The Hurston Family: Extreme Makeover Water Edition | Vortex Voyager

When a burst water pipe flooded the old Hurston home in Canaveral Groves, Florida, the Hurstons were away on a missions trip. The water leak ended up destroying most of their home and personal possessions. As I've researched and come to know this family and the Hurston ministry more, I've found it ironic that Air Mobile Ministries has a deep connection with water. Providing clean water is very important to them in times of disaster. Air Mobile Ministries produces a water purification unit that can take polluted water - even water with dead bodies in it -- and process it into clean, pure drinking water. Now that's what I call an extreme makeover!

When Ty Pennington, the Design Team and LifeStyle homes came to my area to build a new home for the Hurstons, I had the opportunity while at the Extreme Makeover event to actually taste the water that comes out of the Vortex Voyager water purification unit. (See article for that visit) One of Air Mobile Ministries' employees had a drink cooler set up with all kinds of debris floating (or sunk) in the water: rocks, branches, dirt, pine cones, leaves. Click the number 2 at the top of this article, and then click on the photo to enlarge it. This will give you a better look at the container with its water contaminants. You'll see that at the bottom of the photo.

Vortex Voyager water purifier utilized for disaster relief

According to Joe Hurston's blogs and videos, the kind of water I drank at the Extreme event is a far cry from the types of polluted water that he has encountered in places like Haiti, Myanmar, India, Indonesia even damaged areas of Hurricane Katrina. Glowing like something out of Star Wars, the Vortex Voyager uses ultraviolet light, ozone, and both carbon and ceramic filters to produce around 25 to 30 gallons of pure drinking water per hour. I could see in the videos where container after container were lined up in disaster hit areas, each waiting to be filled. Each ready to quench a thirsty soul.

The Vortex Voyager is small and powerful, and can be carried in a backpack. While at the Extreme event I saw multiple power connections on the unit. When I asked how it was configured, I learned that it can run off AC current or a 12-volt power source such as a car battery. It uses the energy of a single light bulb. After reading through some of the purifier's literature, I discovered that it can even be powered by a solar panel... just like the new Hurston home, which also shares the ability to run off of the sun.

Air Mobile has a motto on one of their pages: "Doing the Lord's work... One cup at a time."

I like that.

I think I'd love to meet this family someday.

Thank you, God, for the Hurstons. Bless them and their compassionate care for others. I'm thrilled that they have a beautiful new home. Keep energizing them, in their ministry for others. Be their sun, be their strength, be their Living Water. Amen.

Sources / Media:

Media Page: from Air Mobile Ministries: Click Here

Media Page: Vortex Voyager Water Purifier - Doing the Lord's work... One cup at a time. Click here.

Video: Air Mobile Ministries Haiti Summer 2010: Click Here -- I love the lyrics from the beginning of this video... "All who are thirsty..." The Hurstons seem to have found something (or Someone) that changes their perception of what creature comforts look like. Take a look at their "Deluxe Accommodations" at the 2:23 mark. Look like your idea of a vacation?

Video: Haiti 2010 Air Mobile Ministries:Click Here -- Melanie Williams has done an amazing job on this. See some great pictures of the Hurston family and their Voyager water units at work. Amazing!

Web: Extreme Makeover Home Edition Space Coast / LifeStyle Homes: Click Here

Additional Extreme Makeover Articles:

Touring the Site of the Hurston's Extreme Makeover Home: Click Here Click Here
Where is the Extreme Makeover Hurston Home Located? Click Here
Extreme Makeover Home Edition Coming to the Space Coast: Click Here
Extreme Makeover's "Move that Bus!" Finally Heard by the Hurston Family:

Extreme Photo Gallery:

Extreme Makeover Pep Rally at Kennedy Space Center: Click Here
See the design team during their "stuck bus" moment at the airport: Photos -- Video
The Night before the Extreme Makeover Reveal: Click Here