Immediately following the earthquake EDGE OUTREACH installed a one-tank water purification system at the National Police Headquarters in Port au Prince.  More than 1,000 rely on this system for water every day.  In this pic team members finish constructing a platform that will hold an additional water tank, thereby expanding the number of people who can receive pure water.

This is a contaminated hand-dug well, located at Nan Gefra, near Leogane, Haiti.  The Acts 1:8 team installed an electric pump and water purification system that makes this water safe to drink, much to the relief of hundreds of families who depend on this well.

Susan Kidwell instructs team members on the focometer, which will be later be used during four vision clinics the team will hold in Leogane and Port au Prince, Haiti

Kelly Polston and Joshue, a translator, test the eyesight using a focomater.  More than 500 Haitian people were seen and tested during the four vision clinics held.

Today is the second work day for the team in Costa Rica. The first of 2 water systems that will be installed by Second Presbyterian Church, Louisville, KY was completed in an area of Costa Rica called Cartago.  The 26 member team worshiped today with the local church and experienced what it’s like to truly worship with your heart even when you don’t understand the words. After church we taught Health Education to the entire congregation and as always the “Germ skit” was a huge success, along with the “glitter handshake”.  Lots of giggles and amazement when folks realized how far a germ really can travel.  Lots of fun!

After lunch the team split into 2 groups, one finishing up the water system where it was decided that Caroline could have a career as a plumber if she wanted. The second team headed down the hill 3 kilometers for the second vision clinic…I must say that was pretty intense, 10-15 showed up and the next time I looked up there were over 100 people in line.  Over 135 pairs of glasses were distributed and the team members (anywhere from the age of 14 and up) experienced the joy of helping someone see for the first time in years.  Graddy, Bo, Sarah, Melina,  and Molly have become young opticians in the making, while Kate, Maggie, Layne and Hayley are definitely kid magnets.

Tomorrow we do 3 more hours of vision and train the local church leaders on the water purifier than head off to the next site (Pavas) for an evaluation and planning session for our next 2 days.  All in all it’s a good and busy first few days for this new group of young missionaries.  More news in a day or two.

Hey friends,

This is the first chance we have had to “report from the field”.  The Journey of Faith team has had the privilege of working in some pretty remote places this week.  Both of our projects went smoothly and both areas are drinking pure water today!  The team has been a pleasure to work with and consisted of some very talented and hard working folks.

Site 1 –  A rehabilitation center called El Betel for men with drug and alcohol addictions. This is a wonderful group of men who are struggling to get back on their feet, they have learned new ways to live and be productive by a Christian couple with a heart of gold. The compound where they live is a beautiful self sustaining farm where the men are learning to live off the land and work with their hands.  Their vegetable garden is really a thing to see, pineapples, squash, cucumbers, cilantro, tomatoes, green beans,  cabbage and much more are tended beautifully and shared with the local townspeople.  They also raise chickens, pigs, and cows and are in the midst of starting a Tilapia farm and guess what else guys? a  hydroponic garden…ask me if Kurtis didn’t light up? This wonderful group now has clean water piped right into their outdoor, wood burning kitchen which is about 200 ft. away and they have drawn up plans as to how they can extend their mini-water treatment plant to service the new dorms they are building. The best part is their dreams to share the water with the community that has accepted them and has joined them in celebrating their successes. Speaking of sharing El Betel invited the community to the vision clinic and the first day we serviced about 160 folks with new glasses and on day 2 another 50 and  Health Ed was taught in the local school down the road. This is a rugged site with men whose lives are changing. Their hearts are saddened by their past actions and their loss of those that they once loved, but at the same time their hearts are swollen with their love for Christ and the new things He is doing in their life. Some of the best worship experiences I have ever had happened at this modest little farm. See attached video below of everyones first sip of clean water!

Site 2- WOW, that about sums up this village called Los Angeles del Rio. I’ve never experience this before but EDGE OUTREACH was the first ever outside source of help. This little community is 20 minutes by river from the Nicaraguan border and they just recently received their first road…if you want to call it that. For us is was 3 hours of rugged driving each way down a very narrow mud and rock path. Previously the only way in and out of the village was by traveling down the Rio. We were the first outsiders most of these children had ever seen and I must say we were a novelty. They brought out their horses to give everyone a ride around their one room school house, knocked several coconuts from the tree and served us coconut water, they LOVED the Health Education (as well did the teacher) they received glasses and clean water. This was a challenge to the water team as they actually purified a cistern and piped it into the entire school, bathrooms (if you want to call them that) and sinks to wash their hands. The well ran dry after 20 minutes of filling the cistern and they need to wait 2 hours for it to revive itself….but the water is being purified as it leaves the well and travels to the cistern. Two tanks were placed in a kitchen for emergency storage. What an honor to work for this community and how excited they were to have visitors. I’m sure they are still talking about the crazy gringos!

Next team comes on Friday, and I’m thinking we should have internet access by Tues. of next week.

Love ya all, Claudia & Kurtis

Video clip here -
Kurtis speaking to the men at the Betel Rehabilitation Camp in Costa Rica

Working alongside Haitian leadership within Tabarre 25 tent city of 1500 people, the EDGE’s Water Team installed two 500 gallon water tanks, a water purifier and made a small structure to house the system.  A total of 4 people – one man and three women – were taught how to operate and maintain the tent city’s new water system.

During the course of our 3-day project people serving on the health ed team trained six women of the camp how to teach health/hygiene lessons including germs, germ transmission, hand washing, food groups, and teeth brushing. The new teachers practiced their lessons in front of the health ed team before teaching children in the camp. In a separate session of just women & mothers, team members addressed specific issues related to women’s health and caring for infants. During this session it was discovered that many of the children have problems with worms. News that worms are spread, in part, by contact with fecal matter came as some surprise.

In this photo, the new teachers perform the Soap & Water skit which communicates the importance of both when washing hands and washing away germs.

In this photo Edge team members work with two Haitian men to construct a small structure that will secure the tent city’s new water purification system.

EDGE team teaches health ed trainers who, in this pic, teach hand washing using a tippy tap. At 1pm local time these new health ed people teach children in the camp as they return from school

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Hello Family & Friends!

We started our first day with the children at Grand Guave Orphanage teaching health/hygiene lessons.   What an experience to teach, play, sing, and laugh together!  The health education today was on germs and hand washing.  Megan made up a song to teach the kids to sing so they wash their hands sufficient amount of time.  It was so rewarding to see them use the hand washing stations – called Tippy Tops – later in the day all on their own.  They were also treated with a skit performed by Keneshia and Keith playing the parts of Ms. Water and Mr. Soap- we caught it on video for your entertainment when we return!

We began the installation of the water purification system.  The first task was to move brick and build two bases for the tanks.  There is a natural spring that will serve as the water source and we fit tubing to connect the hand pump that will be used by the children to fill the tanks with water.  Thank you “tank crew” Bob, Wayne, Gary, Jon, John, & Keith.  We also got to spend an amazing day with the children.

We want to thank all our Beargrass and Mt. Nebo families for supporting our mission work in Haiti.  The wreckage and rubble is everywhere and it seems an overwhelming task to restore the country. We will take it a day at a time and do our best to do God’s work as He directs us.

At the site of a  primary school the team assembled a water purification system using a 500 gallon tank, located next to a hand pump that sits in front of the school.  A total of four Haitian nationals were trained on the system under the watchful eyes of the school principle.  As some team members worked on the system others played with kids and had heart-to-heart talks with youth and purchased a few souvenirs from local craftspeople.

A few team members went with Pastor Brisenault to see three prospective sites for water purification and health education.  Most were sites with hand pumps located next to tent communities.  At one sight, which was a virtual island in the middle of a shallow, silty river, women had made a ‘bowl’ in the gravel and sand.  As the silty water was filtered by the sand and gravel to leave clear (but probably impure) water in the bowl.  Neat.

Our two youngest team members want to share a highlight with you…

Team member Scotty: “The Haitian people we’ve been working with have been great.  I’ve been surprised to see how friendly and cooperative they are.  Yesterday I had heart to heart talk with a couple of kids my age…one wants to be a lawyer and other wants to be teacher.  We may have grown up in different worlds but we have similar aspirations in life.  I feel these folks deserve so much more than they’ve had.”

Hey, today was a great day in Leogane, Haiti. The team of five Canadians & two translators installed a water puifier on two tanks already on the Nasaline site. A young Hatian boy “dove” into one tank to help tighten a loose fitting much to the amusement of onlookers.

We ate lots of delicious Mangos right off the trees. Played frisbee & hacky sack with many of the kids as they watched the team at work.

The team spent the afternoon at the site of a national primary school helping to construct a base for a water storage tanks. The water purifier was also assembled. Lots of great connections were made between nearby residents and kids as they came to draw water.

Our translators Jean and RaRa say “hey” to all of the EDGE clan in the states and around the world. Everyone on the team is well and very grateful for another day of serving in Haiti. Blessings to you all!

Bob Browning
Sent from my iPhone

Went to Dezmond Fleury Orphanage where 23 boys and about 30 girls struggle to get by. Went in with goal of getting at least one of two wells on their site producing enough water for all the orphans. Found that one well capped with hand pump is completely dry.  The other hand dug well was dug deeper in hopes of producing more water. In the meantime several team members met with Sri Lankan major running UN security camp next to ophanage. He agreed to continue to fill water tank in the boys side of the orphanage…every day. We have some expectations of the water specialist at the orphange that will be communicated tomorrow.

Team visited the site of S. Korean/UN encampment in search of a well pump (for cleaning a well) and information about well depths in the area. We met the commanding officer and were treated to an obligatory 10 min video presentation about Korea’s role in the disaster relief. A Korean operations man kindly answered our questions about wells in the area.

Team drove into downtown Leogane which was devastated by the quake. The streets were being cleared of rubble & debris.

At the Nasaline site the team found a broken hand pump. The village hand carried water to fill tanks installed by Edge Water Relief Team. (Tank was nearly full. Water was chlorinated last Sat.) Team had a great time repairing hand pump as dozens of kids and adults watched. Noted that well casing was split causing silt to be in the water. Team removed piece of riser pipe and pump rod so that cylinder pump is higher in the water thereby reducing the silt problem. Village is very happy to have water from hand pump for washing & purified water for drinking.

Team went to site of a government sponsored primary school. In front of the school is a hand pump that supplies water for 213 school kids and approximately 2000 nearby residents. Our work over the next two days will focus on this site.

Everybody on the team is well and very tired from working in the intense heat and humidity here. We’re grateful for all we’ve been able to do this first full day of work.

Gotta run for now. My index finger can only type so much.

Blessings, Bob Browning
Sent from my iPhone