Mike and Barb got back to Colorado on Thursday, 2/25, after 28.5-hours of flying and layovers!

We were sorry we had to leave before the wells in the villages were started, but the drilling machine was operating when we left. Only a few more repairs to a compressor and the drilling team should be on its way north of Siem Reap to drill at least two wells.

The village chiefs are looking forward to having new sources of water for their people, some of whom have absolutely no water in this dry season, other than what they can afford to buy! We visited some of the 40 families in one village who don't even have water to wash their clothes. They greeted us with great interest and huge smiles, as we all picked out the actual spot where their well will be. One of the young men who lives closest to the site will be the overseer and protector of the well.

Chief Vorn Savet held up a bottle full of clear water from his own biosand filter, and explained to the group that they would soon have clean water from a new well, filtered through their own biosand filters that he would sell to them at a cheap price.

The exciting thing is that Mr. Savet continually shares how he has not been sick for four months, since drinking only the water from his own biosand filter. He will be a great advocate for clean water, not only to his village, but to the surrounding villages as well.

Pray for this project to be finished this month, before the rainy season starts and wells cannot be drilled.

We plan to return in a few months to encourage the villagers and to check on the wells!