WOW! What an experience…

Well, we are back from El Salvador and we not only drilled one well for a community, but we had success with two wells!



The experience was full of wonderful things, from transforming lives, to good food, to new friends and to clean water! I will give you a brief overview of the trip…

SATURDAY: DAY 1: We arrived in San Salvador, El Salvador on Saturday around 3pm. We were greeted by some people who work for Living Water International. They then drive us to our hotel which is a couple of hours away. Now, our hotel is not what you would consider a hotel in the U.S. It is basically an open house (no AC) with the kitchen, dining area and sitting area all open with 3 bedrooms with single beds in them with bathrooms attached. Denise and I decided to room together. There was no hot water so we had to take cold showers (you get used to them) but the cool thing was that our hotel backed up to the ocean so we always heard the waves crashing. That night we ate dinner and hit the sack, we were totally exhausted from traveling all day.

This was our house from the front and this was the view from the back, towards the ocean.

SUNDAY: DAY 2: We woke the next morning and ate breakfast, got ready and headed to an Inglecia (that is Spanish for church) near by. When we arrived, everyone crowded around to meet us. Living Water had a well drilled right next to the church. We went into this small, quaint church. Wooden benches and plastic chairs filled the room. There was lace hanging from the ceiling and at the front of the room there was small wooden podium, a huge speaker and plastic flowers.The room quickly filled with about 20-30 people as the lady who leads singing the songs,sang into a microphone connected to the huge speaker and the preacher played his electric guitar. All the people of the church were singing in Spanish and clapping their hands. I could only pick up a few words at a time to understand what they were singing about, but they sang with so much joy in their hearts. I thought about how this small community does not have much, but they are praising the Lord with so much joy and enthusiasm. It made me think about the fact that you don’t have to have much and as long as you have God in your life, your life will be filled with happiness. After the preacher spoke (in Spanish…Able that was with us translated) we sat around and talked

with the community. The preacher was trying to read my Bible that was in English, I taught him some English words. After that, we went back to our hotel, ate lunch, walked out into the ocean to see Jesus and took a dip in the pool. Behind our hotel, in the ocean was this awesome statue

of Jesus. When the tide was down, we could actually walk to it. That afternoon we went into the community where we would begin drilling a well tomorrow morning. When we arrived at the community, there were a lot of people sitting around in chairs near a red tent. They showed us where we would be drilling, the equipment and such. Then Able addressed the community and explained to them what we were here to do and how Jesus will provide what is necessary. We then introduced ourselves and visited for awhile. We

went home, ate dinner, hung out and prepared for the next day.

MONDAY: DAY 3: The next morning we headed back to the community and we were all very excited. They were people sitting and standing around to watch us. My first job was to be the assistant driller. We put on our hard hats, gloves and safety goggles and were ready to work! As the assistant driller you have to stand close to the actual machine that is drilling away the dirt, I was a little scared. The machine started to do drill into the ground and dirt starting flying everywhere! The sound of the pipe hitting the ground and rock sounded like a machine gun (like in the movies) and made me jump each time it started. A few hours went by and the other team members and I rotated job positions. There was the driller who controlled the drilling by moving knobs that moved the pipes up and down and

rotating. The assistant driller I have already explained, but as the job went on, you were shoveling mud and helping add the pipes to the drill. The other position was the pipe cleaner/greaser. Your job was to makes sure the pipes that were about to be added were cleaned and then greased. And then there was the scriber who took samples of the dirt we were drilling, noting the amount of pipes we used to see how far down we were and watching the time it was taking us to drill. When we were not part of the rotation we spent our time getting hydrated, (it was very hot and humid there) playing with the kids of the community or watching the others work. Right before lunch we noticed that the Living Water guys that were with us were really looking at and smelling the dirt. They were also discussing a lot of things. They decided that there was not water at this location. They have already tried to drill two other wells in the area and they were dry. They decided that we needed to pack up and leave. When we heard the news, we were very disappointed. The look on the people’s faces as we packed our stuff up was unforgettable. Due to the language barrier, it was very hard to explain how sorry we were and try to give them some hope. I know how much those people were looking forward to having clean drinking water and I felt as though we had let them down. (even though it was out of our control) We later found out that another company will go into that community and put a water filter on a hand dug 30ft. well, which will be improve their drinking water some. I still think about those people to this day when I think of my trip. I would have to say that was probably the one of the hardest situations I had to deal with on the trip. After packing everything up and saying good –bye, we moved our drill site to a spot about 30 minutes away on the side of a two-way high way. Right when we got there, Able found a friend who drives a bulldozer to come and even out the ground we would be drilling at. That took only a few minutes and we were on our way to try and drill another well. After a short period of drilling, we hit water, but realized that the inside of the walls were collapsing. This site was very easy to drill and did not take long at all to find water. It was getting late and we had to call it a day. This is a picture of us at the end of our first day, notice how dirty we are....

TUESDAY: DAY 4: We returned to the site on the side of the high way. We put down some extra pipe to secure the walls from falling in. (That is me helping Enrique get some stones out of the walls so we could get the pipe in.) When we got the walls secure, we had to clean out the hole down to the water by pushing air down there which causes the water to shoot out. We celebrated in the freezing cold water, we were so happy we did not realize how cold it was…until we were completely soaked. In order to dry off, we decided to go down to the river to get some sand to make the concrete to go around the well. And by me saying “to dry off”, we rode in the back of the truck, standing up, going down the highway to the river. (that is a normal thing to do in El Salvador) It was really

exciting for a while until Denise brought it to my attention that we could be decapitated the way we were standing and the bars in the back of the truck…but we did get dry and it was fun in the moment! We then mixed the concrete up and set the pump for the well. They said this well would probably service about 3,000 people. It was agood day! On the way home that night we found out that we would be drilling another well tomorrow.

We created a mosaic like the symbol of our church and decided to press it into the concrete near the well.

WEDNESDAY: DAY 5: We awoke and drove to a new communitycalled Playa del Delicious. When we arrived to the location, which was in village next to a soccer field, there were many people there waiting our arrival. We spoke to the people and told them who we were, what we are doing there…we also shared in a

devotional with them. Kent spoke while Able translated. It was a great devotional and we sang afterwards. It was a very emotional moment for me and it brought me to tears. I wanted so bad to help this community and they all had so much hope in their eyes. It was just a beautiful setting with the palm trees in the background and hearing the message in English and then immediately translated into Spanish. We were all on the same path, it was super cool. Then we got to work, you know the routine. Except this time instead of using air, we had to use water cycling through two reserve pits, through a trench, then the drill worked with the water...it was a little more complicated than the other method and it took a little longer. I was told it was going to be a lot messier than before but I did not mind. The day went on with drilling and more drilling. We drank fresh coconut juice from a coconut, ate fresh

limes, bananas and drank fresca (a drink made from

many fruit juices). Some ladies of the community made us lunch which consisted of chicken soup with tortillas and fresh coconuts, it was delicious! The hospitality of the communitywas amazing. Though they don’t have much, they were willing to feed us and make us feel welcome. We played lots of soccer and Frisbee which was a lot of fun! The children were a lot of fun to play with

and it seemed they could play for hours and hours and have so much fun with the simplest things. We hit water late that day and when we did, we had to clean the drilled

hole out. The kids were running and standing in the COLD water!

They were having so much fun, it was really a joy to watch. When they got out of the water, they were shivering but still smiling. Our friend Kati told us that most of them had never shivered before because they have never had really cold water.

THURSDAY: DAY 6: The next morning we arrived at the

community and immediately went to work. We lowered the pipes into the hole of the well, concreted the area and checked the pump to make sure it worked.(I was the first one and it was very exciting!) We then had a well dedication and a lot of people were there from

the community. Able explained how the pump worked and such. Then the leader of the community said a few things, they were very moving and appreciative. (Able translated for us of course) Then I thanked all the people for all of their hospitality while we were there. We all said a little something and then we had to leave our new

friends. We were all lined up and everyone came by to thank us and say good-bye. They were all very happy and it was great to know that we had changed their lives forever. I was thinking to myself, this is a day they will probably never forget. I know it is a day I will never forget. Some ladies from the community invited us over to their houses for some Paposas. They were so yummy! As we drove out of the community, all the people stood outside of their homes waving and saying their good-byes.

This is my friend Enrique, he lives in El Salvador and helps Living Water International. He taught me some Spanish and I taught him some English. He also loves soccer, so I gave him the soccer ball my team gave me to take to El Salvador. He was very happy to have it and play with his three children!

Thank you Geckos!

FRIDAY: DAY 7:Friday morning we packed all of our stuff up and loaded in the van. We were going to stay the night at a hotel in the city because of our early flight in the morning. We stopped by the well on the side of the highway to see the finished product and take picts. The well was working great and the people could not wait to use it. We then drove into the mountains to go zip-lining. I had never done this before, so I was very excited! After a few hours, we arrived. The drive through the mountains was beautiful. El Salvador is known for its coffee, so we saw a lot of coffee trees. Some of Starbucks coffee comes from there! When we got to the zip-ling place, we got all harnessed up. When I say the cables we would be traveling on and how we stopped ourselves, (with gloves!) I began to get a little nervous. After the first cable, I was hooked! It was so much fun flying through the air on a small cable in the mountains, over valleys…it was totally AWESOME!! The guy strapped my camera to my helmet so I wouldn’t loose it. I even took a picture while I was flying through the air…check it out, pretty good huh? It was super cool and I recommend it to everyone! Later that day we went shopping in the market. It was a lot of fun too. That night we went out to eat and stayed in a hotel in the city. It was just a little different from what we had been staying in the rest of the week. We finally went to bed around 10:30pm and needed to be up at 3:30 am. When Denise, Maranda and I laid down, fireworks started to go off. Not little fireworks, big huge ones! It was a firework show right outside our window. We thought it was a perfect ending to our trip! The only bad thing was that we were right next to Mr. Monkey, a club that partied all night long, needless to say, we didn’t get that much sleep that night!

SATURDAY: RETURN: The last day was a day of traveling. We said good-bye to our friends in El Salvador and headed back home. I was sad to leave, but ready to be home. I felt like a work there had been done. When we finally arrived in DFW, I was very anxious to see my family! I had not spoken to any of them all week. I did get to email them twice. But to not hear or talk to them, that was hard! When I walked towards the doors in the baggage claim, I could see my mom, Makenzie and Jax waiting there for me. Tears started to fill my eyes, I thought to myself “ok Brandy, keep it together, you can do it”, but I couldn’t! Makenzie ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug ever! I loved it! Jax was looking at me weird, like “is that really her?” He was a little stand-offish for a minute, but then ran up and gave me a big squeeze! I didn’t realize how much I missed them! They looked like they had grown so much in a week. I didn’t get to see Donnie until the next day, he was working at the fire station. I didn’t realize how much I missed him too! I love my family and I was so glad to be back with them. So, would I do it again? Yes, for sure! I can not fully explain the feelings and experiences I got from this trip. I thought the trip was incredible. I laughed, I cried, I worked, I got dirty, I made new friends, I saw new and amazing things, I tried new foods, I experienced another culture, another way of life, got a new perspective on my life, I changed others lives forever, I helped them and brought more joy into their lives but I did not do it for me or just for them, but I did it for God. I want to live a better life and do what God would want me to do, and that is exactly what I did. Thank you all who supported me and helped me to complete this amazing journey! Thank you so much Donnie, Christi, Kelli and Mom for taking such good care of the kids while I was gone! I love you all so much!

By the way, I think everyone in El Salvador carries a matchetie! This little boy is peeling his lime with it! We say people cutting coconunts out of a tree, a man weed-eating his yard and people walking down the street with them! (And I worry about kids with a butter knife, what am I thinking??!!)

Check out these short videos: First: Drilling for water with air, second: Drilling for water with water, third: kids playing in water at the community, fourth: me pumping water out of well, fifth: a man from the community pumping water out of the well...priceless! and sixth: the leader of the community speaking about the well and thanking everyone.

Here we go...

Denise and Seth should be here in about 15 minutes to pick me up. We are leaving for El Salvador this morning. I am so excited, anxious, nervous, etc!!! I have been emotional all week. One minute I can't wait to go and then the next minute I am thinking "is it too late to cancel?" I have spoken to a lot of you and you have told me how much I mean to you and that you will be praying for me. It really means a lot to me that so many people care and so many people have touched my life. Because of you, I am able to go and help the people in the village of San Pedro El Canal in Acajutla, Sonsonate in El Salavador. We will try to email and post pictures, if not I will see all of you when I get back! Thank you again for everything! God bless and I love all of you!

10 days and counting...

Ok. So we had our last meeting Sunday to finalize things before our trip and I started to get tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat. I started to think "what in the world am I doing?" I know I really want to go and help people and have this wonderful experience to look back on, but I am really having a hard time with leaving Makenzie, Jax and of course Donnie for 7 days! I know they will be well taken care of, but I just don't want to leave them. They probably will have such a good time while I am gone (hanging out with Gigi that hardly says no to anything they want, I've been told that is ok, because she is the grandma) Christi and Donnie that they won't even miss me. I talked to them yesterday about me leaving in a couple of weeks and reminded them that I would be back and also reminded them what I was doing and how I am helping people. Makenzie decided she was going with me because she wants to help people too. Then a few minutes later she was hugging me tightly saying, "Mommy I am going to miss so much while you are gone. Please don't leave." As you all know Makenzie is pretty dramatic, but at that moment she seemed so sincere. Later she brought me a note that she made saying how much she loved me. Then there is Jax....when I was telling him I was going to be gone, he would stop and look at me with this sad face and tell me "No Mommy leave" shaking his head no. I know he doesn't fully understand what is going on, but he is pretty smart and he does LOVE his mommy. I have a feeling I will either get the silent treatment from him when I get back or he will become very attached to me again! (I can't believe I am saying this, but I hope it is option #2!) And finally Donnie, he can't wait for me to leave! Just kidding, he says that everything is fine, I will have fun, everything is going to be ok, I will be safe, I will be home soon...for those of you who know Donnie, is very supportive and always has a positive outlook on things. This is the first time I will leave him for this long and I am sad, but I have totally confidence in him as a husband, friend and a father to do a great job while I am away. I love you Donnie, Makenzie and Jax and I will miss you all greatly! On a different note...We do not have the name of the village we will be drilling at yet. They do know that it is El Salvador between the towns of Sonsonate and Acahutla. I am very excited to have the opportunity to travel to El Salvador and help people that really need my help. I can not wait to get dirty and work hard so that they can hopefully have a better life when we are done there. I think it will be wonderful to touch the lives of so many individuals that I don't even know. Thank you to all of you who have supported us financially and through your thoughts and prayers. I could not have done this without you! Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our journey in the next 10 days.

Thank you...or shall we say "Muchas Gracias "

We would like to thank everyone who has supported us thus far. Our garage sale is just a couple of days away and we have tons of stuff to sale, THANK YOU! We would also like to thank those who have sent monetary donations. We really appreciate all the support! We are preparing for our garage sale and attending our conversational Spanish class. Denise is a pro and I am still struggling. I have decided to stay near her in El Salvador at all times! My goal is to be able to communicate the basics, we'll see how that works out! Thanks again for everything!

WATER CRISIS IN EL SALVADOR...We Can Make a Difference!

WATER, the stuff of life and a basic human right, is at the heart of a daily crisis faced by more than one billion of the world's most vulnerable people—a crisis that threatens life and consigns large segments of humanity to chronic disease, poverty, and insecurity.

Contaminated drinking water kills! Nobody wants to drink water contaminated with feces, but when that is your only means of water, it’s your only choice. Amoebas, cholera, shigella, campylobacter, salmonella…these are parasites and bacteria that kill their hosts. They multiply inside stomachs and intestines, and then cause their hosts to become very ill. For a child, becoming a host may mean death. These parasites and bacteria live freely in many of the communities’ water in El Salvador.

Water-related disease is the single largest killer of infants in developing countries—diarrhea alone causes 1.8 million child deaths each year—and access to safe water is the most important factor in the survival of children under the age of five. Nearly half of all people in developing countries are suffering from water-related health problems. The annual number of deaths from water-related diseases is six times greater than the number of deaths from armed violence.

Women wake up every morning to fetch water from the river–the same river used for washing clothes and taking baths. Education suffers as a result of the consequential illness that plagued the community. Children and adults all suffer from kidney problems, parasites and chronic diarrhea due to contaminated water.

Going to El Salvador…We have decided to go on a mission trip to El Salvador with some people from our community of faith, Mosaic. We are going to dig a well so that a community will have access to clean drinking water. Yes, we are leaving for a week without our husbands and kids, in the middle of the school year, with limited funds, to a foreign country, to do hard manual labor …I know you are saying, “What are they thinking?” As mothers, we cannot stand the thought of children suffering when there is a simple solution available that we can help to provide. We are willing to drop everything here so that we can go and make a difference and help people, especially the children, who need it. Between our two husbands and family, our children will be well taken care of and loved! (We will miss them greatly!)

Here is the plan…We leave on Saturday, November 15, 2008. We will spend the next week getting to know the community, digging the well and teaching them how to use and take care of it. Some of us will even be teaching the community about hygiene. (We are enrolled in a conversational Spanish class…very excited to learn more than “Hola!” and “Como estas?”) After our work is done, we will come home on Saturday, November 22.

A little info about the organization…Living Water International has been working towards an end to the global water crisis for more than 17 years, and has directly implemented 5,000 (and counting) water projects. They have developed the most effective dollar-for-dollar model in operation. Their approach—to train, equip, and consult nationals—ensures that the energy and resources contributed by volunteers and donors result in sustainable, participatory water systems that meet the long-term needs of communities. Living Water International provides trained national teams with all the components needed to implement community water solutions. Local people are hired and local materials are purchased whenever possible, creating jobs and income to further benefit the community at large. LWI is able to learn from the community what water solution will be the most appropriate, practical, and functional for the specific community. The committee often participates in the implementation and is trained in basic maintenance of the new water system—typically a hand pump.

How you can help…In order to go, we need to raise some money! Denise and I had a neighborhood garage sale in September and raised a great amount of money. So many of you donated items to our garage sale, therefore it was very successful. (Thank you so much!)

We are also accepting monetary donations. You can mail a check to me at:
4011 Cherryhill Ct. Arlington, TX 76016.

Or you can use your paypal account:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=wXdCsBJEFKWr2B4gm_ir-Fuz-y_IYSyPkC2rJMoTEso6OtqDCXItdbCkP2e&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f80512b0980fcab74abc3e59231243d18198d800d5b9d32ad

If you do not want to or cannot support us by these means, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Learn more…
http://www.mosaic.org/ – my community of faith, hope and love.
www.water.cc – organization supplying the well materials

Thank you…The two of us and our families would like to thank you for your support. Whether you support us financially, through prayer, or simply by spreading the word, we thank you. The first step to ending this water crisis is learning the facts and the second is taking action. We can give the gift of water! There is an entire world out there suffering and while we may not be reaching them all today, we have comfort in knowing that even one child may benefit from this effort and that’s what makes it all worthwhile. From our families to yours, thank you!

Love and Peace,
Brandy & Denise