Page 5 - E-Water of Life May 2012

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hand what Dr. Arce had described as he saw
neighborhood folks bring their containers
to the spigots at the seminary.
“The Cuban Presbyterians are thrilled
with LWW,” he wrote. “It’s one of the ways
that they minister to the communities
surrounding their churches, no strings at-
tached.”
The availability of clean water, provided
by the LWW system, is a strong witness to
Christ’s command to provide “a cup of cold
water to one of these little ones.”
The Rev. Sally Hughes is pastor of Historic Frank-
lin Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tenn.
hosts regional and international meetings.
The LWW system there has produced
over 200,000 gallons of clean water for the
seminary and for the surrounding commu-
nity.
Verniece Goode is a CWU 102 instructor and an
elder and LWW team leader at First-Trinity Presbyte-
rian Church, Laurel, Miss.
By VERNIECE GOODE
Perched at the top of a hill overlooking
Cuba’s breathtakingly gorgeous Bay of Ma-
tanzas, sits the tranquil and lovely Evangeli-
cal Seminary of Theology (Seminario Evan-
gélico de Teología or SET).
This ecumenical seminary, the site of the
first Living Waters for the World installation
in Cuba in June 2009, is now assisting LWW
teams and leading the way to spread God’s
Word and clean water to their Cuban broth-
ers and sisters.
The rector, Dr. Reinerio Arce Valentín,
provides guidance in locating potential in-
stallation sites. He also lends SET person-
nel to assist in trip arrangements, obtaining
translators and drivers, and site prepara-
tions before the arrival of water teams.
In the last two years, the SET has assisted
with three installations in the city of Matan-
zas and two in Havana. They have commit-
ted to helping with two projects before the
end of 2012, bringing Cuba’s total number
of LWW systems to eight with several oth-
ers in planning stages. SET personnel have
indicated their desire to enter into a formal
agreement with the newly formed Cuba
Network to serve as an assisting partner en-
abling more LWW work.
Although currently governed by a board
including the Presbyterian and Episcopal
denominations, the SET was founded in
1946 by the Cuban Methodist, Presbyterian,
and Episcopal churches. With its ties to oth-
er Latin American countries, European na-
tions, Canada, and the U.S.A., it frequently
Bay of Matanzas as seen from the steps of the administration
building at the Seminarío Evangélico de Teología in the city
of Matanzas, Cuba
5
In Cuba, eight systems in, more coming
By SALLY HUGHES
On Tuesday, March 13, Presbyterians
fromMiddle Tennessee Presbytery gathered
at a restaurant in Brentwood to meet Rein-
erio Arce, the president of the Evangelical
Seminary of Theology in Cuba.
It was wonderful to hear Dr. Arce talk
about the positive changes that are taking
place in Cuba, not only in the church but in
Cuban society as well.
However, one of Dr. Arce’s most interest-
ing topics was his appreciation for the Living
Waters for the World system which operates
in facilities of the seminary.
Seminary’s president addresses Middle Tennessee Presbyterians
Not only did he express his gratitude for
the clean water that the LWW system pro-
vided, he expressed joy at the number of
Cubans living in the surrounding neighbor-
hood who came through the seminary gates
to fill their containers with clean water.
Dr. Arce was pleased that the seminary
was reaching out to the community by pro-
viding clean water. He was hopeful that in
the future more LWW systems would be in-
stalled in Cuba.
Returning from a recent trip to Cuba,
the Rev. Stuart Gordon of First Presbyterian
Church in Nashville, Tenn., watched first-
By CHRIS McRAE
This February, Living Waters
for the World (LWW) Haiti Net-
work had its second annual op-
erator’s conference.
Over 45 operating partners
and system technicians came
together at Montrouis, Haiti, at
an old Episcopalian seminary.
We talked about technical
issues, problems, successes, up-
grades, solar and health. We
dined together; laughed; shared
stories, and made new friends.
The conference was a rousing
success, not just for its technical
content, but more important,
for the development of an LWW
family in Haiti. This fast-grow-
ing network has now reached
53 systems, and we must realize
that we are all in this endeavor
together.
We have embarked on a long
pilgrimage in Haiti with a goal
of bringing clean water to all
God’s people in need.
Who knows when this real-
ity will be reached, but in the
meantime, initiating partners
all over this land are enjoying
the trip. Relationships, part-
nerships, covenants and friend-
ships are who we are and what
we hope to become in building
God’s Kingdom on earth.
Isn’t it wonderful that the
by-product of all this love is
clean water!
We are already looking for-
ward to next year’s operating
partners conference. Our family
continues to grow. This is how
we know what love is.
Chris McRae, a member of Cen-
tral Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith,
Ark., is a CWU 103 Instructor and di-
rector of Solar Under the Sun.
Network now at 53 systems —
Haiti completes second annual operators conference