Lent: Day Forty

I'm writing this on Easter, and I'm just so stinkin' happy today, that I thought I'd conclude the H20 Project blog with some happy photos! Giving water to the thirsty makes me smile. And it makes the thirsty smile, too. Let's keep Living Water International in our prayers as they continue to bring clean water, God's love, and smiles to people around the world.

Lent: Day Thirty-Nine

Sometimes words are no good. I mean, being a writer, I hate to admit that, but it's true. I've known since I started this Lenten blog that I wanted this photo to come near the end. And I knew I wanted to write something beautiful about what it was like to watch Jorge place his hands under the clean water of his village's new well. I wanted to write about what it was like to watch him take his first drink.

But now that the big moment is here, I can't do it. I have no beautiful words. All I have is the honest truth that I've sat here staring at this photo for about half an hour, crying my eyes out in a funny mixture of joy and wonderment.

Who am I that God would allow me to be part of giving water to the desperately thirsty? The feeling is indescribable.

Jorge and his people waited 240 days for this moment.

Millions around the world are still waiting.

I fast so the wait will be over.

And I fast so more sentimental journalists like me will have the wonderful experience of having no words good enough to capture "that moment."

Won't you join me? To donate to Living Water International, go here. To go on a trip of your own, go here.

Lent: Day Thirty-Eight

I don't know too many people who think their feet are beautiful. Some, but not many. For most, feet are...personal. They are too fat or too smelly or too deformed to be touched by another. They have callouses and warts and yellow toe nails.

That's why I've always loved the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet at the Last Supper the night before He was crucified. To have someone--let alone the Son of God--kneel at your feet and use His bare hands to touch and cleanse them would be such a vulnerable, intimate, honoring moment. I would feel truly loved, especially as I looked back on that moment after witnessing the death and resurrection of Christ.

What's truly crazy about the story, though, is that it doesn't end with nice fuzzy feelings of being loved. In John 13:34, Jesus tells His disciples: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Yep, we are supposed to be loving people with a kneel-at-their-feet-and-wash-them kind of love.

Today is Maundy Thursday, a holy day set aside to commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples before His crucifixion. Scholars believe there are a couple derivatives for the word "maundy." It could come from the Latin word "mandatum," or commandment, as in, "A new command I give to you." It could also come from the Latin word "mendicare," which means "to beg," and may refer to the medieval custom of giving alms to the poor on the Holy Thursday before Good Friday.

As I think about Living Water International on this Maundy Thursday, I appreciate the reminder to love as Christ loves and to give to the poor, in spite of any ugliness we encounter in the ones we are trying to love.

When Living Water goes into villages in Africa, India, Central America and South America, they see a lot of ugliness. They see disease and death caused by dirty water and unsanitary living conditions. They see houses made of rusty tin and surrounded by piles of waste. They see worn out women, starving children, and scars from war. They encounter people with very different religious beliefs.

What a picture of love it is, then, when teams from Living Water work in mud, sweat, scorching sun, and pouring rain to give water to the thirsty! Let's pray that each well will be a chance to "wash the feet" of those who need God's love in the world.

Lent: Day Thirty-Seven

After the dedication of our well at Campenaro Numero Dos, El Salvador, one of the villagers invited our team to his house to celebrate. We sat in the shade of palm trees, enjoying conversation, laughter, and fresh coconuts and mangoes while the children danced about and put flowers in our hair.

I felt both honored and humbled to be treated so lavishly. The following is an excerpt from the blog I wrote about the celebration:

All Jorge has is eight coconuts and five mangoes. It is not enough. But it will have to do.

He raises his machete, deftly slicing the hairy fruits in half and urging us to eat. He plucks five mangoes -- lime green and crunchy like an apple -- from his mango tree. None remain on his branches for later.

He apologizes: “It is not enough.” He knows we gave $1,700 and a week of vacation time to bring his village clean water.

If only Jorge could hear our thoughts.

To me, the moment is surreal. As drops of coconut juice slide down my chin, I know Jorge has given everything to thank us. It makes our sacrifice seem small, like the story in the Gospel of Mark about the woman who gives two pennies and is considered more generous than those giving large sums that are only tiny portions of their wealth.

To me, this is the capstone on a week of learning that living in an impoverished state does not impoverish one’s spirit.

Lent: Day Thirty-Six

Several people have asked me recently what I'm going to drink come Easter when the 40 days of Lent are complete and the fast is broken. I understand that the question is a conversation starter, and I always answer it politely, but I struggle with it, too. As we approach the finish line, I desperately don't want to lose sight of what this fast is all about.

It's about loving the "least of these" mentioned in Matthew 25. It's about seeing their plight and taking steps to address it. It's about realizing that my abundance is meant to be shared.

If I lose sight of why I'm participating in the H20 Project for Living Water International, I'll be like the well pictured above: unfinished and useless, just waiting for the joy of giving water to the thirsty.

I don't want to be like that well. I want to keep praying and giving and looking out from myself to the needs of others. I pray all H20 Project participants will finish strong, keeping the focus on the thirsty and not themselves. 

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ~Acts 8:11

Lent: Day Thirty-Five

Health And Hygiene from Living Water International on Vimeo.


Wherever Living Water International drills a well, they also conduct hygiene training. At schools, women's clinics and village meetings, Living Water teams educate the people about germs, the spread of disease, and the importance of keeping hands, bodies, food, and water sources clean. These trainings are vital to helping people understand why their children are dying of diarrhea and other diseases and how to prevent such needless deaths.

Lent: Day Thirty-Four

* This slideshow is a smattering of photos from all my grand adventures with my favorite gal pals. Read on to find out why I've included them in my blog about drinking water to give water through Living Water International.

When I went to El Salvador to drill water wells with Living Water International, I did a fair amount of research on the world water crisis both before and after the trip. The stats and stories are astounding. And though many remain with me, one statistic that made an exceptional impact was this one, as cited by the United Nations Development Programme:

~The weight of water that women in Africa and Asia carry on their heads is commonly 40 pounds, the same as the average airport luggage allowance.

What's more, in the dry season in Africa women and children often have to walk as many as 7 miles to even get to a water source. And more often than not, that water source is no good.

So, women are walking 7 miles every day to carry 40 pounds of dirty, disease-causing water on their heads.

When I read these statistics, I think about all my favorite gal pals. I think about them wasting their days fetching water that makes them sick instead of caring for children, or getting an education, or working to help provide for their family, or enjoying time with friends.

It makes me so sad. I love my gal pals dearly and would never, ever want to see them living in such a trap. I mean, I really admire those women around the world who sacrifice so much to care for their family, but it shouldn't have to be that way.

They deserve more.

And so, I fast to help give women around the world a better life.

* Visit the Living Water International website to learn more about the water crisis. Be sure to check out their videos, too!

Lent: Day Thirty-Three

I know that sometimes writers get all caught up in sharing amazingly deep insights and making our words sound pretty. But today, as I looked through my photos and tried to pick one to expound upon, I just kept staring at the photos of the dirty water in the bucket and the dirty water in the river.

No one should have to drink water that brown.

And so, quite simply, I fast so that people don't have to drink dirty water anymore.

Lent: Day Thirty-Two

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not naturally a kid person. I mean, I like kids, and when I put forth the effort, they seem to like me in return. We have lots of fun together. But it doesn't come naturally for me.

I am not that girl who cuddles all the new babies at church or volunteers in the nursery or teaches Sunday School. I'd much rather scrub a toilet, bake goodies...or man a shovel on a water well site. 

That's why I marveled at God's sense of humor when he placed me, these two brothers, and a bag of frisbees and balls within a 2-foot radius of each other our first day in Campenaro Numero Dos, El Salvador. I mean, how could I refuse those faces?!

At first, I only humored Dani and Zeta. I felt bad for "playing" while my teammates were working up a sweat 40 feet away.

But then God did something. In me. He made me silly and animated and coordinated. I started pitching frisbees backwards, under my legs, two at a time. I made faces and laughed and got down on Dani and Zeta's level to hug them and take funny photos.

For a few precious moments, God made me a natural kid person and enabled me to live in that very moment. We hopped and rolled and tossed and ran and laughed.

I can still hear their laughter. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard, made even more beautiful by God's spur-of-the-moment transformation of a somewhat awkward girl who feels much more normal with a pen or book in her hand than a kid.

And so, I suppose the lesson is this: Drilling a water well is a serious business that cures serious diseases--of body and soul. But drilling a water well is also a chance to give the gift of play and laughter to all those beautiful kiddos in the world.

I fast for that...for the laughter of Dani and Zeta and every other kid who has been or will be visited by a team from Living Water International.

Lent: Day Thirty-One

When we held the dedication ceremony for our completed well at Campenaro Numero Dos in El Salvador, one of the things that stuck with me most was how everyone was dressed.

I realize that sounds funny...especially coming from a girl who can pack her entire wardrobe in one suitcase. I'm just not that into clothing or fashion.

What I liked about how people were dressed was the contrast: We Americans in jeans so dirty they could have stood on their own, and the Salvadorans in their nicest slacks and prettiest dresses.

Pink, blue, red, brown. Lacy, twirly, frilly. Clean faces and done-up hair.

This ceremony was special. This water well was important. Like a wedding or a nice dinner, it deserved a little extra spiffing.

I loved seeing that outward expression of the villager's gratitude. But even more, I loved that our team was so incredibly dirty. It was an image of how our willingness to obey God's command to spend ourselves on behalf of the poor (Isaiah 58) had paid off.

We had worked, we had sweated, we had been splattered in mud and grease for a beautiful outcome: clean, beautiful, shiny, fresh water for an entire village, water that would wash away their dirt outside, quench their thirst inside, and, hopefully, make them desire the Living Water of knowing Christ as their savior.

Lent: Day Thirty

The Birth of Living Water International from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Day thirty. I find it hard to believe that only ten days remain of this year's Lenten fast. For thirty days, thousands of people have been drinking water to give water as part of the H20 Project.

I imagine for some, it took a while to get over themselves and their desires (for coffee, soda, tea, whatever) and truly focus on praying for all the people Living Water has reached and will yet reach.

I imagine others are looking toward the finish line and struggling to keep their fervor for loving the thirsty beating strong.

For either group, I think this video about the beginnings of Living Water International will be encouraging. It shows us that God uses the ordinary, the unsure, the gung-ho, and the fading to accomplish His purposes.

For those not participating in the H20 Project, this video is a great look at how it all began. The fact that Living Water has grown continually for 20 years is testament to the need for clean water in our world. Let's keep on keeping on!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
~Galatians 6:9

Lent: Day Twenty-Nine

As of 8:19 p.m. Mountain Standard Time April 11, 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau's World Population Clock estimates there are 6,911,620,970 people in the world. That's six billion, nine hundred eleven million, six hundred twenty thousand, nine hundred seventy.

Refresh the screen.

At 8:22 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, the World Population Clock reads: 6,911,621,417.

In three minutes, the world's population was estimated to increase by 447 people.

The population of the world is so big, the numbers won't fit on a standard calculator. I had to do the math by hand.

Refresh the screen.

As of 8:34 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, the world population is estimated at 6,911,623,203.

In 12 minutes, the world's population increased by 1,786 people.

Incredible. I was doing some research at work today when I rediscovered this insanely addicting clock. I sat and refreshed my screen every five seconds for probably three minutes. As I watched the numbers bound up and up (ahem, conducted research), my thoughts turned to Living Water International.

According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, about 1/8 of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water. That means that as I watch the population clock steadily increase, one in eight of the people represented will experience the poor quality of life, disease and death caused by dirty water.

The need for living water is great. But God is greater, and Living Water International is doing all it can to bring water and new life in Christ to as many people as it can. Let's keep it coming! Visit Living Water's website to learn how to help.

8:55 p.m. Mountain Standard Time April 11, 2011: 6,911,626,113...and counting.

Lent: Day Twenty-Eight

This is Malida. She lives across the river near San Juan (the second village in which we drilled). She must cross the river many times a day to go to school and market. There is no bridge, so she carries a spare dress to change into at school. If the river is flowing too high, she cannot cross.

When I was in El Salvador, I was struck several times by how differently I relate to water than much of the rest of the world. I see water as something clean, refreshing, and life giving. Water does not make me sick or prevent me from getting to the market. I do not have to break my back hauling water for miles every day. In one of the articles I wrote about our Living Water trip, I had this to say on the topic:

The Downpour

When it rains in El Salvador, it pours -- and I’m not talking about salt. Wave after wave of rain slams upon gardens, farmers, tin huts and roads. I see more rain in one hour than Wyoming sees in one year.

One night the rain and wind are so forceful, the power to our guesthouse is cut. As I lie in bed, sweltering without the air conditioning, I realize a few things. One, losing power is not a problem for most people in El Salvador -- because they don’t have any. And two, a rainstorm like this one could easily wash away their roads, their crops and the floors -- or more -- of their houses.

In the rain, my mind turns to American worship songs involving water, and I am struck by how silly they would sound here. So often we sing of drowning in God’s grace, of His love raining down, of His waves of mercy.

But here, water is dirty, angry, destructive and deadly. It does not satisfy. I can only pray the idea of God’s salvation being a fresh well of living water within them will be all the more sweet.

Lent: Day Twenty-Seven

I'm reading the book, "Crazy Love," by Francis Chan. It's a great book about giving beyond what you think you can give. And though I'll probably share more that I've learned from it later, I wanted to share just a tidbit today.

In chapter 7, Chan examines Matthew 25, which we looked at a few days ago. Let's look at verses 37-40 again:

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

In the book, Chan asked a great question after citing these verses. I'll leave it with you today as we consider the ministry of Living Water International:

How would my life change if I actually thought of each person I came into contact with as Christ?

Lent: Day Twenty-Six

Sometimes when I think about God loving the world so much that He gave His only Son to die for us so we, too, could become His children, I get this great mental image of God pulling out His wallet to show us off.

He opens it up and starts flipping through His collection of photos.

"Here is Jesus, my Son with whom I am well pleased," he begins. "Here is Noah building the ark, Ruth gleaning in the fields, David with his shepherd's staff. This one of an empty field is Elijah; he disappeared before I could snap the photo! Here's Esther, her beautiful spirit shining bright. Oh, and here's Peter and Andrew with their fishing gear; they were a hoot. This is Mary after she washed my feet with her hair."

He sits down on the nearest chair.

"I've got a few billion more, so you may want to take a seat," he says as he flips through the pages worn with thousands of years of use. "Hudson Taylor, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., Elisabeth Elliot...aren't my kids great?"

I could go on and on. The point is, God LOVES His children, and I believe He is using Living Water International to add many, many more photos to that wallet of His. When we pray and fast and give to help give clean water to people around the world, we are also giving them the chance to become God's kids. That's definitely worth 40 days without coffee.

P.S. My family recently added a few photos to our own wallets! And I'm going to use this post to share them with you. (Cause, well, I've got to. I'm one proud Auntie, and I can't wait to share these!)

My niece, Maria Alana Wiest, was born at 4:07 a.m. April 3! 6 pounds 1 ounce, 19 inches long. A month early but healthy. Andy and Marianne are thrilled to be new parents, and they're doing a fantastic job already.

Andy, Maria, and Marianne. Love those matching outfits!

She's thinking deep thoughts already. Photo by Izzi Ray.

As Marianne says, you can die happy after seeing this! Photo by Marianne.

Andy's a daddy! Photo by Izzi Ray.

The Wiest clan. I can't wait to meet little Maria!

Lent: Day Twenty-Five

After pondering Matthew 25, I've decided that I desperately don't want to be a goat.

In fact, I think that may be my new motto: Don't be a goat. Catchy, isn't it? But what does it mean?

It means:
Open your eyes! Notice the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, the prisoner.
And once you've noticed them...
Do something! Feed the hungy, give the thirsty something to drink, clothe the naked, house the wanderer, care for the sick, visit the prisoner!
And once you've done something...
Do it again! And again! And again!
Spend yourself on behalf of the poor! (Isaiah 58:10)

Why? Cause God says to over and over in His word.
Why? Cause God spent Himself for us when He sent His son, Jesus, to die to pay the price for our sins. Jesus spent every last drop of His blood to purchase our souls. I think I can spend my money and time and energy showing His love to more people so they have the chance to know Him.

Don't be a goat.

The Sheep and the Goats - Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Lent: Day Twenty-Four

The Story of the Thirsty - Short from Living Water International on Vimeo.


My eyes are absolutely buggy from staring at words on a screen all day at work, so I'm going to share a less wordy post tonight. Please enjoy this video from Living Water International. It is titled, quite simply, "The Story of the Thirsty."

Lent: Day Twenty-Three

Maybe it's the journalist in me, but I've always liked this picture from my time in El Salvador with Living Water International. As a features reporter at Wyoming's statewide daily, I was always begging my photographers to take detail shots. For example, if I did a story on fly fishing, I wanted captivating scenery photos, shots of the fishermen in action, and some up-close-and-personal views of gnarly hands tying on a fly or a fish in a net.

When considering the big picture problem of dirty water and thirst--both physical and spiritual--in the world, it is easy to overlook the details. We see that a well has been drilled in Africa or Haiti or India and forget the many details that went into that well. Each 40-pound pipe driven into the borehole was lifted off the truck by one volunteer, greased by another, twisted into place by another, and driven into the ground by the volunteer running the drill. Someone had to remember the brush for the grease, the hard hats, and the wrenches.

The parts of the well, the rods, pipes, handle, and body, were paid for by donors who baked cookies to sell at a bake sale or who gave up coffee, pop, and other beverages for Lent.

The details are important. That $2 cup of coffee you are giving up really does matter because those $2 could buy that paintbrush that is used to grease the pipe that drives the borehole deep enough to hit water and complete the well that will provide clean water to a village in El Salvador. And that clean water presents an opportunity to share the good news of Christ's love with the villagers. And that could lead to one--or more--people trusting Christ as their savior and satisfying their thirst forever.

It's a little like "The House that Jack Built," only cooler.

Lent: Day Twenty-Two

I'm going to steal directly from Living Water International in today's blog post. I've spent a good deal of time trying to put a human face on the water crisis, which is valuable and tends to be the way I see the world, but sometimes it's good to pull back and look at the big picture. When we in America can get clean water from half a dozen sources in our house, it's hard to comprehend the devastation that dirty water causes. So, I'll let some hard facts do the talking. At the same time, please remember that God is bigger than all these numbers.

• 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world’s population. (WHO-UNICEF)

• 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5000 deaths a day. (UNDP)

• LWI projects providing safe water and hygiene education at an average cost of twenty dollars per person, for a generation. (LWI)

• The simple act of washing hands with soap and clean water can reduce diarrheal diseases by over 40%. (UNICEF)

• Providing water and hygiene education reduces the number of deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases by an average of 65%. (WHO)

• Water-related disease is the second biggest killer of children worldwide, after acute respiratory infections like tuberculosis. (UNDP)

• The weight of water that women in Africa and Asia carry on their heads is commonly 40 pounds, the same as the average airport luggage allowance. (UNDP)

• Water and sanitation infrastructure helps people take the first essential step out of the cycle of poverty and disease.

• At any given time, half the population of the developing world is suffering from one or more of the main diseases associated with inadequate provision of water and sanitation. (UNDP)

• At any one time, half of the developing world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-related diseases. (UN)

• Around 90% of incidences of water-related diseases are due to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene and is mostly concentrated on children in developing countries. (WHO)

• Intestinal worms infect about 10% of the population of the developing world. Intestinal parasitic infections can lead to malnutrition, anaemia and stunted growth. (WHO)

• The average North American uses 400 liters a day. European uses 200 liters. (UNDP)

• The average person in the developing world uses 10 liters of water every day for their drinking, washing and cooking. (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC))

• On current trends over the next 20 years humans will use 40% more water than they do now. (UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

• Agriculture accounts for over 80% of the world’s water consumption. (UN Environment Programme (U

• 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases. (UNDP)

• 11% more girls attend school when sanitation is available. (DFID)

• 40 billion working hours are spent carrying water each year in Africa. (Cosgrove and Rijsberman 1998)

• Households in rural Africa spend an average of 26% of their time fetching water, and it is generally women who are burdened with the task. (DFID).

Lent: Day Twenty-One

Sometimes I am struck by the beauty of people.

I watch them walk -- slowly with a walker, silver-graced head bobbing with each step -- briskly with briefcase in hand, smart shoes click-clacking on the tile -- quietly on bare, brown feet.

I see them smile -- wide, with whitened teeth sparkling -- quickly, as if surprised by their own grin -- shy, espresso eyes cast down.

I hear them speak -- shrill, booming, gravely, smooth, sweet. 

They think and feel and fall and rise again. They live. It's really quite remarkable. And though I know we are a fallen race, lost in our sin, deserving of death, I can't help but appreciate God's mark in each of us. We truly are made in His image, and when we love each other, I believe He is honored.