Take a week and see what our short term missionaries 

are doing to change that statistic 

JUNE 2010 

ED KRIZ (Living Water)

Water from many in the community was from existing hand dug wells. Water from these wells is easily contami-nated by using dirty buckets on dirty ropes, dropped in to bring the water to the surface. Many in the families were affected by diarrhea and other water borne diseases, lim-iting their attendance in school, which really is the only way to break the cycle of poverty. The project was to drill a sani-tary water well and install a sealed hand pump to access the water. It was installed at the “Light of Jesus” church, which provided access to clean water to the community. It was amaz-ing to see those in the congrega-tion worship. There was a heartfelt sense of gratitude for the gift of water as well as an understanding of the gift of an eternity with Christ. I was im-

pressed with the open-ness of those in the com-munity to work with us “Gringos” and develop friendships as we worked together.

Prayer Point Ed returns to Nicaragua June 12-19 with a team from Adven-ture. They will partner with the community, teach water hy-giene lessons to help residents avoid future water born dis-eases, and share the hope of the Gospel. They challenge you to make water your only beverage for 2 weeks and donate the money you’d spend on other beverages to building a well.

DAY 1

“‘Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” (John 4:14)

Water Fact Nearly 90 percent of all diseases in the world are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanita-tion, and poor hygiene. Every year, there are 4 billion cases of diarrhea as a direct result of drinking contaminated water; this results in more than 2.2 million deaths each year. (Source: www.water.cc)

BOBBIE KRIZ (Living Water) There was a beautiful little boy I came to know in Guatemala. His name is Angel and he was only 5 years-old when I met him. He loved being with us and espe-cially being shown affection. He was obviously not taken care of and wore ragged, torn clothes; but his smile could light up any situation. So I spoke with him in

"They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water." (Isaiah 49:10)

his language about his family, asking how old he was, where he lived, what class he was in, (he didn’t go to kindergarten, but he was old enough to). He said, “Mi mama con Dios!” I looked at the women standing behind us and they said, yes, his mother had died, and they didn’t know where his father was. He was living with an aunt, but she was not there…she was working every day somewhere else. If there were any fun “boy things” going on, like marching around the school building like Joshua marched around Jericho, Angel was in the middle of it and hav-ing so much fun. This little boy was happy but basically ne-glected. It touched my heart to be able to give him hugs. What a joy it was to share the Living Water with Angel and the rest of the children at the school!

DAY 2

HANK & TINA DRESCHLER

In recent years several members from our congrega-tion have served our neighbors to the south on Mexico Family Camp trips. They serve in Northern Mexico, building homes and teaching Vacation Bible School to the children. In the communities in which they work, the water supply and water sanitation has improved greatly since 1990. Currently 96% of urban and 73% of rural areas have access to piped wa-ter, with an improved sanitation rate now at 81%, due to improved government infrastructure. (Source: WHO/UNICEF: Progress on Drinking Water and Sanita-tion, 2008)

Water Fact The weakest members of com-munities are the most vulner-able; every day water-related diseases claim the lives of 5000 children under the age of five. That’s roughly one every 15 seconds.

(Source: www.water.cc)

“For the time will come when all the earth will be filled, as the waters fill the sea, with an aware-ness of the glory of the Lord.” (Hab 2:14)

Prayer Point Pray for Adventure’s Mexico Family Camp team as they serve in Gloria, Mexico from June 19-26 .

DAY 3

LISA EDMISTEN (Ukids) On the over a mile walk home from the local village spring, I tried to let as little water as pos-sible slosh from the yellow 2-gallon and 5-gallon containers I was carrying. As my arms be-came tired, the task proved more difficult and I realized just how blessed we are in the United States to have water drip from our faucets. In Adventure Vil-lage, children as young as five years-old used to make this wa-

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.'" (John 3:5)

Prayer Point Pray for Adventure member , Govinda Spence. She will be in Adventure Village June 19-July 10, ministering to the children and mums through Children’s Bible School and helping with the onsite health clinic. ter trek twice daily. Even then

that water was contaminated with various water-borne patho-gens and often made the children and mums sick. I worked harder over the next few weeks as we dug ditches for drain pipes and put together downspouts for the water system. The entire village celebrated the finished project with hours of the most joyous praise and worship time I’ve ever experienced. Ac-cess to sustainable clean water has lowered disease and allowed the orphanage to grow from 450 to 800 children. A year later, I returned to the village and witnessed another water celebration—the baptism of over 260 children and mums. I was deeply moved watching my sponsored child, Living-stone, be baptized and receive the Living Water only Christ can provide.

DAY 4

ED KRIZ (Living Water)

The Adven-ture team traveled to Acajutla, El Salva-dor to drill a water well. Many get water from streams that are also used by animals and are used for washing and bathing—either that or from contaminated wells. Many regularly get sick from the water they need to survive. The place that we drilled was at a plot of land that was set aside as a partnership between the local government and a non-profit foundation to begin a trade school. It provided local youth with life skills training, com-bating the prevalent gang influence in these areas of poverty. We completed a well that

will provide the foundation with sanitary water for drinking that is desper-ately needed.

DAY 5

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37)

Water Fact Worldwide more than 150 million school-age children are severely affected by waterborne parasites like roundworm, whipworm, and hookworm. These children com-monly carry up to 1000 parasites at a time, causing anemia, stunted growth, and other debilitating con-ditions. (Source: www.water.cc)

Water Fact Statistics indicate a two-way relationship between extreme poverty and lack of access to safe water. About two-thirds of those without access to safe water live on less than $2 a day. Half of these—roughly equivalent to the population of the United States—live on less than $1 a day. (Source: www.water.cc)

ED KRIZ (Living Water) Many places in Haiti rely on rivers and streams for water. These are used by animals for washing and bathing in addition to drinking water. During the dry season people need to dig holes in dry stream beds until they get water. As a result there is much dysentery and typhoid in remote areas. There are wells in the area but many are broken and not functioning.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." (Psalm 42:1)

This is due to age and a lack of maintenance. We worked in the area of Ran-quitte – about 3 hours south of Cap Haitian in the north coun-try. Even though there was no earthquake damage, there were many families impacted because people were relocating from the damaged area in Port Au Prince or worse yet not receiving money from those working in Port Au Prince, because they were killed in the earthquake. One well we repaired was in a community that had the well re-paired 3 years ago. Since then folks used the well water only for drinking and it was getting worn, not pumping as effi-ciently. We pulled the equipment and replaced worn seals. It was re-ported that there was not one incident of typhoid there in the past 3 years.

DAY 6

Children at Adventure Village in

Uganda used to walk several miles a day each way to obtain unclean

water from local springs and ponds.

Today, thanks to Loomis

resident Rick Chowdry and

his water team, water is now

collected through

downspouts, stored in a

cistern, purified, pumped into

water tanks and available for use

when needed.