When the bus rounded the final corner into a small, rural Guatemalan village, 12 BGE employees weren’t sure what to expect. They had prepared for hard work, long days, and the challenge of drilling a water well for a community in need. What they didn’t expect was how deeply the experience would shape them, or how quickly strangers would become family.
“We pulled up to the community, and they were all there — the kids in their best uniforms, the leaders, everyone welcoming us”, Jeremy Gaskins, Director, Technology Solutions, shared. “Instantly, they brought us in like family.”
The community had prepared a full ceremony: the Guatemalan flag, the national anthem, speeches from local leaders, and young girls stepping forward with pride to greet the team.
That first moment set the tone for a week that would stretch the team physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and ultimately bring them closer than any of them expected.
A Legacy of Service
While the group represented BGE in Guatemala for the first time, BGE’s commitment to clean water access is far from new. BGE’s partnership with Living Water International began in 2016, an initiative championed by Chairman Lee Lennard, whose vision was simple but powerful: engineers should use their gifts to serve communities that need them most.
What started as a small group of volunteers has grown into a defining part of BGE’s culture — a tradition of service that has now spanned a decade, multiple countries, and countless lives impacted. Each year, employees step forward to continue that legacy, carrying with them the belief that clean water is not just a resource, but a foundation for dignity, health, and opportunity.
This year’s team embraced that legacy wholeheartedly.
A Team that Became a Testament to BGE’s Culture
For many, the trip began with a leap of faith. Mckenna Brown, GIS Technician, new to BGE and unsure of what to expect, stepped into the experience with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
“I had not worked with anybody except Jeremy before,” McKenna Brown, GIS Technician, said. “But everyone was so welcoming…it wasn’t cliquey at all. We all worked together as a team.”
That sense of unity became essential as the team quickly realized the work ahead was far more than drilling a well. The days were long and hot. The tasks were varied and physically demanding. Yet each challenge revealed something deeper about the group’s character.
They mixed concrete by hand. They painted classrooms under the blazing sun. They rebuilt a kitchen for a family whose home had been damaged by storms. They hauled 50-60 gallons of water to a neighbor’s pila. And through it all, they leaned on one another.
“Ultimately, our motto at BGE is serving, leading, solving, and we did all of those while we were there,” Shiann Hernandez, Project Manager, Public Works, said. “Things aren’t done the way we do them here. We had to be creative, think outside the box, and push ourselves.”
Even Living Water staff noticed how seamlessly the group worked together — how they rotated without being asked, stepped in when someone grew tired, and encouraged one another through the toughest moments.
The Community that Gave Back More Than It Received
The team arrived ready to serve, but they quickly discovered that the community had its own gifts to offer. Every day, the women of the village cooked lunch for the group, an act of generosity that left a lasting impression.
“I didn’t expect them to give back to us,” McKenna Brown said. “But they greeted us with such hospitality.”
Families offered what little they had. When the team rebuilt Victor’s roof, he bought them a two-liter bottle of Coke.
“It was the best Coke we ever had,” Alejandro Martinez, Engineer, laughed. “We were so thirsty… that Coke bottle was worth a million dollars to us.”
Moments like these revealed the depth of the community’s gratitude and their pride. One young woman, one of only three in the village attending college, shared how inspired she was watching Shiann Hernandez lead.
“She looked at Shiann like a role model,” Alejandro recalled. “Seeing a woman leading the way meant everything to her.”
The impact flowed in both directions, creating a bond that transcended language and culture.
Moments that Changed Perspectives
For Bradley Richardson, Platting Coordinator, the trip carried personal meaning long before he boarded the plane.
“I’ve personally experienced a water issue,” he said. “Going through that, God revealed to me to help others in that situation.”
Seeing children learning outdoors in the heat — still joyful, still full of life — left a mark he won’t forget.
“Here in America, we get depressed, and we have more than they have,” he said. “They were still happy. I’ll always remember that.”
For Tracy Youngblood, Planning Practice Leader, the emotional weight of the week was overwhelming in the best way. She had heard stories from her own children’s mission trips but experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely.
“There wasn’t a dry eye on the team,” he said. “Jeremy spoke words that were coming from all of our hearts.”
And for Arthur Herman, Chief Inspector, the trip opened a door to vulnerability he didn’t expect.
“It felt like a no-judgment zone,” he said. “I don’t pray out loud normally, but I did there. Everyone let their guard down.”
A Shared Purpose Bigger Than Any One Person
This trip wasn’t just a mission; it wasn’t just a week of service. It was BGE’s culture in action. What unfolded in that small Guatemalan village became far greater than the tasks completed or the miles traveled. Twelve individuals, each with a different background and stories, stepped into a place far from home and discovered a shared purpose that transcended job titles and borders. The well they drilled will serve families and the community for years, but the deeper well — filled with gratitude, perspective, friendship, and renewed purpose — will continue shaping each person long after the dust has settled.
It’s a reminder that when we serve together, we grow together, carrying that growth back into every corner of our work at BGE.
About BGE, Inc.
For 50 years, BGE, Inc. has served public and private clients as a full-service, multidiscipline engineering consulting firm with integrated capabilities. BGE delivers a broad range of advisory services, technical expertise, and innovative, sustainable solutions to support local, regional, and national communities as they shape the future of infrastructure. Backed by five decades of civil engineering leadership, BGE helps client partners solve their most critical challenges. For more information,https://www.bgeinc.com/
