We had a summer of fantastic ministry opportunities, spreading the Word of God to those in need. Thanks to your partnership, we started installing water filters that, combined with the Living Water, are transforming the lives of 1000 families daily.
As part of the expansion into communities, we went to a community on the outskirts of Manta, a port city in Ecuador. This community desperately needs clean water because there are no natural streams or piping connections to their homes. These people rely on water sold by big water trucks. These vehicles get water from muddy wells in other areas of the city and sell it for as much as half the income of these families.
This village is called Revancha (Revenge), and its name is related to the high rates of violence affecting the neighborhood. People move in looking for better job opportunities because they can no longer afford their life in the countryside. When they move into the city, they lack skills and cannot read or write. As a result, many do not get jobs and end up collecting plastic bottles and other simple, low-paid jobs across the city. They settle in this dusty desertic community, where drug lords find easy targets and lure them into a world of easy access to money. Many parents in the rural communities of Manta are in jail because they tried to transport illegal drugs into the city or abroad. As a result, many children grow up without their parents.
A couple of weeks ago, your partnership made possible the installation of a water filtration system in the home of Maricela, a single mom of 3 children. They live in a 1-bedroom bamboo hut. The father is absent most of the week because he works collecting plastic bottles in the city. Maricela’s kids do not have access to clean water and are constantly getting sick because of their life conditions. You can see their smiles when they find out they tasted clean water for the first time.
Your generous contributions and gifts make a difference for Maricela and her family and for vulnerable communities across Latin America. Without your support, these children would not be able to drink clean water and would continue getting sick, but your partnership brings hope as these families will get chaplaincy visits to pray and help them process their trauma. When you invest $150 in a family, you transform an entire community.
Click the link to watch a video of Project M:25 and US pastors to Revancha last week.