His remarks were made as he accepted a desalination unit donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in a ceremony on Oct.19, 2010. In expressing appreciation he said, “On behalf of the people of Chuuk and the Chuuk State government, I say thank you! Indeed, words cannot express how much we are thankful for what you have done.”
The desalination unit will convert ocean water into pure drinking water for the islanders. The donation was announced by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church who visited Chuuk to dedicate a new meetinghouse in Mwan on May 12, 2010. The unit is part of an ongoing effort by the church to provide humanitarian relief in Micronesia.
In the ceremony held at the new Mwan meetinghouse, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, president of the Asia North Area of the Church said, “What a great leadership we see from Governor Simina and his foresight about the need for water. We are grateful that the technology exists to be able to do what is going to be done. We express our love and gratitude to everyone.” He then reiterated Simina’s encouragement to the members of the church saying “Be good, be faithful, be helpful, follow what your heart tells you…This church is good for you. This church is good for Chuuk.”
Over 300 people looked on as Simina and Stevenson pressed the buttons and turned the valves to allow water pumped from the ocean to begin its journey through an elaborate maze of filters used to create purified drinking water. People of all ages were in awe as the first stream of water splashed from the blue hose. They erupted in cheers as Stevenson and Simina took their first gulp of the refreshing, purified water.
The crowd swarmed around the hose and cup after cup was filled with thirst-quenching, cool, clear water. Fiana Petrus, age 9, exclaimed with a smile, “It’s delicious!” Tarsi Wainis, Chuuk district president for the church, gave a thumbs up as he shared his feelings about how this was a miracle for the island. He explained that they had suffered through a drought recently and had appealed to different sources for help. Members of the Mormon Church and other Christian religions had prayed for rain and received some relief. And now, through the miracles of modern technology, the island has access to life-giving water during times of drought.
Lifestream Watersystems Inc. of Huntington Beach, California, manufactured and shipped the equipment being donated which includes the desalination unit and filtration system, a 60 KW diesel generator, a one-year supply of spare parts and special tools housed in a custom 28-foot trailer. The unit is capable of producing 26,400 gallons of pure water per day, enough to give every resident of Chuuk a half-gallon of fresh water a day in times of emergency. The Church also included, as part of the donation, training for the Chuuk Public Utilities Commission employees who will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the unit. This training is being conducted by Ed Kimmel, president of Lifestream Watersystems. The total value of this donation is $250,000.
Upon expressing his gratitude for this donation, Governor Simina looked to the future saying, “I look forward to working with this Church to continue the humanitarian efforts and their assistance to the people of Chuuk.” He then announced the signing of an agreement that will allow the Church to digitize selected government records including delayed birth certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, historical & cultural site records, World War II photos from the Japanese period, and artifact photos at no cost to the government.
Michael L. Dowdle, Micronesia-Guam Mission President, explained that the Church sponsors many humanitarian relief and emergency response projects around the world. Funding is made possible by donations from members of the Church and others. The aim is to help children and families of all nationalities and religions through relieving suffering, helping people help themselves, and providing opportunities for service.
