Four!  Four!  Four!  Four!  As of around 1:15 today ALL of our hand pumps in Cercadillo are working again!

Because a picture is worth a thousand words . . .

Pump #1 – WORKING!

Pump #2 – WORKING!

Pump #3 – WORKING!

Pump #4 – WORKING!

 The first water from the well is usually rather muddy.  After a few buckets it usually clears up.  These kids couldn’t wait to start enjoying it.

What a relief to have all four pumps working again!  Pump one has needed repair for six months, pump two has needed repair for eight months, pump three has needed repair for one month, and pump four has needed repair for more than four years. When the final pump broke, the situation seemed hopeless. All the time that I was frustrated trying to find a solution, God was at work behind the scenes. He used Beth Jones, living in upstate New York, to connect us with the organisation H20 Technologies, here in the DR.  What a great day this has been, to see even pump number four working.

Thank you for the part you played, through your prayers and encouragement!

A quick review of 2014 in numbers:

6 Visiting American Teams

– Women’s Field Hockey Team from Gordon College (Field Hockey camp for youth girls)

-Maine/NH ladies (Instructed our women in making personal hygiene packets.  See daysforgirls.org  for more information.)

–Valley Church (Lead youth girls’ camp and did various maintenance projects such as painting buildings.)

-Renew Community Church (Constructed a four family bathroom)

–First Baptist Maryville (Baseball camp for 7-18 year-old boys)

-Doris Stump Memorial Group (Constructed our fourth open-air building)

2 Incredible Long-Term Summer Interns – Jessica Terpstra and Rebekah Cline

15 (or so) Volunteers from IBI  (International Baptist Church)

9 Women from Cercadillo helped with Summer Programming

187 Children and Youth Involved in our Summer Programming

48 Sunday Worship Experiences throughout the year

33 Days of Study/Sewing and Crafting  with Women

654 tubes of toothpaste & approximately 1000 toothbrushes distributed

And on a personal note:

2 brain surgeries Mom endured after a fall in my home in early January

7 weeks spent with her in ICU’s, three hospitals and finally in a nursing home in our hometown

1 horrific case of chikungunya virus beginning in June

1 thyroidectomy in August

1 diagnosis of Follicular Thyroid Cancer, Stage 3 in Sept

100 mlc of radioactive iodine swallowed with the hopes of eliminating the remaining cancer  (Six months of waiting to see if it worked.)

9+ weeks of recuperating, during which my time in the village was very limited.

0 = Number of times I have felt abandoned.

Impossible to Count = Those who have encouraged, prayed, shared tears and met various physical needs.

How thankful I am for all of your support during this most unusual year!

$11,626 USD – Amount of 2014 budget we have not raised as of the beginning of December.   If you would like to help with this shortfall, there are three tax-deductible ways to do so.  

1. By sending a check in the mail. Please write #4126 in the memo section of your check, make the check payable to Shepherd’s Staff, and mail it to:

(See more at: http://ssmfi.org/donate)

 May God bless each of you with a wonderful New Year!