Through the years we have installed four hand pumps in Cercadillo, a community with no running water. Like all things, after awhile repairs are needed.   Finding someone to make the repairs has been very frustrating.

Matt Gutting and Kevin Todd from First Baptist Kahoka, Missouri rose to the challenge and attended a pump repair training at Water Step in Louisville, KY.   Then they came to Cercadillo in August to work alongside men from our village.   In less than four days all of our hand pumps were working and several men were trained in maintenance and repair!!!

This is exactly what we always want to be doing, working alongside our people to train them.  There will be no need to wait over two years to repair a broken pump!

Cristian, one of our village boys, giving Matt a pod of cocoa beans as a thank you gift.

Summers in Cercadillo = Camps

People in our communities know that when school is dismissed in early June that summer camping programs are soon to follow.  Just like all our other years, there were crafts to make, games to play, songs to sing, and Bible stories to hear; and this year the second week of children’s camp was a creative arts camp.  Following the summer’s theme of “Blessed to be a Blessing,” our campers had opportunities to participate in drama, stage design, choreographed flag routines, and drumming with buckets. Parents were invited to a Saturday afternoon showcase.

Thank you, Gateway Community Church and volunteers from IBI for leading alongside women from our community to make this such a special time.

Baseball Camps continue to be an exciting time for our boys, ages 8-17. Thank you Maryville Baptist for your 5th summer of providing this much desired activity!

Youth girls’ camp this summer was two full days of laughing and learning together.  Elise Shoemaker and Emily Knox returned for their second year to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for our 13-17 year old girls.

Summers in Cercadillo = Teacher Training

Classroom management and guided reading groups were the topics of TEACHER TRAINING EVENTS in July.  Teachers from a public school and a small private school teachers had the opportunity to participate with our well-seasoned team of teachers from Maryville Baptist.

End of Summer = Preparing for school

Thanks to the Erickson family who came to help us finish our summer well!

Thanks to all who helped this be another great summer in Cercadillo!