I really like how the things that I thought I would never use in my life all of the sudden pop up again…God’s timing is something that is a constant source of amusement. It’s weird to think that only a few months ago, I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. It seems like that was ages ago, but I was reminded this week about a lot I had learned in school. Marco introduced us to Forrest and Carol Kendall, two missionaries that live here in Guatemala (Servants 4 Him), and we got to see their ministry up close this week…something that is desperately needed in Guatemala.
I’m so used to taking some things for granted back home…like clean drinking water. It has been a whole new experience here learning to brush my teeth with a toothbrush in one hand and a Nalgene bottle in the other. Clean drinking water is a major problem here as the there is no proper resources to treat the water so tap water basically comes from the rivers and streams that are polluted with trash and sewage.
With the help of a Canadian company, Forrest and Carol have been able to reach out to the community and give them a way to have clean drinking water and teach them the importance of using it in their everyday life. They have also given locals the opportunity to help build the filters, which consist of a 140 lb concrete block that has a hollow center and is filled with varying types of sand and gravel. It is really an engineering marvel to me because it has no moving parts. Basically, the gravel and the varying layers of sand filter out all of the impurities from water and the sand it in never has to be changed!
We got to install a filter at a family’s house that was very much in need of one. I had to refresh some engineering skills while thinking about flow rate and the way in which water at lower a lower point can travel to a higher point when the source is higher than the output (I hope that makes sense haha). Each day here is a new lesson in how to live with what I have been blessed with and how God never makes a mistake in his plan for our lives. The things we have learned in our pasts and the experiences we have been through can always be used to glorify His name….He is always faithful!
