Meet the Berkmans: Putting Faith into Action
September 22, 2016
This summer, Lance, Cara and their two oldest daughters, Hannah and Carly, took their commitment a step further and traveled to northern Haiti to visit the community and see the impact of their work. For their family, this was the first time they had experienced seeing the fruits of their labor firsthand. Cara remarked at how she had anticipated this trip and couldn’t wait to meet the people and learn more about the place they called home.
On the ride from the airport to the EBAC orphanage, the site of their first water project, the Berkmans received a startling glimpse of life in the poorest nation in the world. Trash lined the streets and the acrid smell of smoke lay heavy in the air. Riding in an open cab truck allowed views of open waterways contaminated by pollution, the primary source of drinking water for so many in this country. No one could question the obvious need for safe water and sanitation.
Arriving at EBAC, we were greeted by smiling children who were eager to skip rope and play basketball with Hannah and Carly. We met Daniel, the local operator of the safe water system, who told us how there had not been a single case of cholera since safe water became a reality. The quality of health among the children now allowed them to do what they love most — go to school every day.
Later we visited Bois Savanne and Dos de Petit Morne, two communities that received safe water and latrines as part of the Berkmans’ project. The impact that these latrines have had on these 300 families was evident by their expressed gratitude and stories of friends who also want a latrine at their house. Along with obvious health benefits, they no longer fear being hurt or attacked when they go out to relieve themselves, and have renewed dignity and privacy.
Lance had the opportunity to work alongside Water Mission staff as they finished up the final batch of latrines the next day. Aluminum molds are put together, and then concrete is mixed by hand and poured into the mold to create the Healthy Latrine. Needless to say, the back-breaking work is not easy and the sweat equity was indeed real!
Lance with the woman who just received a new Healthy Latrine at her home in Bois Savanne, Haiti.
During one of our breaks, I marveled at the incredible example of the Berkman family. They are actively establishing a legacy of faith in action through not just financial means, but also by going and doing God’s work in a place completely outside of their comfort zone. They’re embracing 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”
At the end of our day working in the field, Lance took a moment to share his faith with a woman whose latrine had just been built. These were not just empty words, they were sincere words spoken by a leader who had demonstrated a love for Christ and his neighbor. At Water Mission, we give thanks to God for the Berkman family, and donors like them, who faithfully give of themselves to make safe water and sanitation a reality.
Lance, Cara, Hannah and Carly Berkman in front of the solar-powered water filtration system at EBAC orphanage and school in Cap Haitien, Haiti.
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