Todd Luke - September 2021 Update
Dear friends,
The 2021 cistern building season is over. We thank God for working through our American and Mexican partners to bring year-round rainwater access to hundreds of families in our neck of the subtropical jungle. Thank you for your prayers, time, and support of all kinds. In 2022, we will build cisterns with as many new families as the generosity of our American partners will allow. $2,200 for one family-owned rainwater catchment tank which can collect, store, and distribute up to 15,000 gallons a year for decades is a solid, long-term investment. As a testament to that, I share with you the following:
36 Cisterns Built in 2021 – 609 Cisterns Built Since 2002
Thirty-six family-owned cisterns were built this year: 8 in Carmen Dos, 8 in Unidad y Trabajo, 8 in Caña Brava, and 12 in Quiché Las Pailas. That brings our grand total to 609. Our Mexican cistern-building partners continue to lead the way. Due to COVID-19, there were no American mission teams to help lighten the load by filling and lifting buckets of sand and gravel. However, for three days in mid-June, Mark Mueller—the Executive Director of The Outreach Foundation—and I worked side by side with our partners and volunteers from four families in Quiché Las Pailas.
Over 200 Visits to Existing Cistern Owners
Our love for cistern-owner families can also last for decades. To protect the cisterns from harsh weather conditions, and to assure that they remain in good working order, Felipe Torres and his teenage son Roberto have visited around 200 existing cistern-owners in 2021. With each visit, they clean and paint the cistern exterior. Felipe chats with the family and inspects the cistern to see if it needs any repairs. If something is not working, Felipe will fix or replace it. If the repair requires concrete work, then he informs Victor. Folks enjoy these visits. The work is done free of charge. Visits will continue as long as the cistern-owner family has funds in their personal cistern-loan repayment account to cover the costs.
A New Cistern Mold
Our cistern molds take a beating. In 2019, we had six. Today, three molds remain in use. Our crew likes to build four cisterns at a time, so one more mold is needed. Lord willing, our metal worker friends in the city of Chetumal will fabricate a new cistern mold in time for the 2022 building season. We are not asking for donations from our American partners to help cover this hefty expense. Instead, as we have done in the past, we will use cistern-owner loan repayment funds to cover the cost.
Trip Opportunities in 2022
COVID policies will likely continue to create international travel uncertainty in the future. Tourists still vacation in Cancun, so I suggest folks interested in working with us in 2022 move toward an open door until it slams shut. Therefore, I invite groups of 3-8 people to join us in Xpujil in 2022. Available weeks begin Monday: January 10, January 24, February 7, February 21, March 7, and any date in May, June, July, or early August. Trips can last for as little as five days. Fly to Cancun Airport on Monday and be back home in your own bed on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. Whichever trip length you choose, you will work side by side with our Presbyterian partners for at least three days, dive into rural Mexican culture, explore Mayan ruins, and feel the gentle breeze generated by a tornado of bats. The food and drink will be delicious, and you will have the chance to worship in a foreign context. Come and see what God is up to in Xpuijl.
Muchas gracias,
Todd Luke
(224) 808-9825
Read more about Todd Luke’s ministry HERE.
THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts totaling $50,400 for Todd Luke’s support and $2,200 for the cost of one cistern. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.