Pipeline, Fall 2007 by Living Water International

PIPELINE REACHING THE WORLD WITH WATER & THE WORD FALL 2007

agua crystalina

THIS ISSUE...

Transforming dirty water with bio-sand filters

LWI HAS A NEW VIDEO

RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT LWI’S 2007 GALA

PURE JOY

WATER BALLOONS FOR CLEAN WATER

JESÚS OF ASTORIA BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

One of my mentors, years ago, used to say that one of our greatest challenges is to find out what God is up to and get in on it. We don’t have to search the Scriptures very long to discover some of what God is doing. Isaiah 41:17-20 is a passage referred to often around our office. In summary, it

tells us that when the poor and needy seek water, God will answer and supply their needs, “so that all may see and know, consider and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” There is also a parallel spiritual principle in the New Testament. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are those

who hunger and thirst for righteousness because they will be filled.” From a human perspective, there is so much we don’t understand about what is going on in the world today, especially in the area of pain, suffering, disease and poverty. But, we must take it by faith that God is concerned about every aspect of every person’s life. We also need to know by faith that God can use each of us to serve and minister to “the least of these” and to advance His kingdom around the world. What a delight to be in spiritual union with our living Lord and be members of the corporate body of Christ. Our prayer is that increasing numbers of Christ followers will be inspired and activated for His kingdom purposes, and that others will be added daily to the body of Christ. As you read the stories and testimonies in this addition of the Pipeline, join with us in grateful anticipation for all that God has in store for the days ahead. Thank you for being a part of the Living Water International family.

LWI AROUND THE WORLD

LWI HAS MOVED! On August 29, LWI officially moved its international headquarters,the second time in two years. We purchased a building one block from our current location. Now, we have a home of our own with room

PUMP RE BEGIN PAIR SIERR S IN A THIS M LEONE ONTH !

to grow. Please stop by our Open House on Saturday, October 20, to take a tour and join us in praising the Lord for this tremendous blessing.

PIPELINE VOLUME 6

NUMBER 3

LIVING WATER INTERNATIONAL

Executive Director

Gary Evans

President

Jerry Wiles

Vice President

Lew Hough

Vice President

Tim Mulville

Vice President

Bruce Whitmire

Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by providing desperately needed clean water and medical attention, along with the living water of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone satisfies the deepest thirst. PIPELINE is published quarterly by Living Water International to raise awareness about the global water crisis and to inspire Christians everywhere to respond with compassion to the needy of the world. We welcome your stories, comments and/or address changes. Send them to: The Editor, Pipeline, PO Box 35496, Houston, TX 77235-5496 or e-mail the editor: pipeline@water.cc.

agua crystalina Transforming dirty water with bio-sand filters

Living Water International is a nonprofit Christian organization and tax exempt by the IRS under code section 501(c)(3). Gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law. Contributions are solicited with the understanding that the donee organization has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

PURE JOY One Nicaragua mission trip teaches us what it means to have pure joy.

TRANSFORMING WATER Bio-sand filters are an economical and highly effective choice in communities that

BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS How clean water transformed a Kenyan school and community.

are difficult to drill in, but have a reliable source of water (even contaminated).

Combined Federal Campaign # 1197

EVANGELICAL

PRESS ASSOCIATION

FIGHTING THE WATER CRISIS WITH WATER BALLOONS

LWI ON THE WEB

14 15

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED | LWI’S NEW VIDEO | ENGLEWOOD TAKES THE PLUNGE |

u g a A

alin t s y a r C Transforming dirty water with bio-sand filters

BY MELANIE DEWVEALL

Sometimes, the clean water issue isn’t a matter of water scarcity. The ribeirinhos (little river people) living

along the Paraguay River in southwestern Brazil are surrounded and inundated by water. Here in the floodplains of the Pantanal, the world’s largest flooded wetlands, the Paraguay River and its tributaries regularly swell beyond their banks. This flood pulse creates a diverse, thriving ecosystem, but makes life very difficult for the ribeirinhos. Although the water at their doorstep isn’t safe for direct consumption, many of these poor Brazilians have no other option. The soil is too sandy, and the land floods too frequently to drill a substantial well in this area of Brazil. A community will often fill a storage tank with river water and disinfect it with bleach, aluminum or other chemicals; however, this isn’t always safe. At certain levels, these chemicals can be toxic. Exasperated, Keith and Kim Lango, “tent-making” missionaries in Brazil, felt it was impossible to provide these almost unreachable people with clean water. Kim, a nurse by trade, knew there was little she could do to help improve the quality of life or medical conditions of the ribeirinhos without clean water.

4 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

Left: Pastor Carlos Alberto da Silva and Belmiro pour concrete in a bio-sand filter mold. Empty, these concrete filters weigh 300 pounds. Recently, LWI Brazil began manufacturing plastic bio-sand filters because they are much easier to transport by boat to communities on the river. Each filter costs a mere $40 to produce and deliver. Below: A girl shows the difference a bio-sand filter makes. In one hand, she holds water she drank before her family received a bio-sand filter. In the other, she shows clean, clear water that came from the bio-sand filter. Bottom: Pastor Carlos Alberto da Silva delivers a concrete bio-sand filter to a home in the Pantanal. Pastor da Silva delivers filters from LWI Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility in Corumba, at the southern tip of the Pantanal.

Then, in 2006, they discovered the bio-sand filter at the Living Water International office in Houston. It was an answer to prayer. The ribeirinhos were surrounded by water, but were dying from it. With a bio-sand filter right there in their home, they could pour river water into the top of the filter, and crystal clear, clean water would flow from the spout at the bottom. An LWI-El Salvador team traveled to Brazil in August 2006, just two months after the Langos took up permanent residence there, to train them and their national crew in bio-sand filter construction. The traditional concrete version, developed by Dr. David Manz in 1993, weighs a hefty 300 pounds empty and 500 pounds when full of filtration media. Instead of concrete, LWI Brazil uses a PVC container that weighs a mere 5 pounds when empty, making it much easier to transport down the rivers and temporary tributaries in the Pantanal. Inside, the construction is the same. Layers of sand and gravel trap and filter contaminants in the water, including

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

HOW DO BIO-SAND FILTERS WORK? Water In

Diffuser Plate Static Water Level Bio Layer

Fine Sand Coarse Sand Gravel

THE MECHANICS A diffuser plate on top of the first sand bed dissipates the initial force of the water poured into the filter. Too big to filter through, organic material and bacteria in the water stays trapped at the surface of the fine sand, forming a biological layer. As more dirty water is poured into the filter, this bio-layer feeds on the bacteria and microbes in it. Water continues to filter through layers of fine sand, course sand and gravel before being propelled by gravity up through a pipe and out of the filter’s spout. In a matter of 30 minutes, dirty water is transformed into potable water safe for consumption.

THE BENEFITS Bio-sand filters have been proven to remove: • More than 96% of fecal coliforms • 100% of protozoa and helminthes • 50-90% of organic and inorganic toxicants • Greater than 75% of iron and manganese • Suspended sediments, in all or part SOURCE: CAWST

6 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

disease-causing bacteria. Gravity propels the filtered water up through a small pipe and out of the filter’s spout. In a matter of 30 minutes, dirty water is transformed into potable water safe for consumption. “It really changes their lives,” Kim said. One grateful old ribeirinho man left his fishing nets, his boat and a day’s wages behind to search for the pastor who had accompanied the Langos to his community. When he found him, he thanked him profusely. With tears streaming down his face, he told the pastor how this “agua crystalina” had changed his life. He had never before had the privilege to drink crystal clear water. He no longer had to depend on anyone for water, but had a never-ending supply of clean water in his own home. Now, he told the pastor, he felt that he was privileged. Although clean water is the foundation for improved health, without proper hygiene and sanitation, the ribeirinhos can still contract diarrheal diseases. For as long as they can remember, the river has been their bathtub, dishwasher, washing machine and water tap. When the LWI Brazil team arrived in the community of Bandeira, there were children running around outside naked, going to the bathroom wherever it was convenient. One child even had feces still on his skin. “While we were there,” Kim said, “one mother used the water reservoir to give her toddler a bath, and also to take water to prepare coffee for us.” In each river community, in every home that receives a filter, LWI Brazil tries to emphasize the importance of keeping clean water clean and using it for everything – drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing. Most already understand the value of clean water. The challenge lies in helping them realize the intrinsic link between water, hygiene and disease. The LWI Brazil team usually makes several visits to a community, delivering more filters, leading hygiene discussions, building

relationships, baptizing new believers and living the gospel before their eyes – all to reinforce their message of hope and new life. With their own bio-sand filter, ribeirinhos families have a real opportunity to stay healthy and break the perpetual cycle of poverty. “Poverty is a dark place to live if you don’t have Jesus,” Kim said. In Brazil, as in most countries, the “povao,” or “poor masses,” are treated with prejudice, without dignity and without respect. As the Langos and others tell them that God cares for them, they find it difficult to understand. Despite this cultural obstacle, these communities seem to be growing spiritually. In Bandeira, 25 children attend a Bible School program every Saturday morning. One teenage boy even gave his life to Christ and has become a spiritual leader in the community, inviting others to join him and teaching them what he knows about the Bible. Even in the short time that the Langos have been in the Pantanal, they have seen hearts and lives radically changed before their eyes. “We still have many struggles,” Kim said. “People’s criticisms tend to create doubt in our minds when we confront so many difficulties here, but I believe we are changing people’s lives, one day, one filter, one family at a time.”

Left: LWI Brazil delivers filters to a family in the Pantanal. Top: Because it floods so much in the Pantanal, many of the ribeirinhos live in homes on stilts. Here, a team member brings sand and gravel into a home to finish the installation of a bio-sand filter. Above: A ribeirinhos man displays “agua crystalina” from his new bio-sand filter. Right: LWI Brazil delivers plastic bio-sand filters via speedboat. Bio-sand filters are an economical and highly effective choice in communities that are difficult to drill in, but have a reliable source of water (even contaminated).

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

Jesus of Astoria BY PAUL DARILEK

JESÚS & MARGARITA RIVAS

BEFORE

AFTER

8 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

Astoria is a densely populated community in El Salvador. The tightly packed homes each have a 20-foot deep well and a 10-foot deep pit latrine. In the rainy season the water rises, waste and water mix, and dysentery spikes, causing illness and, for the vulnerable, death. We tested the hand-dug well water, and it had extremely high counts of fecal coliforms, e-coli, manganese and iron, which is where the water gets its carrot color. Women showed me their fingers, yellow-stained like a smoker’s from doing laundry with the iron-tainted water. “If our fingers are like this from washing with soap,” a woman commented, “can you imagine our stomachs?” Biosand filters have a special impact here where people can see the dirtiness clear before their eyes. Two years after this photo was taken, a group from Prince of Peace Church in San Antonio visited our BSF (bio-sand filter) program. LWI El Salvador’s BSF coordinator, René Martinez, suggested we take the group to Don Jesús’s house, where the well water was orange, so they could see the filter’s dramatic results. Doña Margarita greeted us, hugging René, shaking the hands of each of the gringos, all twice her size. She explained that an earthquake had hit their area, and ever since, the water was no longer orange! “But we still use our filter,” she continued, “because we know that it’s the invisible micro-organisms that make us sick. The well water is still contaminated.” Disappointed that our plans had been foiled, we thought we’d make the most of our trip and visit for a little while. We asked Margarita where Don Jesús was, and his wife showed us a man lying lifelessly in a hammock, paler and thinner than the Jesús we remembered. A big, burly man, Jesús had been one of the main organizers and workers installing these 300 filters in Astoria two years earlier. His countenance wilted, he explained he’d been sick and nobody knew what it was. While he and René talked, his wife whispered to me that the doctors thought he had leukemia, but more tests were necessary. She was hiding it from him for fear the knowledge would kill him. The state health care system had done all it could and didn’t have the equipment necessary for the tests he needed. They would need $180 to do the test in a private hospital – an unthinkable sum to the Rivas family. “It’s so hard not knowing what it is,” Margarita said, tears in her eyes. With her secret, uncertain knowledge, her heart broke on the days when Jesús guessed it was something simple, like low blood pressure. René suggested we pray for Jesús. Walking out I suggested we take a collection for them. People removed the contents of their front pockets and handed them to me in a matter of seconds, pocket lint still hanging on the fringes of the bills. I couldn’t help but add it up. I handed the money to Doña Margarita – $180 exactly! Tests were performed. All doubt was removed. Jesús has bone marrow cancer. Margarita knows what it is now. Jesús rests his aching bones in a hammock. His family prepares for him to die. He says goodbye. We pray for him. Jesús will die and that pains us. But we rejoice in the life of the children who will not die because they drink clean water thanks to the efforts of LWI and this Jesús of Astoria. We pray that his love and care will be remembered as people use these filters, just as we pray that Jesus of Nazareth’s love will be remembered in all we do in His name.

Shining a Light in the Darkness of Poverty

WHERE DOES LWI USE BIO-SAND FILTERS? EL SALVADOR

There was a girl in a river community that had given herself to the sex trade. Who knows why? Perhaps her parents needed the money. She wasn’t very old, but she had a few children and was expecting another. She wanted nothing to do with LWI Brazil, what they had to say or offer. When they brought bio-sand filters and told people why they were there, she mocked them. On their third or fourth trip back to that community, someone told Kim that a girl had just given birth in the jungle. She and others had fled there when the community was flooded a few days before. It is nearly impossible to find someone in the jungles of the Pantanal, where GPS mapping doesn’t even exist. A man working as a guide in that area noticed them looking for the girl and offered to help. He had actually heard where she was and thought he could find her. That was in the morning. By nighttime, in complete darkness, they had finally found the girl. They had to crawl through a tunnel in the brush to get to her. She was lying on a black plastic garbage bag with the baby nearby. It was too dark to see her face. When they unwrapped the baby, bugs immediately swarmed the child, drawn to the infection in its umbilicus. They gave the baby antibiotics to fight the infection. The girl had damage from the birth that required surgery. The team was unprepared for such a procedure and had to leave, promising to return in the morning with the tools needed and a doctor. In the morning, they returned in a speedboat and did the surgery right there in that little enclave. It was dark by the time they finished. As they were packing up to leave, Kim lifted the flashlight to the girl’s face to see the very same girl who had ridiculed them before. Here this girl lay, totally broken, humble and grateful. “God brought you here,” she told Kim, “into my life to save me and to save my baby.” God had led them to His lost lamb so that she might experience the gospel. She gave God the glory and prayed with Kim, thanking the team and thanking God. The LWI Brazil team hasn’t been back to that community since, but they know that God began working in this girl that night, changing her heart and making her whole again.

LWI El Salvador began installing biosand filters in 2003, and has since provided 2,361 filters to families in need of clean water. Filters are constructed within each community, where the locals can participate in the process and be a part of the solution to their own water needs.

HONDURAS

Since 2000, LWI Honduras has constructed and installed more than 2,000 bio-sand filters in homes throughout the country. Recently, the Honduras team began using plastic filters for their greater mobility.

BRAZIL

More than 50 filters have been installed in the Pantanal since 2006.

UGANDA

LWI Uganda installed 15 filters in 2006. It was the first time LWI had used biosand filters in this country.

PERU

LWI Peru installed 12 bio-sand filters in the last two years to help communities remove excessive amounts of iron from their drinking water.

MEXICO

In 2006, LWI Mexico installed two biosand filters.

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

pure joy,

“Consider it my brothers, whenever you face

trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” (James 1:2-4, NIV). BY SARAH ELIZABETH BUCKNER

Pure joy. Many people don’t know what this means because they haven’t faced “trials of many kinds” to even be in a situation that produces the pure joy that James talks about. It’s this pure joy, however, that breaks the ground to get water, and breaks cultural barriers to share the love of Christ. With 56 trips planned to Central America this year alone, one would think that drilling water wells has become a routine, maybe even simple, process for Living Water International. Take a team of about 10 willing volunteers, give them a leader and a rig to drill for water, and within the week, a grateful community will have a new source of sanitary water to sustain themselves. The whole system seems clean and easy, but the reality is far from that. One LWI trip to Nicaragua illustrates this hard truth, but also reveals that often, it is the hard trials that make something good. In January 2007, a team from Washington, D.C., left for the small town of Abangasca Norte, Nicaragua. The neutral site that they drilled on in this particular community was owned by the only local church. Lew Hough, an LWI Vice President of Programs who oversees LWI’s Central American trips, said that this particular drill was very difficult. Drilling in Nicaragua is already more challenging than in other Central American countries, as the rig usually has to drill about 100 feet deeper than elsewhere to reach water. Adding to this challenge, about 90 feet down, the team ran into a layer of rock that was approximately 10 to 15 feet thick. The “routine” work became hard in an instant. The team began to pray as the rig was breaking down in the hard layer of rock, not knowing if they would make it through this trial to get water. Thirty minutes later, after much prayer and sweat, the team broke through the layer of rock and was able to continue to drill. On January 12, 2007, the well came in. The team was ecstatic! Water was gushing out of the ground, the local children were running and playing in it; the team was beaming in the face of the fruit of their labor. They had toiled for days doing the Lord’s work – bringing water, life, to this community. Pure joy – they were experiencing it. Watching the team work and pray, the pastor of the church and his family saw the team living the gospel. The family of nine lived on-site in a small tin structure about the size of a small conference room, and so was present for much of the drilling. It was a neat opportunity for the team from Washington, D.C., to build relationships with the locals. Hough, the team leader, said that these relationships were the most important part of the trip. “We serve as a real life example of the love of Christ,” he said. “Our goal is to use water as a means of sharing the Gospel.” On this particular trip, the team was able to build relationships with the pastor and his family

10 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

Far Left: LWI mission team member Andrew Cowles mixes drilling fluid with Pedro and LWI Nicaragua’s Jorge Alvarado. Drilling fluid lifts cuttings out of the borehole and prevents the hole from caving. Above: The community of Abangasca Norte dedicates their new well to the Lord. Left: The LWI mission team installs the pump cylinder and piping for the hand pump. Left to right: Andrew Cowles, David Black, Derek Castner and Daniel Biddison. The community adorned the well pad the night before with balloons.

and witness Christ working in their lives. Despite the cramped living situation in their home, there was room for even more, as the team found out, for the pastor had taken in a man in his early 20s who suffered from Down syndrome. Pedro came to the pastor from the streets, looking for a home and a family, and for help to turn his life around. The pastor generously welcomed him as if he already was family. “It was interesting to see a man [the pastor] live out the love of Christ when he had nothing left to give,” Hough said. This love and joy was genuine! The pastor even trusted Pedro with the care of his infant child, demonstrating that his trust and joy was from the Lord. In the midst of his poverty and trials, the pastor experienced pure joy from serving Pedro with the love of Christ. The wonderful thing about this pure joy amidst

trials that James describes is that it spreads. Pedro caught the joy. In turn, the team caught Pedro’s joy, blessed by his childlike faith and his sincerity to help the team in whatever way he could. The community experienced pure joy through the hard labor of the team as they drilled the water well, and the team experienced pure joy in giving the gift of clean water. “One of the families who acted as a host home in Nicaragua told us one time that people here [in Central America] have often heard the gospel but have not often seen the gospel,” Hough said. Without the joy of Christ, Abangasca Norte would not have a well, Pedro would not have a family, and the team would not have made relationships with such an eternal effect. Pure joy enabled the team and the pastor to persevere in hard times. Even when it seems hopeless – when the rig won’t break through the rock or when the homeless need shelter and a family – the Lord has promised that this joy that leads to perseverance will “finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” (James 1:4b, NIV).

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

B E I NG G O O D

N e ig h b o r s COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION BEGINS WITH COMMUNITY

BY JONATHAN WILES

There are many stories of education programs, health initiatives, agricultural or water projects that seemed to make a difference as long as the money and staff of a development agency were present; yet when these were no longer in place, the project became more than the local community could handle. Within a year or two, one could hardly tell that the work had happened at all. In some cases, communities have actually been crippled because they have become dependent on outside resources. How do we avoid this? How do we bring water solutions that can be sustained by a community after we are gone? Paul Ligono, director of LWI’s operation in western Kenya, struggles with this question every day. Paul grew up in this area, and, even through his years of study in the United States, always longed to return and minister to the neediest people of his homeland. He did return; today he pastors a church of 600, and has started four more. He runs a school near Kakamega that is attended by 1,100 children. And he leads a team of national drillers that are committed to helping desperate communities acquire safe, clean water. Drawing on his own experience as an educator, Paul discovered that one of the most natural ways to reach out to a community is to begin with the local school. The school itself is generally in need of a clean water solution; in addition, everyone wants to help the school, and its leaders are respected members of the community. One example of this approach was a large primary school serving the area around the village of Rabour. The school’s 1,200 students were carrying their drinking water across a kilometer of rough terrain from an overtaxed hand pump that was also serving much of the surrounding community. Paul and the LWI team asked the school to take the lead in assembling a “Water Committee” — 8-12 leaders from the school and the community at large. While most of the elders and other perceived leaders of a community are men, LWI stressed the importance of a strong representation by women. In East Africa, wives and mothers bear most of a family’s burden when clean water is unavailable, and therefore have a strong stake in a sustainable water solution. The Water Committee was involved in the process from the time the water solution began to take shape. The LWI team listened to the problems the community was facing, and suggested possible solutions based on successful models from other communities. The resulting solution included a powered

12 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

pump and overhead water tank. This would allow for better use of time, and a much greater water yield. The plan meant that an electrical pump would have to be installed and maintained, leading to additional expense. However, the excess water that the pump produced could be distributed to the local community for roughly half a penny per gallon, allowing for maintenance costs to be covered. The plan went forward. Over several months, LWI team members worked with the school to set up a class in hygiene for the families of the community, stressing that clean water doesn’t prevent disease unless hands and containers are kept clean as well; sanitation was improved through new, well-ventilated latrines that would keep the water supply from being contaminated. After the completion of the well, the pump house and distribution kiosk were built, and water began to flow. Eight months after the project began, the LWI team left the Rabour Primary School water program in the able hands of the water committee. On a recent visit by Paul Ligono, the 1,200 schoolchildren and 3,000 additional community members were being served by the well on a daily basis. Enough income was being generated from water distribution to pay for electricity use and pump repairs, and to subsidize school books and scholarships. Excess water was being used to irrigate an orchard, which will eventually supplement the children’s diet and provide another source of income. The hygiene class had become a ‘health club’ for discussing community health issues, and was growing rapidly. Perhaps most noticeable was the appearance of the children running and playing in the school’s courtyard. Head teacher Charles Odida explained that before the program, three or four children per day were sick with diarrhea from poor water and hygiene. “Now,” he said, “there are only one or two cases per week.” It is vital that community members participate in the work of development in their communities from start to finish. Coming alongside the community, seeking local participation, is our only safeguard against doing damage in spite of our best intentions. The key to helping communities develop, no matter where we are, is becoming good neighbors. Building community is what good neighbors do. People need good neighbors before they need good theology or good development theory. Our work is about people and relationships before it is about ideas and programs. It is when we see ourselves as good neighbors, rather than problemsolvers, that true development begins.

Top: Head teacher Charles Odida turned on the taps at the water kiosk at Rabour Primary School. LWI’s Paul Ligono built a water tower and latrines at the school in 2006. Far Left: Students and a teacher at Rabour Primary. Left: Older girls play drums while other students dance. Bottom left: Students, teachers and community members all gather to watch LWI drill their new well.

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

Fighting the Water Crisis With Water Balloons BY SARAH ELIZABETH BUCKNER

“I like being creative,” said Lauren Tucker, who, for her high school English project, tackled a huge assignment. The instructions given were simple: design a plan to change the world. “Our teacher wanted us to do something to better our community. We had to give a speech about it for our final exam, plan out the whole process – I wrote a 10 to 15-page booklet on why I wanted to do this particular project, step by step how I would do it, and then how I accomplished it,” Lauren said. Lauren used her creativity and planned the “Living Water Balloon Fight.” Her idea was to host a water balloon fight, charge an entrance fee and use the donations to help Living Water International continue to provide communities around the world with clean drinking water. “I kind of wanted to do something that people hadn’t done before, and that would tell other people about the organization,” she said. She was inspired by her church, Windsor Crossing, who partnered with the Houston-based church, Ecclesia, this past Christmas, encouraging members to give the gift of clean water rather than purchase extravagant gifts. Her idea turned into reality when her teacher approved her proposal, she reserved the field for the water balloon fight, and called the local fire department to come at the end to hose everyone down. Nearly 50 people came, each making an $8 to $10 donation to LWI. The actual water balloon fight lasted only 10 minutes, but the preparation took almost 14 hours. “I filled about 1,700 water balloons by hand with my family and friends. My hands were bleeding at the end, but it was worth it,” Lauren said. It was worth it; she raised $200 for LWI. In her classroom presentation, Lauren shared that $10 would give one person clean water for the rest of their life. When looking at it that way, $200 goes a long way. “It’s kind of ironic that we had a water balloon fight to raise money to give people water,” Lauren said, “but I thought it would work. I’d like to do something like it again.” Editor’s Note: Lauren received an A on this project. Thank you, Lauren, for thinking of such a creative way to tell people about the great need for clean water around the world.

LWI ON THE WEB MySpace, Flickr, Facebook… social networks seem to be the new equivalent to hanging out at the mall or gathering around the water cooler – it’s where friends from across the street and across the globe gather to share the things they care about. LWI is part of the conversation at these and other popular sites; we invite you to drop by to show your support. See photos and videos, and join the dialogue about being part of the solution to the global water crisis.

Change.org – www.change.org/lwi Flickr – www.flickr.com/groups/lwi MySpace – www.myspace.com/livingwaterinternational Facebook – www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2356646101 Virb – www.virb.com/lwi Razoo – http://beta.razoo.com/groups/lwi See you online!

GOODSEARCH.COM - Don’t forget that every search with GoodSearch.com earns money for LWI!

14 PIPELINE

Fall 2007

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED LWI Gets a New Video!

Showing the story of the thirsty

PhilanthroCorp

Leaving a lasting legacy

Throughout our 16-year history, we have told the story of the thirsty. The story of the gospel itself is the story of quenching thirst, and through our work, we strive to show a literal representation of the quenching power of hope that is the gospel.

Imagine making a gift to Living Water International that will not only bring clean water and the message of Jesus Christ to the thirsty and dying, but would also provide you with fixed, regular income payments for the rest of your life. This is possible through a charitable gift annuity, one of the most popular ways to support the future work of charitable organizations. You will also receive a charitable income tax deduction. To see if a charitable gift annuity is right for you, please call PhilanthroCorp at 1.800.876.7958 or visit their website at www.plannedgift.com.

Visit our website (www.water.cc) to watch a newly produced video that communicates how the love of God is being shown through the provision of safe, clean water.

Be Bold! Share the Vision!

Share water and the Word with your friends by sending them a link to our new video. Look on YouTube for more LWI videos by The Work of the People.

Spread the word about the water crisis We often have others ask, “How can I volunteer or help spread the word about Living Water International?” A simple answer is to be a part of sharing the vision. Wouldn’t you like to be part of a dynamic group in your area that is mobilizing prayer, people and resources to advance the kingdom of God? By joining an existing volunteer chapter in our Share the Vision Network or by helping form a new one, you will save lives and change destinies all over the world. For more information, contact LWI at 281.207.7818 or send an e-mail to info@water.cc.

Englewood Takes the Plunge Children from The Church of St. Gabriel in Englewood, Colorado, came away from their Vacation Bible School this year vastly knowledgeable of water’s significance in the world and in God’s Word. Living Water International volunteer, Ron Fullmer, had the opportunity to speak to 50 children, ages 4 to 11, about his experiences drilling water wells in Guatemala and Haiti. This year’s VBS theme was Water (Take the Plunge), so LWI fit right in alongside the story of the woman at the well, baptism, Jesus walking on water, and calming the storm. Ron told them about kids their age in Haiti, and what they had to overcome just to get water. “I remember, especially, the look on one little girl’s face as I talked about how a girl of their age in Haiti would have to carry a large pail of water on her head once or twice a day for five miles each way – her mouth literally dropped,” Fullmer said. The presentation made a huge impact on these kids, and through a car wash and other fundraisers, they raised $600 for LWI. Clean water not only revolutionizes the lives of children in impoverished communities around the world, but it motivates the kids here at home to invest in something with an eternal impact. This impact is just as crucial, because these are the kids that will have the opportunity to change the lives of the next generation around the world. www.water.cc

PIPELINE

LIVING WATER INTERNATIONAL’S

2007 Gala

Friday, October 19, 2007 Please join us for LWI’s 2007 Gala at the InterContinental Hotel in Houston With special musical guest SHANNON WEXELBERG Reception - 6 p.m.

Dinner - 7 p.m.

Open House

Saturday, October 20, 2007 The LWI Oﬃce has moved! Join us for an Open House after the gala to tour our new home. 4001 Greenbriar Dr. Staﬀord, Texas 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Brunch For more information, or to sponsor a table today, visit www.water.cc or call toll free 877.594.4426.

give water give life LIVING WATER INTERNATIONAL

2007 Gala

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID SUGAR LAND, TX PERMIT NO. 298

PO Box 35496 Houston, TX 77235-5496 877.594.4426 info@water.cc