Southeast Asia

Our clean water team completed building the planned new water systems for the year in the third quarter. During the fourth quarter, there were a few systems that needed repairs that villages had requested assistance with. Our team made these repairs and continued to visit all the systems now operating. Sometimes this is just a quick stop to make sure the system is still running well but often they stop and visit with the local team who oversees the operation of the system as well as visit with other community leaders. These visits are essential to the continued operation of the water systems. It also gives them the opportunity to talk to community members about the importance of clean water. Over time as trust has developed, they have also been able to talk more about spiritual issues. As they share about their lives as followers of Christ, they are often able to talk about relationships, families and even work. 

In January we hosted Bill and Penny Ross from Pure Water Initiative. PWI has been our largest donor for the clean water program. We are excited to learn that they hope to fund 10 new systems again this year. We also have funding for one new system from the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission’s hunger offering. Our goal is to build 20 new systems again this year, so we still need to raise funds for nine additional systems. 

                                                      Stories from the clean water program (Names have been changed): 

Deva is the oldest daughter of a village leader who cares of one of the clean water systems. She is now 26 and plans to get married this year. For the last 10 years, she has worked with her grandmother in a tailoring business and has been saving for the future. Not long ago, Deva’s grandmother passed away, and Deva was so sad that she no longer wanted to continue the business. As she told David about this business, he encouraged her to continue to operate the business, explaining that this was her inheritance from her grandmother and was the capital for her future. David emphasized that while her grandmother was alive, she must have given Deva a lot of advice and encouragement. David invited Deva to pray, and she was willing to be prayed for because David had a long relationship with her family and is considered family by them. Although the family are not Christians, because of the relationships developed, Davided prayed for her in the name of Jesus Christ. After David prayed, Deva needed to return to working on some stiching that was unfinished. The wife of the village head come into Deva’s home with her daughter. David was able to share stories with them about Jesus Christ.