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	Mission - Maya Quiche Presbyteries
	Mar 2004. Clean Water Comes To Guatemala - Katy BeDunnah
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Sunday, March 7, was a banner day for the residents of the Mayan village of Chajabal in the western highlands of Guatemala. That was the day the water purification unit was dedicated, bringing clean water for drinking and cooking to this village for the very first time! The system was developed by Presbyterian engineers from the Synod Of Living Waters, and installed by a mission team which included Presbyterians from California, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi, in addition to Mission Presbytery. The purification unit was installed in a new building located on the grounds of Principe de Paz Presbyterian Church in Chajabal as an outreach project by their church for their community. This was the first unit of this type to be installed in Guatemala, although 16 other units have been installed in Belize, Haiti, Honduras and at several Presbyterian Border Ministry sites along the Mexican border. In addition to installing the water purification unit, we taught the members of Principe de Paz Presbyterian Church and the women and children of their village about health and hygiene. This training focused on the importance of clean water and clean hands for reducing the prevalence of illnesses caused by dirty and contaminated water. Our mission team also did crafts with the children there that helped teach them the importance of clean water for their lives. Our hope was and is that through the crafts and through the water purification system itself, the members of Principe de Paz Presbyterian Church and their neighbors might also know and be reminded of the love of God and experience the Living Water of His Son Jesus. In addition to the installation of the purification unit and health and hygiene training, members of the Living Waters For The World task force and CESSMAQ met with three other community groups that had expressed interest in water purification projects for their communities. Following presentation of information about the system, one of the meetings resulted in a “handshake” agreement for the second purification project in Guatemala. This second unit will be installed at El Spirito Santo Presbyterian Church in La Cumbre with installation tentatively scheduled for August 2004 by a team from the First Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The information discussed at another location is being presented to the church’s Session for approval. The third location appears to have severe water shortage problems that would not be alleviated by the Living Waters For The World water purification unit. As with any mission trip, those who participated in this installation went home with the feeling that we were the ones who had truly been blessed by this project. Watching the smiles and pleased expressions on the faces of the villagers as they tasted the cool and refreshing clean water was a sight that will be long remembered.
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