A typical jerry can holds around 40 pounds of water.

Greyson Goon only has to walk a few steps to his nearest water source: the tap in his Silver Spring, Maryland kitchen. “Clean water isn’t something I think too much about,” he says. “I just turn on the faucet and expect water.” But when Greyson learned about the 884 million people in the world who don’t have access to clean water, he wanted to find a way to walk with them.

For 40 days, Greyson is carrying two jerry cans (which he named Rachel and Leah), each filled with 40 pounds of water. He is carrying them everywhere he goes—his office, the beach, restaurants, church—and raising awareness and funds for clean water. “When I started, 40 days seemed like a good biblical number, but now that I think of it, three is also a good biblical number,” he jokes.

In spite of sore shoulders and aching legs, Greyson will continue carrying the jerry cans until August 9^th. His goal is to raise $1600—$40 dollars a day for 40 days—to go toward rehabilitating a well in Sierra Leone.

“If five years ago you told me that I’d be doing this, I’d say you were nuts.  I’m not an activist, nor am I someone who had dreams of changing the world,” Greyson says. “I’m just an average guy, but I love and serve a powerful God.”

After 40 days, Greyson will put the jerry cans down. “But others don’t have that option,” he acknowledges. You can help Greyson make that option available for thirsty people around the world. Walk with him and the millions who carry this burden every day by keeping up with his progress on his blog, and donating to his cause here.

At the beginning of his run, Abe wrote, “This is the beginning of a journey that will test my limits, challenge my body, play tricks with my mind, and match no other extreme physical experience I endeavor. The opportunity is incredible, but the odds against me are great. However, today the weather is beautiful, and my legs are fresh.”

When he set out that day with his faithful companion Ruby (a bright red jogging stroller laden with 80 pounds of supplies—extra running shoes, a camera, clothing, energy bars, a tent, and more), Abe didn’t know he was beginning a trip that would have him shivering through the night in a snow cave in New Mexico, running through one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in eastern St. Louis, getting pulled over by the cops six different times, being confronted by a man with a pistol, getting invited on a family’s horseback riding trip, finding 3 driver’s licenses and one FBI badge, or having an injured rabbit as his companion for several days along the way. His longest run was 52 miles. He burned through five pairs of running shoes. He put one foot in front of the other for 136 days, running a grand total of 2,960 miles.

The finish line? Atlantic City, New Jersey. Abe and Ruby ran into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean on June 30th, 2010. Here’s what he had to say about the experience (Ruby declined to comment):

“WE DID IT! I ran across America, and you raised a mind-blowing $88,706 for Living Water! Thank you so much to everyone who followed along and donated. Already the run seems like a distant memory. I’m very happy I was able to pull it off and that you were able to pull together such a huge amount of money. The end was a lot of fun!

Anything can be accomplished one step at a time. Sometimes the first step is the hardest, but without that first step I would have never been able to take my last step into the Atlantic Ocean.”

Since Abe recorded those thoughts, additional donations have come in, bringing Abe’s total to $89,391! You can continue to donate to Abe’s cause and help him reach his goal of $100,000 by clicking here. You can also read more of Abe’s reflections on the final days of his run at www.water.cc/running or on Abe’s website at www.runningwater.cc.

EL SALVADOR – El Salomo

Francisco is 15 years old. When I first met him, not many words were exchanged. The few that were may have been literally lost in translation, but in his eyes I could see it: a hurting, yet hopeful spirit of determination that would soon be expressed with humble hands and a thirsty heart.

Drilling through the earth’s surface at 100 feet, things get messy. Layers of dirt, clay, sand, gravel, and rock stubbornly sit unmoveable below the ground while we press on, trusting God’s words in Isaiah 41:17 to reach precious water for his people. Defeating the global water crisis happens one well at a time, and this El Salomo crisis was about to be conquered by Francisco.

The rain poured, mud splattered, and in the thick of it was Francisco, face-planted to the ground just inches above a dirt-infested trench. The afternoon of mud rotary wore on our team, but never on Francisco. He would not accept water nor take a break, but instead worked tirelessly in the trench with a frequent grin on his face. I’d smile back with appreciation for his servant heart, but by hour three who knows if his eager eyes could even see past his eyelashes muddled in dirt? I know Jesus would’ve gotten down in the mud and helped us if he had been there physically.

As it turns out, Francisco’s mother shared how day after day he walks to and from a distant well to gather water for his family and the thirsty of El Salomo. One of the many victims of ‘time poverty’ trapped in today’s water crisis, Francisco was ready to be set free.

At 195 feet, we hit water! Isaiah 41:20 came to life before my eyes as I marveled at God’s creation in a brand new way. During the well dedication, the children’s faces glowed and Francisco looked on proudly, resting his eyes on this source of life. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Water is not just a basic need, it is a precious gift from our Father, desired for all of His children and given to us through his Son. Blessed or burdened with much, may we always be thirsty for more Living Water.

Twin bomb attacks rocked the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Sunday afternoon. The blasts occurred within 50 minutes of each other, one at a popular Ethiopian restaurant and the second at a crowded rugby club. Both venues were packed with people watching the World Cup final. 74 people, including one American, died in the explosions; many more were injured.

Beau Abdulla, Living Water International’s implementing partner in Kampala, contacted us early Monday morning with an update:

Everyone here is OK after the bomb attacks last night. One of the restaurants bombed was only 5 minutes from the house. It’s a very sad thing. The LWI Uganda staff is all safe.

Please pray for the people of Uganda and the field staff of Living Water and other international development and aid organizations in the wake of this horrible tragedy.

In the center of the village of Nuevo Sinai is a high school with 247 students. Every day, students and teachers were drinking, bathing, and washing clothes in the river. The school had restrooms, but without proper hygiene education, the students didn’t understand about the importance of keeping them clean. It finally came to the point that the teachers decided to close the restrooms altogether because they were so filthy.

Every day, students were sent home because of sickness or because they needed to go and fetch water for their families. When the teachers were thirsty, they had to leave the classroom for long periods of time to go and get water; it was often easier to simply send everyone home instead of making them wait at the school for the teacher to return.

And now, every day, the students and teachers in Nuvea Sinai see the new well in their village, and they know that the clean water it produces is only one part of the solution. They also know about the impact of germs and bacteria. They know the importance of using latrines and keeping their bathrooms clean. They understand how vital regular handwashing is to overall health. Every day, they are reminded by the new well and the clean water it gives them. The director of the school, Esteban Villalvir, was overjoyed by everything that happened in the community, saying “It is a great blessing to receive this well, from God and from you. Thank you!”

In many communities where we work, the people use water for more than drinking and washing. The Dagara people of Burkina Faso live in houses made of handmade mud bricks. A key ingredient in mud bricks? Water. And when it isn’t located nearby, everyday tasks become grueling affairs.

“We could not build our homes,” commented Sanyirwe Hein. “Water was too far away. We had to go to the muddy creek to gather the water, and it is very, very far. We had to stop along the way many times to rest.”

Of course, the consequences of walking so far to gather dirty water are greater than lost time…greater even than the inability to build shelter. Hauling large basins of water is backbreaking work. And while the creek water may be suitable for brick-making, it is certainly not suitable for drinking. People were sick—and yet, like Sanyirwe, they continued to walk to the muddy creek. They didn’t have a choice.

Now, they do. The rehab of this pump lasted well into the night. Everyone was so patient as our team found the parts we needed. And even though it took a long time to finish—even though we finished in the dark by the light of several flashlights—Sanyirwe smiled. “Now,” she said, “it will be easy to do all of our work with water.”

Meet Mathou. Born on the east side of the Etosha pan (a vast, dry salt pan in the northern part of the country), he learned at a very young age how to survive in this harsh environment. “As a child I learned to hunt lizards for meat. The hind legs are the only meat,” Mathou informs us. “And some types of lizards grow very large.” He and his siblings also learned to find the eggs of bush chickens—“a treat” that they would combine with mahango meal to make soup for birthdays.

When Mathou was 11 years old, his family was moved four times during the resettlement period. “That journey led them to Manguetti region, where it is dry and thirsty land.” The Namibian government drilled a borehole 11 kilometers away from where Mathou and his family settled—that’s over 12 miles round-trip, half of which is spent hauling heavy jerry cans full of water.

“The new borehole gives us clean water close by,” Mathou says matter-of-factly. Manguetti may remain a dry and thirsty land, but Mathou and his community aren’t parched anymore.

A few years ago, Living Water International’s Executive Director Gary Evans began working with the board of directors to plan for the next stage of the organization’s development. One of the most significant parts of the resulting plan was Gary’s own transition into a new, more specialized role. As of this summer, Gary will be able to focus on what he loves—Living Water’s field operations; it’s a proposition that has him very excited.

Stepping into Gary’s shoes at the organization’s helm is Mike Mantel, who for two years has been Living Water’s Senior Vice President for Development, and before that served in a variety of leadership roles with World Vision.

As President and CEO, Mike sees it as his first priority to preserve the best of what Living Water International has been throughout its history.

“Transition is an opportunity to value our history, our relationships, the knowledge we’ve developed, and the blessings the Lord has given us,” Mantel said in a recent interview. “[We need] to hold on to those things, and to build on them and to discern what the Lord has for us for the next 20 years. It’s moving into a new reality without losing sight of what has been effective and blessed by God in the past. My role is to step into the shoes of a founding director and to be a good steward of what this organization is and can be.”

As the stage is being set for the next season of growth and impact, other leaders are stepping into roles that are critical to the process.

Jerry Wiles has served as President since 2003, helping Gary give leadership to the organization. Now, as President Emeritus, he will focus his energies fully on his greatest passion: leading the organization’s spiritual development and outreach strategies. Much of his time will be spent traveling to Living Water’s countries of operation training staff members and local church leaders contextual Bible storying techniques.

Growth always stretches us and creates new challenges, but the Living Water community is eager to see what’s next. Gary Evans may have said it best: “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I get a front row seat.”

Introducing…
Mike Mantel is now serving as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Living Water International. Mike joined Living Water in September of 2008 as Senior Vice President for Development after 17 years in various leadership roles with World Vision. Mike brings to Living Water a diverse range of experience, broad relational networks, and
a PhD in Organizational Development as we enter a new season with increased opportunities for growth and impact. The Mantels—Mike, Natalie and daughters Maggie and Katie—are excited about being in Houston; daughters Libby and Abbi attend Calvin College in Michigan but hope to join the family for summers and holidays.

Jim Malliet began serving as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on May 17, with responsibility for accounting, finance, budgeting, information technology, human resources, and facility management. Previously, Jim was CFO of Origio Inc., a publicly traded company that is located in New Jersey. Prior to that, Jim held CFO and Operations positions in private industry, including high-level international positions at S.C. Johnson (Johnson Wax), a multi-billion dollar consumer products company. Jim and his wife, Marcia, are very excited to respond to this new call in their lives and are looking forward to relocating to Houston.

Originally published in its full form in the summer edition of Living Water’s quarterly, Pipeline.

When our team arrived, some of the villagers were expecting us and smiling and ready to help us in everything we needed. One woman told us on behalf of all of the other women in the community, “We are so thankful to God and you because this is the first time we have ever seen foreign people come and share with us these lessons. Thank you for taking care of us. God bless you.”

Trip participant and Living Water International Board Member Mollie Allen had this to say about her experience in the village—her first time in the field with Living Water:

Words won’t express how wonderful the trip was. My heart and mind will forever remember the blessing I was given from the Guatemalan people, from the Living Water team members, and from the Living Water staff. Going forward, the board meetings and other interactions with Living Water will be different to me. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s difficult to understand just by reading the material, seeing the pictures, watching TV, and hearing the stories from others. Until you have walked with the people, looked into their eyes, held their hands, and given and received their hugs…everything is just different now—such new meaning! I am already wondering when I can go back.

I took over 500 pictures, mostly of the people and children; I will count these pictures as treasures. As I look at their faces in these pictures, I pray we were able to touch their hearts and make a difference in their lives—they touched my heart and made a difference for me.

It was a small thing, really. A loose screw. That’s what stood between the people of Kouri and clean water.

“After our pump broke, we had to leave and go a great distance to search for water,” says Elalie Some, a farmer in the village. Her community spent more than a year walking away from the pump in their village to another well several kilometers away. “Even after the long trip,” continued Elalie, “we could not get water from the other well immediately. We had to wait for the well to fill up, and still after that, the water was not clean.” The water that they spent so much time gathering made everyone sick. 

Whoever originally installed the well in Kouri simply didn’t tighten the piston plunger inside the cylinder, so the piston came unscrewed…and the pump stopped working. A year later, Elalie and her community watched and waited, hoping to see that sparkling clean water come out of the pump once more.

The repair was successful and the people were overjoyed. Eliale told us, “We are very, very happy with you and we give many thanks for your love for us. We pray to God for you many times, that He give you always His wisdom and His courage so that you can help always in the name of Jesus.”

 To us, it may have looked like little more than tightening a loose screw. To the people of Kouri, it looked like a miracle.