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By Jeffrey Baker Nearly two years after the dev-


astating earthquake in Haiti there is still a lot of work to be done. Some things remain eerily similar to the time immediately follow- ing the January 2010 earthquake. The Presidential Palace still stands just as it did right after the quake. There are hundreds of thousands of people living in tent communi- ties and food and water are still scarce. However, there have been many positive changes. Haiti has a new president. The city is cleaner and policeman direct traffic at intersections. As I drove through Port au Prince earlier this month, I noticed some buildings had finally been torn apart, rubble had been removed, and new structures were beginning to appear. And there is now a distribution center in Haiti for HydrAid Biosand Water filters. Many of you have been fol-


lowing the HydrAid Haiti Water Project since this time last year. Upon returning from a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) trip to Haiti, I began sharing my experience. One of the things that was most vivid was the scarce resource of clean, drinkable water. While it could be purchased, many people in Haiti simply cannot afford to buy water. Most must make a choice between purchasing some rice to eat or


Office of Creative Ministries News Haiti water project takes shape


clean water to drink. The result was that many people became ill drinking unclean water. This weighed heavily on me. When I returned, I began looking for a way to provide clean water, and I found the HydrAid Biosand Water Filter. This filter is capable of pro- ducing five gallons of 99% clean drinking water in about 20 min- utes. It lasts about 10 years and has no moving parts which trans- lates to less repairs of mechanical problems. It uses a natural process to clean the water and is very cost effective. After sharing my story with


several Missouri congregations, I was overwhelmed by the response. We collected nearly $6,000 in just a few short weeks. This was money that could be used to pur- chase filters and make them avail- able in Haiti. As the weeks went along, more and more churches heard about the filters. I started getting phone calls telling me people had seen a video about my experience and wanted to purchase filters to send to Haiti. In early 2011 I received a phone call from a friend explaining the Safe Water Team (SWT) wanted to help us with the project. SWT is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) part- ners with resources and opportu-


nities to provide clean, sustainable water solutions to people in need around the world. In March of 2011, Jim


Bodenner of SWT attended a national Lay Speaking Ministries conference in Indianapolis and challenged the forty Conferences present to raise $1,250 to pro- vide clean water to the people of Haiti; a total of $50,000. SWT had corporate sponsors willing to match these efforts. The Missouri Conference alone raised nearly $47,000 from March 15 until July 1, and other Conferences were able to contribute another $20,000. With the money raised, SWT


and Lay Speaking Ministries agreed to open a Hydraid distribu- tion center in Haiti. This distribu- tion center would warehouse the filters needed to begin providing clean water to our Haitian broth- ers and sisters. In August 2011, a shipment of 1,750 filters left Michigan en route to Port au Prince, Haiti. The filters were delivered by a Navy ship off of the coast of Haiti and then, using a helicopter, they were airlifted to shore where an organization called Rays of Hope for Haiti transported the filters to the new distribution center. This distribution center is located right behind the Methodist Guest House in Port au Prince which is the reception center for


January 6, 2012


Volunteers in Mission (VIM) teams coming to Haiti. With filters in country, we


began developing a process for installation. I asked the question, “How do we create a system for VIM teams to help distribute and install these filters?” This had not been done before, and we knew this process had to involve educa- tion and training along with the installation of the filters so they would be used properly. The first week of December I traveled with a VIM team of six to Haiti to develop a process so that future VIM teams could help provide clean water solutions throughout Haiti.


On Friday our team travelled to


Arcahaie, the first community to receive the HydrAid water filters. United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) sent two mem- bers of their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) team with us. Working with UMCOR, we were able to provide a four hour class on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene which provided a fundamental education to each of the families receiving water filters. By educat- ing families in this manner and providing clean water filters, we can prevent the transmission of preventable diseases such as chol- era.


We also worked with the local


Arcahaie Methodist Church. Pastor Moles (pronounced Mo less) identified 30 families near his


church that needed clean water. Most were families with small children. In our discussions with Pastor Moles, he described the need for 500-600 more filters. He excitedly asked when another team would be returning to install more filters. “We are going to be known as the church that provides clean water”, Pastor Moles told me. After our first day of filter installa- tions, Pastor Moles noticed a dif- ference in the congregation. Two new people attended services that Sunday. These were people that had received filters the day before and now wanted to attend church. God is good. Where do we go from here?


To Haiti! We need 240 people (24 ten person teams) next year to help with installing filters. The per person cost will be approximately $1,800- $2,000. If you would like to lead a team and have been to Haiti, or if you want to join an existing team, contact Jeff Baker at baker@umocm.com or Audrey Phelps at phelps@umocm.com or call 573-474-7155. I would personally like to


thank everyone who has been a part of this project. The generos- ity of individuals, small groups, and congregations around the Missouri Conference is truly extravagant. God is using people to make miracles happen. Just ask the 32 families who now have clean water.


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