 George Hoge, right, Anchorage member, with one of our water project partners in Haiti. Photo by Bradford Van Demark "for those who are thirsty ..." Matthew 25 : 35 the Mission Project of the Synod of Living Waters Believing Jesus Christ to be living water for our bodies and souls, Presbyterians in Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee (and beyond) are called to do a new thing: helping people of the world who are striving to obtain pure drinking water. |
We believe that our faith and vision calls us to: -provide affordable water purification systems for people in all parts of the world. As of December 2001, we have nine purifiers operating in Mexico, Honduras and Haiti, with many more in process. -partner with community organizations to be responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of these systems. This understanding lies at the heart of our mission. -assist in development of health and hygienic education that stimulates the demand for and the understanding of the benefits of purified water. As our partner Maria Medina, RN at Puentes de Crlsto says, "clean water is medicine!"
Our work is on-going and expanding. If
you would like to partner with us, there are a variety of ways in which
you may help: pray for this work, pray for those condemned to drink
contaminated water, join us -$10 buys a new 5 gallon improved water
bottle Together
we can
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This mission grew out of the Synod Hunger Network of the Synod of Living Waters (Presbyterian Church USA) in December 1992. It has been primarily supported with the Two-Cents per Meal Program. From the beginning, our vision is to work in a world of need in partnership with existing organizations toward the goal of bringing:
 | modern water purification technology aimed toward minimum cost and low maintenance. |
| community development and health education. |
| local ownership of water purification systems to developing communities of the world. |
In 1993 - and through the Presbyterian (USA) Border Ministries- we found a partner in Puentes de Christo in McAllen, Tex/Reynosa, Mexico. Our first unit was installed in early 1996 serving as our pilot project water purification site. Here at the end of 1998, we have moved from the first unit to four, we have gone from a single pilot unit into a network of urban sites providing clean water.
We have learned much along the way and now convinced that the best location for a purifier is in conjunction with an existing health clinic (as in 3 of our 4 locations). Maria Medina, R.N. director Puentes' health ministries says unequivocally, "clean water is medicine".
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George Hoge is the inventor of the water purification system that the
installation team is standing behind. He is also a member of Anchorage Presbyterian
Church. |
What is new?
| The Living Waters for the World committee now has an endowment. Small, yes, seven thousand dollars, but it charts new avenues of financial support and broader visions. |
| First Presbyterian Church, Owensboro, KY, has assumed the cost of one water purification unit ( $7,000). The site location will be Children's Haven International, a home that provides loving Christian care to needy, abandoned or orphaned Mexican children. |
| A gift of $9800 from the Presbyterian Women allowed the installation of the water purifier at Carlos Cantu. |
| Conversations with Presbyterians Disaster Relief organization have led to the development of an emergency fully self-contained purification unit capable of rapid deployment and quick start-up time in the midst of a natural or human disaster. |
| As a result of a possible need for emergency field units and the
technical difficulties that are associated with high saline content of water located in
rural areas (this includes the site at Children's Haven), the committee has funded and is
now is the process of constructing a Research and Development Laboratory outside of
Louisville, Ky. |
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Research and Development Laboratory Built for Living Waters for the World Project On March 4, members of the Living Waters for the World committee had an opportunity to visit the new research and development laboratory which has been built for the Synod's water purification mission project. The new lab is located at Cedar Ridge, the Louisville Presbytery camp and conference center, adjacent to the camp's water treatment facility. It will be used to test water |
samples and to develop systems to purify water in a variety of situations. An emergency field unit and a rural village unit have already been designed and built. The lab was constructed by George Hoge, Wil Howie, John Gramling, Neal Dunwoody and Peter Vial. Gramling, Dunwoody and Hoge were in Reynosa, Mexico, in February for electrical maintenance work on the four existing units and preliminary work on a project at Children's Haven International, which has been funded by a grant from First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, Kentucky.
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The engineering/installation team reported on all their recent findings at the called meeting of the Living Waters for the World committee, which was convened at Anchorage Presbyterian Church in Louisville on Thursday, March 4. Other developments discussed at the meeting included plans for mission interpretation through print, web site and video. A report was also heard from the financial development task force and Presbyterian Foundation development officers Pierce Buford and Gary Hall. |
A dream budget for the year 2000 was developed and approved. The committee approved the appointment of David Freeman of Oxford, Mississippi, as liaison with Puentes de Cristo and other community-based mission workers in the Texas-Mexico border area near McAllen and Reynosa.
Above in the photograph, members of the Living Waters for the World team prepare to move a Rural Village Unit into the new Research and Development Lab. The Rural Village Water Purification Unit was designed by the engineering crew to be used in a remote rural area where electricity is not available and there is no existing community based water system. The team recently visited the village of Polvorone near the Mexican border to check the feasibility of using the unit there.
Mission in the Synod of Living Waters
Guiding principles of mission in this Synod are embodied in the Living Waters for the World water project, now in the Mexican border city of Reynosa, soon to be expanded to Central America, and someday reaching out to other parts of the world. The Synod's commitment to the centrality of worship and our Reformed theological heritage are reflected in the new churches that have grown up around the water purification projects in poor urban communities in Mexico. The Synod's emphasis on education and discipleship is exemplified in health education clinics that are located at water project sites. The Synod's commitment to ecumenism and inclusiveness, to the knowledge that working together with others will accomplish more, is reflected in our partnership with Puentes de Cristo and the exploration of possibilities for other partnerships.
The Living Waters for the World mission project means more than providing clean water for the health and well being of children; it is about sharing the good news of the living water of Jesus Christ for bodies and souls.
To learn about ways to participate in this project with your time, talents, and resources, contact The Rev. Wil Howie at 662-647-5382 or e-mail wil.howie@pcusa.org
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In the spring of 1999, George Hoge and his son, Stu, went
from Anchorage Presbyterian Church in Louisville Presbytery to help install a water
purification unit at Children's Haven International in Reynosa, Mexico. This Living Waters
for the World Project was funded by First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, in Western
Kentucky Presbytery.
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