Tonight our most recent clean water mission team will present and speak to their experiences in the rural Dominican sugar cane village where we built the building that will house a large scale water purification system. The Guyamate batey is a “crossroads” village that sits between several smaller Third World villages. Guaymate actually has one paved street, a couple of stores and two churches. In pictures it doesn’t look Third World in the ways our other projects clearly were. Sadly, however, the short paved street led to massive poverty, houses made of tin and children with diseased swollen bellies. The majority of the illnesses are directly attributable to unclean water. JCBC, along with the Rotary Club of Johns Creek, built the building and paid for the entire water purification system to bring healthy, clean and live-altering water to this area. It cost us $20,000.00 and it was worth every penny and every ounce of effort put into the experience. This is what we do…we change the world and impact God’s Kingdom.
The following video will provide you with an amazing grasp of our work. If you have questions about supporting this work please grab me for a chat. Our long term goal is to place one of these systems each year.
Michael McCullar
Formations Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church
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We in America can easily get jaded about helping others as we constantly hear about people abusing the systems, just choosing to live off of the goodness of others or the govt. We aren’t as eager to help people that we perceive are maybe just “too lazy” to help themselves?
That is not the case in the DR. Working for the sugar cane company is hard work and long hours. The interpreter shared with us that the average worker makes about $THREE dollars per 2000 lbs of sugar cane cut…that’s a ton of work- there or here! ;-}
At the end of the day they don’t get to come home to the luxury we have… theirs is a tin & cardboard shack, maybe a block shelter if a long time company employee, or for some who can’t find work… a tarp tied over some tree limbs. They don’t get the options for Chili’s, Wendy’s or even McDonald’s for dinner. They are truly grateful that there is food to have and share for the family. It was shared with me that much of their family budget goes to buying drinkable water (when they can afford it). Otherwise, it is water from whatever avenue is available–rain (20+ days down there and rained for 6hrs maybe), there’s ponds or maybe the local ditch… shared by man & animal alike. I know this sounds unreal in this day & time, but in most of the rural areas where we work… it is a daily truth. That’s why I find myself drawn back down there to help build structures to provide clean water, the basic essence of life. You see, they really are not where they can help themselves and just choose not to… these people are really in the situation of having no means to help themselves. After that first trip, this has been a calling for me… to work and assist them in reaching upward… to climb to that upward point where they can indeed help themselves. We are expanding our efforts from not only clean water structures, but to education buildings as well. I would encourage anyone and everyone to make a trip with us. Is it as much fun as Disney land…not in the same way. We do enjoy many laughs together. The feeling is unity as the group is amazing. You reach a point where you feel that you & the group can accomplish anything! When that anything is literally helping save children’s lives with clean disease free water… WOW! You don’t have to be a construction expert. There are a lot of little jobs to do that add to the whole and give you that feeling of accomplishment, that your efforts were worthwhile. Please consider helping us… it really will change your life as well as the lives of 1000’s of Dominicans. See you in the DR.