Luis update on filters

 Luis went to Viota, a village outside Bogota, where there is no potable water. It is a rural community that is agriculturally based and gets their water from the local river. He joined another organization to help them make and install the Bio-sand filters. They were sponsored by the Rotary clubs from Canada. They were able to install 59 filters. He was happy to be continuing in the work of helping bring people drinking water to people that do not have that luxury.

 This January we are planning on installing more filters near where we lived in Bocachica. There are two small villages that are a couple of hours away from where we lived that get water from a local river that is very contaminated. The locals use a process that takes a while to treat the water. If we can install these bio-filters it would speed the water treatment process up as well as give them a better quality of water. We are wanting to start to raise funds for this project. If you are interested in supporting water for people who have no access to drinking water let us know. As we get closer to time I will give another update with more details. Thank you for those that support us, and enjoy the pictures!
 
Ivan y Rocio of Proyecto Gente along with Fundacion Senora Pilar

They had four filter molds that helped speed up the process, but it took over a month to complete all the filters.

Installing a filter into a home

What I liked about summer, Germany

We had the great opportunity to visit Germany this past July. It was a culmination of many different threads all coming together to allow us to have this experience. It was the first time Tara and I could go on vacation together without kids since our honeymoon. It was a 40 year birthday for me, and almost our 20th year anniversary.The trip also allowed us to reconnect with our friends who worked with us in Colombia. During the years we lived in Colombia we had many Germans that worked in Bocachica stay at our house, sometimes days, sometimes months. We were able to see many of them while traveling and staying in some of their homes; there were only three nights that we stayed in an Airbnb.
  We saw many places and had many experiences. For Tara and I, though, we are always happy to be with people, so one of the greatest highlights was seeing all our friends. They were all excited as well and had plans when we arrived to show us the local sights. I feel like we had more depth of knowledge of the areas because of their personal attention. We are very thankful for their help and friendship, and sorry to the others we missed this trip.

Leni and Raphaela

Maria, Anne, Elvira, and Arthur

 At the wedding of Tine and Sasha

Doro and Hannah

Patrick and Bianca

There were also others that we didn't get photos with, our hosts in Munich, Gregor and Ana. 

An interesting thing for us Americans may be a number of bicycles there. They are more abundant than cars.

 

The architecture was beautiful

It was exciting to sit where Dietrich Bonhoeffer sat and
 studied.

We saw many more sites and interesting things that would take more posts to tell about.
  One of the greatest impacts for me was seeing all the history in Germany. Some of what forms our culture in the West originated here. Because of the long history, there are a lot more stories, and the places we saw reminded us of them. Particularly, the glory and the depravity of humankind. We were in the country where the Reformation started, and many great theologians are from here. People that shaped our spiritual heritage and freed and articulated better what the Gospel really means. Many of the technologies we enjoy are birthed in the minds of Germans. We saw generations of architecture that are beautiful and timeless. In the same place, we toured a concentration camp and saw memorials to those who were killed in time of the Nazis. We saw the Berlin Wall. All the history is still visible. What I learned is important though, is that we need to see and know both of these sides of humanity. Gregor, our host in Munich, said that there is shame about what happened in the previous generation, and what he noticed is that his grandparents and everybody else never talked about anything that happened before that time period. So he considers it a lost generation, they never talked about the bad things because they were horrible, but at the same time, they didn't talk about the good things. For instance, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is fairly well known in the United States and in Asia. These people groups make up more of the tours of the Bonhoeffer house than the Germans. Americans about 40 percent, Asians about 30 percent, and Germans about 15 to 20 percent. Gregor said many Christians in Germany have never heard of him. So it is important to know the bad and the good, to be reminded of what humans in their depravity can do, but also what the Gospel can do in humanity. That is why sometimes in America we need to be reminded about racism and colonialism. To see that we are not too far removed from the evil, but at the same time to see how the Gospel and transformed people can move us in a new direction.


It was great to see friends and new places. We had a great time.
We will be updating about Luis' project he just finished in the next post.

May Happenings

This past April I made a return visit and met up with Luis in Bocachica. The pastor from the local church is living in our house, so we stayed with them.
 They were great hosts, and it was nice to be there with friends.
 Luis and I went and visited a number of houses to follow up on filters we installed three years ago. Many are giving good testimonies about the changes they have experienced with better water. More than one had the same story about how they can no longer buy juices in the street because they will be sick shortly after drinking them. Some also filter water for other family members that need clean water as well.

 A new devolvement that is happening with the filter in Colombia is there is another project in Bogota that has made the filter body out of plastic. We have joined with them in working towards providing the best system for household treatment of water. This month they finished the first filter out of plastic. We worked on doing this a couple of years ago, but there were no companies that could do it cost effectively for us.


A plastic filter body will give this system a more professional finished look. It does cost more. The estimated cost for the filter will double. The good thing about a plastic body is that we can take this into hard to reach areas that normally aren't accessible due to the weight of a concrete filter body. Previously, Luis made a filter out of a drain tile, but in the future, we could return to this remote area and install more filters using this plastic filter body.

Another project that we are embarking on with the local church in Bocachica is the building of a new Christian private school. There is a public school in the village now, but it is woefully below standards for providing the minimum in a good education. The church has already started this year with the preschool in the faith that God will provide for them to add a class each year until they have ll the grades for a complete education. Luis and I visited the school which for now is using two borrowed classrooms from another site. The full vision is to have a bi-lingual private Christian education available to people of the village. The parents of the students are paying monthly to have the kids taught, this is a big sacrifice for them because the normal mentality is that they are poor and receive things for free. However, the parents who want the change are willing to sacrifice monetarily in order to provide something important to the next generation. The need then is for the church, they had an architect design the plans according to the regulations of Colombia for the structure and layout of the school. The estimate for the school structure without the finished details is quoted at 125,000.00 dollars. This is a lot, but it also isn't a lot considering the lives it can change for the future. This year the goal is to build out two classrooms and the bathrooms so that the school can move into its own place.

Kids in uniform ready for school.                              

Teaching English classes with Luis                                           

Right now we are in the planning stages of bringing a team to Bocachica in January 2018. Please tell us if you would like to be part of this team.  Join us in praying as we get the details to come together.

Blessings from our family to yours,



The Ariels

January Colombia Team

Hey readers,

This summer God has given me the opportunity to begin organizing a mission group that will go back to my second home. We will be going to January 3rd through the 10th, but the work begins now. A team of about 15 will be traveling to Bocachica, Colombia. This focus of this trip is a new project. We will be working in collaboration with the local church to start work on a Christian school for the island. The need for this school is so great, not only to provide a good education for students but teach them the word of God.

The reason a Christian school is so important is because the school already on the island has many issues. The first problem is that the school is very overcrowded, often combining grades and classes into one. They are under equipped and do not have supplies and materials for all the students. There are no textbooks or learning supplements, just notebooks. They also only require the students to attend half days in order to serve all the students on the island.The government pays for the students to attend school and parents are not involved in their child's education.  Children are not mandated to attend and if they do not feel like going to school there will not be a consequence. All of these problems put together result in a poor education for the students. As we can see, there is a need for a better school on the island of Bocachica. The school will also be bi-lingual, this is necessary to have in Colombia. Students that want to go beyond a two year degree in a Colombian university need to have a level 6 or higher fluency in English. This is impossible with a public education that is offered on the island.

 The school will have teachers who care about their students, and will teach them the about God. With a classroom per grade, enough bathrooms, supplies, and materials, students can receive the education they deserve through the Christian school.

The project, so far, has a decent start. Borrowing a single classroom from a local building, the school is up and running for first graders. As of now, 16 children and one teacher make up the Gimnasio Cristiana De Bocachica.

My dad, the pastor, the teacher, and the class of first graders.

The property on which the school will be built has been purchased, and blueprints for the school made. The finished building will include 10 classrooms, offices, a lab, and a preschool.

The land for the school.

Blueprints for the school.

The goal for our team is to finish the first two classrooms and a bathroom. Besides building, some of our team will be able to work with the students and help teach. In order to complete our goal, we need to raise $12,000 to begin and also have the locals continue working after we leave. The entire project requires $125,000, and Lord willing we will raise as we go after our trip. 

The long-term goal of this project is to continue building a classroom per year, and adding on a grade for each new classroom up until 12th grade. Besides funds for the school, we are asking that you join us in prayer. 

Please join us in prayer as we sort out all the logistics for this trip. If you would like to be part of this team please feel free to contact me via email: arariel786@access.alamancecc.edu. And last but not least, if you would like to donate funds to help build this school you can mail a check to Ariel Missions, 3706 Union Ridge Road, Burlington NC. 27217. Please put Bocachica school project in the memo line.

Thank you,

Alicia Ariel

April update

We are excited that we could send Luis to a seminar this past month for training on the latest technology in household water treatment. He got to meet the engineers that train local leaders in distributing these different filter systems as well as the politicians who can influence local leaders in the promoting better health.


Luis with his class

His certificate of completion:

Below is a ceramic filter that is good to use in urban areas that have contaminated public water that is clear of sedimentation.

The system that we use in Bocachica, the Bio Sand filter

Above: Another system used called the Life Straw.

It is great to see Luis growing in this work. He is learning more and becoming independent in his abilities. The week before this, he went out to the country, about 12 hours outside Bogota, to make a filter at an orange farm. The family gets water from a shallow well that is fed by a river. The water in the well is always cloudy. The family usually just drinks bottled water. Because of the distance, Luis designed an alternate filter from a road drain tile to use as the filter body.
  ,

In the country, it is wilder too. Luis ran into a spider one night at the house, only bigger than normal. It was a tarantula



Back in Bogota, Luis is also helping out in a new ministry that a local church has with youth. The Colombian foster system is similar to USA because after a child reaches 18 they are considered an adult and are on their own. Without a family, many fall into bad habits and end up with the wrong friends. The church meets with some of the young adults that age out and try to mentor them and help out by giving them a support group.


We are happy to see Luis and his family still doing ministry even though they aren't in Bocachica. This work is able to be done through the support of many friends who support them. He is always thankful to you even though he can't communicate often with us in the USA.
 This month Luis and Nate are going to be in Bocachica to check on things on the island. They may even install another filter during this trip. They are also bringing more books for the local pastors that will edify and build them up to be better equipped for preaching.
 There is always something to do there. We are happy for progress and look forward to doing more work for the glory of God.

Family update on Bocachica

“What's next?” We ask God that question often as well. While we thought our visit would be for a year in the States, we have found that now, more than ever, life in the States is busy. We have our two oldest girls getting ready to graduate high school in May. This is their senior year, and they are both dual enrolled at our local community college. Valerie is in the Culinary program and Alicia is pursuing her Associates of Science degree. They both have their permits and are busy learning to drive. Valerie can test for her license in May and Alicia can test for hers in September. We had the idea to come home and prepare the girls to be more independent and ready for their next stage of life. We originally thought we could return to Colombia after a year's time. It turned out to be more complicated than we thought. As soon as Valerie and Alicia are set to go, we will start all over again with Jaiden going into that stage of driving and being able to go to college as well.

Even though our heart's desire is to continue full time in Colombia, at this period in our life, due to family responsibilities, we cannot. So what does this mean for our mission work? We have decided, for now, that we will do short-term mission trips. Our hope is to have Nate go down to Colombia 2-3 times a year. He will be checking up on the filters we have installed, and also maintain relationships with those on the island. Nate has a desire to be more involved with discipleship and bringing better doctrine to Bocachica. (Colombia has very limited resources for mature doctrine.)

Nate has also been asked to help with a school that will be constructed on the island. This will be a bilingual school, for which there is a huge need! The current public school system on the island is very broken, and the education received is poor. The new school will be run by the local church in Bocachica, and the parents of the children enrolled will pay a monthly tuition. This will help hold the parents accountable to ensure they are involved with their child's education.

The goal is to build two classrooms and an office by the end of 2017. The estimated cost is around 8 to 10 thousand dollars (USD) per building unit. The school has already started classes in a borrowed building, and they are hoping to be in their own building this year. In September we will bring a team to Bocachica in support of this project. Please let us know if you would be interested in joining this team!

As the school is being built, the need for a full-time, English-speaking missionary to teach has emerged. This is a hard position to fill due to the living conditions in Bocachica. Please join us in prayer as the church continues to look for a willing volunteer(s).

This month we will be sending Luis Viracacha, a Colombian brother in Christ who worked alongside us on the island, to a seminar on household water treatment in Bogota. This will continue to teach him the latest information on water treatment and filters. Cawst is the name of the organization sponsoring this seminar, you can get more info by clicking here.

Although we are not physically in Bocachica, there is still ministry going on. We would love to continue the work to bring the gospel to maturity in all aspects of life on the island.  If you would like to support us in these projects or with our short term mission trips, you can still do so. Our church, Antioch Community Church, has an account that keeps our funds for us.

Thank you for letting us bring our needs before you all. We are thankful for all of your prayers and support over the years. It has been an honor to serve the Lord in Bocachica, and we are thankful to be able to continue.

With love,

The Ariels

Maria's story

I remember my first couple of months living in Bocachica. We had just had a team in January visit us. One of the things they brought was a bag of baseballs, bats, and soccer balls. The local kids were ecstatic. We would lend them out daily. The only requirement was they had to be returned. One afternoon, I was watching the local kids play from the porch and I saw this lady go to the side of her house and pick up our soccer ball and bring it into her house. 

Photo credit: Sarah Southern

Later that afternoon, I went to this house here shown above and asked for the ball back. My Spanish at this time was very basic. When I walked over the porch area was full of family members who lived there. Her house is known as "Maria's hotel" due to as many as 28 people living in this house at one time. Maria, the owner of the house came to me. I politely asked for the ball. She laughed and said the ball has been hitting her house. She got a machete and with a loud tone told me if the ball hits her house again she would cut the ball into many pieces.  Then proceeded to hand me the ball. I walked away embarrassed and upset. It had occupied my thoughts for a couple of days. Who would do such a thing? Clearly, I was showing love to the local kids and those kids were just having fun. I mean what's the big deal? I finally thought to myself. I can let this bother me and go on being upset or I could "kill her with kindness." I decided once again, even with broken Spanish to go over to that house one more time. I saw Maria sitting in front of her house, and gave her a plate of chocolate chip cookies. I didn't have to say much at all. Once again the following week, I made a loaf of banana bread and brought it over to her. Never saying much, Just a simple hello and a show of love. A couple of weeks later she showed up at the mission door with a tray full of fish for our family. I know she sacrificed food that they would have eaten to show love to us in return.

Maria is known by many in Bocachica, for a long time, she operated a bar at her house which blasted music. The house is one room wide and continues room after room until it ends at the ocean edge. There are drugs being used in this house, many young kids who are not being cared for like you and I would wish, and not to mention the countless stories of fights that happen in this location.

About a year after we had lived there, we had the pleasure of seeing and hearing how she became saved. Four years ago she became ill and was in the hospital. She said she was visited by an evil spirit, and he said that if she were to die she was going with him. This terrified Maria. When she returned to the island, Maria shut down her bar, began going to church and was discipled by Blanca Rosa, a missionary. She was baptized in the ocean by pastor Jorge Ivan. I could see the difference in Maria. She had a softer spirit about her. She tended to the children in the house better. I even remember her throwing birthday parties for some of the kids.

This past October, Maria was hospitalized for complications due to diabetes. She spent 10 days in the hospital. The doctor said there was nothing else they could do. She asked to be released in order to die in the comforts of her home. She made her way back to the island. Her family was around her and she was at home. When she was ready to go, she asked her son to bring out the music. A music system that is very loud like most typical Bocachicans. She told everyone to leave the room. Maria. by herself, sang and danced to worship music. Her son recounted that after a while she got tired and sat down in a chair and just continued clapping. After a moment more she died. Maria's life ended praising the Lord. A testimony to her family of her relationship with the Lord.

 She became a Christian late in life, she suffered poor health, and she never moved up financially from a small wood house. She died, though, with joy and peace that many that seem to "gain the whole world" lack. On the island, there is a rich man that has to travel with armed guards because he lives in fear. There is a contrast between the two lives that seems should be reversed. That is the mystery of the Gospel. This woman found peace in joy in apparent misery. We saw a life change 180 degrees and the difference was the Gospel. Jesus Christ can make a new creation.

Courtesy of Damaris

Berlin, Damaris, and Maria at a church dinner

January 2017 Bocachica filters update

Tara, Lincoln, and I made a return visit to the island this past week. We had a week of visiting followed by a week of work that needed to be done as well as checking up on projects.


 We were pleasantly surprised the first week with our friends from Bogota and Medellin who came and stayed with us at the house. We all met the first day and went to the island in the boat.


 Juan Bastidas has visited and worked with some young guys on the island. It was great to meet up with him and have mutual encouragement in what he loves to do and see it in action.
 Yaiker, Juan, and Papuo are three young men he spent time with this week. He has a great servant's heart as well, during the week he helped out with whatever was needed including photography and filters.


Migue and Elizabeth are from Medellin and have worked with us for a long time as well. They sponsor many filters with their program and also do video and photography testimonials and stories. We spent time visiting previous homes and seeing how they are using the filters as well as installing new ones.

 Luis, Juan, and I also went to another village to check on a filter that we had installed two years ago. We were happy to see that it is used all the time. We taught them how to clean the filter, and they are set for another long period of time.
 We have been very happy with this filtering system. In all the places we stopped we were able to drink the water without the bad side affects that are present in the untreated water. For the price of the filter, it is the best system available. It can treat all the water a family needs in a day. There are other systems available, but they can't treat the amount of water these can for the price. A family should use potable water for all aspects of daily living, cooking, bathing, cleaning, drinking, etc..  Most systems only treat enough water for a couple of people to drink a day. Our family used this system for our time there in Bocachica, as well as for hospitality to others when they visited. No one got sick with water-borne illness when using the bio-sand filters.
There is no potable water on the island and the water is stored and transported in unsanitary ways:

 Below is a collection of pictures showing all the activity:

These are the kids that will be benefiting from a new filter

Installing a new filter

Pictures from Recreo including a video of the river ride.

This is how the water starts. It is treated with a de-sedimentation powder and then ran through the filter. The water tasted great afterward!








 Some of the locals worked on more filters the following week with Luis.


This is the one at our house that we drank from.




We are thankful for the work we accomplished in this short amount of time, and we are thankful for all those who support this work.