Category Archives: James Project of Latin America

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

Dedication of the Property: Part 2

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dedicationpraying I moaned inwardly, concerned that we might get rained out, but the program continued. Running from the duplex to the stage, with wet hair plastered to their heads, the girls did their worship dancing. The band played without missing a beat. It’s going to be okay, I told myself. A little water doesn’t hurt anybody. As if to answer my thought, a deluge pounded the tent canvas. People under the tent began to shift around. Sitting in the front row, I wondered what was causing so much movement. Then I turned to see a flow of muddy water slide across the once dry ground, and water dripping through holes in the tent. By this time, if a person found a dry space, that’s where the chair went, disregarding any type of order. The program continued despite the attack of nature.

Celin, the youngest, and Miriam, the oldest, shared their testimonies of what it meant to them to live in Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. Irma, whom we nicknamed “preacher,” gave an inspiring message. To hear them tell how blessed they were to find a family, love, and security in this refuge made the desire to rescue more children grow in my heart. With ten acres and the help of others, we could bring in many more children, including boys. Yes, Lord, this is just the beginning. You have more planned for us.

The pastor of a local church gave a sermon, followed by Sharon Parks, who gave her thoughts about the mandate the Lord impressed upon us when we started James Project of Latin America. She prophesied over the Project, and at the conclusion, lightning burst forth from the sky with a boom that made us jump and punctuated her words. With my heart in my throat, I wondered if the Lord did that on purpose. He sure had our attention.

After the bang of thunder, the girls did the symbolic foot washing for each pastor from the area churches. The intentions of this act showed others that as disciples of Christ, we desired to serve one another with humility and honor. It became obvious that hearts were moved when tears formed in the eyes of the pastors.

Next, the girls, with glittery rectangle scarves around their necks, mingled with the crowd to pray for individuals. The girls inquired of the guests for any specific needs and went right into prayer. “Caty, you can pray for people too, okay?” I said to our mentally challenged orphan. She knew what to do. She gave me a closed-mouth smile, cackled, and off she went. The mantels around the girls’ necks sparkled in the light, and they looked like little angels in ministry. My heart soared in pride and love. Certainly the people in the community could see how far these kids had come from the streets to where they are now.

After the ministry time, the rain ceased, but there were two inches of mud everywhere. The girls proceeded to serve the tostadas, cake, and juice to over six hundred people. We realized the number of attendees from the number of paper plates we used. Two hundred invitations reaped a large group of people.

When the mud-splattered people prepared to depart, as many as possible crammed in the vehicles or stood in the back of the pickups. Since we didn’t have graveled roads yet, many cars had to be pushed out of the muck. I wondered if the townspeople were disappointed because of nature’s interference and the large numbers of people. Gerber explained that the people liked us, or they would not have stayed when the rain began. People made comments before they left, thanking us and saying how they appreciated having an orphanage in the community. I think we sealed a partnership with many in the community that night. Thank you, Lord. The dedication of the property is a night we will all remember.

Dedication of the Property

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GirlssingingdedicationI shook my head in amazement as I looked at the people who kept pouring through the front gate of our new home, James Project of Latin America in Monjas, Jalapa (Guatemala). Many of these people had walked the mile from town to the orphanage, if they couldn’t find room in the back of somebody’s pickup.

I didn’t realize that this day, dedication to the Lord day, would impact me like it did. Joanne and I had started the orphanage three years before in San Cristobal. We found this property where we could expand and where the children could experience freedoms that they couldn’t have in the City. James 1:27 and Psalm 68:5 became the mandate given to us. You are the Father of the fatherless for these children and those to come. Oh, Lord, help me to know what that means in real life. They need to understand it in their hearts. The immensity of what it meant to have an orphanage and a school struck me as I looked over the ten acres.

Joanne and I desired that the girls have the opportunity for ministry and service in the community. These Dedicationopeninglearning experiences would prepare them to reach out to others, just as people did for them. So we invited the community to come and get acquainted with all of us, the girls, and included several slots in the program for the girls to perform on stage. Would they receive us as friends?

Bob and Sharon Parks from Isaiah 62:4 Ministries; Pastor Peter Gilliland from Wasilla, Alaska; and Pastor Ralph Diaz from New York ministered to our group during the dedication. What a blessing to have other stateside guests to celebrate with us.

We had planned the details for this evening many weeks before. Some of the simplest ideas ended up taking hours to accomplish. With the closest bakery hours away, we had to find someone who could bake cakes for a few hundred people. We stepped out, sought people for advice, and the plans came together. The evening came, and the show began. However, surprises awaited all of us during the dedication of the property, despite our great preparation for it.

People filled the chairs under the donated tent designed for two-hundred people. It became obvious that the numbers coming in well surpassed the neatly placed chairs. With a need for more seating, chairs were placed on the porch of the duplex, and from there chairs went anywhere there happened to be space. We talked about doing things Guatemalan style, which is cramming many into small spaces. We did it up good that night.

Where did all of these people come from? Could we accommodate everyone with the threat of rain? We later discovered that when a pastor receives an invitation to an event, he passes that invitation on to his congregation. A family will pass the invitation on to their aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and neighbors. Since we were new people in the community, and gringos besides, many people wanted to see us and the orphanage. We then understood the reason for the multitudes and felt pleased that they all came.

The moment arrived. The local gospel band struck their cords as our youngest, spunky Celin, led the girls onto the make-shift stage, just as the heavens opened. Oh no, would they be able to continue with the praise and worship? Some of the band had to stand partially under the canvas and partially in the downpour. Lord, do we need to cancel everything and wait for a drier day? I looked at the angry gray clouds and knew the rain wouldn’t end soon. What could we do now?