Update

Was June REALLY the last time I wrote anything? Wow, my apologies to the thousands of readers I left hanging... perhaps millions.
Anyway the two months of summer we had out west flew by and it's feeling distinctly Fall like these last few days. That's okay though as the Fall is our busy season... we're currently working on a second project on the Sunshine Coast. A beautiful new custom home on the water in Gibsons - we're hoping to be finished by the end of next week if all goes according to plan. Pics have been posted on the facebook fan page in the "Shoal Lookout" album and will be added to the website upon completion. That area for whatever reason has been very good to Endless Rain, in fact The Local is running a story on us in the current issue of their paper. Check it out here: thelocalweekly.ca click on the Endless Rain story on the left...
We have a few other irons in the fire which we hope will come through and keep us busy into December, weather permitting. Two homes on the Island and a school in North Vancouver... fingers crossed!

Good times at Epic...

We recently returned to the Epic - Sustainable Living Expo to exhibit for a 2nd year in a row. Great show once again! Unfortunately I could only be there on the first day but Allan was there for the weekend. Our booth was busy - I think people are really looking for something they can DO that will really make an impact right away and water is very top of mind right now. Toys made from recycled materials and fair trade coffee are great things but don't represent a lifestyle change like rainwater capture does...
People seemed to "get it" a little more this year and were seeking us out. Several potential partnerships were forged and hopefully several leads generated. Only time will tell. Thanks Epic for a good time - we need more shows like that in BC. See you next year!!

Earth Day 2010

Endless Rain spent a few hours down at the Bay Centre in Victoria this Earth Day to help promote sustainability. It was a small gathering of vendors/awareness groups that included UVIC and the CRD amongst others. The attendance was modest but every little bit of awareness helps - you never know who you're going to meet!

In other news we FINALLY have our above ground solution posted on www.endlessrain.ca in the installation services section. It's a 300 gallon setup that has an option for a tank level monitor and/or a booster pump. Prices start at $1199.00 installed. There should be a picture posted in the project showcase section...

Colombia Trip - Rosa de Saron

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Fiesta!

Today we joined in a grand fiesta on the opening day for this school year. The kids performed a traditional dance, the teachers were introduced and led various fun activities - some team members were even encouraged to join in (like Diane and Carla in the picture). It was a great day and the staff and kids really thanked and honored the team for bringing clean water to the school.

Small jobs on the system are still going on but all should be finished tomorrow. At the end of the afternoon some of our group headed to the football (soccer) stadium for a game between the Barranquilla team and a team from Uruguay. Colombians LOVE football and the stadium here seats 65,000 and is the largest football stadium in South America. It was an amazing cultural experience and the game ended in a last minute goal by Barranquilla to tie it up!

We all returned to the hotel quite late this evening so only a few new pictures to post but we'll hope to get some more up tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, you can click here for a few more shots from the day.

Thanks for all your support!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

We Have Water!!!!

Click here for updated photos from today.

We are so happy to report that the Rose of Sharon School finally has water. The children will be coming tomorrow. Our water truck arrived this afternoon with 2,500 gallons and will return in the morning to fill it completely. We are so thankful to everyone who donated. We appreciate YOU being part of the solution!! The team is tired and sunburned. We moved 25 cubic yards of sand today and I for one have a mean backache! Tomorrow we will return to the site to move one more truckload of sand, finish up the ionization system, distribute clothing and school supplies and clean up the preschool play yard. We need to move quickly because we will be leaving around 3 to attend a soccer match between Barranquilla and a team from Uruguay in the South American champions league. Thanks again for your participation in making this trip a reality. That's all for now.

Good night from the team in Barranquilla.........

Colombia Trip - Rosa de Saron

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Great Progress...and the Reason Why

Our progress on the project went very well today. While certain things took longer than expected, it is really starting to look like a system that will provide clean water. The system is enclosed and ready for the water truck. Thank you to all who made the generous decision to donate towards providing water. Please keep the donations coming! We are so grateful.

While some worked on the system, a few spent hours going through an enormous amount of shoes and clothing. We are so excited to distribute these items to the woman and their children who desperately need them. So many of the children don't have a simple pair of shoes. Thanks to the Aquascape family and their friends, we have hundreds of pairs of shoes to distribute.

Half of the group went into the community today. Their situation is so extremely horrifying. Their homes have dirt floors and are made out of tin. A typical home has about 10 people living in a one room home. The school has capacity for 700 children, but unfortunately the families cannot afford what is necessary for their children to attend. The I.N. Network has a sponsorship program, and many of these children are just awaiting sponsors like you! A few members of our team have sponsored children and when the school year begins on Thursday, these darling little boys and girls will attend school. They are so thrilled!!! We spent the evening at our host and hostess' home. They made us a great dinner and we were all very honored to be invited. They are such amazing, generous and loving people. Thank you all so much for your encouraging emails and generous donations. We are seeing firsthand the need here and I promise that your donations are going to such a worthy cause. Remember.....water is life!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Finally some pictures!

Finally have a strong enough wifi signal to get some pictures posted. Click the image on the right to see the photo set at Flikr.

Someone asked why we need a water truck since we're installing a water system. Short answer is that the community water system has been off for several days, which is common, and we need to test the system and get the school water for the start of the school year on Thursday (different schedule than in the US and Canada). The system harvests rainwater so after a short time with some rain and also using the community water system, when it works, a reserve will be built up to satisfy the needs of the school. It will be a HUGE blessing to have this in place since it is so hot here and almost 600 students in a small facility with no water is approaching dangerous and requires classes to be canceled too frequently.

Colombia Trip - Rosa de Saron

Monday, January 25, 2010

A big first work day

Today was our first day on the job. The team worked great together and had a great time! The day began trying to clean up the prep work and putting together Aquablox. About 10 am disaster struck! One of the walls surrounding the hole literally crumbled and crashed. Thankfully, everyone that was working in the area jumped to safety. This set the project back about 3 hours. We are all encouraged by today's progress. Our team has a request. Barranquilla has had a terrible dry season. It has lasted longer than usual and the community has spent days and sometimes weeks without water. As our team worked today, there was no water or working toilets available. The school depends on this water to operate the school and cook food for the children. The school has been forced to shut down due to the lack of water. Our team would like to purchase 10,000 gallons of water to be delivered to the school when the system is complete. This will last until the rainy season begins and enable the school to remain open. We are asking that 16 people donate $25.00. With this money we will be able to supply this school with the precious water that they need. It's so easy and will make a difference in the lives of children living in a refugee camp in this area. Your participating is so very appreciated. Water is life!

Editors note: thank you for your generosity - we've raised the money needed to purchase enough water to fill the tank!

Colombia Trip - Rosa de Saron

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Day 2 in Colombia was fantastic! The team was well rested and ready to have some fun. The day started with church for some and R and R for others. We visited our job site this afternoon. Although some prep work has been done, we certainly have our work cut out for us. I have taken some photos of the job site and of the side of the building where the gutters need to be hung. You be the judge! The weather is very hot with temps in the 90's. There is a nice ocean breeze, which helps a lot. I have also posted a picture of Martha, our hostess. She is the nicest woman and known around Barranquilla as "Mother Theresa". She has dedicated her life to the plight of the poor in this area. Tomorrow the day starts early. We are all very excited to begin working. What a great opportunity for us to use our skills to serve others.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Not much to report so far. Our team has made it to Colombia safely. We have checked into our hotel and had our first dinner together. Currently some have turned in as most of us got up at 3 am. About half of us have gathered by the pool to relax. Tomorrow brings us our first full day. After morning church we will visit the job site. We will measure the roof and check out the prep work that has been for us. We are looking forward to seeing the school and preparing for the week ahead. We will have an opportunity tomorrow evening to spend some time shopping and seeing the city of Barranquilla.