What I’d Do for a Clean Cup of Water

If we are honest, we would admit that among our list of worries clean water does not reside. Before I sat down to begin splitting infinitives, I walked to the water fountain and took a long drink of cold water that was as clean as an Alaskan snowfall. I take for granted the reliability of the water I drink. Should I? No, and to further drive home this point, I spend several weeks each year working on clean water initiatives for Third World countries. If I am lulled into complacency by both the accessibility and cleanliness of our water supply, I’m guessing most of the rest of us do as well. But let’s not. Apologies for the prior incomplete sentence but it says it all: we cannot, and should not, take for granted our clean water when much of the rest of the world is in dire straits due to the lack of access to water, much less healthy water.

The World Bank reports that 80 countries presently have water shortages and two billion people lack access to clean water. The non-profit group, Filter of Hope, provides statistics stating that, of the annual deaths related to impure water, 90% are children under the age of five. In the Dominican Republic, a place where we are very missionally active, only 73% of the available potable water is, in reality, safe to drink, and a full 57% of the people lack reliable and affordable access to clean water. These are reasons we must remain vigilant and continue to work to provide clean and affordable water to our adopted mission fields.

Next week, a team of sixteen people will serve the Guaymate Batey in the rural eastern portion of the Dominican Republic by building the infrastructure for the clean water system that JCBC provided through our annual missions offering. Fourteen JCBC members, plus two Rotary Club of Johns Creek members, will form this team that will be doing hot, heavy and difficult construction work for five long days. It will be an honor serving alongside each and every one of them as we seek to make a difference in the world in the name of Christ.

In four-six weeks, this village will have an abundance of cheap, clean water. Lives will be changed, possibly even a few saved, and that’s why we do what we do…so let’s never take for granted our obvious blessings. Next time you take a swig of cold, clean and easily accessible water…remember, we are both fortunate and blessed. And, since we like to share our blessings, let’s keep the clean water systems going in. There’s a thirsty world out there that needs us!

Pray for our Missions Team who will be joining me in the D.R. next week:

Bob Ostapower
Dale Stone
Danny Henderson
Don Walters
Ed Boland
Gene Patton
Rosanne Patton
Jeff Quick
Render Freeman
Richard Kay
Sue Kay
Tom Hill
Todd Tibbetts
Lisa McCullar
Bill Weeks

Michael McCullar
Formations Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church