Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Timothy Rasmussen, Berny Leonardo
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY015060A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN today. 01:09 My name is C.A. Murray 01:11 and allow me once again to thank you for sharing 01:13 just a little of your no doubt busy day with us. 01:16 To thank you again for your love, 01:17 your prayers, your support of this ministry 01:19 for we realize that we could not do 01:21 we are called to do without your partnership. 01:24 So we thank you from the bottom of our hearts 01:26 as we work together 01:27 to lift up the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. 01:32 I've always been a fan of, a lover of mission stories. 01:36 Now the mission field can be around the world, 01:40 it can be next door, it can be the next block, 01:42 it can actually be in your own family 01:43 or sometimes even in your own home. 01:45 But today we are going to talk about the mission field 01:48 and work in the "mission field" 01:50 as respects the country of Guatemala. 01:53 And I was telling I guess that I've been 01:55 to most of the Latin American countries 01:57 have not quite gotten into Guatemala just yet. 02:00 Perhaps one day we will. 02:01 But the ministry is called Water for Life 02:04 and a great story, an exciting story 02:08 as they use water as a-- 02:11 there I say ministry to as a an agent of evangelism. 02:16 A platform, yes, a vehicle to bring Christ to people 02:20 while you are brining something that they need 02:21 each and everyday of their lives. 02:23 My guests are Timothy Rasmussen. 02:26 That's correct. 02:27 As opposed to Rasmusen. Rasmussen. 02:30 He is the president of Water for Life 02:31 and Berny Leonardo. 02:32 I like that. 02:34 Berny Leonardo is very fusser title name 02:35 who is a coordinator 02:37 and really is stationed in Guatemala 02:40 and so takes care of things down there. 02:42 So we are gonna talk about their story, 02:44 talk about the work of Water for Life in Guatemala. 02:47 How it got started, what it is, what is it doing 02:50 and the attendant miracles that God is brining 02:53 to this ministry as they serve the Lord in that country. 02:56 So it's a great challenge. 02:58 My wife being from Panama. 02:59 As well known literally easier to get in and out of Panama 03:02 and do some things. 03:04 Guatemala little bit tougher 03:05 but the work of God is moving forward 03:07 and these two gentlemen are gonna explain to you 03:10 and talk to you about and show you also 03:12 with some pictures little bit later on 03:14 how God is blessing this ministry 03:15 that we call Water for Life. 03:17 Now before we go to our music I want to talk to both of you, 03:19 just get little background 03:21 because you didn't start out being missionaries 03:23 and working with Water for Life. 03:26 Timothy, where are you from? 03:27 I'm from Spokane area Washington. 03:30 I was born and raised in Michigan. 03:32 My father was a pastor 03:33 Ted Rasmussen in the Michigan Conference for many years. 03:36 But I live in Spokane area right now. 03:38 Okay, that explains all that running around. 03:42 Moving from Michigan to-- 03:44 from Washington to Michigan and back. 03:46 Give me some sense of your childhood. 03:48 You know, you say your father is a pastor 03:49 so you grew up in an Adventist home. 03:51 Yes. 03:52 My father was a pastor, my grandfather was a pastor 03:55 as well on my mother's side. 03:57 So I grew up in a home in Michigan, 03:59 we traveled a lot of difference places in Michigan 04:02 as pastor that move around, 04:03 at least move more than they do now I think. 04:05 That's true. 04:06 But we live in several homes in Michigan. 04:08 I went to Adelphian Academy in Michigan 04:10 and then I graduated from Andrews University 04:13 while my family was in Michigan. 04:15 I just want to ask you 04:17 after two generations of pastors 04:18 how did you escape the cloth there I say. 04:21 I'm not exactly sure how I escaped it. 04:24 Mr. Berny says that I'm still a pastor. 04:26 I don't agree with that. 04:28 I'm a lawyer, 04:29 I went to Georgia State University 04:31 and I studied law and practiced for a while 04:34 in North Carolina in Georgia 04:36 and then about 15 years ago I moved to Washington 04:39 and right now my job is, I'm the elected prosecuting 04:42 attorney for Stevens County, Washington where I live. 04:46 So you are on one side of bar sort of there 04:49 we say jump the bar and now you are on the other side. 04:52 But that's an elected office. Yes, it is. 04:54 That's an office you have to run far. 04:55 Yes, I do. 04:57 I'm on my third term and-- Somebody liked you. 05:00 Somebody liked me, a majority of the people. 05:03 And evidently-- and Lord is blessing. 05:05 Yes, He is. Is it a great difference? 05:07 Is there a great difference from being a defense attorney 05:11 to being a prospecting attorney? 05:12 There can be. 05:13 I believe that a person can do honorable work on both sides. 05:17 As an advocate for people that are accused. 05:19 You know, we have-- 05:21 Jesus is our advocate. Oh, yes. 05:22 And an advocate is needed on the prosecution side 05:27 there is a sense of justice and a prosecutor's job is to do 05:30 what is just for people in situations. 05:33 So I think that Christian people can work 05:35 on either side of that. 05:36 How does-- 05:39 it's kind of one of those ontological questions 05:41 we toss at people for now and then. 05:43 How does your faith, your Christianity inform 05:47 what you have to do every day? 05:49 I try to do the right thing 05:51 and the Lord knows what's right. 05:54 And many circumstances come at me 05:56 and I'm not sure exactly 05:57 what I should do in this situation. 06:00 I take those things to the Lord and I ask the Lord 06:03 what is the right thing and then I try to do 06:05 what the Lord tells me to do about the situation. 06:07 So you bring prayer into your business, 06:09 I do. into your job? 06:10 I do. Good for you. 06:11 I'm in a secular world but occasionally 06:13 I will find an opportunity to pray with someone. 06:16 This last Monday morning I met a man who had-- 06:20 his son had been murdered that weekend 06:23 and he came to my office and was in tears 06:25 and he and I spoke for a few minutes 06:27 about the case and the situation. 06:29 But then I noticed that he was hurting 06:31 and he was weeping and so we were able to pray. 06:34 He was a believer and I was able to pray 06:37 with him for the Lord to calm his heart. 06:41 What grieving father needs just comfort from our Savior. 06:45 And so I do have the opportunity sometimes 06:47 to extend prayer with people. 06:51 So for you in listening to your presentation 06:56 it's not just about getting the conviction 06:59 it's about doing the right thing 07:00 It is. or doing the fair thing. 07:02 Many times it's more important who you don't prosecute 07:04 than who you do. 07:06 And the prosecutor has a duty to do what is just 07:10 not simply to get convictions. 07:13 That is a very did I say enlightened view 07:18 and proud of you, man. 07:20 That's a good biblical work. 07:22 Well, I have a good helper must say the Lord. 07:26 Praise the Lord. 07:28 So now that's about yourself, you got somebody with you. 07:29 No. Yeah. 07:31 Berny Leonardo, you are the coordinator 07:34 for Water for Life in Guatemala. 07:37 Guatemala I suspect like most of the Latin American countries 07:40 predominantly Catholic. 07:42 Yes, they are. 07:43 Did you grow up in an Adventist home 07:44 or Catholic home? 07:46 I grew up in non-Adventist home. 07:48 My father was a catholic, my mother knew the message 07:51 but-- finally we thank the Lord that He took us over 07:56 to good situation that both parents heard 08:00 and they gave us the message. 08:04 So finally we grew up as a Seventh-day Adventist. 08:08 About how old were you when you actually became? 08:10 About seven years. 08:11 I praise the Lord that I knew Him so early. 08:13 Yes. Yes. Yes. 08:15 And I got to ask you because when anytime someone tells me 08:18 "I gave my heart to Lord at five, six, seven 08:21 I always ask did you have any" I call them wilderness years. 08:26 Sometimes during our teenage years 08:28 you kind of stray a little bit, the word kind of cause 08:30 and you may kind of turn your head that way for a while 08:33 or did you kind of stay with the Lord throughout? 08:35 Well, you do have temptation you would like to go out 08:38 and see how things are outside the church. 08:42 But I thank the Lord He led me through His path 08:47 and He comfort me so I didn't have to go so far. 08:53 Praise the Lord. You didn't wandered too far. 08:55 How about you Timothy, did you guys playing straight? 08:57 I spent years in the wilderness wandering. 09:01 As many young people I was baptized 09:03 at 10 or 12-years-old 09:05 and but it wasn't until I was an adult. 09:08 Then I finally realized that what my Savior had done 09:11 for me and I was re-baptized when I was about 35-years-old 09:17 I was re-baptized 09:18 and from then I'm gonna praise the Lord. 09:20 I've been following Him, sometimes not so closely 09:24 but following Him-- Yeah, praise the Lord. 09:25 Praise the Lord. 09:26 It occurs to me that having a father, grandfather, 09:30 even greater grandfather who is an Adventist minister 09:33 doesn't make you-- it makes you an Adventist 09:35 maybe but it certainly doesn't make a child of God. 09:38 That is a personal decision 09:40 that you got to make one on one. 09:41 So you can grow up with the accoutrements 09:44 of Adventism are around you 09:46 but until you find Christ for yourself 09:47 that's when it takes on, it takes on meaning. 09:50 Yeah. Yeah. 09:51 We want to go to our music 09:53 and I want to come back and walk-- 09:54 well, have you guys walk us through 09:55 what Water for Life is and how you sort of moved 09:58 into this because that is a good story 10:00 and it's doing some great work. 10:01 Our music today comes from Gale Jones Murphy, 10:04 great pianist, great singer, great friend of this ministry. 10:08 She is going to be playing this time "Come Thou Fount." 14:14 Well done, Gale Jones Murphy, a bit of a different take 14:18 on a classic song "Come Thou Fount." 14:21 Very, very well done. 14:22 My guests are Timothy Rasmussen and Berny Leonardo, 14:25 they of Water for Life. 14:28 You know, I like your email address 14:32 or your web address is h2oforlife.org, 14:35 well, H2oForLife.org. 14:40 We've done a little bit about your past, 14:42 I want to put you together and how the ministry 14:44 has brought you together. 14:46 Tell me, Timothy, how did Water for Life 14:49 get started and how did you become president? 14:52 Since you used to running for office, 14:53 I know you didn't run for this one though. 14:57 Water for Life began as an endeavor of volunteers 14:59 to solve a contaminated water problem at a school 15:03 and orphanage operated by International Children's 15:05 Care in Guatemala. 15:07 The people there were drinking water from the river. 15:11 And we have a film, we have a picture of some 15:15 ladies in the stream and people get water 15:19 from whatever source that they could. 15:21 For many people it's just river water. 15:23 In times when there is very little water and little flow 15:27 those contaminants are very concentrated. 15:30 So you are washing in the water, 15:31 you are bathing in the water, you are drinking the water, 15:33 you are cooking with the water and all of that's in that one. 15:36 And so you are animals. Yeah. 15:37 I've been in villages where the women were getting 15:40 water from one side of a pond and cattle were standing 15:43 in the water on the other side of the pond. 15:46 And if you say to people this water is dangerous 15:49 they say we know. Yeah. 15:50 But there is no other place for water. 15:51 No other place, yeah. 15:53 So Water for Life began as an endeavor of volunteers 15:56 to solve this problem. 15:57 I was privileged to be on the campus 16:01 when they drilled the first wells and the way 16:03 I heard about Water of Life I was preaching 16:06 at the Countryside Adventist Church in Spokane 16:09 and I heard at a break 16:11 Mr. Bartholomew, he stood up and said 16:13 the drilling rig has been seen inside the customs yard 16:17 at Puerto Barrio and the general reaction 16:20 was praisethe Lord, praise the Lord. 16:21 And afterwards I said to Gary, what is this all about? 16:24 What are you talking about and he told me 16:26 about their efforts and that was when the first rig 16:29 was going down. 16:30 My wife and I went down and were there 16:32 when the first wells were drilled at the school 16:34 and orphanage and my wife fell in love 16:37 with the orphan children and we've been coming back. 16:40 That was about ten years ago 16:41 and we've been coming back every year since. 16:43 Now how big of school you are talking about? 16:45 The school is about 400 students. 16:47 Okay, good size school. 16:48 It's a boarding school, it's a high school 16:50 and the orphanage is about 70 to 100 little children 16:55 and that is right next door to the school. 16:58 So all based on the same complex. 17:00 Basically in the same property. Wow. 17:02 And International Children's Care has done a good work there 17:05 but that's how we got started, how Water for Life got started. 17:08 Now it is International Children's Care 17:10 an Adventist organization? Yes, it is. 17:12 It's from Vancouver, Washington 17:14 and is an Adventist organization. 17:16 So you went down and sort of got the bit 17:19 in your mouth got hooked? Got hooked. 17:21 Yeah. Yeah, got hooked. 17:23 And it came home and continued to work 17:25 with Gary and Water for Life has grown 17:28 from that one beginning where we had just 17:30 a container for a shop and one drilling rig 17:34 we now have three drilling rigs, 17:37 we have six other trucks, we have a large shop, 17:39 we have apartments for our volunteered drillers 17:42 who come from across the United States 17:44 and drill with us and we have facilities there 17:47 to take care of people. 17:48 The workers eat in the school cafeteria 17:52 so we can feed and take care of people. 17:53 Yeah. Yeah. 17:54 But Water for Life has grown to the point 17:56 where we now have 79 wells throughout the Peten Region 18:00 mostly where we are and we think 18:03 that about 30,000 people are drinking water every day 18:06 as a result of the efforts of Water for Life. 18:08 Now, you say that first compound 400 kids 18:13 plus another 70 what kind of output do you need 18:17 a well to produce to make that well, 18:19 to say that this well is a good viable well? 18:22 Depends upon the demand on it and a well that's only 18:26 producing ten gallons, ten gallons a minute running 18:30 24 hours a day or productive rate amount of water. 18:33 So we now serving that campus we have five wells that serve 18:36 those campuses and if one goes down 18:38 they can switch to another one. 18:40 The majority of wells that we produce for villages 18:43 are in places where there is no power. 18:46 So these are the old hand pumps the green in color 18:49 well, you have seen them before and that's what we provide 18:53 in villages and there is about usually between 200 and 600 18:57 people in the village so we think with 79 wells 19:00 we've got about 30,000 people that are depending 19:03 on the water everyday. 19:04 Yeah, praise the Lord. 19:06 Now how did you run into Brother Berny over there? 19:08 I met my friend Berny the very first time 19:10 we were there and he was the business manager 19:14 of the school at that time and we were 19:17 closely associated and I think he and I recognized 19:20 that we are brothers in the Lord. 19:23 And our friendship has gathered, has continued 19:27 and we have visited in his home and he visits in our home 19:30 when he comes north. 19:32 But we are just friends and our families are friends. 19:36 Berny, when you saw that there was an interest of people 19:40 in the United States to come down 19:41 and began to do wells 19:44 how did that strike you? 19:46 How did you respond to that? 19:48 Well, that influence in us, you know, all these people 19:52 without any interest were giving us something 19:56 that was vital for ourselves, for the school, 19:59 for the orphanage. 20:01 Then after that they said, "We are drillers." 20:04 So they started with a truck. 20:07 The first well they made there were two young people 20:12 just smart, didn't had the money. 20:14 They said, we are going to give you a well 20:17 because we were drinking water from the river 20:19 that was contaminated. 20:21 Some of the missionaries went and brush their teeth 20:24 and they, got sick. 20:26 I said, no, no, this can't be. 20:29 So the well was not productive. 20:31 The first well went down but they paid it. 20:35 The Lord gave them the money to pay. 20:38 And after that we started with the school. 20:40 We do maintenance also for the school 20:45 and people started to come from other places they say, 20:49 you've got a rig, why don't you give us water. 20:53 We don't have water. So we started it. 20:56 Now, I see. 20:57 So the fact that you had a drilling apparatus 21:02 kind of made you a hot property as I suspect and people 21:04 want you to come and do that for them also. 21:06 That's-- the need is huge, the need is huge. 21:10 Every village, every village needs a well. 21:12 People need clean water. Yeah. 21:14 It's just a basic thing. 21:15 You know, here in the United States 21:17 we don't think about it. 21:18 We water our lawns with clean water. 21:21 We flush our toilets with drinkable water 21:24 and down there just a bottle of water can save a life. 21:27 Yeah. Yeah. 21:28 We don't think about it here. 21:31 So I suspect that is, it's 21:32 and we will talk about this in just a little bit. 21:35 It's a great way to show the love of Christ 21:38 and anybody who is drilling wells 21:39 and bringing that kind of service 21:41 to a village 21:43 people want to hear what you got to say I suspect. 21:44 Yes. Yeah. 21:46 When we are in a village drilling a well 21:48 one of the things we do is that we have a dental clinic 21:51 in that village or a medical clinic 21:54 with one of our volunteers. 21:55 And at the same time we pass out literature. 21:58 We provided literature by the Light Bearers, 22:00 we partnered with them 22:02 and distribute lot of Spanish literature. 22:05 And we will do that in the village 22:07 and the people are curious as to what's going on 22:10 and they ask, why are you doing this? 22:13 Sometimes they think that we are gonna charge 22:14 them for the well. 22:16 We put it in and then charge. 22:17 We say, no it's free, it's free, it's free. 22:19 But why? 22:20 Well, because we love you and that's because 22:23 Jesus loves you and it's a natural opportunity. 22:27 And as the well develops in the village and the people 22:30 get comfortable that that we are not there 22:32 to sell them or do anything they are willing to listen. 22:35 And free dental work and free medical clinics 22:39 they understand that we care about them 22:41 and it grows from there and if there is an interest 22:45 we will hire a Bible worker and put a Bible worker 22:47 in a village for a year and then souls are won. 22:50 And as that interest grows in the village 22:54 then we will think about building a church. 22:56 Water for Life uses the well as a platform to get the gospel 23:02 to the people. 23:04 We have built between 13, 14 churches now 23:11 in the Peten Region where we are 23:13 and those churches are packed. 23:16 People are hungry and thirsty for the gospel. 23:19 So this is not-- I'm getting a picture 23:21 this is not kind of a, okay, we go and build a well 23:23 and we're gone see you later, God bless you. 23:26 It's kind of a comprehensive kind of thing. 23:27 Yes, it is. 23:29 So that when the well is going and you are also doing some 23:30 parallel things medical, dental 23:33 other kinds of things that are a value to that village. 23:37 Yes. Yeah. 23:38 And we believe 23:40 in the sustainability of the water. 23:42 Berny is among his many skills he is now a trained worker 23:46 for the wells, a technician and during the season 23:49 when the drillers aren't there which is from 23:51 January to April Berny will maintain wells. 23:55 They call him and they say, the well is down, 23:57 the pump is down and he will get the crew, 24:01 another fellow that is with him and they will take 24:03 the pump service truck out and they will change out 24:05 the parts that are bad on the pump 24:07 and the people are happy and... 24:10 Many time in a well 24:11 we have a dedication of a well after a well 24:14 is put in the people are very receptive to the Lords work. 24:20 Berny, I got to ask you 24:21 how does one go from an accounting background 24:25 which I suspect you have because 24:27 you are the business manager to inspect a gadget. 24:31 You know, Mr. Fixit, you kind of, 24:33 you kind of all purpose guy 24:37 but we just pressing that you go back to school 24:39 and just kind of learn by doing. 24:41 Well, it goes down like you do hear in 3ABN, you know, 24:45 you like to serve and serving people makes you happy. 24:49 So that brought me into this and they taught me to do it. 24:53 In one of those occasions they say, Mr. Berny, you go, 24:56 you need to go and buy a piece of land 24:58 where we drill a well. 25:00 For what? We need a church there. 25:02 So they send a Bible worker there 25:04 and I was happy to assist also, we build a church. 25:11 One day a little girl pass by 25:14 and I saw that there was a snake, 25:18 so one of the locals killed the snake. 25:20 Later in the evening this little girl 25:23 was bitten by a snake 25:25 and she pass all night at home, this is almost 25:29 two hours drive from where we were and we were building 25:35 and they said, Mr. Berny, are you downtown. 25:38 Said, what happened? 25:39 Says, one of my little girls got bitten by a snake. 25:43 So we did a little charcoal thing and took her down. 25:48 Praise the Lord, he-- we prayed for her 25:50 and she was recovered. 25:52 Praise the Lord. 25:53 She assists that church every Sabbath 25:57 and every time there is church is going on they are there. 26:02 She is there, her brothers and sisters, her mother, 26:05 her grandmother. 26:09 But when the news spread that we gave them water, 26:16 we set a church for them, we visit them, 26:20 we pray for them, we help them. Yes. 26:23 So there was a lady they called the witch doctor 26:28 and this witch doctor, her husband died 26:33 so she became a widow with four or five kids. 26:37 Wow. She would go and split wood 26:40 to sell it to maintain her family. 26:44 So we visit, take some food, attend her necessities 26:48 and she became a member of the church. 26:51 Is that so? 26:52 And the neighbor would say, 26:56 why do you have witch in the church? 26:59 The Bible worker said, we wish all of them 27:01 would come to church. 27:04 I've met the lady. God is so powerful. 27:07 Oh, man. Amen. 27:08 Our God is a living God Amen 27:10 and His mercy which is wherever forever. 27:12 And now she goes to school-- 27:15 oh, sorry, she goes to the church, 27:18 she works at the school 27:21 and her family assist the church. 27:24 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 27:26 That's a testimony for everyone here. 27:27 Yeah. Yeah. 27:29 Being a witch doctor is not too powerful 27:31 for the Lord to turn that, right. 27:32 No, no, that is got to-- so you, Timothy, 27:36 you met her? Yes, I have. 27:37 Praise the Lord. 27:38 Happy Seventh-day Adventist today? 27:40 Yes. Yeah. 27:41 That's amazing so that idea that the young girl was healed 27:46 from the snakebite kind of was the thing 27:50 that germinated all the stuff. Yes. 27:51 It kind of began that. It is very deadly snake 27:53 and the girl was not expected to live 27:55 but through Berny's help in getting her to the hospital 27:59 she lived. 28:00 And I've met that little girl too. 28:02 Praise the Lord. 28:03 But she didn't meet, I saw her picture, 28:05 I saw here sitting there. 28:06 I didn't meet her. Wow. 28:08 Wow. 28:10 The places that you put wells in 28:12 does the village as a whole become very receptive 28:17 to the opening of the gospel or is it kind of touchy 28:19 because you are in a predominant 28:21 Catholic country that were Yes. 28:22 and Catholicism had been there long time 28:24 and is really in the hearts and minds, 28:26 the souls of the people. 28:28 So now comes this new faith, it is buttress by the fact 28:31 that you've given themselves that they need 28:34 does that open a door in most cases 28:35 or it just show some resistance? 28:38 I don't know if there is resistance. 28:39 There is a lack of knowledge about it 28:42 but the wells and the water and the health is a universal-- 28:46 has a universal appeal. Yeah. 28:48 Everybody is interested in the clean water. 28:50 The Catholics it doesn't matter. 28:52 The atheist need clean water as well. 28:54 Very true. Very true. 28:57 Villages who have a heart 28:59 and who care become interested first. 29:04 It's not like the whole village suddenly become an Advent. 29:06 Understood. 29:08 But little by little the work grows 29:12 from one heart to another 29:14 and as we provide the water and provide things 29:18 that they need, 29:19 their hearts are receptive and open to it and people talk. 29:24 When we come and drill the well I mean, 29:27 many times there were people that they just come and watch 29:30 day after day and these old drilling rigs 29:32 pounding away, pounding. 29:33 It takes about two weeks to drill a well 29:35 using the old technology. 29:37 I was gonna ask, yeah, so it's basically just turning 29:39 and pounding and pounding just going. 29:40 It's not much turning, it's pounding away. 29:43 Most of our well are between 200 and 300 feet deep 29:47 and they produce enough for hand pumps and-- 29:51 but it gives-- we are there for long enough 29:53 to have an opportunity to get to know 29:55 some of the people. Yeah. 29:56 So of our drillers speak a little Spanish. 29:58 Mr. Berny comes along and he generally scouts out 30:02 the villages ahead of times where they are asking for, 30:05 we need a well, we need a well. 30:07 So he will go and meet with the elders of the village 30:10 and they will kind of pick a place 30:12 as long as it's public property. 30:14 Yeah, now tell me about that because you don't put wells 30:16 on private land. 30:19 Unless it's a church yard. 30:21 We will put them in a church yard 30:22 but with our churches anybody can come 30:25 in any church that we put in 30:27 they are of course they are willing. 30:29 We were in a village of Sabaneta 30:31 and we are with the mayor 30:32 trying to find a piece of public land 30:35 that would be suitable for a well, yeah. 30:37 And we couldn't find any 30:38 that looked like a good prospect. 30:41 And we told the mayor well, 30:42 it's gonna be hard to find a place. 30:44 He said, well, the road is public 30:46 why don't you drill right here in the road. 30:48 And we said, well, all right, I mean, isn't that's okay 30:51 and he said, well, of course its okay. 30:53 He said, just right over there, would that be all right? 30:55 And we said, well, sure it's easy to get to. 30:56 Something that is fantastic when you mentioned 30:59 the idea that okay, well, 31:01 better in right in the middle of highway here. 31:02 He did. 31:04 And we came back the next year at the well 31:06 and the road comes up, makes a little U turn 31:08 around the well and goes. Yeah. 31:10 But the road down there isn't like a road here. 31:12 Precisely. Track, 31:14 but there is public land 31:16 and we put a well on public land 31:18 so that nobody can say the well is mine, 31:20 the water is mine pay. 31:23 And there was a well that we drilled, 31:27 we didn't know at the time that it was private land 31:30 the well didn't come in we been down 560 feet 31:33 didn't hit nothing, Wow. 31:35 and then we found out later it was a private land. 31:37 Well, we wondered we didn't hit anything. 31:40 Lord's Tabernacle gets you in messed in that 31:42 or embroiled in that. 31:44 That's controversy. 31:45 How do you know or is there someone that tell, 31:47 okay, this part is pretty good, we are gonna hit water here, 31:50 is there anyone that tell? 31:51 You know, what you are doing is just kind of a crapshoot 31:54 for one of better term. 31:57 Experienced drillers have an idea 32:00 from the topography of the land 32:02 where it might be more probable than not but we are fooled. 32:07 Sometimes we drill 120 feet and hit a lot of water, 32:12 sometimes it's 300 feet and hit a little. 32:15 There is water under the earth everywhere 32:17 but there are places that are more easily accessed 32:21 and it's really the experience of the drillers 32:24 and Berny can pick the village and Gary Bartholomew 32:27 will go out there and see a site. 32:29 Often it's in a schoolyard or a churchyard 32:32 or some place where the public comes. 32:35 After we drill a well come back a years or two later 32:38 and there are tracks like the wheels, 32:41 like the spokes of a wagon wheel. 32:42 They were coming from all directions, yeah. 32:43 To the well, to the well. 32:45 The well is the center of attention 32:46 and the center of a fulfillment of a need that the people have. 32:50 And then the literature and they know that these things 32:54 come from the people who gave us the water. 32:57 So you never just build a well without some kind of attendant 33:01 literature distribution so that there is this knowledge 33:03 of the Adventist are doing. 33:05 This is not who is doing this, 33:06 they know, where this is coming from. 33:08 They know that it's Water for Life 33:10 and Mr. Berny has continued contact with these people 33:13 because the next year they will need some service 33:16 on the well or the pump. 33:18 And so Berny goes out and Pastor Rudy 33:20 or someone will go with him 33:22 and they talk with the villagers. 33:23 Well, you know, here's what we can do and, 33:25 you know, we are having some meetings over here 33:27 would you like pass out some literature. 33:29 So we stay in touch with them. 33:31 We develop a relationship with them. 33:33 Great. Great. 33:34 And maintain that relationship by the provision of the water. 33:38 Now I need you to walk me through something 33:39 because what occurs to me is, 33:41 all right, we are building a well, 33:43 we are having a ceremony, 33:44 we are-- the village is aware 33:46 that the Adventist church is doing this. 33:49 You mentioned in some cases you build a church 33:52 and bring a Bible worker 33:53 which you pay for, for a year. 33:55 What is critical math by that I mean, 33:57 how do you know 33:59 when you got enough interest to support 34:02 let's do a little bit more here as opposed to well, 34:05 okay, they know they got the well, 34:07 they are using the well 34:08 but they are not really concerned about 34:10 coming to Adventism 34:12 they are just are thankful for the well 34:13 as or this village 34:16 man there is a lot of energy for Christ 34:18 and they are asking questions. 34:20 How do you know when and where to peruse 34:22 and to sort of build up that area 34:24 as supposed to going on to something else? 34:25 You can tell by the requests, the requests 34:29 and the amount of baptisms that are occurring. 34:32 When we send a Bible worker in 34:33 and the Bible worker then reports to the pastor, 34:36 we have some people ready for baptism 34:38 and the pastor is more and more contact 34:41 and then if we think they can benefit from it 34:45 and if we can find a partner. 34:47 What if your life partners 34:49 with the Upper Columbia Conference, 34:51 you partner with Amazing Facts, with the Quiet Hour? 34:55 Those groups have come down 34:56 and constructed churches in villages where the people 35:00 are receptive and want the church. 35:03 And so it's mainly, it's mainly-- 35:07 I don't think that there is a certain number, 35:09 it's just the opportunity. 35:10 Yeah, the feel of that here's a fertile ground. 35:13 That's right. That's right. 35:14 Now you mentioned you've done 76 wells so far? 35:17 Seventy nine. Seventy nine wells. 35:19 And that's over the ten year stretch? 35:20 Yes. 35:21 All of them still in operation? Yes. 35:23 Well, there was one that went down the day he left. 35:25 He got a call at the airport. 35:27 Which well was that, Berny? 35:29 That was in Santo Domingo. 35:32 Yes, the well is down. 35:34 So as soon as he goes back he got to fix it well. 35:37 What are the kinds of things because you are talking 35:39 about ahand pump well? Yes. 35:41 What are the kinds of things would go wrong? 35:43 That the pump breaks or because it's mechanical 35:46 it's not electrical. Right. 35:47 There is another down there and the cylinder-- 35:49 we buy the best quality hand pumps 35:51 that we can but there is still there's leathers down there 35:54 that ware out occasionally, fitting will break. 35:58 It's hard to get good quality pipe, 36:00 a pipe will snap that's holding the cylinder in the pump. 36:05 Things ware out. 36:06 The pump that selves they round out 36:10 its get so it's not very efficient to pump. 36:13 Those are the things that break 36:15 and also the water has sometimes 36:18 a higher particulate matter 36:19 that wares the pumps little faster. 36:22 If you and I had one of these in our farm 36:24 it would probably last our family for 20 years 36:26 but when you got 400 or 500 people using it 36:30 that gets down to a year or two 36:32 and it means to be repaired and replaced. 36:35 We can repair them in our shop 36:37 and we do keep the stock of repaired things 36:39 so that Berny can switch them up if necessary. 36:41 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 36:42 Some pumps are being used 24 hours. 36:45 They start from one o'clock in the morning 36:47 and they finish one o'clock. 36:48 So they make lines, you know. 36:50 When there is no water 36:52 everyone wants to have their own water. 36:55 We are also known by-- 36:57 everyone knows that we are Seventh-dayAdventist. 36:59 Yes. 37:01 They ask us Mr. Berny, the ministry of health came up 37:04 and said, we need a well in our nutrition center. 37:08 These good hearted people would maintain and nutrient 37:14 more kids than whoever can take them there 37:18 and they say, we have water? once a week 37:24 how can we survive like that. 37:27 They would take all the clothes or whatever they have 37:30 for two hours driving 37:33 they would spend all day washing on rivers. 37:36 We need a well. 37:38 So they say, okay, we will do it 37:42 through the ministry of health you better come. 37:45 So we went and they made a well. 37:48 Now its serving and they are so happy 37:50 that they can help the kids in this way. 37:54 We have a nice photo of a well in front of a church 37:56 this is the church in -- 37:58 and it's a little village kind 38:02 of beside the highway and there is the church. 38:05 Now that's the Adventist church? 38:07 Yes. 38:08 And the well is right there. Templo Adventista Del 7 Dia. 38:11 And there is one of our pumps in front of a church 38:14 that was build, I'm not sure which-- 38:16 which the conference built that? 38:18 That was Upper Columbia Conference 38:19 built that little church. Praise the Lord. 38:21 No, not little hovels with tin roofs, 38:23 these are solid-- 38:25 No, no. 38:26 That's a good looking. That's a good looking building. 38:27 So you get there your physical water 38:29 and your spiritual water pretty much in a same spot. 38:31 And you see all the ware around that pump 38:33 which is standing around getting the water. 38:36 Indeed. Yeah. 38:37 Well, praise the Lord, 38:38 it is right there next to the church. 38:40 And so in the minds of the people that well 38:41 and that church are one. 38:43 Yes. You know, they are connected. 38:45 Yeah, that is great. 38:46 Because the people that give us the water. 38:48 Oh, praise the Lord. 38:49 Has the government in these communities 38:52 or the national government begun to recognize 38:54 what he is doing? 38:55 Do you get any assistance from him 38:57 or assistance from them or are they available 39:00 to help you anyway to carry on your work? 39:03 What we have done is 39:04 we have donated lot of medical equipment 39:07 to the ministry of health in the Peten Region 39:10 and we are closely connected with the ministry of health. 39:13 We send a container every year with equipment, 39:15 machinery, more things and the Deaconess Hospital 39:19 and Elco company that produces linens for hospital linens. 39:25 They would give us boxes and boxes of material. 39:29 Hospitals are constantly refurbishing their equipment 39:31 Sure. They don't have anything to do with the old stuff, 39:33 they give it to us. 39:35 We put it in a container, we send it down 39:37 and deliver truck loads of material 39:39 to the ministry of health. 39:41 And the ministry of health they know 39:43 what we are giving them in the way of health. 39:44 Yes. 39:46 We put on seminars for the ministry of health, 39:48 for the village Bible workers, 39:49 I mean, the village health workers 39:52 and the government, the central government has-- 39:56 they have some procedures about getting containers in 40:00 but the procedures are long and difficult 40:02 and these procedures sometimes will result 40:04 in a container sitting in the port for months. 40:07 Well, the port charges are $120 a day, 40:10 So pretty soon it's sucking the money 40:12 and so we just import the containers 40:15 and having tried to go through the central government 40:17 but the local ministry of health 40:19 they know what we do. 40:21 They welcome it and they say 40:23 that they can tell 40:24 the health of the people from villages 40:27 where there is good water 40:28 as compared to the once that can't. 40:30 What really amounts to no dead children. 40:33 Right. Right. 40:34 See, that's the blessing. 40:35 And it occurred to me you are getting buy in 40:37 from agencies here in the States 40:40 that help you with things but you are also getting 40:43 the most important is on that other end 40:45 because they can hang you up 40:46 and plus they can as you intimated 40:49 suck your funds dry just let that container sit there. 40:51 Yes. 40:53 So the government is of value to you 40:55 because they know you are a value to them. 40:57 I think that's correct. Yeah. Yeah. 40:59 And praise the Lord for that. 41:00 Give me some sense, you know, we talk about Guatemala, 41:06 where Guatemala is? 41:08 Look I said, I know Panama down below, 41:11 up top is Costa Rica, over here to the right is Honduras. 41:17 Where is Guatemala moving 41:19 from Panama north towards Mexico? 41:21 Just south of Mexico. 41:22 Okay. Okay. 41:24 And the Yucatan Peninsula 41:26 and the Peten Region is part of the Yucatan Peninsula. 41:30 So the peninsula kind of, that 41:32 piece that's kind of jetting out 41:34 towards out into the-- 41:35 Yes, that's the Peten Region of Guatemala. 41:38 Guatemala crosses over to the Pacific, 41:40 this Pacific side but Guatemala is the country 41:43 just south of Mexico. 41:44 Okay, so you are on the-- most on the Atlantic side. 41:47 It's about equal, so crossed. 41:49 Okay. 41:51 How is a particular village or location determined, 41:55 by request, by government assignment? 41:57 How do you say, okay, tomorrow, next week, 41:59 we are gonna go to point B to build a well? 42:03 We have requests from all over Guatemala to come... 42:06 I suspect. and in neighboring countries. 42:08 However because logistically the region of Peten 42:12 is where we are concentrated 42:13 because we can work about 42:15 a couple of hours away from our shop 42:18 but if you are further than that 42:20 and something breaks so you need another tool 42:22 you waste too much time 42:24 going across the country to get it and back. 42:26 The transportation is hard in Guatemala. 42:28 There are some good roads 42:30 but we mainly concentrate in the Peten Region 42:34 because that's where we are and that the need is there too. 42:38 The need is everywhere. Is every where, sure, sure. 42:40 And we can do the best in that area. 42:44 We've got 79 wells but in the probably 42:47 in a 50 miles radius of our shop 42:50 there's over 240 villages. 42:52 So there is people-- So there's work to be done. 42:54 There's work to be done. 42:56 Don't have to go a long ways to do it. 42:58 People would like you to, we would like to do it too. 43:01 If we had more support ever since we would be bigger 43:05 but right now we are concentrated 43:07 in this area and we are, we are working here. 43:09 But I see, Timothy, 43:11 that logistically it just make sense 43:12 to kind of send to yourself and just kind of hub around 43:15 so that you can be efficient 43:18 and try to saturate that one area 43:20 as opposed to just going every where 43:22 and we are not doing anything of value kind of thing. 43:25 That is great. 43:27 Tell-- talk to me about some of the other ministries 43:28 here in the States that are partnering with you 43:30 that are sort of giving you some assistance. 43:32 Amazing Facts sent down a whole team. 43:35 Berny coordinated for them. 43:37 They built-- they built two churches is that right? 43:40 One church. 43:41 One church and they did a-- two wells, 43:45 they did evangelism services 43:47 for about three weeks there, aren't they. 43:50 This and we've also had a group from the Quiet Hour 43:53 who has come down and done some construction work. 43:55 We have regular teams from Upper Columbia Conference 43:58 that have come down and constructed churches 44:00 and lately they did a cooking building 44:05 for a special project 44:08 and that is the Northern Guatemala Mission 44:10 is developing a youth camp and conference center 44:13 right there on the property, right adjacent to where 44:17 its on the same property where we are 44:19 and they had a big building built 44:21 and last year a hurricane came and knocked the building flat. 44:26 This year Mr. Berny and the conference 44:30 which Water for Life health built that building back up 44:34 but the expense suck the funds. 44:38 Our special project that we have 44:39 is to put in a water system in that to serve those youth 44:44 and there are thousands of youth who come. 44:47 And the most they have had at one time 44:48 is 5,000 campers at this place and 50 baptisms at this place. 44:54 I mean, good things are happening. 44:55 Yes, it is. Yeah. Yeah. 44:56 But they don't have a good water system. 44:59 We drilled one well there and the Lord be praised 45:02 that well is the best well we drilled in Guatemala of any. 45:06 It produces over 40 gallons a minute of water 45:09 and now we have is a little solar pump to get it. 45:11 Now say it again, 40 gallons a minute? 45:13 A minute. Wow. 45:15 Forty gallons. Consistently? 45:16 Yes. Does the water ever go down? 45:18 May be a little bit but we've never had enough 45:20 of a pumped to see it-- 45:21 To get it, all right. Okay. Okay. 45:22 But there is a lot of water there 45:24 and what we need to do and we are trying to do 45:27 is to get funds to build 45:29 a water distribution system there. 45:31 They have four men's and ladies bathrooms all built there. 45:34 There is this building the Upper Columbia Conference 45:36 built this cooking facility 45:38 but they don't have enough water. 45:40 You know, I told that is a wonderful thing 45:42 but if there is no water, 45:44 not so much of a wonderful thing. 45:45 Then it's just a piece of art. 45:49 So it doesn't do anything for you. 45:51 Praise the Lord, and now I want to-- 45:53 there are so many questions that are crew from that. 45:55 This is an important project because it's a bigger project. 46:00 The tentacles if I can say of this project 46:03 can go so many places and go so far-- 46:05 Youth. Yeah. 46:07 And its youth oriented 46:08 so this is something you really, really want to do. 46:10 Couple of things I want to do, 46:12 I want to go to the address roll just now 46:14 while we want to kind of strike what they understand here 46:17 because this-- 46:19 the work in general is work 46:20 that you want to support. 46:23 Water for Life obviously the needs are there, 46:26 obviously they are meeting a need, 46:28 obviously if they were not there 46:30 people would be dying, 46:31 children would be getting sick and dying. 46:33 So we don't have to beg that point to much 46:36 but this special project really heightens the energy here 46:43 because they are doing something 46:45 that has so many ramifications 46:49 that this is just it's just a great thing. 46:51 Should you want to make contact with Water for life? 46:55 We are gonna talk about little bit projects 46:58 and how people come down to help physically, 47:00 you know, but should you want 47:01 to support this particular project 47:04 because once you talk about youth you-- 47:06 then you moving into a whole new level. 47:08 Here is the contact information 47:10 that you will need for Water for Life. 47:14 Fifteen thousand people die everyday 47:17 because of either bad water or lack of water. 47:20 Water for Life International seeks to provide 47:23 water to those who are in need. 47:25 If you would like to know more 47:26 or if you would like to support this ministry 47:28 write to, Water for Life International, 47:31 PO Box 2330, Deep Park, Washington 99006. 47:37 Water for Life International, PO Box 2330, 47:41 Deep Park, Washington 99006. 47:45 You can call 509-842-3952, that's 509-842-3952 47:53 or visit them online at h2oforlife.org. 48:01 All right, that's the information 48:02 that you're gonna need and hopefully prayerfully 48:04 you will take advantage of that and ask the Lord 48:06 what you can do to help if ever a ministry was necessary 48:09 and if ever a ministry had concrete value 48:13 and benefits each and every day that it is functioning 48:17 Water for Life is one. 48:19 Talk to me, gentlemen, little bit about the projects 48:21 because you take volunteers down for building. 48:25 Let's walk through that. 48:26 Okay, most of our drillers are volunteers. 48:30 All of them are-- Call of the people 48:32 who come are volunteers 48:33 but we have volunteer drillers from across the United States. 48:37 Christian men not necessarily Adventist, 48:39 some of them are un-churched Christians. 48:42 But I write a monthly article in a well journal, 48:46 a drillers journal Worldwide Drilling Resources Magazine 48:49 and in it I make it clear that we are a Christian ministry 48:53 and invite drillers to help us and come 48:56 and they respond and we have a loyal cadre 49:00 of probably 15 drillers who will come 49:02 and spend from two weeks to two months drilling for us 49:06 in these villages and at the same time 49:09 they are getting a sense of what Adventism is about. 49:12 And so we are working with the drillers who come, 49:15 we also have a great need for volunteers 49:18 in the medical fields. 49:19 We need dentists, we need nurses, 49:22 people who will come and run a dental clinic. 49:25 If you want to change somebody's life give them water 49:28 but fix their teeth it helps, it helps. 49:32 I'm sure. How long of commitment-- 49:35 time commitment, oh, we are talking 49:36 about for I'm a dentist I got a couple weeks to kill, 49:41 can you use me for two weeks you want me longer? 49:43 I can use you for two weeks. 49:45 I can put you in a village, we have dental equipment 49:47 and machinery and tools that are ready. 49:49 We will put in a village, we'll give you a helper 49:52 and we have a dental chair, we have two portable-- 49:54 So you got stuff. I mean, you got equipment. 49:56 We do. We just need you. Yeah, you just need bodies. 49:58 You don't need to bring your chair, 50:01 you just come 50:03 and we will have the people lined up waiting for you. 50:05 Praise the Lord. And the same with nurses. 50:07 Yeah. Yeah. Suppose I'm just-- 50:09 I'm just somebody who is impressed, 50:10 I just want to go down and help, 50:12 I don't have particular skills 50:13 and is a nice guy with pretty strong back. 50:15 Can you hold a paint brush? Can you hold a paint brush? 50:17 I can hold the paint brush. 50:18 Can you help people line them up 50:19 for a dentist to see them? 50:21 I can do that. 50:22 We can use you. 50:24 Praise the Lord, so you need the highly qualified obviously 50:27 but you need people who just are willing to serve the Lord. 50:30 People with a willing heart that's what we need. 50:33 Is there any particular time I'm aware of seasons of America 50:37 and the rainy season and the dry season. 50:38 Is there any particular time that you tend to want 50:41 to be there as opposed to another time of the year 50:44 when you're doing your projects? 50:46 Well, there is one season in Guatemala it's called hot. 50:52 We are there from the first of January 50:56 to the last part of December with some people 50:57 getting the machinery ready. 50:59 We drill in January, February, March and part of April 51:03 and that's when the full contingent is there. 51:05 And that's because these drillers 51:07 have their own businesses in the States 51:09 and its slowdown in the winter time. 51:11 So that's the time when they are there 51:13 but we also send groups at other times. 51:16 Berny assists other groups 51:17 at other times of the year as well. 51:19 Okay, so if a person has a desire 51:21 you could find some time for them to do some work there. 51:23 If you want to help us we will put you to work. 51:25 Amen and amen. 51:27 Now before our time gets well 51:28 let's look at these last several pictures 51:29 and kind of give us some culture 51:31 what we are talking about. 51:32 These are village people standing around 51:35 waiting for a well. 51:37 Nice people. 51:40 That is the rig in action, you see Mr. Berny there beside, 51:44 Mr. Bartholomew with his back. 51:45 That's a well in action, the drilling of a well. 51:49 That's a pretty big, pretty big size 51:51 and you have five of these? 51:53 We have three of them. Three of those. 51:54 Three of those. Yes. 51:55 What is that cost valve part? 51:57 We get them-- to get it down there 51:59 it cost about $6,000 just to shipping. 52:02 To ship it. Just the shipping. 52:03 We sometimes get them donated to us or we purchase them. 52:07 These are old technology machine-- 52:10 that drill is 1950 drilling rig that's still in serving. 52:15 Still serving. That's officially an antique. 52:17 More than officially. It is. 52:20 But they still work? They work. 52:22 A piece of equipment like that out of the box 52:24 and it would cost about how much? 52:26 They don't make those anymore 52:28 but if you found those on the market 52:30 it would be about probably $15,000 for an old used piece. 52:35 Now the rigs are rotary. 52:36 Rotary rigs can do in one day 52:39 what we do in two and half weeks. 52:41 Because you are kind of smashing your way down 52:43 and a rotary is drilling its way down. 52:46 And that's the modern technology. 52:48 But we can repair these machines in Guatemala. 52:50 If you got a rotary rig 52:52 and a high pressure hydraulic pump quits you are done. 52:57 Down there with a welder some pipe 52:59 you can make that thing go again. 53:02 And you have personnel that can do that? 53:03 Yes. Praise the Lord. 53:05 Praise the Lord. 53:06 We are gonna go to our news break just now. 53:08 We've got just one more picture, 53:10 I saw a baptismal picture fly over just a moment. 53:12 Want to go back and talk about that 53:14 but going to our news break we will come back 53:15 and sort of put a little bow on this 53:17 and then be done for the day. 53:19 God bless. |
Revised 2015-10-22