I'm back!

Wow. It's been awhile. The last time I posted to this blog I was still an intern here at Amor Ministries. Today I am a full time team member working as a field and appropriate technologies specialist. Allow me to fill in the gaps.

As my internship continued a position in the field opened up here at Amor and something inside me stirred. "How cool would it be to work in the field and actually get to see some of this water stuff get implemented?" I knew taking the position would mean a lot of changes for my life in general but I went for it and got it. Good thing too. Hindsight is 20/20 but I'm so glad I listen to God and not the wall street journal to make my life decisions. Shortly after my decision to take the position the economy started to crash. I was lucky enough to keep my job because Amor was wise many years ago and saved money.

Along with my new field responsibilities I also took on more clean water for life responsibilities as the program began to take shape as well as urban gardening responsibilities as the newest highlight of our research efforts. We had many meetings to discuss business models, budgets, projected revenues and the such. I had many restless nights and sent up many fervent prayers for everything to work out. Finally, God answered our prayers by bringing His plans to fruition in just the right way at just the right time. The first family to receive a water filter was in the community called Lomas Del Pedregal in Tijuana, Mexico. The Delgado family received their filtration certificate from Vernon Christian School in Canada in March 2009. Pastor Eusebio Harros that works on our Mexico Ministry Planning Board was in contact with the family that same week to make sure they received their filter and training on how to use it.

The Delgado family is just one of 300 families that have been relocated to Lomas Del Pedregal recently due to land slides that came every year with the rain to the ravine that they lived in previously. Due to the danger of their situation the city of Tijuana relocated these families giving them the land and reaching out to Amor Ministries to provide these families with housing. By the end of May Amor Ministries will have built homes for the entire community of Lomas Del Pedregal. The icing on the cake is that we will also provide filters to most of these families as they are some of the poorest in Tijuana and have no running water or access to clean water for drinking. All of this thanks to God and to people who partner with Amor by sending money and volunteer time despite the disproportionate media attention to the violence in Tijuana and other parts of Mexico.

The filter we have decided to use here in Tijuana is the Sawyer Point One Filter. It is the definition of Appropriate Technologies. This small filter uses the same technology as kidney dialysis called hollow fiber membrane technology. The filter meets and exceeds EPA requirements for drinking water and maintains a very efficient flow rate of five gallons in 13 minutes. The design is very simple and easy to use. The filter is attached to a hose that attaches to a five gallon bucket. Non potable water goes in the bucket and potable water comes out the filter thanks to the motivating power of gravity. It removes harmful organic compounds from the water such as bacteria, protozoa, cysts, E. Coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium making the water safe to drink. The filter is guaranteed for one million gallons which is essentially a life long guarantee for the family. It never has to be replaced. The only maintenance required is a simple back flushing of the system with clean water when the flow rate slows down using a bulb that is provided with the filter. For our families this filter means that they can save, on average, $80 per year on drinking water. That is enough in savings to send a child to school for a year. There is no easier way to make a difference in the lives of a family. For $100 you can give a family clean water for the rest of their lives.

Next on the agenda...Gardens! That's all for now. Check back for more stories from the field and updates on more Project Hope programs.

P.S. The Amor Store is online now! Check it out. http://www.amorstore.org/