PALO VERDE DEL MUNICIPIO TLACOTEPEC DE JUAREZ

Try saying that name 5 times fast. The title is the name of the village that we went to this last weekend with a ministry called Living Water. They've been to this village a couple times before this weekend and have been working on building a well for the people there to have clean water. We took 15 of the track and field members from UDLAP, and Alice, from volleyball, on the trip. Some were going because they really wanted to help and get this experience, some went to get social service credit for school, whatever their motives were, they left impacted. God does that :) The amazing part of this ministry is they really live out what the Bible says about providing people with the basic needs, their tangible needs. James 2:16-17, "If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
  The water that this village was drinking was the same water that they were bathing in, washing their clothes and food in, and also the same water that the animals around the area drank. While we were there we helped clean a channel that brings rain into a cistern they have. The problem with this channel is that people and animals use it as a bathroom so the rain washes all of that down and eventually, that's what's being consumed. It's a big project that's being done so that there is a natural filtration system being put in place, there's a channel that's relatively clean, a well that will provide them with safe water. I don't know all the details of how the system works but I know this team is working REALLY hard on this project and are passionate about seeing these people have safe water.
  We also did a little extreme home makeover to an 88 year old man's home. They brought him a new matress for his new hut but he couldn't sleep in his house the first night after we left because the cement floors had to dry so they put the matress in the church for him to sleep. He said, "No, I'll be fine sleeping under these trees for the night." It's incredible!!
  There were also classes given about personal hygiene so that the kids and mamas could learn (most of the men were at work). The mamas learned how to wash fruits and vegetables well and their hands to try and prevent sickness.
  Some of the track kids left that day really being impacted. There's going to be follow-up to hear what they learned, how God's heart is for the poor and to ask questions and hear their testimonies. It was an incredible and humbling experience that we're definitely going to do again (some of the tracksters already said they want to keep going :) ).
  There are pictures posted at

http://s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/marnieAIA/

Love you guys!