Water 4 Kids
LCMC congregations are often geographically distant from one another, which can leave pastors and their congregations feeling isolated and remote from the mutual support they need. Seeking to overcome that sense of remoteness, a group of pastors in central Nebraska and northern Kansas have been making monthly meetings a priority in our busy schedules, and our commitment to each other has led to an incredible mission outreach by our congregations.
The pastors of Bethel (Holdrege, NE), Fridhem (Funk, NE), Maria (Hershey, NE), Peace (Alma, NE), St. John, (Athol, KS), St. Paul (Blue Hill, NE), and Trinity (Axtell, NE) meet monthly for prayer, Bible Study, and discussion. More than a year ago, we began to brainstorm ideas for a mission project that all of our congregations could work on together.
Our small, rural communities are dependent on farming and ranching, and so our people understand the vital importance of water, especially since our area is home to the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground water source in the United States. For these reasons, we decided to raise money for the Water 4 Kids organization, which provides deep-water wells in areas of the world where safe, clean, drinking water has never been available.
More than 300 million people in the world don’t have access to clean water. Each day, women and children spend hours walking long distances to collect water from unprotected sources including open ponds, livestock water points, and polluted ditches. Seeing pictures of the muddy water holes that were being used for drinking was very eye-opening for our people, and we decided to set a goal of raising enough money to dig one well for a village in Uganda, which would cost $10,200 and reach hundreds of people.
We began to share our vision with our local congregations during the Lenten season, and that’s when the Holy Spirit really stirred things up! A family in one congregation offered an entire well if the rest of the group would match it. Then another member stepped up to do the same. Other individuals and churches offered matches or whole wells.
One congregation’s youth group held a Walk 4 Water to raise funds. A talented member of one church designed t-shirts to sell, with all of the profits going to the project. A couple of pastors created a sermon series using texts that spoke about water. A larger congregation nearby, (First St. Paul’s, Hastings) joined in and raised money during their VBS week.
Ultimately, our small group of congregations will have a big impact in Uganda—raising $90,000 to dig NINE wells—literally reaching thousands of people with clean water in the name of Jesus. Thanks be to God!
For more information, contact Pastor Leah Fintel Krotz at (785) 955-0037 or pastorofstpaul@gmail.com.
If you would like to know more about Water 4 Kids, please visit them at www.w4ki.org.
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