Shallowford Worldwide Ministries: Day 7 - Getting Ready to Wrap It Up!

Today was not what you would call a light day, but basically it was a day where we felt strongly that we had reached the home stretch. I left for Union Roja with the operators at 9am and we went to the water building to do some work with the folks there and then sent Mike off to Salvador Urbina to do some repairs to the system there.

After doing some tests on the system, Doug, Adrian and I, made a 30 minute hike through the woods and up over a small mountain ridge to check on Mike and retrieve a few supplies that would be needed from there. We found mike elbow deep in some heavy system repairs, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

After grabbing what we needed, we hiked back down to Union Roja where we met teh operators and went over bottle washing and distribution procedures for the sales of water. These guys are so on the ball it is ridiculous, so not much discussion was needed and we then told them to go ahead and run a batch of water on THEIR new system. They immediately went to work turning valves and flipping switches as if they had been doing it for years.

Feeling great about leaving them alone with the system to run a batch of water and do some other modifications, we returned to Salvador Urbina to check on Mike only to discover that he had gone with Don Jorge and Bertrand to Tapachula to buy parts. So, since Mike seemed to be in good hands, we left to go visit our friend Adam in the town of El Aguila where another system is in place.

While all this was going on, the training team was holding their final day of training. A member of the local education committee asked to bring 17 children from the school so that they could practice the method they have learned on them. According to Kendle, it was a raving success and the trainers did a great job.

Meanwhile, we were in El Aguila visiting the home of Adan and the system there. We have known Adan for a few years now and he is a really great guy. His wife prepare cookies and coffee and we sat in his kitchen telling funny stories.

Finally, we returned to Union Roja where we enjoyed the first drink of water from the new system and then went back to Salvador Urbina to find Mike adn visit with our friend Sandra Cifuentes and her family as well as the family of our friend Luis who is working now in Atlanta and had asked Mike to deliver some gifts to his family as well as a video camera so that they could take videos of themselves and send back with Mike.

All in all, a great, but exhausting day.

Tomorrow is the last day and we will dedicate the system and have a party with friends from El Aguila, Salvador Urbina and Union Roja!