The Triumph team is glad to report their first day in Canton Cerco de Piedra was promising! The day was filled with heartfelt greetings, drilling deep enough to strike water, connecting instantly with the people of the village and not only one, but three Salvadorian meals.
A welcoming sign that translates to “Welcome brothers/sisters”
The team’s first day in the village started with a warm welcome from the people of Cerco de Piedra, which included a prayer for the team. “My favorite part of the day was listening to the welcoming prayer,” Triumph team member Jeisy said. “The woman who delivered the prayer expressed sincere joy for everything they have, and it really put things in perspective for me.”
After the prayer, the team was served an unexpected breakfast and then taken on a tour of the community. They were shown the village’s current water source, a polluted river running under a bridge. They witnessed water trucks from the local municipality pump the dirty river water into the trucks so that it could be delivered to surrounding neighborhoods for drinking water.
The Triumph team is guided through the village on a community tour
Ray, Fanny, Christine, Jeisy and Shannon on the bridge above the river kids from the village
Municipality trucks transport the polluted river water to neighboring communities since water sources have been limited up to this point
The Triumph team is all smiles at lunchtime
Women in the village prepare a lunch of chicken and rice with a tortilla for a Monday lunch
After the tour, the team was treated to a second meal, before dividing into two groups – the drilling team and the hygiene team. The drilling team was excited to hit water on the very first day, which isn’t always the case in Living Water International’s experience. Clean water is at different depths underground; therefore the time it takes to reach clean water can vary greatly by location. For the team in Canton Cerco de Piedra, the drilling went smoothly and the clean water was found in record time.
Sandra, Jeisy, Jay and Ray before striking water and getting muddy
Gerardo operates the drill while Shannon and Kevin are nearby to help shovel mud out of the way
Jay takes a turn guiding the drill while Jeisy and Sandy get covered in mud shoveling
A little mud doesn’t stand in Kevin’s way from drilling progress
While the drilling team made great progress, the hygiene team was diligent in teaching their important lessons to the women and children of the village. The Triumph team has a few Spanish speakers this year, so along with guidance from Living Water International, the team was able to teach all of the lessons in Spanish. Women and children of varying ages joined the hygiene team to participate in these lessons and activities. The children expressed great excitement at even the smallest gestures. The Triumph team has already begun to develop great relationships with the village and with each other. “I think it’s awesome that a group of people with all sorts of different backgrounds and faiths can come together and serve as one,” Triumph team member Jay said.
Vanessa leads the hygiene lesson
After completing the hygiene lesson and drilling to a depth of 120 feet, Living Water’s leaders Armando and Enrique rounded up the Triumph team to end the day’s work. As they were packing up their van to depart, the village asked the team to enjoy one more meal!
Maria brings the team fresh tortillas
With great enthusiasm—and a spirit of competitiveness—this Triumph team hopes to be the fastest team to complete their water well! Check back tomorrow for an update on the status of the well and the hygiene team, as they continue bring clean water to Canton Cerco de Piedra.