Teamwork Transforms Lives
They say teamwork makes the dream work—and for Design Outreach, this could not be truer. The largest shipment in Design Outreach history—87 LifePumps—is on its way to our field office in Lilongwe, Malawi. This historic shipment would not have been possible without Rich Arthur, President and Owner of Exact Machine Corporation and DO’s Manufacturing Operations Director. Rich has been an essential part of the DO team since LifePump was just a dream.
“I was first introduced to Greg Bixler at our church and told him Exact would be willing to provide a few machined parts if ever needed,” Rich explained. “They had this idea for a water pump, but they could not buy what they needed off the shelf or modify anything that already existed. They realized it would be better to design this the right way from the ground up. The very first prototypes of LifePump were manufactured at Exact, so I’ve been around from the very, very beginning.”
Exact, a general contract machine shop started by Rich’s father in 1975, makes things for people all over the world. Rich said they have products on every continent except Antarctica and even in outer space. For Design Outreach, they are responsible for procuring all the components for LifePump, while also filling the roles of purchasing department and storage facility. “We pull all the pieces and parts together, and we try to do it at a reduced cost to make it possible to have more pumps out there.”
DO recently reached an exciting milestone—over 500 LifePumps installed.
There are currently 530 LifePumps installed globally, impacting over 400,000 people. This recent shipment represents the next wave of transformation for 87 communities awaiting a source of life-saving water and the hope of the Gospel. We cannot wait to see fresh water flowing freely and to witness the joyous celebrations that result.
Exact has done 11 major shipments with DO, but the most recent was the largest, almost doubling any previous shipment. To facilitate such a large shipment—and in the spirit of teamwork—partner Garber Electric provided the use of their loading dock.
“We packaged everything up, took it over to their warehouse, and put it in the container from their loading dock,” Rich said. “It was quite a blessing to be able to take the stuff over in little piles and put it in a container for this large shipment.”
DO currently serves over 500,000 people in 16 countries, and Exact Machine Corporation has been a part of it all. In addition to building and shipping LifePump, they also make parts for other DO solutions including LifeTap ad LifeLatrine, and they are currently working with DO Medical on prototypes for the negative pressure wound therapy device.
An opportunity to glorify God
Rich was inspired to get involved with DO because it was a way to glorify God through his work. “It was really cool to find something that we could do as a machine shop that could help further the Kingdom,” he said. “We share the Gospel during every installation. Knowing it can change their lives and their eternity…that’s really the end goal for everything we do.”
With his intricate knowledge of our technologies, Rich has traveled extensively with DO to help with installation and maintenance training. He told us it is difficult to comprehend the difference we are making in people’s lives.
“You cannot explain it,” he said. “Sitting here in the United States, we can see pictures of Africa. We can hear about how people walk to get their water. But I could never really comprehend what it was like to live in these villages. No matter how hard they work, the land they live on lacks resources. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We are changing their lives with technology.”
We thank God for His provision, our donors for their faithful support, and partners like Exact for their support as we transform lives together. Please pray for our team as they prepare for these installations, for the health and safety of the communities who are waiting for safe water, and for a smooth and seamless delivery. Most important, please pray for each person who will receive safe water through LifePump and hear the good news of Jesus through our Gospel outreach program.
