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Chester County Press

Local residents visit Mexico to deliver clean water

06/19/2013 08:45PM ● By Acl

On June 22, 13 adults and teens from Living Faith Community Church in West Grove will travel to central Mexico to deliver clean water to a village whose supply is contaminated.

The church team will join locals, and Living Waters International, to haul rocks and mix concrete to construct a spring box, a device that removes 80 percent of the pollutants in water. The construction is challenging due to limited tools and lack of automation, said Kyle McDuffie, CEO of a Delaware-based technology consulting firm and a resident of Landenberg. This is his third trip. The reward is seeing tangible results and the villagers' eager participation, McDuffie said. "The men work side-by-side with us. Once, the women and children even prepared lunch for us, sharing from what little they had," he said.

Local pastor Chip Roper feels so strongly about the benefits that he's making his fourth trip. Each time he takes one of his teenagers.

"I feel it's good to share a spiritual adventure together, just dad and daughter," he said. "The girls develop real bonds with needy people within a cultural context. It also deepens our relationship." 
Most villages in Mexico get water from open springs. These springs are prone to contamination from human and animal waste. The spring box, a rectangular structure made of stone and concrete, contains the spring to ensure purity. It is covered with a concrete roof and a hand pump is installed. Its water is then shocked with chlorine bleach. This whole process significantly improves the water

"We believe a living faith is one that makes a difference in the world where we live," Roper said. "That world is smaller than ever. We are used to turning on a spigot and getting clean water. Thousands in Mexico can't do that, so we have a unique opportunity to make a dent in a real problem."