Living Water

For Randi Belisomo, holidays the past few years have been a struggle. As the ever-present air of gratitude at Thanksgiving quickly turns into the twinkling, joyful lights of Christmas, she is reminded that her late husband, Carlos, is no longer with her to experience the gleeful, celebratory moments. But earlier this year, Randi traveled with Living Water to disaster-stricken Haiti and life as she knew it, again, changed.  

A village in Guatemala now has clean, safe drinking water thanks to a class gift from graduates of the East Carolina University College of Nursing.

After the massive earthquake that ripped across Haiti in January 2010, Living Water International’s work there went into overdrive—and that’s an understatement. The need for clean drinking water was more desperate than ever, with cholera running rampant through overcrowded tent cities and water trucks unable to keep up with demand. After the earthquake, Living Water’s output for rehabilitated wells more than doubled (from around 175 to around 450), plus the addition of a new drilling program in Port au Prince and another drill rig headed to Cap Haitian for a new drilling program there.

EL SALVADOR – San Lucas, Sonsonate Region

 GPS: 13 36.506 N, 89 38.810 W

PERU – Esperanza, Cachiyacu River, Balsa Puerto

GPS: 05 44.949 S, 076 28.821 W

There is no electricity in Esperanza. When the sun shines, the village has light. When it rains, and after the sun goes down, all is darkness.

The morning was unseasonably hot, but that didn't deter the nearly 200 members of The Crossing Church who decided to raise money by running with Team Living Water in the Go! St. Louis marathon and half-marathon. Spurred on by thoughts of people around the world who have to walk miles and miles to gather water, The Crossing's team trainer estimates that the runners raised around $50,000 for clean water projects around the world. Read more about The Crossing, Team Living Water, and their efforts in the Go! St.

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.”

Even today, if you fly over the destruction in Port au Prince, you can’t help but imagine what those moments were like during and immediately after the earthquake: the confusion and terror, loss of life, hurting families, and scared children. You start to let their fear and pain become yours. Then you realize you’re on a plane. You’re not even breathing the same air as the people below.

HAITI – Cite Nebert, Fort Liberte, Northern Haiti
GPS: 19 39.218 N, 071 49.959 W

While our team repaired this well, a little boy kept grabbing our tools, saying that he wanted to help us fix the pump. He mimicked our actions, and we told him that he could work repairing wells when he grows up.

HAITI – Park Central School #78, Cap Haitian
GPS: 19 45.263 N, 72 12.379 W

We often repair pumps that have been broken—for weeks, months, even years. But sometimes, we get to a pump before it breaks, which means people (like the kids at Park Central School in Cap Haitian) don’t have to spend those weeks, months, or years wondering if they will ever have clean water again.