This update was written by Ken and Lise Edwards from Ridgeville, Ontario.

Our decision to go with the Wells of Hope was made the moment that we heard Ted talk about his previous experiences drilling Wells in Africa when we were invited by my son at the Ridgeville United Church last October. Ken and I have traveled a lot in third world countries and often wanted to do something more than give tips or extra soap to the maids at our hotel or candies to the little kids on the street. We volunteered to join Ted, his family and the rest of the team on January 12.

After we arrived at the airport in Atlanta, we were informed that the air traffic controllers were on strike in Guatemala city. We had 3 choices, stay in Atlanta and fly 2 days later if the strike was over, go back to Buffalo or fly to San Salvador and take a long bus ride to Jalapa. We opted for the latter and found out that our luggage had not followed us.

Last Sunday we were invited by the church in La Paz to take part in their service and to share supper with the local villagers afterwards. The ladies had cooked turkey and rice, warm tortillas and hot coffee. We felt very humbled and in the presence of so many devoted people. The church was filled with young families, 8 and 10 children, babies wrapped in the same blanket or towel that covered their mother's shoulders. Padre thanked us for the work that the Wells of Hope are doing here in Jalapa and also for our concern for the life, health and education of their children. Water and schools are an invaluable gift he said and we can never thank you enough.

Miriam introduced her family and all of us as Canadian friends, ordinary men and women coming together from many different churches; Mennonites, Quakers, Catholics, united, joining forces to help them in their quest for a better life. Padre told the group assembled for dinner that it is important to work together and they should take us as a model of unity, coming from different religious background but working towards a common goal; to preserve life this great gift of God.

During our short stay at the Wells of Hope, Ken and I have shared with the others in our group of 20. The Van derZalm children, the warm hospitality of Oma, the great creative cooking of Miriam, her patience and quiet counseling on many different aspects of camp and the wise guidance of Ted.

I have personally involved myself in the task of translator as a former language teacher. I was happy to accompany Peter and Bob on their trips to find a steel contractor to build the roof on the first school. I also tried with Peter to find the whereabouts of our lost luggage. One can live without personal belongings for a while but it was very frustrating to be told that the important pieces missing to continue drilling, drill stems, bits, artifacts to remove buried stems, were not here.

Ken helped Ted change the brakes on his pick up truck. We thanked God that the brake shoes were in Skipper's carry on. The roads here at 7,000 feet altitude are hard on a vehicle and especially on the braking system. Ken and Bend dug a trench to bury the water pipes going to the neighbour's property and they also installed a steel arch capable of supporting the chain block necessary to remove the generator from the trailer.

Ken also repaired 2 or 3 of the sewing machines that needed attention. But he spent most of his time with Ken Janzen and Ben at the site of the first school doing "grunt work" shoveling stones, raking gravel and digging footings, getting everything ready for the cement floors to be poured.

I enjoyed working with Peter, Donna and Sarah preparing English lessons for the children while their Moms come up to camp to learn to sew. Today we are teaching them the song "I am a Pizza" and the vocabulary they will get when assembling their own pizza cut out of construction paper. Donna will play the key board so they can learn the song.

I also enjoyed helping with the sewing. These young Guatemalan women are so eager to learn. They get excited and laugh among themselves when they look at patterns, at fabrics or any new project that is proposed to them. Miriam should have 10 pairs of hands and three pairs of eyes to satisfy all their needs but she patiently helps do and undo the work, poco a poco, one at a time, little by little. I tried to make myself as useful as possible threading machines, reading instructions, explaining the next steps, picking up a crying baby, taking away dangerous scissors from the hands of a small child and looking around wondering how much of a difference we are making. There is so much to be done and so little time to do it.
God bless.

Lyse and Ken Edwards

Construction continues on the two schools. At LaPuerta the students are studying outside but we expect to pour the floor and have the roof on next week. At Los Llanitos they are working inside the unfinished school. Another community has asked us to build them a small school. They have been asking for help for the last 7 years without success. George continues to drill through hard volcanic rock at LaPaz and Ted will resume drilling when we get the new drill stem that has arrived in Guatemala City. Sewing and English classes continue.

Peter Mernagh, Wells of Hope Team Member

Los Llanitos school construction	Los Llanitos school construction	At LaCruz the people have been trying to get a school for 7 years

Water for People

American Water Works Association

Canadian Water Quality and Health

Visit the Niagara Warehouse of Hope

Back Home