern that was now filled with water. We
couldn't drain all that water out, so there was only
one thing to do. Marcos and I had to go down into that
cold mountain spring water and reinstall the pump that
had fallen to the bottom. I had to work underwater to
get the pump hooked back up. I kept telling myself, "I
can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens
me!!!" I just have to remember to put a set of goggles
and a snorkel in my tool bag from now on. In the
end when we saw the water coming out of the pipe on
top of that mountain I knew it was worth it all.
We give God special
thanks and glory because He has shown Himself faithful
to Shelly and I by providing for us in unexpected
ways, making contacts for us and letting this ministry
go forward to touch lives for the Kingdom.
Picture #1. Joe, Mike
and I working on top of the cistern.
Picture #2. Marcos and
I inside the cistern, check out my nice farmer's tan!!
Picture #3. Water
coming out at top of the mountain.
To see a video
of the water, click this link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn85RS4UuA8
*Be
careful what you
click on at the YouTube website, some of the
videos can be objectionable.
Thanks for all the
prayers and support, and remember,
you
made all this happen! Please help us to get this to as
people as we can by forwarding this to everyone in
your contact list.
Ryan, Shelly, Monica
and Melena....
P.O. Box 2707
Presidio, TX. 79845
662-415-4837
|
|
|
