Well Drilling School

Welcome to well drilling school. Ivo (pictured with Vanessa and Isaiah) found out about Terry Waller's well drilling technique from an internet search and came all the way from Cameroon, Africa to learn how to drill wells so he could return to his rural community and provide water for his family and community. This method of drilling wells is just as efficient but about 10 times less expensive than any other popular "low-tech" method. It is becoming well known in the development community and many people are contacting us to receive training in this method. After the well drilling class, Ivo became stranded in Santa Cruz with travel permit problems so we hosted him in our home for several days while he waited for things to get sorted out. We enjoyed his humor and polite personality and hearing about life in Cameroon.

The following week I spent four days in the community of San Lorenzo, accompanying Terry on another well drilling class. Gary (in the gray hat and sun glasses) came from Texas to learn the technique. Gary hopes to teach volunteer teams the method in the U.S. so they can travel to other places around the world to teach local people the method. When communities provide their own labor they can dig a well and put in a hand pump, all with locally available materials, for about $2 a meter (or $100 for a 50 meter well). The man in the red hat is Carlos, a Colombian who is living in Bolivia. He wants to learn how to drill wells so he can help bring water to several communities in the mountains east of Santa Cruz. It is much harder to be sure of hitting water in the mountains, but Carlos is optimistic and wants to give it a shot.

Danny

Latest Family Photo

Here is our latest family photograph. It was taken at the local sand dunes a couple of weeks before Nathaniel went back to the States for the school year. We have quite a few new pictures up in our photo gallery. Just follow the link to the right. Enjoy.

Danny

Saturday Morning

Vanessa and I are not doing much today. It is Bolivia's Independence Day so everything is closed. Vanessa and I rode our bicycles eleven miles this morning. We have a bike path down the middle of a highway to a nearby town called La Guardia. It is flat and not the most beautiful ride in the world, but it is convenient and a good place to get a work out. We would both like to lose a little weight (me more than her). I started going to a gym three mornings a week in June, but then I dislocated a finger wakeboarding, and then I had back trouble, so I haven't been back to the gym for a couple of weeks.

Luciana had a friend, Sierra, spend the night last night. Sierra fell off of her horse several weeks ago and cracked her pelvis. She is walking some now, but it still looks painful. Last night we took the kids to the movies to see the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sierra's family is from the U.S. Her father bought a large farm here and is growing rice. They are also quite involved in church and mission activities. I hope some day soon to go out and visit his farm.

Danny

New Shoes For Cristo Viene Boys Home

Yesterday Vanessa and I delivered the new shoes for 30 boys at Cristo Viene Boys Home that were purchased with a gift from the Owingsville Baptist Church WMU. Danny's parents visited the home on their recent visit to Santa Cruz and had a chance to meet the boys. I think for many of these boys these must be the first pair of new shoes they have ever had in their lives. Lorenzo, the home director, said that just days before he heard about the gift he had been praying for new shoes for the boys. He said all they had was rubber tire sandals and that they all need shoes so for school and church. Thanks Owingsville WMU for putting a smile and quickening the step of these beautiful children.

More new Shoes

Just a couple more pictures of the boys getting their shoes.

Beams Bytes -- August 2005

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for praying for Bolivia and the political crisis here. Things have calmed down considerable and we are awaiting national elections for a new president in December. We had a nice relaxing visit with Ronnie and Carrol Beams (Danny’s parents) in July. We traveled to see some of the nearby mountain communities and of course we did a good bit of eating and shopping around Santa Cruz. Their visit made us miss home and the good fellowship we had with all of our family and friends in the States. We are still adjusting to family life without Nathaniel. He went back to Kentucky with Danny’s folks and will be spending the coming school year with his mom in Lexington. Pray that he adjusts well to his new school and friends. Luciana will be starting the fifth grade at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center next week. Both she and Isaiah are healthy and smart.

Ronnie and Carrol also had a chance to visit the Cristo Viene Boys Home during their visit and brought with them a gift of new shoes for each of the 30 boys from the Owingsville Baptist WMU. Vanessa and I had the chance to deliver the shoes this last week. The boys were excited to have shoes for school and church. As you can see from the photographs, their faces were just beaming. We wanted to send a special thanks to the WMU for this beautiful gift.

Our ministries are continuing to be blessed by God, reaching many people for Christ and having a significant impact on family income. Vanessa continues to working with the children of the Talita Cumi Orphanage and with the Centro de Vida pregnancy crisis center. Vanessa is also gearing up for a puppet ministry thanks to the puppet donations and support of Betty Alexander, a good friend from Benbrook, Texas and a retired missionary from Chile. Danny is working on plans for expanding World Concern projects into Central America and Peru, and continues with his involvement in the micro credit, water, and appropriate technology programs in Bolivia.

We appreciate your continued support of this ministry and are sure that God will bless your investment in His work here in Latin America. I know many of you are already making a sacrifice to support this ministry, but if you are still thinking about making a monthly pledge, please go ahead and make the commitment. We are still a good bit under budget and need at least another $1000 a month in pledges to meet our expenses. Continue to pray for those whose lives we touch for new opportunities to bring the grace and hope of Christ to these people. We would love to hear news from home and from each of you are getting along. Please drop us an email if you have time.

In His Grace,Danny


Mailing address:

Daniel and Vanessa Beams
World Concern
Parapeti #146 -- Casilla 3681
Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Office Telephone: 011 591 3336 3664
Home Telephone: 011 591 3352 9156
Email: beamsclan@yahoo.com, danielb@worldconcern.org.bo
Website: www.beamsclan.blogspot.com