Pipeline, Summer 2008 by Living Water International

PIPELINE PROVIDING A CUP OF WATER IN JESUS’ NAME SUMMER 2008

THIS ISSUE...

On The Path

UPDATES: FOOD RIOTS IN HAITI

EVENT UPDATES

WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!

HOPE HEALS

HOUSTON GALA AROUND THE CORNER

WALKING IN THE DARK

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

PIPELINE VOLUME 7

I recently heard a speaker talk about two categories of activity that we en-

NUMBER 2

LIVING WATER INTERNATIONAL

gage in. The first category he called “important forever;” the second he called Chairman of the Board

Gary Loveless

Executive Director

Gary Evans

President

Jerry Wiles

Vice President

Lew Hough

the “important forever” category. So much of what gets our attention, time,

Vice President

Tim Mulville

Vice President

John Nadolski

and resources won’t matter tomorrow, or next month. Think of yourself a few

Vice President

Brad Saltzman

Vice President

Bruce Whitmire

“temporary stuff.” The more I think about it, the more I realize that it’s people, relationships, and what we do with the things God has given us that make up

years ago. What was important to you then?

Living Water International Headquarters PO Box 35496 Houston, TX 77235-5496 877.594.4426 www.water.cc

Who were you trying to impress? Do you even know those people any more? It’s a privilege to be associated with an orga-

Living Water International Canada 290 Lawrence Ave W. Toronto, Ontario Canada M5M 1B3 Phone: 1.877.988.4688 www.livingwatercanada.org

nization dedicated to honoring God, developing people, pursuing excellence, and being good stewards. These are our guiding principles,

Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and experience “living water”—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

because it’s not always easy to determine what will be “important forever” and what will end up being “temporary stuff.” However, if we seek God’s wisdom and trust him for direction, we can have confidence that he will help us to see

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.

where his priorities are. I hope that the articles in this issue of PIPELINE open windows for you into

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.

some of the “important forever” things in our world. People receiving clean water in Jesus’ name is important. The water is not the point; the people are. They are the “least of these” that Jesus talked about in the book of Matthew. When

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.

we give them a cup of clean water, their lives are changed—and so are ours. If that’s not “important forever,” I don’t know what is.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version™ TNIV Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.

(( IN THIS ISSUE )))))) 4

| EVENT UPDATES

| HOPE HEALS

| RWANDA: ON THE PATH

Combined Federal Campaign # 10788

EVANGELICAL

PRESS ASSOCIATION

| WALKING IN THE DARK

| EDITORIAL: THE ILLUSION

NEWS

BE INFORMED • GET INVOLVED • GIVE

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! Looking for a way to get involved with LWI, but not sure where to start? Whether you prefer to work behind the scenes or are the main event at every social gathering, we have a place for you as an LWI volunteer. Learn how to host a fundraising event or organize a local volunteer chapter in your hometown. Raise awareness by coordinating a Onedollarwater.com campaign through your church or school. Dare your friends, family, and coworkers to take the H2O Project challenge. Tap into your creative side using your photography or video editing skills. The opportunities are endless—whatever your experience or abilities, we can put your skills and talents to use. Volunteer forms are available on the website (look under “Get Involved”) or contact Cheryl Thornton for more information (281.207.7856 or cheryl@water.cc). “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10

Living Water InternationaL’s 2008 gaLa

(( UPDATES )))))) TURMOIL IN CHAD & SUDAN Just two months after their latest attempt at a peace accord, Sudan and neighboring Chad have once again broken off diplomatic relations after an attack by Darfur rebels close to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. As tensions mount in this region, please pray for security and effectiveness for the LWI teams at work in southern Sudan, and also for our operation in the Central African Republic; CAR is often flooded by refugees from both Chad and Sudan when factions from those two nations are in conflict.

FOOD RIOTS ROCK HAITI

color

the

world

with

SaVE tHE dAtE! friday, September 26, 2008 InterContinental Hotel | Grand Ballroom | Houston, Texas 6 p.m. - Reception | 7 p.m. - Dinner

C’MON. IT’S ONLY A BUCK. WWW.ONEDOLLARWATER.COM

Food riots have erupted across Africa and Southeast Asia in the past month, but have been particularly hard on Haiti. Rioting in April resulted in seven deaths and the resignation of the country’s prime minister. Since the beginning of this year the price of rice—the staple food of Haiti— has skyrocketed. Last year a mother could purchase a can of rice for 40 cents. At the same market today, that can costs her $1.35. In a country where most families live on less than $2 a day, finding enough food is an endless struggle. Please pray for the people of Haiti, for the church in Haiti, and for LWI teams that are at work repairing wells in some of the most desperate regions of this hurting nation.

(EVENT UPDATES ))))))) WASHINGTON, D.C. This April, the second annual Washington, D.C. Gala attracted a crowd of 650—more than double last year’s number—and raised a total of $130,000 to be used toward water projects in Africa. Guests spent the evening hearing the story of the thirsty and learning about the work God is doing through Living Water International. Hosted by Julien Patterson, President and CEO of OMNIPLEX World Services, the event focused on the work of LWI in Liberia and Uganda, areas where groups from D.C. have traveled and seen desperate need. Nashville rock band The War played a set, and local pastor Todd Phillips delivered the keynote address, emphasizing that clean water can be accomplished for entire peoples and nations in need.

SAN ANTONIO “I couldn’t believe there were kids just like me in Africa who were dying because they didn’t have clean water to drink,” said Kristian Riddle, age 12. “I knew I had to do something.” Kristian set a fund raising goal of $200 and organized a swimming pool party fundraiser. When she informed her parents, Chris and Liza Riddle, they were so inspired that they planned an event of their own—an African-themed “Celebrate Life!” garden party at their home. The event introduced 150 guests to the work of LWI and raised more than $11,000. Plans are already underway for the 2009 event. DALLAS On May 7, the LWI North Texas Volunteer Chapter hosted a “Share the Vision” event that drew more than a hundred people and raised $80,000. The occasion took place at the Highland Park estate of Robie C. and Falon B. Vaughn. Guests gathered to hear Volunteer Chapter President Jack Vaughn share his experiences in Haiti. LWI Board Chairman Gary Loveless shared his heart for the work of LWI and challenged those present to be part of what is going on in the organization. Staff member Stan Patyrak challenged the audience to fund 16 well rehabs that evening. The audience accepted his challenge, pledging over $30,000 for well rehabilitation projects in Haiti.

HOUSTON Freddy N Friendz In April, the popular children’s band Freddy N Friendz performed an open-air concert at City Hall in Sugar Land, Texas. The band teaches kids about the desperate need that other kids have for clean water. They sell kazoos at their concerts, and donate the proceeds to LWI. At this concert, they presented a check for $1,000. Onedollarwater.com and H2O Project booths informed families about how they can be a part of the solution. A “water walk” allowed for participants to experience what it is like to carry water over long distances, as is often the case in Africa, Asia, and Central America.

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Summer 2008

)) ) ) ) ) ) Gremillion Art Exhibit The March FOTOFEST Exhibit at Houston’s Gremillion Art Gallery created a unique opportunity to incorporate art and awareness, highlighting work funded by charity: water and implemented by LWI. The event raised more than $25,000 for further water and sanitation projects in East Africa. The opening reception on March 13 drew 250 people to the gallery, located in the Rice Village area of Houston. Attendees took in the exhibition and enjoyed a live performance by folk-rock duo The Kin. The show, which ran from March 13-26, featured the photography of charity: water founder Scott Harrison, along with video installations and interactive displays demonstrating that access to clean water can transform life for an entire generation of the most desperate people on our planet.

TORONTO On March 16, 2008, Living Water International Canada (LWIC) launched “WaterWorks 2008,” a fundraising dinner profiling the dire need of the hundreds of millions of people currently facing water shortages in developing countries. Harlem Globetrotter, “Sweet” Lou Dunbar, along with special guest Juno nominee and recording artist Aileen Lombardo, headlined the event. “I urge all Canadians to make a difference, both in your own life, and in our world. Together with you, we can provide a cup of clean, safe drinking water to those who are in desperate need, especially children,” Dunbar said. Aileen Lombardo emphasized the need to raise funds, performing several songs from her latest CD, aptly titled, “Living Water.”

COMING UP

“‘WaterWorks’ is a challenge to provide clean, safe drinking water and hope to those in desperate need. Living Water International Canada wants Canadians to support the training of national teams in hygiene and education and fund the repair of 100 water wells in Southern Sudan, Nicaragua, and Guatemala by the end of 2008,” announced Barry Hart, President of LWIC. “We have to draw attention to the critical lack of clean, safe drinking water in developing countries.”

HOLLAND, MICHIGAN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 Central Wesleyan Church 446 West 40th Street 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Dessert $25 a ticket Call Jodi at 616-499-1396 for tickets and information.

HOUSTON GALA FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 InterContinental Hotel Grand Ballroom 6 p.m. Reception 7 p.m. Dinner Call Cheryl at 281.207.7856 for ticket and table information.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORGANIZE AN EVENT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, TALK TO CHERYL AT 281.207.7856 OR CHERYL@WATER.CC

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A CUP OF WATER IN JESUS’ NAME UNITES COMMUNITIES IN MEXICO BY JONATHAN WILES

When you don’t own much, what you do have is a big deal. That was the root of the feud between Balvanera and Teteles. These two villages in southern Mexico, near Puebla, had been fighting over land and water rights for years, and couldn’t overcome their distrust long enough to find a solution. In the meantime, people suffered. The lack of trust extended to outsiders. The government had promised aid, but done nothing except start drilling a well in Teteles that was never finished. To get water, the villagers had to walk up to two miles down steep, rocky paths to local springs. Unfortunately, the spring water was usually contaminated. Cattle were watered and clothes were washed in the same water that was gathered for drinking. Many of the people were sick from bacteria and other contaminants. Most of these didn’t know they were sick— to them it was normal. The LWI team based in Puebla began to work in the area in 2006. They

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Summer 2008

started conversations with families and began helping them—in both Balvanera and Teteles. It slowly became apparent to the leaders of the villages that LWI had no political or economic agenda, and was there to serve everyone. One of the primary causes of conflict between the two communities was one particular spring; control of this spring was contested because it was situated right next to the markers that designated where one village's land ended and the other’s began. The LWI team wanted to enclose and purify the spring, making it safe for drinking, and to install a pump and pipes that would make the water more accessible. There was great debate between the leadership of Teteles and Balvanera. If the spring was improved, who would control the new water supply? The village leaders met seven times while the LWI team waited. Finally, in cooperation with a few of the more desperate families, the team prepared to begin. Regardless of the outcome of the control dispute, this work needed to be done. As construction materials began to appear at the site, everyone realized that the project was actually going to happen. Fearful that the other would try to claim the spring, each village mustered a team of workers and

sent them to the site to help with the labor. And then something amazing happened. As the LWI team watched, the two teams worked side by side. As they worked, the suspicious neighbors learned to trust one another. They realized that there was greater benefit for both communities when they worked together than when they tried to improve their situation at the expense of the other. At the dedication of the newly-improved spring, tears were seen in the eyes of many of the old men from the two villages. These men, many of them distant relatives, had been wary of one another for years. Now they had worked together on a project that would make all their lives better. For the past two years, LWI has continued to work in Balvanera and Teteles, building relationships and strengthening the newfound unity of these neighbors—now friends. Two more springs have been protected and purified, and water is being pumped to convenient access points. The abandoned government well is now being finished. Everyone is healthier. And happier. This year, a church was founded in Teteles. The first service was attended by 90 people—many from Balvanera. On a good day, that is what the work of LWI is about: bringing hope that can heal, both physically and spiritually.

Opposite Top: Surrounded by the bone-dry terrain near Balvanera, an LWI team works on a spring in the valley beneath the village. Opposite: A local man, and a woman with her child, at the site of an LWI project near Teteles. Left: Men from Balvanera and Teteles work together to build an enclosure that will protect their spring from contamination. Above: A young boy plays next to the newly-dedicated Spring #3.

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On The Path

BY MELANIE DEWVEALL

Innocent voices sang hesitantly at first, but soon filled the air with a high-pitched melody. The children of Rugando were singing us a song. There’s something about children singing that plants a bit of joy in your heart. One boy, realizing that singing might offer him the sweet reward of candy, quickly became the chorus leader and began belting this traditional tune: "Continue the way that you started. Don't give up because you've been rewarded. Keep loving God." These words resonate in my ears even today and refuse to escape my heart. They would be great words of encouragement for anyone, really, but for this culture, this nation, these people, these words take on a whole new dimension. It’s been 14 years since Rwanda experienced 100 pitch-black days of genocide. Rediscovering its light has taken quite a bit longer. But Rwanda seems to be on the right path—the path to justice, the path to reconciliation, the path to economic growth, the path to a better life for its people—bumpy though it may be. According to IRIN, part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, by December, up to 761,446 people will have been brought before traditional gacaca courts, a community-based court system established in 2001 to handle the enormous population of people accused of genocidal crimes. Suspects are taken to the community where they allegedly committed their crime, are tried by elders, and confronted by their accusers. The government believes “that involving the population in the trials can also contribute significantly to reconciliation.” There are communities in Rwanda that have actually been established as villages of reconciliation, in which genocide survivors and genocide perpetrators live side by side. Their children are friends. I have a hard time grasping such insurmountable forgiveness, forgiveness which Sergei, a guide at Kigali’s genocide memorial, told me was absolutely necessary for anyone to move on and have a chance at a normal life again. He should know. He was 15 when the genocide occurred. He sought refuge in a church, but one of the priests was working with the Interahamwe, delivering Tutsis and moderate Hutus to them for slaughter. He even knew the day he was supposed to die—July 4.

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Summer 2008

Left: View from the well in Gohombo. Below: Girl gets water at well in Giti Cyloine; Woman gets water from a gravity-driven water system.; Woman carrying corn to market; Woman drinking straight from jerry can at Giti Cyloine

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Below: Amnei with one of her daughters at her side.; A boy gets water from one of the hand-dug pits in Rugando. This was their source of water before the well was drilled.; Beatrice; At the new well in Rugando, boys read the Gospel of John in Kinyarwanda.

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Summer 2008

But miraculously, he was rescued. He believes his father and brother are buried in one of the mass graves at the memorial where he works. In the aftermath of the genocide, Rwanda has been given the opportunity to rebuild itself, to start anew. Many governments and development agencies now hold Rwanda up as a beacon of African development. While investors and the Rwandan government are making headway in economic development, the reality is that most of the country still lacks basic services and necessities, such as clean water. In Rugando, a farming community of 1,200 just 30 kilometers south of Kigali, people relied on two hand-dug pits in a field and a spring a few kilometers away to supply their water needs. Living Water International drilled a high output well for them in October 2007. When I visited in February, the path to the water pits was nearly completely grown over—a wonderful sign. The community had seen the difference that clean water makes. Amnei, a 38-year-old mother of two, said that her children no longer fall ill from the water they drink. “I like the water,” she said. “It is very clean.” Before the well was drilled, she had to walk several kilometers to the spring or boil water from the pits. The new well saves her from a lot of walking and a lot of parasites. Beatrice, a very young-looking and very pregnant 40-year-old, said that she and the rest of the community are very grateful for the clean water and thank God for it. Her children used to fall ill regularly, but now, like Amnei’s children, they no longer do. I asked her when her baby was due, but she did not know. “I’m waiting for the day God has set,” she said. By now, she’s had her baby,

her seventh child. I can’t help but think about this little one and the kind of life he or she will have. This child will be the only one in the family to have clean water available from birth. Obviously clean water doesn’t solve all the problems of the impoverished, but it is the fundamental first step and the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Clean water is a fundamental human right that at least 26 percent of Rwandans aren’t experiencing. More than half of the population—58 percent—don’t have access to adequate sanitation. LWI Rwanda is trying to change that. More than 50 wells have been drilled since LWI began operating in Rwanda only a year ago. The impact of that is huge—66,000 people are receiving clean water in Jesus’ name. While I was in Rwanda, fellow Houstonian Kerrie Snow taught four LWI Rwanda staff how to educate others in practical, healthy hygiene habits. Wherever LWI Rwanda drills a well, this passionate crew will teach the community how to keep their water clean and how to use it to keep themselves healthy. According to the World Health Organization, hygiene education can reduce cases of diarrhea up to 45 percent. As the children of Rugando sang to us, I noticed that several of them had terribly matted hair and were covered with sores. Amnei and Beatrice both said that although they have clean water, their children still get sick, but suffer different symptoms. Something that seems second nature to us in the West, like washing our hands, could literally be the difference between life and death for Beatrice’s new baby.

Keep Loving God

Every year, the entire nation shuts down for one week in April— schools, businesses, government—to remember the week the genocide began. At ceremonies and gatherings across the country, people allow their grief to surface, relying on their friends, family, neighbors—their community—to help them heal. At the genocide memorial, Sergei told us that it was hard for him to have faith in anything after the genocide, even God. Churches were supposed to be sanctuaries, but even pastors and nuns played a part in the slaughter. No wonder Rwanda felt that the entire world, and even God himself, had abandoned them. It’s taken a long time, but Sergei has found peace again—his faith in humanity and his faith in God renewed. Forgiveness, he said, was the key.

Far Left: The people of Rugando look on as LWI Rwanda drills their new well. Above: Children pump clean water from the new well in Rugando. Left: Bosco, a member of the LWI Rwanda pump installation crew, teaches a group of people from Gahombo how to reduce the risk of contaminating water from their new well with proper storage and well maintenance.

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WALKING IN THE DARK CONFRONTING DESPERATION IN POST-WAR SIERRA LEONE BY BRAD SALTZMAN

TOP: Mohamed, our driver and helper, assists with the repair of a well.

RIGHT: A woman brews tea in front of her home.

BRAD IS OUR PUMP REPAIR GURU. HE RECENTLY TRAVELED TO SIERRA LEONE TO WORK WITH OUR NEW TEAM THERE. THIS IS HIS STORY.

Wednesday, March 31 I arrived at the airport late last night, and made it through customs without a hitch. My host met me in the terminal and we had to rush to catch the last ferry to Freetown. We almost didn’t make it. This morning we headed to our first project, in a village called Calaba Town. To get there we had to drive across Freetown—the capital of Sierra Leone, and the country’s largest city. It took about two hours, and was like swimming upstream through a sea of people: disabled beggars,

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reckless drivers, rickety bicycles, handcarts, motorcycles, honking, yelling. The air was filled with the rank odor of the sewage that I could see running down the streets. When we arrived in Calaba Town we were met by the chief, who happened to be a Muslim, and was very glad to see us. The community water pump was broken. Concerned, we asked to see where the people were getting water now. It was the worst I’ve ever seen. A garbage-filled stream flowed down a hill beside a broken-down septic system and leaky latrine. The water was milky white. Women were washing clothes in the stream and kids were drinking out of it. I saw three boys trying to filter the water by pouring it through a dirty rag. We were told that last year this village had seen 50 cases of cholera. It breaks my heart to see these people—particularly the children— living in such conditions; I know it breaks God’s heart even more. We worked on the well until we figured out what was broken, and then spent three hours driving around, looking for parts. We eventually found what we needed. In the meantime, other members of the team taught Health and Hygiene lessons to the women of the village. We returned to the village and continued to work. As the pump was reassembled, more and more people gathered, bringing containers of various shapes and sizes, and chattering excitedly. After the water began to flow, we stepped back to watch the fun as the excited crowd saw clean water flowing for the first time in months. The chief didn’t know what to do with himself, but kept returning to thank us again and again.

Monday, April 7 Each time we drive through Freetown, beggars spot us and ask for help. Many of these are men and women who were disabled in Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war. Some are blind, and have a young boy lead them around to ask for donations. When a group of beggars gather, we often stop to talk with them and pray for them. If we have something to eat, we give it to them. On one stop, we bought bowls of rice for seven guys who asked for help. Today, a group of men on crutches approached us asking for money. We talked to them and prayed with them, and found out that they were Christians. They asked for a ride, and were surprised when we said yes. It seems that they have become accustomed to being overlooked. The seven men pulled themselves into the back of the truck with me. We passed a group of their friends—most of whom were in wheelchairs—and the men hooted joyously at one another. We talked to the men about church. They said that no official church would let them in, so they hold

LEFT: Boys try to filter water from a badly polluted stream in Calaba Town. RIGHT: Garbage is piled along streams everywhere.

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PIPELINE

Bible study in their house. They sang praise songs with me in the back of the truck for the half hour it took to get to the house where they lived. It was in absolute shambles, and we were told that about 75 disabled men live in it. That part of town is plagued with water problems; we’ll see if there is some way to help them.

Thursday, April 10 Today we worked on a broken-down well next to a mosque. Everyone was very friendly and many gladly participated in the Jesus-centered health and hygiene training that we provided. We spent the afternoon surveying a refugee camp, where we found six pumps, five of which are inoperable and need major repairs. We hope to repair them soon.

We learned one bit of good news: the container of pumps we had been waiting for finally arrived today. We unloaded it, finishing at midnight.

Wednesday, April 16 Today we visited Samuel Town, a little more than an hour’s drive east from Freetown. It is an agricultural community; most mothers and fathers working the fields and selling their goods at market. We asked the chief, Mr. Harding, if the village had been hit hard during the war. “More than hit hard!” he exclaimed. “The rebels got us on their way into Freetown and on their way out.”

Tuesday, April 15 The team had a wonderful time teaching health and hygiene to a group of 17 women in one community this morning. It went great and, I think, renewed their energy. We visited two other villages that are without working wells. The garbage and pollution in the streams are horrible; nearby latrines were in bad condition and seeping into the water. Nearby people were taking baths. It was horrifying. The malnutrition was so evident it was frightening. I’ve never seen it this bad. Our spirits are down; today was overwhelming. The problems seem insurmountable. ABOVE: People are excited about the newly repaired well in Calaba Town.

The team repaired the well here three weeks ago. At that time they met a little girl named Esther, whose mother brought her to the health and hygiene training. She was about a year old, and was showing signs of dehydration. She had gotten sick from drinking bad water, and was in very serious condition. Esther’s mother was taught to make oral rehydration solution for the baby to drink, and with access to good, clean water, she began to recover. Today she was laughing and playing like one of my grandkids. ABOVE: Eighteen village women receiving health and hygiene education in a village near Freetown.

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EDITORIAL:

THE ILLUSION BY JONATHAN WILES

The other day, I read this quote from the back of a paper cup at Starbucks: “My cousin in Tibet is an illiterate subsistence farmer. By accident of birth, I was raised in the West and have a Ph.D. The task of our generation is to cut through the illusion that we inhabit separate worlds.” * In PIPELINE, we continually tell stories about desperate men, women, and children. We do not do this to manipulate you into feeling guilty enough to pull out your checkbook; we do not do it to feed our egos; we do not do it to build our own organizational agenda. We do it in the desperate hope of cutting through the illusion that you inhabit a different world than Zenebech, a subsistence farmer and father of four who lives in southern Ethiopia, or Martha Akinyi, who scrapes out a life for her family in a slum in Kenya. These people are our neighbors—our brothers and sisters—and Jesus told us to love them. When we really see that, it changes our lives. Everyone has a “grid”—a framework through which we see life. We start building our grids as children, and as we learn new things, we find ways to fit them on our grid. Some ideas don’t fit on our grids. When we find one of these, we have two choices. We can scrap the new knowledge, or we can scrap the grid, and start again. The realization that Pablo, an eight-year-old orphan in El Salvador, is my neighbor—that realization— breaks my grid. It changes everything. Writing a check doesn’t make the realization go away, either. It’s a start, because providing resources is important, but it doesn’t end there—not by a long shot.

I invite you to honestly struggle with living in a world where you just spent ten dollars on lunch, but more than a billion people don’t earn that much money in a week. We, as a culture, struggle with how to address obesity and overconsumption—while every day, many in our world die because they lack the most basic stuff of life. Open your eyes to this reality as you make decisions, spend your money, raise your kids. I’m not suggesting that you wallow in guilt because you live in a land of plenty while so many people in our world do not. Enjoy the things God has blessed you with, but realize that your circumstances and your stuff have been given to you so that you can bless others. Living with this realization will look different for you than it will for me, but we’re on the same journey, and can encourage each other as we go. Will you be part of “cutting through the illusion” in the lives of people around you? It is so easy for us to anesthetize the pain of a hurting world to a dull ache by consuming more stuff and gorging our senses on more entertainment, but then we can’t be part of the solution. If these stories can break enough grids—of friends, families, neighborhoods, and communities— we might just turn this world upside down. * Starbucks: The Way I See It, #288 - Losang Rabgey, Ph.D.

COMMENTS? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, or any other that you found in this issue of PIPELINE. Send us an email: pipeline@water.cc.

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