Day 7 - Antigua

Today we went and bought 35 water filters from an organization based here in Guatemala called Ecofiltro. Christina and I (Elise) were fortunate enough to have a tour of the production of the filters. It was amazing to see the time invested in making a product that is changing the health of thousands of people worldwide. You can find out more about this organization online if you are interested.

Later that day we took the filters to a garbage dump in Sumpango - a community just outside of Antigua. We spent time teaching them how to use the filters and the importance of using clean water. Yet again, all of us were blown away by the living conditions of these people. We were invited to the home of one of these families that lived about 2 miles from our meeting. The group volunteered to carry the water filters to the homes of these women. Wow, we were exhausted by the time we traversed the rocky and torturous terrain - then we remembered that these people have to walk this distance with heavy loads multiple times every day. I was reminded yet again of how blessed I am to not have to carry such burdens. We were shocked by the living conditions yet again - dirt floors, a lack of water, etc. We shared an emotional connection with these individuals that continues to move all of us in ways we did not expect.