Water (Part 1)

Today's topic: Water.

"Why?", you ask.

Think about how important water is. Water is essential to life on Earth. Living things can not endure very long at all without water.

I was sitting in on a leadership meeting at the church I work at a few weeks ago. Long story short, the church has just raised enough money for EIGHT wells to be built by Gospel for Asia. I was able to relate my own experiences around the world seeing how valuable clean water is which prompted me to think aferwards about just how valuable the substance is. It's valuable for health and sanitation but as a tool for evangelization among non-Christians. Throughout this fundraising venture with the church, I have looked more into the wells and clean water, in general. An a recent article, GFA said that each well will impact hundreds of people! Praise God!!

I will assert that we, in the western world, underestimate the value of clean water--or water in general! When's the last time you:

• Turned on the faucet
• Flushed a toilet
• Cooked (with water)
• Washed your hands
• Washed your car
• Went swimming
• Enjoyed a nice, refreshing cup of ice water
• Enjoyed coffee, cocoa, or cider
• Took a shower/bath
• Washed your clothes
• Washed your dishes (by hand or dishwasher)
• Watered your lawn (think summer, Midwesterners!)
• Put water in your car to prevent overheating (okay, maybe just me...last summer!)
• Washed off a piece of fruit
• Drank from a water fountain
• Ran the shower to help with congestion

You get the idea....I bet you wouldn't use even a fraction of that amount of water if you had to pump water out of a well or fetch it out of a river...and then CARRY IT! Let me tell you, water buckets are HEAVY! I watered plenty of dust in my six months at JCC. And you probably wouldn't care nearly as much about the temperature after all of that... :-) But here, at home, we like our "creature comforts", don't we. Addicted to our hot showers, nice bubble baths, "just-right" cup of coffee....aren't we? This is as much to me as anyone.

This is essentially the first installment of a series about WATER and how we might better be informed of the issues. Water--clean water especially--is critical in Sierra Leone as it is throughout the world! If you read this blog or follow Jonathan House at all, then please take note of this and pray! Pray for clean water in the villages of the church plants, for the poorest, for the "least of these", for the wells at Jonathan House to work without mechanical issues. The driest, hottest month of the year in Sierra Leone is March. And it gets HOT!!! Then the rainy season will start in late April, May. The World Water Day (UN) also takes place in March coincidentally.

Let me leave you with this YouTube video about water. And as always, if you have any contributions, feel free to let me know. Contact information is at the top of the right margin.

Pray for Mary Ina (& some other requests)

April 3rd: Prayer & Praise (per Karen)

Pray for Mary Ina's and her family as they wait for a man with the US Embassy in Dakar to approve her visa so that she can finally come home!!! Mary Ina is in the bottom picture--how sweet is she?!

Pray for Rachel (in the top photo holding Solomon, Jan. '07) as she will have surgery to remove one of her kidneys on Sun. (April 6th). Pray for peace for her as she waits and for her twin sister Leah. Pray for the surgeon's skill and a sterile environment to prevent infection, a successful procedure and a quick recovery. Pray that she'll be able to make up any school work she might miss. She is in Grade 8 at the high school. She and Leah just turned 14 in March.

Pray for the people getting ready to go to Jonathan House:

* Christie--She'll be leaving in another week or so and will spend 6 months at JH serving as a house mother at the children's home. Pray for her health and good travel and quick adjustment to a new lifestyle at the home.

* Mark & Ashtyn--They'll be heading over end of April for a court date in the family's process to adopt one of the boys at the home--John Tarawallie. (What a great kid!)

* Roger, Kayla and several others who will make up two teams in May/June--some for 3 weeks and some for 5 weeks.

Pray for the staff as they deal with changes in the government and among staff. A new president and essentially a new government was put into office last fall which is a huge blessing. The election was peaceful which in itself is a huge praise! The new president is a Temne man and is a Christian! While it can be hard to keep up with some of the changes and requirements, hopefully these changes will create a better Sierra Leone in the future (hopefully sooner than later).

Praise God for a buyer for the old vehicle. A new vehicle was provided just a short time ago. (Praise!)

Pray for the fundraising campaign to build a new school on the grounds at Jonathan House. This is one of those new requirements of the new government. We are asking that people would donate $10 for a "brick" (or more!). And we are even going to encourage you to personalize that brick (or bricks) and they will form a collage at the home in the shape of the new building! More will be posted on this soon enough. Email JHM.Salone@gmail.com for any questions or how you can participate.

Praise God for the newest church plant in the village of Gbomboma! They just celebrated the finishing of their building with an official event. There were between 100 and 150 people in attendance at the Gbomboma church Easter Sunday. The church plant only started a year or so ago. Praise God for a successful outreach at the church in November with a medical clinic and handouts of food that were donated and sent over on the container. Pray for the pastor and leadership in the church that they will continue to trust God and be strong witnesses for others in Gbomboma and surrounding villages. The pastor--Randolph--also serves as the Class 4 teacher at the Jonathan House primary school. Another teacher and house father at Jonathan House is also the pastor at Torwama church--another JH church plant. Pray for these men and their families.