LIFO - Living |
|
Contact us at: |
|
|
Instruments
|
“Water is a sacred gift from God!” exalted Ramona, an inspiring figure in a 100 pound, 5 foot frame. “We use it to cleanse ourselves, to bless our sick and elderly and to baptize our children; to feed our animals and nourish our crops. Water brings us life and this water has changed our lives!” We sat in amazement as we witnessed the transformation of a community at a level that seemed like a time-lapse photography session. It was only six months earlier that a small group of LIFO volunteers had arrived at a town so remote that even Mother Earth would have had trouble finding it. A community of people parched with thirst but overflowing with faith. Volunteers and villagers quickly forged a bond over ten days that yielded an aqueduct system that would bring life to over fifty families. As we drove towards Barraquito, we saw that about 70% of the dirt road route had been freshly paved by local public works. As we got closer we also noticed some electrical poles where there once were none reaching all the way to the village. Upon reaching the community center, we noticed the men measuring the distances for pole to pole with a long rope. “There is light at the end of the rope!” said Lino, a humble campesino that always smelled of a mixture of tobacco and coffee. Indeed Barraquito had gone from a lifetime of Middle Ages-type reform to six months of internet speed advancements. Water, electricity and a road translate into life, power and accessibility. At moments like these it is very hard to think of our work as sacrifice. With your generosity, the parishioners of St. Augustine fund these much needed projects. LIFO in turn gets the opportunity to live and work with God’s most special people. We get the chance to meet someone that no one outside his community may ever meet and to see changes that bring almost immediate gratification and results. Many times in our lives we may perform honorable, generous and well-intentioned deeds of which we may never directly know of the greatness of good that they did. LIFO projects have a direct, immediate and lasting effect on the communities they serve and you share in making these miracles happen. These projects also breathe life into those communities. In Barraquito alone, there were twenty-one empty houses of families that had abandoned the community in an effort to make a living in the city. City life is full of crime, treachery, deception and abuse for these poor and needy campesinos. Since the developments of the last six months, all twenty-one families have returned to their homes and the community is flourishing once again. LIFO also recently scouted this year’s summer project, an aqueduct in a town named Henequen. We will soon be looking to share with you the details of this very promising community. This year also marks the 20th year of missionary work in the Dominican Republic for Alfred Consuegra (Co-Founder of LIFO) and I. We have been very blessed to be able to share such a strong and clear calling for so many years. For almost ten years, St. Augustine Parish has made these projects a reality for so many forgotten peoples. It is our responsibility to let you know how grateful and blessed they really are. Sincerely, Albert Perez Co-Founder, LIFO Missions |
