December 4th, Update

It's been an emotional roller coaster, from joy to anger and frustration and back again! Coming to the end of two months since we have left our homes and friends in the Niagara Region, so much activity has happened in such a short period of time. Still fresh in my memory are the uplifting moments such as the send off the Denis Morris community gave the Wells of Hope convoy, the Guatemalans lined up along the road cheering us in as we entered the Jalapa region with our drilling equipment! The water well drilling successes came quickly as the Wells of Hope project got under way. All these positive moments brought the whole team to a very uplifting high. I truly felt on top of the world! Little did I realize what a long slide down it could be when the reality of the hardships and challenges that these people face started to become a part of my life as well.
Sharing the lives of the Guatemalans to the degree that we are by living in the village of Laguna el Pito, we have become very close to our neighbours living in their humble adobe dwellings. Their children have overcome their shyness and are constantly roaming through our campsite searching out my children to see what new games they have come up with. The mothers share their anxieties with my wife Miriam as they discuss what may be the cause behind one of their babies being sick. Miriam breaks out the first aid kit that has been generously provided to us by Simpsons Pharmacy, to see what relief she can bring to the ailing child and worrisome mother. Many of the women are left to fend for themselves and their children as their husbands travel far distances and are absent for months at a time in search of work, in the hopes of being able to earn a few "Quetzales" to provide for their families. The rainy season is just coming to an end and the women are already walking kilometers with empty jugs on their heads in search of the nearest source of water to supply their needs at home.
Our campsite overlooks a swamp that has been filled by the generous rainy season. In the late afternoon I overlook the swamp from my vantage point and make a mental note of what I see. On the far end of the swamp I see some cattle trudging , and yes, even excreting their waste along the waters edge as one of the local villagers has brought his few cows to drink in order to quench the afternoon thirst of his livestock. A little further along the shoreline I witness many children splashing in the bacteria infested swamp as they wash themselves before the warmth of the afternoon sun disappears behind the mountain peaks and the chill of the evening sets in. As my eyes continue to travel from the left end of the swamp to the right, just beyond the children bathing, a woman has brought her laundry to the swamps edge and is vigorously scrubbing a pile of clothes on top of a rock that has been bleached white by its continual use as the local laundry machine. My eyes complete their assessment of the swamp scene as some women are bent over their water jugs on the far right side of the swamp, skimming the algae off the top in order to bring home enough water to supply their families' needs for the evening.
The poor are not just "the poor" to us any more. They are real live people who suffer, cry and hurt just as we do. Living here in Laguna el Pito has now put names to these people we call "the poor." There is Connie and her children. Rosalivia and her two babies. Senor Margarito with his ailing wife who must care for the children as he takes a bus to town each day to earn the few pennies that he does. Their struggles have now become a part of our lives and frankly, I don't know how they do it! Coming from the pampered and spoiled life that we are blessed with in the Niagara Region, if I were forced to live as these people are, I believe that I would have given up a long time ago! They get up each morning to face the same struggles and hardships day in and day out with no end in sight to there ever being a better "tomorrow" for them or their children. And here comes the clincher. Are you ready for this? With the hardships and suffering that they face each day, with the hopelessness of their situation, guess what, they can still smile and be happy!
I am humbled each day as I drill in one of the surrounding communities. Every day at twelve noon I get a tap on my shoulder and am asked if I would be able to stop working to have some lunch. Each and every day, someone in the community has offered to provide me with a meal and they carry it to the work site on the top of their heads, sometimes walking up to three kilometers. These people who have little to nothing, give up the little that they have in order that they can provide for me. Some will go to the extreme of cooking one of the few chickens that they have so that I am able to have a rare treat of some meat. Some will even give up the few pennies that they have so that they can provide me with a Pepsi to go along with the standard meal of beans and tortias. The people that I have come to Guatemala to serve have turned it around and are serving me! In this manner, on a daily basis I am reminded of the Biblical parable of the poor widow and her offering of one of her two coins compared to the rich man. I am humbled!
The generosity of these people and the seemingly hopeless situation that they are faced with makes me more and more determined to try and help them in any way possible. But lately, the downhill slide that I spoke of earlier has picked up speed at a tremendous rate! After three successful water wells, the frustration and challenges that come with well drilling can become overwhelming at times for James and I. The drilling equipment begins to show signs of wear after a number of deep holes and various cables begin to give up. Fortunately we have come with spare cable so we have been able to make the necessary cable repairs but it is now twice that the broken cable has left our drilling stem at the bottom of the hole. Unfortunately we were not able to recover one of the drilling stems so that forced us to abandon the well that I had already spent three weeks on, only to move over five feet and begin again. The frustration and anxiety really takes its toll when these challenges occur as our finances are limited and our time-line is only seven months and we have a tremendous amount of wells and work to complete! More than once I have found myself asking God "why?" The human side of me takes over, the side that measures success by accomplishments, the side that does not yet completely understand God and His ways and I ask "Lord, why can't You protect us from these mishaps so that we can successfully answer Your call to us to serve our sisters and brothers in need?"
With each successful well, the word is spreading in an ever-wider radius. Each week, more and more communities are bringing letters requesting our assistance in providing them with water. Their stories are similar. The women are walking many kilometers only to draw water from a contaminated, bacteria infested source that brings serious health challenges to both the children and their families. I find it very difficult to say "no" to them even though I know that it is not physically possible to help all these people in the seven months that we have given ourselves. I respond to their requests by telling them that we will do the best that we can. I know that it is a delay tactic on my part but in my heart I am hoping for a miracle that will enable us to help these people meet their water needs.

Marc and Bob have been very busy with building the two elementary schools that are a part of our commitment to the communities in Jalapa. It is very exciting for ourselves and the people to see the walls go up on what will be their new school. No longer will two to three hundred children, ranging in ages from six to fourteen, be expected to make do with a one-room school made of corn stalks! The Guatemalan teachers are very excited to begin the new school year in their new building. Marc and Bob have their work cut out for them to be ready by January. It doesn't give them much time but even if it takes an extra month or two, the wait will be well worth it!

Miriam is overwhelmed with the number of women who want to participate in the sewing classes that she has begun. She has a different group of women each day who arrive just after lunch. By 5 p.m. we have to encourage the women to leave and go back to their homes or I believe that they would be content to stay the whole evening as well in order to complete the sewing project that they are working on. At the moment, each woman is making herself a skirt and blouse for Christmas. Miriam has had her frustrations as many of the sewing machines have been breaking down. They were all in working condition when they left Canada but many are obviously too old to maintain in working order for long periods of time. As the number of working sewing machines is decreasing, the popularity of Miriam's course is increasing!
Jolien has begun teaching English classes in two communities. Other communities are requesting that Jolien also set up an English course for them but unfortunately Jolien has had some difficulty with her eyesight and has returned to her home in the Netherlands to get some testing done. In the meantime, Peter and Sarah have stepped in to continue the classes that Jolien has already begun. The Guatemalan children are having a lot of fun learning English by sing popular nursery rhymes and dances. Sarah is determined to teach them the "Macarena". (sp?)
Peter has become very familiar with Jalapa as each day we have a "shopping list" of materials and supplies that are needed. We've all become dependent on Peter's familiarity of Jalapa and where our needed supplies can be found at the most reasonable price. Between teaching and supplying our camp needs, Peter is challenged to find a spare moment for himself
As we enter the Christmas season, I ask that you keep a special place in your prayers for the Wells of Hope project. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I ask you to join us by celebrating in a very special way. Let us celebrate by putting into action what Jesus taught us during His short stay with us. Let us celebrate by living the love of Christ that is revealed through our love for our sisters and brothers in need. Thank you for your continuous support and prayers………..Your servant in Christ, Ted.