Mountaintops and Valleys in Ulpan

Kris and I have really enjoyed our past month in the Valley. While we have dearly missed the close community that we enjoyed with the Colvetts, we have also enjoyed some time for just us and getting to know the rest of our local team even better by eating dinner together once or twice a week with Cesar, Ricardo, and Flori, our newly hired full-time nurse for the Valley! We are extremely excited about receiving the McKinney family next Thursday as they fly in and begin language school, and we are also eager to receive our friends Rick and Amanda Williams and Elizabeth Roney the following week and bring them in for a week's experience of the Valley before heading back to the States with them.

While overall our time living here in the Valley has seemed to fly by, sometimes the days just seem to crawl. This has been a good lesson for both Kris and I since we are such busybodies. For several reasons, this week in particular has seemed liked an exceptionally long one.

First, I would like to share about one of the deepest "valley" experiences we have had since our arrival here. It has to do with a little boy named Victor. He is an adorable two and a half year old that a nurse from the Lipscomg medical team found two years ago as a three pound newborn that was about to die from lack of nourishment due to his cleft palate. The team was able to offer sufficient knowledge and resources to help him reach 10 pounds so that he could have his first operation for his cleft lip. The surgery went well and significantly increased Victor's chances of surviving. Kris and I have visited his home several times over the past several months to find him gaining weight, running around, playing, and laughing.... a blessing from God! We tried to organize for Victor to go for his much-needed second surgery for his palate this past December, but his parents for some reason couldn't or didn't follow through. We were finally able to reschedule his surgery with his parents through a very helpful organization called Compañeros en Cirugía (Friends in Surgery). This past Wednesday, Victor and his dad were supposed to head to Antigua once again for the surgery and about a week's worth of recovery time. We were praying hard that his parents would follow through this time. Well, we received word late Tuesday night that his parents had decided not to go. We followed up on Wednesday with a couple of visits with his father and thought we might be making some headway on convincing him that all of the costs would be covered (thanks to a gracious donation from the U.S. nurse that knew Victor) and that it was definitely worth him leaving his work for a week to make this very important trip with his son. Well, then Victor's mom finally came home and was very stubborn in insisting that they were not going to take Victor for the surgery, for various excuses. Kris and I stood by during most of these conversations (me just trying to hold back tears) as our Q'eqchi' partners Cesar and Ricardo and even some of the women health promoters from the community tried to speak to the parents. Eventually we came to a point where we had to walk away and realize that we couldn't force these parents to do what we believed was best for their son. I told Victor's mom as we left that we loved Victor and his family very much and that we would continue praying for them. Kris and I were really upset as we drove back home, shaking our heads in misunderstanding. With a bit of a clearer head now, we realize that we can still support this family as they request it and that we can still trust in a God who takes care of ALL of his children, especially those like Victor. We ask that all of you continue to pray for Victor and his family, as well, especially for Victor's continued health and growth as he continues to live with a cleft palate.

I think God knew that we needed some spirit-lifting, because yesterday we had an experience that, even as I reflect on it now, leaves a huge smile on my face. For the past several months, I have been visiting about fourteen schools in the Valley every month to teach dental health classes. A couple months ago, I heard news of a school in one of our farthest and smallest communities (at one of our highest elevations) that wanted to be included in the lessons. It took me a while to get the teacher's number and then to find a date that would work to make the long hike out to Nuevo Amanecer. That day was yesterday. When we arrived in the schoolhouse of about thirty students (after about a two hour hike), we were welcomed with a beautiful song in Spanish and very attentive eyes and ears. We began our lesson by asking how many students had toothbrushes in their homes... Not a single one. Then we asked how many had brushed their teeth before... Not a single one. We continued the class by talking about good and bad foods to eat and by practicing proper methods of brushing their teeth. When we passed to each student his/her very own toothbrush, their eyes lit up! And when we all went outside to brush our teeth, they had toothpaste dripping all over their chins and tshirts, brushing hard and well for at least five minutes. It was a beautiful sight, quite literally a mountaintop experience since the school was located on the top of a mountain. When we returned to the classroom, the teacher expressed over and over again his gratitude toward us and our gift of toothbrushes to the students... he emphasized to the students how they were going to take very good care of their precious gifts. I am so thankful God put it on my heart to get out to this little, far community... and I am so thankful that with God's help we are making a significant impact on the health and lives of the children of the Valley, toothbrush by toothbrush.

Benitzul Water Project - May 2012

The blog below was written by Kristen, a recent grad from Lipscomb College of Engineering.  She helped work on the Benitzul water system during the May 2012 engineering team and then stayed with us in the Valley, along with Luke, until June 10th!  We were  blessed to have her and Luke with us for three weeks!!  And we are thankful for her sharing this part of the May engineering team's project since DeeDee and I were down at the bridge site.  Enjoy!

Update from Kirsten the Intern:

In addition to the bridge team, the water team and solar team successfully completed their projects as well.  As a part of the water team, I am much more able to explain what all happened with water than I am able to for the solar team.  The solar team was able to set up four new solar charging stations and added supplies to a few other stations.  From what I was told, the team had a wonderful experience in the homes of the Qeqchi people and enjoyed their visits.  They worked quickly and efficiently and were able to complete all of their stations within a few days.

The existing water system in Benitzul consisted of an old ram pump from a project three years ago and two spring boxes which gave little to no pressure at the pila at the school.  Our goal for the water project was to first bring water to the Benitzul school and allow the overflow to go down the west side of the hill toward the base camp and other homes.  The idea for the project is somewhat hard to visualize but I’ll attempt to explain through words here on the blog.  The school is close to the top of a hill with the bodega and more homes on the west side of the hill.  The east side of the hill has a currently working system that they helped install although the water pressure was low.  During the dry season, or somewhat less rainy season, the west side of the system gets pretty dry while the east side of the system still has plenty of water.  Our idea was to draw the excess water from the east side to supply the school and then the west side of the system.

The water team included Alex Casey as the project lead/student, Patrick Roesner and I as students, Kevin Colvett and Kerry Patterson as advisors, Brooke Mcallister as translator, and Stephen Dodson and Rick Forehand as alumni.  The students with the help of our advisors decided to install a water system which would include adding three tanks, a solar-powered submersible pump, and a large solar panel.  The pump needed to supply about 1 gal/min up to a tank 3 meters above the school. 

This tank would supply a pila in the yard, a pila in the kitchen, and a smaller spigot in the yard for the small children to wash their hands.





The pump was installed into one of three tanks placed about 25 meters below the school.  These three tanks were connected such that they were essentially one large tank fed by two springs on the east side of the hill.  This new location for the tanks at a higher point also gives the east side more water pressure.  The pump is submersed in the first tank in the picture which flows out of the top up to the tank above the school.



The solar panels which powers the pump was installed on a 20 foot pole on a small hill close to the school which overlooks the valley.  The solar panels and pump are highly efficient which is a huge plus for unfavorable conditions.  Before the solar panels were lifted up with the pole, they were pointed toward the ground in a cloudy sky and the pump was already humming.  It’s really neat to hear the pump humming even when it’s cloudy and sprinkling outside.  In the picture below, the students who worked on the project stand proudly around the panels, Patrick, me and Alex from left to right.

Putting up the solar panel and the pole was quite frightening, but God’s hands were definitely there holding it up while concrete was poured around the base and sticks were installed for temporary support.  Around all of the expensive parts of the system barbed wire fences were put up for security.  The Benitzul community has taken pride in this new system and wants to take great care of it.

A few days later, some of the team went back up to the school to do a dental lesson for the children.  When they went to brush their teeth, they all ran to the pila and spigot to use the water.  It was really fun to see them brush their teeth with the water and wash their hands and feet.



It’s been such a blessing to be a part of this project and to allow God to work through us to bring water to His people.  It’s been a blessing to grow closer to the men during the installation and the children after the project was completed.  I’m so glad that God has chosen to use me here in the valley and I pray that He will continue to find use for me here in the future.