World Water Day is Today!

Today, March 22, is World Water Day. It's probably not something that is pre-marked on most people's daytimers or photo-filled calendars. But it might be something you would like to pencil in because it really is important and it affects about 1.1 billion people in our world today. It still shocks me to the core that there are over a billion people who lack access to safe, clean drinking water. It's absurd, actually. There are millions of unnecessary deaths because of water-borne diseases. This crisis mostly affects women and children, who must walk miles every day to carry buckets of filthy water upon their heads, knowing all too well, that if they don't drink the water, they might die - and if they do drink the water, they might die. What kind of choice is that? Clearly, it's no choice at all.

There's a movement out there (small, but extremely committed) to end this global water crisis. I think many people feel as if they have nothing to offer, or no way to actually be a part of the change. But when $1 provides a year of water for an African, for instance, it's clear that everyone has something to offer. I believe that if we can rally this nation to care about this issue, we will see a dramatic decline in the water crisis. Through Blood:Water Mission, we have already seen transformation in hundreds of communities in sub-Saharan Africa. It's an amazing privilege to enter into the lives and struggles of friends an ocean away. As Dan Haseltine says, a huge body of water has kept us apart from Africa, but water is also the very thing that can connect us.

On World Water Day, I hope you take a moment to thank God for the gift of clean water in your own lives and that you join us in praying for those who struggle daily to live because they lack the very element that they need most for survival.

Jena Lee and everyone at Blood:Water Mission

For more, go to WORLD WATER DAY 2006