Living Water

HAITI - Savane Carrie\Terrier Rouge, North East Department

GPS: 19 37.844 N, 071 54.541 W

Denise Peter’s smile is beautiful—so beautiful that it is difficult to imagine the hardships she has endured for most of her life. She flashes that smile as clean water flows from the newly repaired pump in Savane Carrie. “We used to walk a very long way for dirty water,” she says, “which made my children sick.” Again, the smile. “This [repaired pump] is a very good thing.”

But the clean water isn’t the only good thing. Clean water alone won’t solve many of the health problems in a community—the people must learn about health and hygiene. After the repair was finished, the team taught an introductory hygiene lesson at the well site. Pastor Gelin taught proper hand washing techniques and how to clean the buckets before collecting water. He also demonstrated how to use and care for the pump.

Clean water AND instructions on proper hygiene together do so much to combat many of the problems faced by communities like Savane Carrie. Still, even these things together aren’t the best news Living Water has to offer. At the well dedication ceremony, a team member named Neil stood up and addressed the crowd: "My friends and I came from the US,” he told them, “and you might wonder why. We came because God loves you, and God loves Haiti. Back at home, God’s love changed our lives, and now God’s love is overflowing in us. So we want to share it with you!"

And that is a very good thing.