Water. Clean Drinking Water #AtoZChallenge
A few weeks after the April 16, 2016 7.8 Ecuador earthquake, Tennessee pastor Gary Vance arrived in Puerto Lopez. He had a suitcase full of water filters and a plan – provide clean drinking water for those who needed it.
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| Clean water welcomed in a tent camp Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
He offered to install a water filter for the Olon orphanage. We went there the next morning. Gary installed a filter and trained a thrilled staff on maintaining it.
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| Water filter installed at the Olon Orphanage Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
Gary spent the rest of that trip traveling, making contacts, and installing filters in tent camps and communities throughout the earthquake damaged area.
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| Filters installed in a camp Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
Gary was already planning his return trip and negotiating bulk filter pricing before he flew home. He founded the Tears2Water charity to “quench the thirst of victims of the earthquake devastation in Ecuador.”
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| Gary’s suitcase full of filters is behind him in this photo Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
Gary has made six trips to Ecuador since the earthquake, spent 88 days in country, delivered 1000 filters, and documented over 5000 people who have gained filtered water.
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| Clean water! Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
He trains local partners who install filters and train communities on proper use.
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| Filter installation Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
Each filter provides enough water for 100 people per day. Small communities may only need one filter for all of their clean water needs.
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| Buckets with filters attached Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
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| Elizabeth (pink shirt) training people on their filter buckets Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
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| Bringing new filter bucket home Photo courtesy of Gary Vance |
Gary’s seventh visit is in a few weeks. It won’t be his last. Donate HERE to help.
Did you ever begin a small project that turned into a passion?
If you are visiting from the #AtoZChallenge please include your blog link in a comment so I can check it out.
Related posts: Earthquake, Post-Earthquake
Emily Bloomquist
I am a US Expat in Ecuador. I grew up on a Minnesota farm, worked in IT in California's Silicon Valley, then moved to a coastal Ecuador fishing village. My goal is to share Ecuador with you, one snippet at a time. Topics include attractions, compassion, ecotourism, Ecuador products, everyday Ecuador, and flora and fauna. Please let me know what you would like to read more about!
42 Comments
moon
The spirit of selfless service of men like pastor Gary is truly inspirational. Lovely post.
Best wishes,
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com
Emily Bloomquist
You said it perfectly, Moon.
Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Kneale
Now that's a useful thing. Water is often the first thing affected in a big disaster.
–Her Grace, Heidi from Romance Spinners
Emily Bloomquist
You are right, water is often the first thing affected and water from rivers sickens people already suffering from the disaster. Gary jumped in with both feet to help with that.
Leanne
What a fantastic act of service and to fulfill such a basic human need is beyond honourable. He is a very good man!
Leanne | cresting the hill
Emily Bloomquist
I could not agree more, Leanne!
Darla M Sands
This is fantastic! It gave me chills. There is nothing more vital than clean water. Thank you for sharing. I can't say I have ever done anything half so noble.
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you, Darla. I may have at least somewhat conveyed how wonderful his work has been if it gave you chills. 🙂
Arti Jain
This is such an uplifting and humbling post Emily. Great job Gary and team. We take clean water and the fact that it's available so easily for granted. Thank you for this post today.
W is for Warp and Weft
Emily Bloomquist
Thank you Arti. Gary and his team are quietly doing great work. I am honored to be able to shine a spotlight on them.
Marna Reed
No, but this is awesome. I'm glad I steered this way; I love hearing these uplifting stories. And some people sneer at humanity. Here's a wonderful example of the potential great goodness that's ingrained in our bones. We only have to dig to find it. ^_^
Emily Bloomquist
I'm glad you steered this way, too, Marna 🙂 My opinion is that we don't hear these uplifting stories more often is because those performing the work do not self promote. They are too focused on doing good work.
Shirley Corder
That is such an awesome story. Thank you for sharing, Emily. Water is taken for granted by so many people, and yet others die from the lack of it. Praise God for the pastor and for all who help him. W is for Watch the Wordcount as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.
Emily Bloomquist
My pleasure, Shirley. Gary's efforts and ones like his should be spotlighted and I am happy to provide one.
A Tarkabarka Hölgy
Wow! Respect for that guy for figuring out a way to help. Clean water is so often taken for granted…
The Multicolored Diary: WTF – Weird Things in Folktales
Emily Bloomquist
I completely agree, Zalka!
shalini
This is such a heartwarming tale – what a unique passion and fortitude of this man to think of others and provide such a basic necessity whichi we all take for granted.
Visit my blog for the Pergrination Chronicles as I meander through the AtoZchallenge where I am telling travel tales by the alphabet!!
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​Wish upon the stars
Emily Bloomquist
His passion for providing clean water is amazing.
FinnBadger
I have never undertaken anything as helpful as this. Great project, thanks for highlighting it today.
Phillip | W is for White Shapes | What do you see?
Emily Bloomquist
Most of us haven't, Philip. I enjoyed writing about such a wonderful project.
Molly of Molly's Canopy
It's wonderful to hear about grassroots efforts like this — we need more of them! I wonder if his system would work in Detroit?
Emily Bloomquist
Good thinking, Molly, they should work there. He uses highly-portable Sawyer International filters and Detroit probably would not need portable ones. If an apartment building had a community faucet, they could all share one filter.
Here's what the tears2water website says:
"We use a highly-portable water filter from Sawyer International, developed from dialysis medical technology, that filters down to 0.1 micron. This means that the filter totally removes the bad bugs — such as cholera, e-coli, salmonella, and giardia. As a practical bonus, it’s quite easy to install, operate, and maintain. Most importantly, a single filter can produce water for up to one hundred (100) people a day — potentially providing a million gallons of life-saving water (Hydreion Labs Report)."
messymimi
We take clean water for granted here, It's amazing what giving a community clean water can do for them.
Emily Bloomquist
It truly is, Mimi.
Trin Carl
Props to Gary (Gary has made six trips to Ecuador since the earthquake, spent 88 days in country, delivered 1000 filters, and documented over 5000 people who have gained filtered water.)
He's one very hard work. May all blessings come to him.
theglobaldig.blogspot.com
Emily Bloomquist
I agree, Trin.
Jean Davis
It's always amazing to see how much the actions of one person can help so many.
Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
Emily Bloomquist
Absolutely, Jean. He had a vision and has made it reality for many, with more filters on the way.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Emily – wonderful project put into action and followed through and up with more visits by Gary – incredible and so good to read about – inspirational. Water is so important to us all – we are just so lucky with ours – but at least Gary with his foundation is helping those in need … thanks for his work … Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/x-is-for-x-war-facts.html
Emily Bloomquist
I agree Hilary – Gary's work is inspirational.
Lisa
would you mind if I used your story in my Sunday School lesson on Sunday? I will give you credit – it fits perfectly with "do something"
Emily Bloomquist
Absolutely you can use it – that sounds like a perfect use for this story, Lisa. You can find more of the story on the Tears2Water Facebook page, too. https://www.facebook.com/Tears2Water/
Thank you!
Tamara Gerber
What a wonderful project!
In Switzerland we are blessed with plenty of excellent quality water so we can't even imagine what it must be like not to have access to it.
Emily Bloomquist
It really is a wonderful project, Tamara! The work Gary and his team are doing is making such a difference in many lives.
Michelle Wallace
Hi Emily!
Thank you for visiting my blog.
The Tears2Water charity is an awesome project! This post is a perfect fit for the We Are The World Blogfest.
If you sign up for the blogfest, you can use this post again.
We drink water directly from our taps. Drinking water here in South Africa is fairly safe to drink and cook with when taken from taps in urban areas.
Whether it will remain this way is another story…
It's lovely to meet you via the A to Z Challenge!
Writer In Transit
Emily Bloomquist
Hi Michelle, Thanks for coming over to check this post out.
I look forward to joining the We Are The World Blogfest! This will be my first post for it.
Lovely meeting you, too!
Susie
What a blessed project! Water is the life blood of the world.
Emily Bloomquist
Well said, Susie!
Nancy Beach
Sometimes I wonder if one person can make a difference – your story reminds me they can! Beautiful ministry!!
Emily Bloomquist
Yes Nancy, Gary has taught us that one person can make a huge difference!
Nilanjana Bose
This is an inspirational story!
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks, Nilanjana!