Author Archives: Carroll

Agua Viva

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For fourteen years many incredible teams have come to serve James Project of Latin America. All of them have left their thumbprint upon the Project, the children, and the community in Monjas, Guatemala. Without these teams, no matter how small or large, JPoLA would not have progressed as it has over these years. Agua Viva International, ( http://www.aguavivainternational.org/ ) came and ministered to a deep need for people to have clean water. For this week, I would like to share a guest post about them. There are pictures and articles about the places they have put in filtering systems to make the water pure. The link above will take you to the different locations of ministry. Thank the Lord for all of you teams and thank you Agua Viva for blessing JPoLA with a clean water supply for the health of all who live at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. Be sure to check out their blog:
http://www.aguavivainternational.org/category/blog/
http://www.aguavivainternational.org/haiti-2014/
Guatemala 2015
Posted on Feb 22, 2015


Shadow of His Wings Orphanage (SOHWO) is located just outside of Monjas, Jalapa, Guatemala– a small town of about 10,000 people east of Guatemala City. On Halloween, 2015 a team of Agua Viva volunteers will depart Kansas City to complete our fifth installation in the country of Guatemala.
Currently home to approximately 80 girls and 10 boys, SOHWO receives children exclusively through the Guatemalan court system. These children are removed from their homes for a variety of reasons, including: violence, negligence, sexual abuse/trafficking or abandonment. Ages range from 1-year old to early 20’s. Kids live in 1 of 6 homes on the property with full time Guatemalan house parents, or at a transition home in the local town.
AVI was introduced to SOHWO, which is one of three missions run by The James Project of Latin America (JPLA), by our friends at Casa Angelina Orphanage and What Matters Ministries and Missions. In June of 2014, Jim Allen and Mike Springer visited SOHWO and initiated a covenant which was ratified this past fall.
SOHWO has a robust volunteer team schedule which hosts a team from the US almost every week. AVI will be there for the first week on November this year and will bring a volunteer team of approximately 15-18 people to carry out our programs. The AVI volunteers will bunk in a building in town set up specifically to house the constant influx of teams. The dormitory-style arrangements will be a change from what we’ve done previously in Guatemala, but we’re looking forward to the sense of community it will surely enhance.
There is actually a water tower on the property but there is currently no treatment happening on the water. We look forward greatly to this chance to help these children receive clean, purified water to improve their health– as well as the chance to instill a lifetime supply of health and hygiene education which will serve them long after they transition into the world outside.

http://www.aguavivainternational.org/guatemala-reflections-my-life-in-monjas-part-1/
Guatemala Reflections: My Life in Monjas (part 1)
Posted on Nov 23, 2015
Author: David Watts, Agua Viva Volunteer and Benefactor
If someone offered you the chance to avoid having intestinal worms I bet you would take it.  That is the reality of the work we (Agua Viva) did in Monjas, Guatemala, a small rural community East of Guatemala City.
It is a comfort to know the work we did and the clean water system installed is just beginning to have an impact.  The system will produce pure water that is free of parasites, contaminates, disease, and “floaty stuff”.  It will allow the children at the “Shadow of his Wings” Orphanage (“SOHWO”) and people in the community to have a healthy source of purified drinking water.  Kids and adults will be sick less often, have a healthier GI system, improved nutrition absorption, and they can avoid having worms.
The Agua Viva team from Kansas City was just 6 guys– businessmen, engineers, administrators, and a retired phone guy.  We teamed up with two trusted Guatemala interpreters and brought SOHWO the ability to create sustainable parasite free clean drinking water.  The system in Monjas, Guatemala will continue to operate needing only electrical power, water source (well water), and some bleach water to clean the bottles.  God had our back the entire way and watched out for us every step (too
many side stories to share here).
Saturday 3:00 AM Halloween morning started as planned when Curt Mader picked Mike Springer and I up to head to the airport.  The six man team converged at the airport. Jim Allen and Curt Mader who founded Agua Viva would not be going on this trip. We were breaking new ground and leaving the experts and founders behind. The large, heavy bags loaded with tools and equipment were checked without incident and our small carryon bags for the week were on our backs… with the exception of my carryon roller-bag (old habits die hard).  We left Kansas City at 5:50 AM for the 2 hour flight to Houston and would be in Guatemala City before noon. We were on schedule… or NOT. We ended up in Dallas rather than Houston because of weather.  Six plus hours later we did get to Houston and we did make our original flight to Guatemala (it was delayed too).  It took many more hours to get to Guatemala than expected, therefore our late arrival in Guatemala City changed our plans.  We could not make the 3 ½ hour drive through the mountains in the dark. It would have been dangerous in so many ways.  We found a hostel in Guatemala City near the airport.  When you have seven guys, one woman, and two hotel rooms, what do you do?  Well, you improvise!  Make a bed in the lobby, sleep in the breakfast room with a parrot and double up on the not so spacious beds.  Stephanie our translator did get her own room along with 14 bags of luggage and a frog in her bathroom.  It really was an adventure and I slept well on the couch in the lobby.  Best part of it was, we got to see all of game 4 of the World Series (in Spanish, those announcers get more excited than Joe Buck).
Next: The Team finally arrives at the orphanage!

http://www.aguavivainternational.org/guatemala-reflections-my-life-in-monjas-part-3/

Guatemala Reflections: My Life in Monjas (part 3)
Posted on Dec 5, 2015
Author: David Watts, Agua Viva Volunteer and Benefactor
Tuesday:  We got the materials and work really picked up on the system. The installation team led by Dale Bain and Harold Barnett punched holes in cinder block walls and solved one challenge after another. It’s not like you can run down to Home Depot for more parts. You must use your supplies wisely! And we brought ours from Kansas.
Our in-country interpreter Mario is a true partner of Agua Viva, he enabled our Guatemalan partners to help build their water system. This is a key objective so that they have ownership in the water system and can maintain it and make repairs once we leave. The intent is this water system will last many years to come.

Mario and Harold laying down on the job!
However, this was day two for the education team of Andrew Ferdon and Jared Orr with their interpreter Stephanie. It quickly became clear that we were also leading a gender empowerment movement. Because of our train the trainer model, we ended up training the older girls who were now living in a shared apartment in the small town of Monjas. Imagine, you are too old for the orphanage, at some point you move out and start to transition to independence. Seventeen girls living in a large apartment home.
We visited them one evening and played board games, No American kids keep their rooms as clean as these girls and they were all under 20. The pressure of being a teenager and the clock is ticking is a reality for these girls and nobody is going to baby them as they have to grow up fast. These were the water education students and they would become the instructors and leaders to teacher proper hygiene and how to use clean water. Water is a great gift and they learned how to best use it just as living water.
Turns out that 85% of the kids at “Shadow” are girls. Like many societies women don’t enjoy the same opportunities as men, and girls are the most at risk of being sold at a young age. Yes, SOLD is an accurate word to use. With no birth control, extreme poverty, and desperation, prostitution is often a reality for many girls. As a result the orphanage has been focused from day one on rescuing and housing girls, but they do have one house of boys.
Wednesday: These teenage girls were being trained on how to use clean parasite free water and to teach others the importance of clean water, hygiene and how to improve everyone’s health by just drinking clean water. Clean water was something that the vast majority of people in the community did not have access to. This was also true for the children (could be part of the reason most are under 5’ tall).
Seven teenage girls were the morning focus for our education team. The girls learned from a Mechanical Engineer and a Structural engineer who were as playful as kids themselves. Their 22 year old Guatemalan translator, Stephanie, who is college educated was a perfect role model for them. They learned, used a microscope, and performed experiments that convicted them on how important clean water that is free of parasites is for their bodies.
These young women will train their former high school teachers, the house parents and the staff at the Shadow project, all while seeking to find meaningful work and furthering their own education. They will also deliver the message in-town where they can supply their neighbors with the same access to clean water.
Next: A Celebration

http://www.aguavivainternational.org/guatemala-reflections-my-life-in-monjas-part-4/
Guatemala Reflections: My Life in Monjas (part 4)
Posted on Dec 16, 2015
Author: David Watts, Agua Viva Volunteer and Benefactor
Thursday: After a few more wrinkles and surprises the installation team completed their work, trained the system operators (two of the three are women who cook for the orphans).  Thursday evening our work was done and the first six bottles of water were sealed and we had a celebration with the kids and staff to dedicate the system.
The impact of clean water will be felt immediately as the Shadow project has missionary teams that stay on site as we did. Eighteen weeks a year they have missionaries there. Following Agua Viva was a Medical team.  Clean bottled water will be available to the visiting teams (we supplied them with 100 five gallon bottles).   They will save on the expense and time of having to buy water from a vendor and trucking it in.   Next they will begin to provide the children, kitchen, staff, nursery and health clinic with clean drinking water.  Until now the children had been using stagnate clay filters that produced water we could not drink.
The next thing that will happen is that the widows in the nearby town of Monjas will get clean water. A priority of Agua Viva is to help widows and orphans so that they have access.  The water will provide employment for some of those girls and provide a revenue source for the orphanage so they can sustain the operation.  The town folks will be able to buy it easier. Clean water is a luxury and the companies that sell it truck it in from distances.  If you are struggling to feed your family you would like to have clean water, but food will win the budget every time.  Water will now be more readily available. There will still be a cost to cover bottling and distribution but it will allow the poor to have access.  Deposits for the bottles are needed so they don’t deplete their supply and can buy more.
The impact of our work and the investment of donors should pay dividends for years to come.
Remember Most? I will remember many things about the orphanage, but I will never forget bringing groceries to four families in town.  The man with one hand and no shoes who stood tending the cook fire in the dark with his wife and two small kids inside their 10 x 10 lean-to structure.  They explained that they were there legally because the owner let them stay to keep the property from being vandalized.  I wish I had given him my shoes and that I had a 5 gallon bottle of water to leave for them (the system was not complete at the time), however we were able to leave them a bounty of food just has we did for three families earlier that evening.
This is the sixth installation in Guatemala by Agua Viva International, an organization that is run totally by volunteers.  It was a good use of my vacation and God blessed our work.
All the Best,
David Watts

Family Visits

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IMG_2271Over the years, I’ve observed the children in Shadow of His Wings Orphanage go through the “sweet and sour” experiences of family visits. Visitation requirements from the court say that approved friends or family members can visit a child from the orphanage. These once-a-month scheduled times provide an opportunity for the child to stay connected with a relative, but they started out as something I dreaded.

We developed a visitation program, making any necessary adjustments over time. We believed this experience would bring peace and encouragement to the visited child’s life, but discovered that this did not always happen. In the beginning, much of my time involved explaining the rules to the families and watching that they were carried out. The protective mother came out of me, and I planned to shelter these girls from any possible hurt. Visitors would sneak in clothes, food, notes, or money for the child, and this required all of the staff at the visit to be detectives. I learned a new form of body language and could move my eyes in a particular direction with a slight tip of my head while looking at another member of the team. He would know exactly what I signaled and acted accordingly. I never realized the power of the eyes.

Someone monitored each family group to assure the children’s safety and comfort. Most interactions encouraged the child, but sometimes situations came up where direct intervention became necessary.

On one such visit I heard: “It’s your fault you’re in this place. If you’d just done what I told you, I wouldn’t have to take time off from work to see you,” said one mother to one of our children. Tears trickled from the corners of the girl’s eyes. The room quieted, and all eyes turned to the child and her mom.

“Señora, may I talk with you out in the hall please?” ordered the social worker. They met far enough away from any listening ears. “Señora, family visits are to be a time of sharing and encouragement. Condemning remarks are forbidden, and if you continue, you will lose the privilege to have any return visits. Do you understand?” The mother’s remarks only defended her position. The social worker asked her to wait there, and she went into the meeting room to talk with the daughter, who sat under the arm of a protective house parent.

“Mimi*, I’m sorry this happened. Do you want to continue to visit with your mother? I’ve talked to her, and she knows she can’t say things like that to you, and I will sit with you.” With the damage already done, Mimi said she wanted to go back to the waiting room, and the angry mother slammed out of the church.

Another time, a child trembled with fear when visited by one of the people who put marks on his body. With a court order in hand, we complied with a visit but monitored the visit with extreme scrutiny. The little fellow held tightly to the social worker’s hand with the promises from her that she would remain by his side through the hour. Unsure, his eyes darted around and panic crossed his face when the adult came in with some other members of that family. True to her word, the social worker stayed, and she introduced comfortable topics for discussion. As the visit continued, she noticed that her charge relaxed his shoulders and hands. There needed to be a time of forgiveness in Edin’s* heart, and this step forward helped him in the process. He appeared relaxed at the future visits.

Heartbreaking situations develop when the visiting time ends, and some of the families are no-shows. The scheduled person, having confirmed their intention to visit, didn’t come to see their child. Our children often cry when this happens. Feeling rejected, they climb into the bus looking for an empty corner. My heart aches for them when this happens.

I watch the opposite side of this situation, where the family and child share pictures, handmade cards, and tell stories of the month’s events. These kids leave feeling in-touch with their flesh and blood. They meet the goal for family visits.

Over a period of time, we created a document that explained the policy and expectations of each visit. Each visiting person reads this and signs their name. The families became accustomed to the regulations, and the visits no longer cause me the stress that came before. Everything flows in a calmer and more efficient manner, allowing most of the children to look forward to a memorable time. There are times when a visitor steps out of line, but it is infrequent. Family visits continue to be an important component of Shadow’s program for the children.

*Name has been changed.

Satanic Victim

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The director of the school brought Mayra* into my office and shared the dramatic events from earlier that day. I sat up in my chair, fully focused on the director. Having dealt with similar situations in the past, I knew that correct counseling was crucial. I didn’t have any answers, but I knew Who did, and my prayers ascended in quick succession, asking the Lord to give us understanding and wisdom in dealing with this satanic victim.

“Mayra started talking in a deep raspy voice using filthy words. We found a note she wrote covered with satanic symbols and words denouncing God. While she demonically manifested, the other children charged out of the classroom. Raul and I calmed them down and asked if they would help pray for her so we grouped around Mayra and prayed. Afterward, she sat down like a limp dishrag. Please talk to her.” The director then left the office.

I focused on our newest girl, wondering where to start in helping her. I knew some of her history based on the report from the social worker, and I grieved because of the pain this child had endured. This terrified girl told her house parents that she witnessed the death of three small girls during satanic rituals, and she had suffered sexual abuse from her pastor. Because of her behavior and demeanor, her presence in the orphanage caused fear in the children and some adults. They felt like they lived with the enemy and had to be constantly on alert. Lord, I need you like never before to reach this child. Please guide my thoughts and words.

I stared into Mayra’s dull dark eyes and told her that we at Shadow of His Wings believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He gave us authority over the demonic. She tossed her head and replied, “No, there isn’t a God.”

“Why do you say there isn’t a God?”

“Because there is no evidence to see,” she replied.

I flipped on the switch for the ceiling fan, and we both watched it gain momentum as it spun. “What is making that fan turn?” I inquired.

After her response of “I don’t know,” I proceeded to tell her how electricity worked. “We can’t see it, but we can see its effects. We can’t see God, but we can see His impact upon this world in many ways. Look outside at the trees, flowers, birds, and mountains. We can see God’s handiwork all around us. Do you know who Jesus is?” She shook her head no. I then asked if I could pray for her, but again she said no.

“That’s okay Mayra. We are here to help you, to love you, and to protect you. We won’t let anything hurt you. You are a special creation of God’s, and have a divine destiny designed by Him for your life now and for eternity. The devil is trying to keep you from that plan. We’ll talk about all of this at a later time. Do you want to know about truth and what is real?”

Stuck in her negativism, her reply didn’t surprise me. I continued, “We all want to know the truth. We don’t like lies, and I believe that you seek truth also. The devil doesn’t want you to know these things, because then he would have to leave.”

I saw her shudder as she told me about a man, dressed in red, who follows her around. “Can I pray for you, Mayra, so you don’t have to see him anymore?” Her answer remained the same—no.

Before she left, I hugged her tightly, and she began to cry. “Mayra, we are going to do everything possible to help you.” I felt her respond to my hug, and hope filled me. I knew the love of the Lord would be the key to winning her heart.

The next day, I visited the school to explain about the battle we faced for Mayra. I entered the classroom and saw her sitting calmly next to the director. A teacher began reading Scripture, and immediately Mayra’s hands covered her ears. After the Scripture, I gave a sermonette about the victory we have over the enemy’s tactics through the Lord Jesus Christ. As believers, we are responsible for setting the captives free. Victims need to know God’s pure love, which comes through us. I covered a lot of areas and came back to the fact that we have God-given authority over the enemy.

Later in the afternoon, while the children were in class, I went to her casita. Her house parents and I prayed over her bedroom, her bed, her clothes, and her personal items. I knew she would be won by love, and we declared it would penetrate her body, soul, and spirit. Mayra did respond to our prayers, and the reports held a promise of a calmer and happier girl, but her story continued.

Due to the sexual abuse, Mayra started bleeding from her rectum, and the doctor told us she needed hernia surgery. We went to a small private hospital in Jalapa for the operation. A smiling, quiet girl came out of the anesthesia with little pain. Pleased with the success, the doctor informed us that she could go home the next morning. Not wanting her to be alone, I stayed the night on the other bed in her room. I stared at the ceiling and thanked God for the significant changes we saw in this beautiful child.

We made plans for her to stay at my house for a week while her body healed. During this time I had the opportunity to get better acquainted with Mayra. During our chats, she confessed that she wanted to remain at Shadow of His Wings. In time, and with the input of many people at the orphanage, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior, denouncing all of her past involvement in the occult. Healing and transformation began occurring in this satanic victim. She found the path the Lord had for her walking in peace and love.

*Name has been changed.

Visiting the Mayor

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I found myself rising in my seat, somehow thinking that would help as the car dragged over the rocks that littered the road to the orphanage. I imagined the oil pan ripping open or a hole in the gas tank. The car took a beating, and the road got worse with the run-off from the rains moving rocks from one place to another. The little trenches carved into road sometimes turned into big dips making the drive a zig zag path. Others drove low cars and had the same problem, but even our vans and bus had difficulty. I decided something needed to change. When I reached the office, I called Gerber to discuss an idea about a visit to the mayor.

“Gerber, I think it is the time we see the mayor and petition him to send somebody to repair the road. It’s getting worse and destroying our vehicles.” Gerber nodded, so I continued. “I’ve decided that we will take all of the kids to his office so he can see the the lives being affected by the damage of that road. We can write a letter explaining our need and describe the many people who come here for work, for delivery, visitors, missionary teams, etc.”

Gerber made a contact with the mayor’s office, and we had an appointment. We had a visiting team from the US, and they were invited to come with us. We loaded all of the children, house parents, and team members in the bus and vans and left for our mission. When we got to the Municipalidad (municipal building), my heart sank. In front of the buildings sat bunched together tuctuc drivers and their three-wheeled taxis blocking the main street. The clambering and shouting made my blood pressure shoot up. The angry group evidently had a complaint and wanted the mayor’s attention. I heard of demonstrations like this before when people that resulted in injury or death, and here we were with all of the children from the orphanage. Lord, what have I gotten us into? Please protect us and bring peace to those men.

Not only did I have concern for the children’s safety, but we had team members from the States, who faced exposure to something that could turn into a Guatemalan type of violence. Safety Lord, keep us covered.

Since we had an appointment, Gerber went to announce our presence, and the security guards opened a side gate so we could enter in back of the buildings. The vehicles parked on that side of the street, so the team members and I formed a line from the bus door to the side-gate and rushed the children through. I could finally open my hands from the clenched fists when the mayor approached us with his winning smile, but the rhythm of my heart beat fast.

I had no knowledge beforehand that the mayor would take the opportunity to use our time together for his campaign to run a second term in office. The local TV people ran the camera for the Monjas news recording, everyone. That excited the kids, and I’m sure they felt important. At this point, we had taken precedent over the tuctuc drivers in the street demanding a meeting with the mayor.

We came with a particular goal in mind, and I needed to focus on what I would say to the mayor. Lord help me to calm down. Gerber and I had a letter to give to him, asking for his assistance in the maintenance of the road. After the formalities and introductions of the team leaders to the mayor, Gerber read our letter. I followed through with a quivering voice, “Senior we would appreciate any help you could give us regarding the road. There are many people who use it in ministry to the orphanage and these children.” Toward the end of our time we extended an invitation for him to visit the Project.

Not missing a beat, the mayor picked up our littlest girl and with the camera focused on him, declared he would send someone out to grade our road within the next few days. The camera followed him as he greeted and chatted with our girls. I knew people would be swayed to vote for him when they saw the compassion and desire he had for the children in Shadow of His Wings.

The team responded graciously to their unexpected adventure. This presented itself as a time of trusting the Lord to hide us under the shadow of His wings and He faithfully did that for us.

A “few days” here does not translate into a few days in real time. Weeks later, we heard the engine of the grader as it worked on our road. The band-aid approach left the road in good enough shape until the next heavy rain. The visit to the mayor proved fruitful and we felt grateful that he showed favor for the ministry by grading the mile of our hole filled rocky road. The mayor did get re-elected for another four years in office.“