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A Year Full of Work and Hope
2022 was full of work and HOPE for the future
With travel limitations over the past few years, our team was eager to get to work. This year marked the first time that Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation projects occurred during the same week. Our mission has always been to bring HOPE to the world, through clean water, hygiene education, and sanitation and latrines, and we are proud of how that mission is impacting the world.
GUATEMALA: Mike Gillert and Jimmy Leatherwood, Country Coordinators
The year of 2022 started off with governmental closures of the borders to Belize and Guatemala. We had a substantial amount of equipment and materials spread between Punta Gorda, Belize (PB), Sarstoon, Guatemala, and Puerta Barrios, Guatemala (PB). After completing 50 wells in the southern district of Toledo in Belize, it has become very clear to us that God is leading us to move our base of operation in Central America to Guatemala. We have been given a trailer mounted drilling rig in Guatemala by Refuge International. It was in fair condition but needed quite a bit of repair and maintenance. We had stored it in Livingston, Guatemala which is accessible only by boat, not a good thing for a trailer mounted rig.
In June we journeyed to Livingston to meet with the government officials and look at potential drilling sites. We also met and traveled with two officers of the Guatemala Baptist Union (GBU). They suggested we look in the area which is up the Rio Dulce, a major waterway with its mouth near Livingston. The GBU has started several churches in that area and they all need a clean dependable source of water. We have been praying for a partner to help establish ministries in the area where we will be drilling. It’s not just about punching holes in the ground. The GBU introduced us to a church in Morales, Guatemala and its pastor and deacon. They were very excited to partner with us and offered a secure place to store our equipment and our van. This church is on the only road in Guatemala that goes from PB to Guatemala City. This works for a trailer mounted rig. Within 30 minutes of this church, we located the community of San Francisco. They are one of the churches started by GBU and it is in great need for a clean source of water. They are currently pumping water from a nearby river. So our first target well was set if we can get our rig on the road.
On this same trip, we went to see our drilling rig that we left in Livingston. To our surprise it was gone. We thought the worst. But when we met with the man whose shop had been where we left it, we were in for another surprise. He had, at his own expense, barged the rig to PB to a friend’s repair shop for safe keeping. He was concerned with leaving it out just off the street for the two years in which we had not been able to return. When we traveled to PB we found the rig in a locked compound in the shop of a man who could repair and perform the needed maintenance on the rig that we required. Plus, the rig is accessible to the road to Morales and San Francisco. Our plans seldom work but God’s plans always work. We just have to trust Him.
In September we returned to gather and move our equipment from PG, Sarsstoon, and PB to our new base in Morales. It took two days sorting and packing in PG plus two boats to transfer all of our equipment to PB. It took a full day and two boats to transfer our equipment from Sarstoojn to PB. And it took a large box truck to transport all of it to Morales. The van which we have kept in PG had to be driven 12 hours North through Belize to the border with Guatemala and back down South in Guatemala to PB. There we spent three days and several thousand dollars to get it registered and legal to keep in Guatemala. The drilling rig has been completely refurbished and is ready to be moved to Morales.
Our plan is to go back with a small crew to drill the first well with the rig in San Francisco. With such a busy year end approaching, we have set our goal to go in January and after that follow God’s eldership to the next drill site. We will then be looking for teams to join us in these adventures. With the support of faithful donors, we hope to complete 8 new wells early in 2023. God has certainly blessed our work and provided a few surprises along the way. The future looks good from here.
ETHIOPIA: Bo Jackson, Country Coordinator
With Covid-19 restrictions settling down this year the Ethiopia Drilling program is now on a path to be fully operational again. While there was still drilling, and many new wells added over the past several years progress was somewhat limited. There were two “good” wells drilled and some drilling equipment maintenance performed for the November 2022 journey taken by Hope Springs Water. Robel the Hope for Life program coordinator was sure to point out that these were two “good” wells, not just two wells. There were a total of 6 individuals from Hope Springs and 3 from the Hope for Life that were on site for the 2 week drilling expedition. There have been a total of 10 wells drilled in 2022, these are all completely functional and not a single well remained incomplete as reported from Hope for Life. Phase one of the Hope for Life projects has been completed and awaiting review by the government while the next proposal is being drafted and negotiated for the next three years of projects. Hope Springs Water has added a new element to the proposal which is to include sanitation. During the November journey, Jim Palmer initiated the first of the sanitation system builds in the region, at the site of the future Compassion International Campus. This system has been designed to accommodate the region's extreme changes in weather from wet to dry seasons with the capability to expand to a broader service if necessary.
KENYA:Damon and Candace Donnell, Country Coordinators
We shared a fruitful year with the people of Bungoma County, Kenya. In May, the Siboti Orphanage well was drilled, bringing clean water to the orphanage and over 900 families in the community.
In late October, we (Damon, Candace, Bliss and Jim) were able to travel for the first time to Bungoma, meet the leadership of the communities, and visit 3 of 4 orphanages with well sites, Mateka, Mayenja, and Nasianda. On this trip, we (HSW) partnered with the Rotary Club of Bungoma and funded the construction of 3 latrines, at three different schools, containing 10 SATO toilet pans each. These projects were complete, from the ground up, within the same week. This was a great partnership opportunity with a very promising outlook for future sanitation projects. Our last appointment of the trip was a visit to a rural area called Mukwa Chwele where the chief of the land, along with the leadership therein called us to a site in the village of Biketi that had undergone necessary underground piping and geological surveys for a well, but had been abandoned as a project, leaving the people of many villages to continue to travel for water. The leaders put together a dramatic reenactment to show us what the villagers experience as they go for water, showing us how intense relations can get between thirsty people. We are eager to see what the surveys reveal, and look forward to raising funds and beginning this next clean water “maji safi” project. These people showed immense gratitude toward Hope Springs Water in wondrous displays of singing and praise each time we would enter a new village that we had touched. Even in Mukwa, they sang and danced with eagerness to what HSW may do for them in the future. This is a region of great promise for Hope Springs Water WASH zone expansion.
NICARAGUA: Peter and Melissa Murrell, Country Coordinators
We have exciting news for Nica Team’s partnership with Hope Springs Water in 2022! The shipping container sent back in August of 2021, was finally released from customs in October. It took a lot of patience and jumping through governmental red tape, but the equipment is now on the property of Mision Bautista in Rosita. This container has two drilling rigs that we will be able to utilize with HSW teams beginning in 2023. One is an LS300+ mounted on a trailer and can travel the roads in and around the Mining Triangle. The second rig is a portable LS100 and will replace the portable rig that has allowed us to drill 6 Hope Springs Water wells over the last 3 years. This smaller can be dismantled and loaded into a dugout canoe and taken into remote villages off the Prinzapolka River and other hard-to-reach places. We already have a team coming in February to train our local team on both rigs and on the proper development of water systems for the future.
We were thrilled to be able to share Hope for Girls MHM in Alamikamba in July, as a group of teachers were gathered for training. They allowed us to share the basics of the program with them, and gladly received kits to begin using. We have been given a green light by the Ministry of Education to provide Hope for Girls kits in the schools along the Prinzapolka River. What a blessing this will be for these girls living in one of the most remote areas of Nicaragua. Next year will be the best year for Hope Springs Water in Nicaragua.
HOPE FOR GIRLS: Amy Dark, Program Coordinator
Hope for Girls has had a fabulous year! We completed our pattern and have distributed it to our sewing groups. We currently have 11 groups of women who consistently dedicate their skills and time into making our MHM kits. The kits from the brand new pattern traveled first this year to Ethiopia where 187 were distributed and women and girls received education. We have excellent educational materials to leave with the kits in order for them to be referred to and reused. We also sent kits to Kenya and the team there was able to distribute 231! It is an exciting and growing time to be a part of Hope for Girls. Our teams lovingly pray for each kit and are blessed to be able to spread HOPE to each girl and young woman.
Gearing Up in Guatemala
Mike Gillert and Jimmy Leatherwood
Guatemala Country Coordinators
The year of 2022 started off with governmental closures of the borders to Belize and Guatemala. We had a substantial amount of equipment and materials spread between Punta Gorda, Belize (PB), Sarstoon, Guatemala, and Puerta Barrios, Guatemala (PB). After completing 50 wells in the southern district of Toledo in Belize, it has become very clear to us that God is leading us to move our base of operation in Central America to Guatemala. We have been given a trailer-mounted drilling rig in Guatemala by Refuge International. It was in fair condition but needed quite a bit of repair and maintenance. We had stored it in Livingston, Guatemala which is accessible only by boat, not a good thing for a trailer-mounted rig.
In June we journeyed to Livingston to meet with government officials and look at potential drilling sites. We also met and traveled with two officers of the Guatemala Baptist Union (GBU). They suggested we look in the area which is up the Rio Dulce, a major waterway with its mouth near Livingston. The GBU has started several churches in that area and they all need a clean dependable source of water. We have been praying for a partner to help establish ministries in the area where we will be drilling. It’s not just about punching holes in the ground. The GBU introduced us to a church in Morales, Guatemala, and its pastor and deacon. They were very excited to partner with us and offered a secure place to store our equipment and our van. This church is on the only road in Guatemala that goes from PB to Guatemala City. This works for a trailer-mounted rig. Within 30 minutes of this church, we located the community of San Francisco. They are one of the churches started by GBU and it is in great need for a clean source of water. They are currently pumping water from a nearby river. So our first target well was set if we can get our rig on the road.
On this same trip, we went to see our drilling rig that we left in Livingston. To our surprise, it was gone. We thought the worst. But when we met with the man whose shop had been where we left it, we were in for another surprise. He had, at his own expense, barged the rig to PB to a friend’s repair shop for safekeeping. He was concerned with leaving it out just off the street for the two years in which we had not been able to return. When we traveled to PB we found the rig in a locked compound in the shop of a man who could repair and perform the needed maintenance on the rig that we required. Plus, the rig is accessible to the road to Morales and San Francisco. Our plans seldom work but God’s plans always work. We just have to trust Him.
In September we returned to gather and move our equipment from PG, Sarsstoon, and PB to our new base in Morales. It took two days of sorting and packing in PG plus two boats to transfer all of our equipment to PB. It took a full day and two boats to transfer our equipment from Sarstoojn to PB. And it took a large box truck to transport all of it to Morales. The van which we have kept in PG had to be driven 12 hours North through Belize to the border with Guatemala and back down South in Guatemala to PB. There we spent three days and several thousand dollars to get it registered and legal to keep in Guatemala. The drilling rig has been completely refurbished and is ready to be moved to Morales.
Our plan is to go back with a small crew to drill the first well with the rig in San Francisco. With such a busy year-end approaching, we have set our goal to go in January and after that follow God’s eldership to the next drill site. We will then be looking for teams to join us in these adventures. With the support of faithful donors, we hope to complete eight new wells early in 2023. God has certainly blessed our work and provided a few surprises along the way. The future looks good from here.
We are working to establish our Guatemala WaSH Zone. This Christmas, you can help Hope Springs Water Gear Up in Guatemala! Funds will be used to complete our first 8 wells during the 2023 drilling season.
The Goal is $60,000.
Sign Up for the 2022 Turkey Trot
The Hope Springs Water Turkey Trot is more than a tradition, it is a way to save lives around the world. Hope Springs Water will host its annual 5K at the Cain Center 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 24.
"The profits from this year's race will be used to drill wells in Africa and Central America. The average woman in rural Africa walks 6K every day to haul 40 pounds of water. We invite you to freely run a 5K with us on their behalf. What better way to show gratitude for clean water than by giving it to others? Run for water on Thanksgiving Day in Athens!
Packet Pick-Up will be from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, with the location TBD. Registration will open race day at 7 a.m. with the race to start on 8 a.m.
Since 2010, Hope Springs Water has provided hope to the developing world through clean water, improved sanitation, and public health and hygiene education. Hope Springs Water sees every one of the 844 million people who lack basic drinking water access and the 2.3 billion without proper sanitation as individuals deserving of a life lived in health and dignity.
Help Us Make A Difference for Menstrual Hygiene Day
Every May 28 is proclaimed World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is a pretty big deal here at Hope Springs Water.
A lack of menstrual hygiene products can perpetuate a cycle of poverty for young women in developing countries. With no dignified approach for managing their menstruation, these women are faced with a large obstacle in order to continue their education. Without an education, there is no way out of poverty for these women.
That's why we started our Hope for Girls program to bring reusable menstrual hygiene kits to women in the developing world. These kits can last a girl 2-3 years and cost less than $10. The investment is small, but the impact can change a life.
But we can't do this work without the help of dedicated volunteers and donors.
Today, we are asking you to help us reach our goal of $5,000 to purchase the supplies we need to produce menstrual hygiene kits for 2022. Your donation can change the world for a young woman living in abject poverty.
We also want to introduce you to some of our volunteer sewing groups to celebrate this Menstrual Hygiene Day. These are the ladies who create the actual menstrual hygiene kits we deliver overseas.
THE PIECEMAKERS
The Piecemakers, who are based out of Houston's First Baptist Church. There are about 20 in the group with eight of those working on the Hope for Girl projects. The Piecemakers also support missionaries to Nicaragua who use the hygiene kits in their ministry.
SEWING FOR HOPE
The Sewing for Hope team is from Arkansas First United Methodist Church. The group has three members: Corinee Eldgridge, Mary Anne Rosamond, and Karen Sullivan. This group has been contributing to Hope Springs Water for years.
"I grew up in Monticello and knew (Hope Springs Water founder) Ted Mettetal from there," said Mrs. Eldridge. "I heard of his work with Hope Springs Water and introduced his work to our church members."
SEWING ESPERANZAS
The Sewing Esperanzas group is from Valley Mills near Waco. The eight members of the group have been working with Hope for Girls since the beginning of the probram. They "love to sew and make it count for the Lord!"
POLLARD HOPE FOR GIRLS
The Pollard Hope for Girls group has been making menstrual hygiene kits since February 2020. The group has more than 20 members.
"It's easy to take for granted what we have so readily available to us, so to be able to provide them something simple but necessary that allows them to stay in school - well, it changes lives! It's changed our lives as well, opening our eyes and hearts to girls we will never know."
STREETMAN TEAM
The Streetman Hope for Girls Team works from home and has been with Hope for Girls since the very beginning. The group has more than 20 members! "We want to continue to provide needed items for those that cannot obtain them for themselves so they can see the good in the world from others."
World Water Day 2022
World Water Day is on March 22 every year. It is an annual United Nations Observance, started in 1993, that celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe water.
This World Water Day, we want to share some important photos in the history of Hope Springs Water.
Pump Repair
Two founding board members, Bruce Hinds and Dr. Ted Mettetal, attend a well pump repair school in Nicaragua in about 2013. This was the start of Hope Springs Water's well pump repair and well recovery operations.
WaSH Zones
Villagers in our WaSH zones in Belize and Ethiopia obtained their water the best way they could before Hope Springs Water came to their area to provide safer, cleaner drinking water for them. These were our first WaSH zones.
Hygiene Education
This is Firenesh Bikila, a Hope Springs Water team member in Ethiopia, teaching hygiene education in a rural village. Hygiene education is a key part of the Hope Springs Water mission.
New Drilling Rig
It was an important day when the new drilling rig arrived in Bantu, Ethiopia. This rig has given us the ability to drill in more difficult places and be more successful by being able to dig deeper than before. It also helped Hope Springs Water and our Ethiopian NGO, Hope for Life, gain credibility with the government of Ethiopia and has helped the government officials recognize us as a serious drilling entity that has much to offer the people of Ethiopia.
100th Well
Hope Springs Water drilled its 100th well in the village of Lalessee in February 2020. This milestone was reached in the same village where Hope Springs Water started with hand-dug wells and rope and washer bicycle pumps eight years before.
Snow Day
In February 2021, a historic winter storm hit Athens, Texas. When extreme temperatures froze the Athens Water Treatment Plant, the lack of drinking water became a critical issue, particularly for the hospital, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Hope Springs Water responded by digging out of the warehouse and delivering 15,000 cases of water to those in need.
Join Us for World Water Day
This World Water Day, we are working to raise money for clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services in the Hope Springs Water WaSH zones. We will be raising funds from March 22 to March 27. Let’s get to work! With your support, we can make this happen. Be a part of the solution and help us bring clean water to the remote areas of the world.
Supporters come through for well program
We are excited to announce that we are adding 16 new wells to our to-do list and it is all thanks to you, our supporters.
In December, we rolled out our "16 Wells for 16 Villages" campaign, an effort to make up for the 16 months we lost because of COVID.
That program will take $100,000 to complete, so we asked you to help us meet that goal.
Guess what? You did it!
With all the paperwork and counting now complete, our supporters donated $98,785 to the "16 Wells" campaign. That's amazing.
"Our supporters are the best," said Hope Springs Water Executive Director Bliss Nelson. "They always respond to the needs of the thirsty around the world."
The project will include:
-- Ethiopia: $40,000 = 5 wells
-- Nicaragua: $12,000 = 4 wells
-- Kenya: $36,000 = 3 wells
-- Guatemala: $12,000 = 4 wells
Thank you to everyone who took part in this campaign. You are helping Hope Springs Water bring HOPE to a thirsty world.
Founder's Letter for 2021
Even with COVID, we had a productive year
It’s hard to believe that another year has passed and we are just beginning to move out from under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, 2021 saw a great deal of exciting change for Hope Springs Water.
Our WaSH zones now include Ethiopia, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Kenya, and The Colonias along the Texas-Mexico border.
Our team was able to travel to Nicaragua in June of this year, where we joined a team from Bryan, Texas to drill a water well in a village along the Prinzipolka River. We also introduced Hope for Girls, our menstrual management program, to the schools in several villages along the river. The three-year plan there is to improve access to safe water in 12 indigenous communities, provide gender-specific latrines in the schools of those villages, offer deworming programs coupled with health and hygiene education, and offer menstrual management education and reusable menstrual products for the girls in those schools.
Our team was able to travel to Ethiopia in early October, where we were able to meet with our team at Hope For Life, catch up on where things are in our relationship with the government, evaluate and update our equipment, and plan future projects. Our Ethiopian team drilled six wells after our last trip and has three more funded and planned before the end of the year. That will bring the total of wells drilled this year to 15. While in Bantu, our team was able to present the Hope for Girls menstrual management program to 78 schoolgirls and give them each a kit containing washable, reusable menstrual supplies that last three years. We are beginning to ramp up our focus on sanitation now and will begin that campaign within the next several months, so long as the political climate continues to allow us to do that.
We were blessed to be able to drill a well in Bungoma, Kenya earlier this year and have received funding to drill another one to serve the Mateka Children’s Home near Bungoma. Country Coordinator Damon Donnell reported he is working with Rotary International on a grant to drill 10 additional wells in that region. Additionally, in May we were able to raise $4,000 to provide anti-malaria vaccinations to 1,000 children in Bungoma County through a partnership with In Jesus Global Missions.
Because the countries of Belize and Guatemala have had their borders closed for most of 2021 due to COVID-19, we have been unable to travel there to perform any work in the villages.
Our team traveled to the Brownsville-Matamoros border this summer to evaluate the situation there and take menstrual supplies to our partners to be distributed to the refugees along the border. We also spoke with water department officials in McAllen, Texas about water needs along the Rio Grande in The Colonias found there. We have been sending regular truckloads of water to Brownsville to assist the efforts to serve the people of the area.
In summary, 2021 has been a challenging yet highly productive year. We are not only meeting the current needs of our organization but moving forward to expand our highly successful programs. Thank you for joining us on the journey to bring Hope to the World! God bless you!
C. Ted Mettetal, M.D.
Founder and CEO
Hope Springs Water