E.L.E. (Everybody Loves Everybody)

If I had to sum up this day in one word, the choice would be clear: productive. Days like today prove just how crucial every single member of our team is to the project.

We began this morning by splitting into three groups to focus on different tasks. One group worked on completing the instrument well that houses the ammonia sensor for the system. Another group continued laying pipe for all the electrical wiring that the system requires. This specific job required digging trenches for the piping, feeding feet upon feet of wiring through the pipes, and securing all the pipes together with PVC glue.

The final group took on the daunting task of cutting media. Sam and Hanleigh, in particular, attacked this job and absolutely killed it. I’m going to take this time to brag on them a little bit because they more than deserve it. Cutting media is a task that has become dreaded among the majority of the team. This is understandable to an extent considering it is quite a repetitive and monotonous task. However, Sam and Hanleigh did the job with such great attitudes and worked the entire day at it. The system requires us to cut enough media fill the volume of 30 boxes that hold 27 gallons a piece. In total, that is approximately 38,000 pieces of media. By lunch, Sam and Hanleigh had cut 4,000 pieces each (and that’s not even counting how much they cut the rest of the day)! So basically, they’re amazing and have made such a significant impact on the project.

This afternoon, the whole team got to take a break and help with the STEM education project at Hope College. The high schoolers in the science club learned how to design and build water rockets. Once they were made, the really fun part began. We all went to the soccer field to launch the rockets. From taking pictures or measuring altitudes to working with the kids, everyone had a part to play. There were eleven groups of students, and each group was able to launch their rocket twice. The highest altitude reached by a student rocket was 160 feet. For me, the best part of the whole activity was seeing the students’ reactions. Without fail, huge smiles would appear on their faces as soon as their rocket flew into the air, and they got so excited to see their projects doing well.

The rest of the afternoon was spent finishing up piping and wiring on the system. A huge step was made today because from a hydraulic standpoint, the entire system was tied together. This was done by cutting into the blackwater pipe and connecting our sanitation system to the village’s septic system. During this portion of the work day, many of the kids who had been launching rockets at the STEM activity finished up and came to the worksite to observe what we were doing. Personally, it was a highlight of my day to see the kids in the village not only take an interest in our project but also get involved and ask us questions about how it works.

Overall, this was a fairly ordinary day for our team, but throughout the day I continually found myself reflecting on our time here. I have been so blessed to be a part of this team, or rather family as we like to say. Tonight, as we do every night, we sat in the living room to talk about our days and share our highs and lows. This time we also discussed why we each decided to come on this trip. The answers varied, but one thing was very clear to me. God knew what he was doing when he put our team together. From digging trenches in the heat to playing basketball with the kids, being with these people every day has made such an impact on me. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to be in Ghana working with incredible people on a wastewater project for an amazing community like the Village of Hope. Without a doubt in my mind, this experience is one that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

We ask that you continue to be in prayer for our team as we round out our time in the Village of Hope. Please pray for our safety as we travel home this coming week and that everything runs smoothly as we finish up the sanitation system.