Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ John 4:10
The Idea
Pastor Craig’s recent sermon on the water crisis in Africa which you can watch here and our recent Outlive Your Life study have inspired many people in our congregation eager to act to provide people in Africa with clean drinking water. There was little to no pre-planning of this massive undertaking; just some passion from people and friends of First Lutheran Church and the Holy Spirit at work.
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The Legwork
For two years, retired Pastor Dan Kolander has worked with others in our community and in the city of Samé, in Northern Tanzania to help that city build new municipal wells. Samé is the location of our partner congregation and is home to around 26,000 people. After years of severe drought, the water table has dropped rendering many wells unable to pump water. The inadequacy of their water supply means people must travel miles, most often on foot, and wait in line to get water that is brought in by trucks at a great expense. We’re told that occasionally, the water runs out before the line of people.
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The Action
We believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to action for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The groundwork is already being laid to dig at least two new wells approximately 150 meters (490 feet). This depth ensures their feasibility even if their years of drought continue. To put that in perspective, the wells for the city of Cedar Rapids are just 50—70 feet deep along the Cedar River basin. The wells will also be paired with 10,000-liter (2,640-gallon) storage tanks that will be refilled in off-peak times, ensuring a steady flow of water when it is needed most. Projects of this magnitude are no small feat in remote parts of Africa. The cost of drilling each well along with the pumps, piping, storage tanks and electrical work is estimated at $37,000. We have currently raised $27,000! We can easily reach our goal with your help.
Your part
Together, we can improve the lives of the people of Samé, Tanzania. With bold faith and a little sacrifice, we can do it before the end of 2011. Some people have given their age in dollars, kids have returned pop cans, Pastor Craig and other church members have "given up their birthdays" by asking family and friends to forgo buying presents and donating that same money to the water well. If you feel moved to help, please go online today to DONATE TO LIVING WATER.
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