Churches Fight the Global Water Crisis by Hosting Water Sunday

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 5, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- For the time it takes you to read this release, three children will die from water-borne illnesses. Three children for every minute of every day. That number is amplified by the dire statistic that 884 million lack access to safe water. This is the global water crisis.

Water Missions International is inviting churches to take a stand against this devastating epidemic by hosting a "Water Sunday" event at their church in March 2012, which is the same month as World Water Day on March 22nd. Water Sunday is an initiative by Water Missions International dedicated to educating churches about the global water crisis. It is the start of a conversation that ties a church community to communities around the world who lack access to safe drinking water. 

"Your church can make a lasting impact in a community that does not have safe water -- both physically and spiritually. The doors are open to share the Gospel as well as equip a pastor with a valuable tool for ministry" says Kevin Herr, Church Engagement Coordinator. "The beauty of Water Sunday is that -- not only are we transforming lives in developing countries, but as people look outside of themselves , the Holy Spirit does a transformational work in their hearts as well. We call it 'lighting fires with water'." 

Water Missions International has compiled all of the necessary collateral materials -- Sermon Notes, Small Group Guide, Promotional Video, and Kid's Activities -- to ensure that it is a fun and life-changing event! Through the efforts of churches across the country, the goal of this initiative is to provide access to safe water to more than 25,000 people.

Churches are invited to host this important day to impact lives both in the pew and around the word. To learn more, visitwww.watermissions.org/watersunday. 

Water Missions International is an engineering relief and development Christian nonprofit. Its engineers, staff and volunteers design and provide sustainable, safe water solutions to disaster victims worldwide and people in 49 developing countries. Since 2001, Water Missions International has responded to the world's largest natural disasters and daily tackles the world's single biggest cause of illness -- lack of safe water and adequate sanitation (U.N. Report, 2005) by providing safe water to more than two million people. Charleston, S.C.-based Water Missions International has received Charity Navigator's top rating five years in a row. To help, visit www.WaterMissions.org.

Ministry team uses expertise to craft water well repair and outreach

Haiti (HCJB/MNN) ― Nearly two years after an earthquake shattered Haiti, the country remains fragile.

International donors have fallen behind their aid pledges, which threatens to undermine stability and already-slow recovery efforts.

Read more...

Quiet disaster easily stoppable

International (MNN) ― What could be responsible for more deaths than both the Haiti and Japan earthquakes combined? Surely such a tragic disaster would plaster the headlines of every newspaper in the country.

Preventable diseases are responsible for the deaths of 9 to 10 million children every year. Even the highest estimates of those dead from Japan and Haiti's earthquakes add up to around 168,000.

However, preventable diseases go rather unrecognized in comparison to other crises.

Bas Vanderzalm with Medical Teams International (MTI) says, "That's a quiet disaster. We often know about famines, and we know about wars and conflicts, but there are these other terrible things going on as well."

Often diseases run rampant due to poor living conditions. Lack of clean water, food and sanitation tend to bring on malaria and diarrheic diseases. Also, parents in impoverished situations who lack adequate  hygiene can unknowingly put their children in jeopardy.

The raw statistics at times can be overwhelming. How much of a difference can one person make? Vanderzalm states, "As I look at it, as a Christian I think to myself, ‘Well, I can't change the entire world, but I need to do what I can.'"
Medical Teams International definitely does all they can. They have been shipping medical and humanitarian aid since 1986. In just the last year alone, they sent $189 million worth of aid supplies to 47 countries.

When Medical Teams International brings aid, they try to target the poorest communities with the greatest needs. They come in with their medical teams and volunteers and not only bring treatments for the issues, but also target the root causes of the issues. This can mean anything from bringing bed nettings in malaria prevention to providing clean water resources.

According to Vanderzalm, it doesn't take much to make a difference. "For $10, you can prevent malaria. For $5, you can provide clean water to a person that would help a child. All of that would reduce the number of children who are dying."
Ultimately, their mission is to show Christ's love along with the aid they provide. Medical Teams International always works alongside local churches or Christian organizations to make it obvious that they are assisting in the name of Christ.

"We provide the healthcare and address some of the health problems," says Vanderzalm. "But we trust that the local churches with which we work will pray with people, will reach their arms out to people, and will also share the love of Christ with them in a language they understand and a culture they're familiar with."

To contribute to the work of Medical Teams International and combat preventable disease, click here.

Despite Rattling Economic News, Thousands Provide Compassion International’s "Water Of Life" to Poor in Rwanda

K-LOVE, AIR1 Listeners Give Nearly $2 Million for Compassion Safe Water Systems in Africa

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service


COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (ANS) -- Amidst fears of an economic crisis, listeners of national Christian radio stations, K-Love and Air1 donated nearly $2 million in a day-long campaign to provide Compassion's Water of Life safe water systems to those living in extreme poverty in Rwanda.



According to a media release, K-Love and Air1 focused on the immense need for safe water in Rwanda where 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. In addition, more than one-third of the population is without improved drinking water sources and nearly half are without improved sanitation facilities.

"The money raised will provide over 35,000 Compassion children and their families with safe drinking water for the rest of their lives," said Mark Hanlon, Compassion's senior vice president, USA.

"Thanks to the tremendous generosity of the K-Love and Air1 listeners, these kids and their families will never have to worry about diseases from unsafe drinking water," Hanlon said.

"God continues to bless K-LOVE and Air 1 with a large stage from which to spread His word. We feel that part of being a good steward is to share this stage with like-minded ministries," said Mike Novak, president and CEO of K-Love and Air 1.

"Compassion and the 'Water of Life' campaign was a natural fit. The K-LOVE and Air 1 listeners blessed about 35,000 families in Rwanda with these remarkable life-giving water filters, by donating $1.9 million to Compassion in a one-day event. To that, I say, 'Praise God,'" Novak said.

The media release says that although economic reports threatened to reduce donor generosity, more than 19,000 people gave an average of $90 to provide the systems. Air1 also initiated a pledge drive where a major donor agreed to provide a Compassion Water of Life system for Haiti for each person who signed up as a recurring donor to the station. As a result, 2,600 additional water systems were made available.

Compassion International says that the benefits of safe water have more than health implications. It is also a financial issue.

"The direct result of safe water for families means that fewer resources will be needed to treat illnesses. And when children are healthy, they can go to school," said Hanlon. "Safe water seems like such a simple thing, but for children in living in poverty in countries like Rwanda, it has the power to bring practical change through improved health and education."

Compassion International is the world's largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty. Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1.2 million children in 26 of the world's poorest countries.

Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works through local churches to holistically address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children -- enabling them to thrive, not just survive. Compassion has been awarded ten consecutive, four-star ratings by Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Ne wswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter

With no water, villagers toy with death

Cameroon (MNN) ― The village in the Ndop Plains of northeastern Cameroon lay in ruins. 300 homes were demolished, three wells destroyed and six people dead.
What had driven the neighboring village to lead such an attack? The answer is simple: desperation for land, food and water.

A team with Wycliffe Associates witnessed this attack firsthand and saw what thirst and hunger can drive whole villages to do. The Wycliffe team was one of two teams sent by Wycliffe Associates in Operation Clean Water to install BioSand water filters in Cameroonian villages. They ended up doing so much more.

After the attack, Mike Tooland and his Wycliffe Associates team repaired the damage to the homes and wells and even arranged for three new hand-dug wells to be constructed. After the wells are finished, the team can continue in their mission to bring BioSand filters to the village and provide clean drinking water.

The need for clean water is immense. A study done by the CIA shows that nearly 30% of Cameroon's population has no clean drinking water available to them. Often, villagers must choose between suffering from thirst or drinking dirty water and risking disease.

Either way, they are toying with death.

Operation Clean Water is a campaign by Wycliffe Associates to reverse this deadly trend. The BioSand water filters they install use a slow sand-filtration process to take out infectious particles such as pathogens, manganese, fluoride, and even iron and arsenic.

In studying the results of the BioSand water filters, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill reported that the filters reduce diarrheal diseases by as much as 40%.

On top of sending out teams to install the BioSand filters in the Ndop Plains, Wycliffe Associates also had a team install the filters in Moloko and train villagers there with sanitation educational programs.

"As we work to install equipment that will improve health, we want to make sure that villagers see the value of having clean water and how it impacts everything they do," says Bart Maley, Operation Clean Water program manager.

Wycliffe Associates hopes the impact from installing these BioSand water filters in Cameroon will advance many areas of their ministry. Not only have lives already been saved through Operation Clean Water, but Wycliffe hopes it will provide unique opportunities for the Gospel.

Wycliffe Associates primary work focuses on Bible translation. In sending out teams to meet the needs for clean water, they hope it will allow their Bible translators into areas where blatant Gospel messages are normally rejected.

Please pray that volunteers may continue to provide clean drinking water to Cameroonian villagers while telling of the Living Water they can find in Christ. Pray that lives would be saved both physically and spiritually for God's kingdom.

Fighting for a Bucket of Water

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

When a drought hit the villages of Chhattisgarh, GFA hired a local well driller to drill a Jesus Well.

Jesus Wells are at least 260 feet deep and encased in cement to ensure sanitation.

Villagers no longer have to fight for water now that they have their very own Jesus Well.

CHHATTISGARH, INDIA (ANS) -- Scorching summer temperatures in Chhattisgarh, India, left the majority of one village's water resources depleted.

Villagers struggled to find a well that wasn't already dry. The government also tried to help by supplying as much water as it was able, but there was never enough to go around.

Fights broke out as people tried to obtain the scarce water. It was under these conditions that Gospel for Asia-supported churches asked to have a Jesus Well dug in the area. After prayer, the Lord provided a donor and a local driller to bore the well and install the hand pump.

Now the villagers have flowing water at their disposal, and they don't have to worry about it ever running out. Even more importantly, the well has opened the door for GFA-supported pastors in the area to share the Living Water of Christ's love with the thirsty villagers.

"We were struggling for water, but now we are getting sufficient water from the Jesus Well, both for drinking and other domestic work," said one villager. "All the wells in our village were fully dried up in this severe heat, and even the government wasn't able to provide water for us. We are grateful to the church for the Jesus Well."

• Learn more about Jesus Wells.
• A Jesus Well can change many lives.

 

 

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Thirsty? Start Pedaling.

Riders are biking over 8000 miles to
 raise awareneness and money to
 provide clean drinking water to the
 needy (Photo courtesy of The h2o
 Ride)

USA (MNN) ― For many people, biking across a state sounds like a challenge. How about biking all around the country?

Five riders are on a mission to bike all the way around the border of the U.S. on an 8,840-mile journey to raise awareness and funds for those in other countries who have no clean drinking water -- one mile for every 100,000 people who do not have clean water.

Members of The h2o Ride support the work and mission of Living Water International, hoping to raise over $175,000 -- or $20 for every mile they bike.

"Hydration to others" is what's behind the acronym, h2o. While the riders are biking to raise awareness and funding for clean water, they are also stopping to share the Good News of the living Christ to anyone who will listen. In this way, they hope to bring spiritual water to the thirsty, as well as provide drinking water for those less fortunate.

The team left for their mission on June 20 from Austin, Texas. As of Wednesday, July 20, they reported from their current destination of Oakland in central California. They will continue on their border route until they return 8,840 miles later in Austin, Texas.

For team leader Abe Clark, this is not his first large endeavor in raising awareness for a cause. Earlier, he ran 2,960 miles across America by himself to raise money and awareness for people in other countries who need clean drinking water.

The h2o team recognizes that it is impossible to truly satisfy the whole person with just physical water, even clean water. In defining the mission on their Web site, h2o riders affirm, "Knowing God is the only thing that quenches our thirst and gives us eternal life. God's love is clean, life-giving water for our souls."

The combined passion of water for those dying of thirst and the message of the Gospel for those dying inside makes The h2o Ride one of purpose. By pushing their bodies to the test and gaining the attention of a watching world, the riders hope to put the focus on Christ and the calling we have to be a healing hand to the poor.

If you would like to donate to The h2o Ride and provide clean drinking water to those in need, you can go to their Web site byclicking here. Please pray for safety for the team as they continue on their route. Pray that many funds would be raised and that the name of Christ would be glorified as clean water is provided for the thirsty.