Bay Presbyterian Church - Living Waters

Three million people die each year from preventable, water-related illnesses - most are infants and young children.

40% of the world's people, or 1.2 billion people, have no access to clean water.
Scarity of water has created more refugees than all the wars in history, producing "hydrological poverty." Future wars will more likely be fought over water than oil.

Did you know that more than 98% of the water sources in Guatemala are contaminated and there are very few (less than 20) operational municipal water treatment systems in the entire country?

Lack of clean water causes problems with chronic malnutrition and diarrhea which result in stunted growth, poor school attendance and performance and high rates of infant mortality. (Taken from the Living Waters for the World web site). 44% of Guatemalan children are chronically malnourished as a result.

What Can Be Done?
(as of March 2009)

Dear friends who are committed to bringing clean water to Guatemala,

We have just returned from Jacaltenango, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. While there we were able to once again visit our friends at Escuela Buenavista in San Marcos, across the valley. I can't believe it was May of 2007 ( LWW installation #130) when we began this journey! Since then the school has been serving about 80-100 families and with our recent donation will double that number by purchasing more garafones.

Jim Weigelt assisted in a few repairs and the exciting addition of the clear tube to view the bubbles!

Moving forward we have plans to install two more systems in nearby Tzibaj where the community has two schools serving over 300 families afflicted with Cholera and Typhoid.

We would seek your prayer support as there are so many needs in these communities and our hearts are touched by the hope in their eyes.

Living Waters for the World” is a mission project of the Synod of Living Waters, Presbyterian Church (USA). Believing Jesus Christ to be the living water for our bodies and souls, we Presbyterians (and others) are called to help people of the world who are striving to obtain pure drinking water.” A team from BPC returned on May 30, 2007 after installing one of the Living Water systems in the San Marcos School in Guatemala. Praise God for Jim, Cathy, Linda (Bethesda on the Bay) and Bob (First Pres of Elizabethtown, KY) for being Christ's hands and feet and bringing clean water to the San Marcos School ! Click here to read more about the installation.

For more information visit their web site at http://www.livingwatersfortheworld.org/