Lifewater | The Source | Winter 2018

THE SOURCE L I F E WAT E R N E W S L E T T E R | W I N T E R 2 0 1 8

Love Well IN THIS ISSUE: YOUR IMPACT: 100,000+ PEOPLE SERVED A PERSISTENT WIDOW IS REWARDED L IFEWATER BBQ SERVES SCHOOLS

L ET T ER FROM T H E CEO

“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

- John 13:34

L I F E WAT E R is a Christian non-profit

It’s a new year full of new opportunity.

I hope you’ve had some time to reflect on 2017 and also look forward to the year to come. At Lifewater, we’re doing the same thing. God’s blessings were abundant in 2017: more than 9,000 new Healthy Homes and 169 water projects.

Behind each number are stories of

working to end the global water and sanitation crisis. Since 1977, we have served more than 2.5 million people in 40+ countries with life-saving clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

PR E S I DE N T/C E O

Justin Narducci CEO@lifewater.org V IC E PR E S I DE N T OF PH I L A N T H ROP Y

Christine Zurbach Christine@lifewater.org

people like El Lot, a widow I met in Cambodia. El Lot’s Healthy Home is a testament to her hard work and

M I DW E S T

unwavering commitment to provide a better future for her

Daren Wendell Daren@lifewater.org

children.

Looking ahead, there is still much work to do. The commitment I’m making this year is not some lofty goal

W EST COA ST

Sean Martin Sean@lifewater.org

or exceptional achievement. I want the work we do to be marked by a deep love, not a cheap transaction.

S TAY C ON N E C T E D

In every village we serve, the women and children should

75 Zaca Lane Suite 100 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

know the love of the Father through our staff. This is something we can all do – even in our most mundane activities. Taking kids to soccer practice, shuttling them to and from school, and building new water sources.

The world is thirsty for love. Let this be a year that we resolve to love well. In big and small things.

888 LIFE H2O Info@lifewater.org Lifewater.org

L E AV E A L E G AC Y. To speak with someone about including Lifewater in your will or bequests, contact Christine Zurbach.

Christine@lifewater.org Photography by David Uttley and Tyler Wohlford.

Glad to serve with you,

Justin Narducci President/CEO Lifewater International

Paper donated by Spicers Paper. Printing discounted

by O’Neil Printing.

Real Impact

All impact figures are rolling 12 months through December 2017.

Your giving is making a difference in the lives of thousands of vulnerable families and children. Thank you!

115,309 People Currently Served

9,373

169

Healthy Homes

WHAT IS A

Village Water Projects Completed

A healthy home is one that has adopted five simple yet life-changing improvements.

WASH HANDS

STORE & USE WATER SAFELY

BATHROOM WITH ROOF & DOOR

DRYING RACK

KEEP AREA CLEAN

Everyone washes hands with soap and water.

Water is filtered or boiled to avoid contamination.

A clean, safe place to go.

Dishes are kept away from animals and waste.

Area around home is safe and clean.

FINANCIAL UPDATE:

“We are confident Lifewater’s work will have life-sustaining impact and be done well.”

*All financial figures are rolling 12 months through November 2017. $4.9

million

$3.4

million

45%

2016

2017

$4.2

$3.1

million

million

37%

2016

2017

CARY A. PAINE, THE STEWARDSHIP FOUNDATION

Financial accountability and good stewardship matter.

Learn more: lifewater.org/financial-stewardship

GIVING

EXPENSES

A PERSISTENT WIDOW IS REWARDED

A WIDOW’S

STRENGTH How a Poor Family in Cambodia Found Health

El Lot at home with her children

EVEN THOUGH EL LOT HAS BEEN STRUGGLING IN POVERTY, SHE HASN’T GIVEN UP.

O U TA KO K Cambodia

In a rural part of Cambodia called Ta Siem

the ceramic filter, and proudly fills bottles

Commune is a village called Ou Ta Kok.

with it to send with the children to school.

It’s a small village—just 215 families and

Now that the family is drinking safe

a little more than 1,000 people—but it is

water, they are healthy and strong.

also the most vulnerable village in Ta Siem Commune. Every day, the people of Ou Ta

“Before I engaged with Lifewater, my

Kok collect water from a swamp to use for

children would have high fever, regularly

drinking, bathing and household chores.

have the common cold and intestinal problems,” says El Lot. “Now my children

One of the most vulnerable people in Ou Ta Kok is a mother named El Lot.

One of the most vulnerable people in Ou

have good health and so do I. And now,

Ta Kok is a mother named El Lot. At 33

I am strong enough to do the work in

years old, El Lot is a poor widow with four

the fields.”

children ranging in age from 12 to one and a half years old. She works hard growing, harvesting and selling cassava and makes an astonishing $5 per day, which is not

Now that the family is drinking safe water, they are healthy and strong.

enough to care for her children. The

Even in her dire circumstances struggling

family has been collecting water from the

as a poor widow in rural Cambodia, El

swamp, which regularly causes sickness.

Lot worked hard, was a good steward

Even though El Lot has been struggling in

of her money and was able to overcome.

poverty, she hasn’t given up.

She hopes the same will happen for other

El Lot saved whatever money she could to register for a ceramic filter and latrine, a program made possible by generous Lifewater donors like you. She started learning about the Vision of a Healthy

people in her community. “I really want all villagers in my community to get the filter,” says El Lot. “It’s really important for families to have clean water for using and drinking.”

Village, and decided to put what she learned into practice. She worked together SWA MP WATER El Lot’s children suffered from frequent fevers and illness due to water-borne diseases

with her nine-year-old son, Hong Kim Li to build a latrine for the family. Now she’s

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORK IN CAMBODIA: LIFEWATER.ORG/CAMBODIA

able to purify the water she collects with

Lifewater Winter 2018 Newsletter LI F E WAT E R .O R G

BENSA Ethiopia

BBQ Brings Water & Toilets to 5 Schools

BY GOD’S GRACE, THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA CAN NOW STAY IN SCHOOL. Thank you to our sponsors!

Guests at the 2017 Lifewater BBQ

“Lifewater is so grateful for the

Fundraiser opened their hearts for kids

generosity of its sponsors, volunteers,

in need and donated over $165,000, which

and attendees who made this a truly

fully funds safe water, dignified latrine

beautiful night and a tremendous

blocks, and student-led WASH Clubs in

success,” says Lifewater VP of

five schools in Ethiopia.

Philanthropy, Christine Zurbach.

Hosted by our presenting sponsor,

This year’s event, which will be the

Barrelhouse Brewing Co., the BBQ was a

third annual Lifewater BBQ, is already

great time. Nearly 400 attendees bid on

scheduled for Sunday, September 30th,

dozens of silent and live auction items

2018. It will be held at Barrelhouse

donated by local businesses, including a

Brewery & Beer Gardens in Paso

trip for two to visit Lifewater projects in

Robles. Last year’s event sold out, so we

Uganda. Guests enjoyed local food and

encourage you to save the date!

refreshments from Ribline and other Central Coast establishments. Plus, they were treated to a first-person experience in an Ethiopian school room with our virtual reality/360 video headset.

SAVE THE DATE: 2018 LIFEWATER BBQ FUNDRAISER & AUCTION SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

ETHIOPIA

Praying Across Borders LESSONS IN PERSEVERANCE, TRUST & IMPORTING DRILL RIGS A reflection by Lifewater Ethiopia Country Director, Zerihun Hailu, on the long drill rig approval process by the Ethiopian government.

I have had a number of sleepless nights since the third week of June. We live in the modern era but in different worlds.

In the West, almost everything is made

around us to break any worldly walls.

When we persevere and pray, God does his work and we rejoice.

immediately available, but in Africa we

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope,

can spend hours, weeks, months, or years

patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

working toward something, and still

This verse teaches us how we should

may fail to accomplish it. On this long

behave, live, and serve. When we love

journey to getting the drill rig approved,

the people we serve, we persevere and

why were you so patient? You could have

pray constantly. When we persevere and

stopped your efforts and moved on to

pray constantly, God does his work and

something else with quicker results.

we rejoice. Those who benefit from our

For us, this process was a lesson. We need to demolish certain walls to reach the unreached people of God. Where do we get the energy required to penetrate such walls? Through prayer and patience! As the saying goes, patience is a virtue and good

ministry will rejoice, too. The people in West Arsi and Bensa shall drink from safe as well as holy waters! God is great!

Thank you for your extreme patience.

Thank you for loving the poor and obeying God’s commandment in deed.

things come to those who wait. By being faithful, we are filled by BILL THE DR ILL The new drill rig is named in memory of our founder, William A. Ashe.

the Lord’s Holy Spirit and gain the mighty power within and

ZERIHUN HAILU OVERSEES ALL OPERATIONS IN ETHIOPIA, INCLUDING THE NEW DRILLING TEAM.

1,000 Villages is a positive, immersive experience where you’ll get a first-hand look at communities working hard to create change for their families.

Along with enjoying food, drinks and music, you can take a virtual reality visit to villages in Africa and Asia, explore an interactive map and see photos of families waiting for a safe water source.

Event Tour 2018 EV EN T TOUR DATE S

For more information, visit lifewater.org/events

4/6

San Diego, CA

5/19

4/7

Orange County, CA

5/20 Portland, OR

10/13 Boise, ID

4/27 Grand Rapids, MI

9/8

Denver, CO

10/14 Bentonville, AR

4/29 Kalamazoo, MI

9/8

San Francisco, CA

10/27 Phoenix, AZ

5/12

9/9

Sacramento, CA

11/3

Salisbury, MD

Seattle, WA

Save a Life Every Month For just $40 each month, you can give a new person a lifetime of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Twelve months, twelve lives changed forever. You can make it happen.

9/28 Ventura, CA

Indianapolis, IN

S PO N SO R A

Village Water Project Build a well to serve a village of 300+ people, plus get: - A program overview of village and region - Progress updates throughout project - A final report and certificate of completion

BECOME A WATER HERO AT

Call or click to learn more

LIFEWATER.ORG/MONTHLY

(805) 541-6634 Lifewater.org/WaterProject