I have heard of the global clean water crisis, but growing up in suburban America and constantly being bombarded by pictures of poor kids in bad places I distanced myself from the issue.  I told myself that it was someone else’s problem.  I mean seriously, how many pictures of poor kids drinking out of dirty holes do you have to see before you just start to tune them out?  I realized I was not alone…they call it empathy fatigue.  When you see people in distress, in order to cope, you just stop feeling for people. 

Really, it is heartbreaking and shameful for me to admit.  I had lost God’s love for people and not just any people—His people.  These are God’s kids whom he left heaven to save.  Jesus came down off His throne, poured himself out, and bore our sin to save them.  And then he said that, “…whatever you did for one of the least of these…you have done to me.”  Wow!  When we take care of the broken, we are actually taking care of Jesus and when we choose to ignore them, we are actually ignoring him!  I definitely needed a heart change!

I have three wonderful girls and if they were in a place without clean water I would give everything to help them and make sure they had a clean source to drink from.  I would cross the farthest ocean and give my life if I knew my girls were in trouble.  That is same compassion I asked God to give me for these kids and thankfully He has….I’m proof God uses broken vessels.  That is why we are excited to announce our newest partnership with Lifewater.  For a year Hope Outfitters is partnered with Lifewater and will donate 100% of the profit from all purchases back to ending the global water crisis.

Did you know that every 60 seconds a child under the age of 5 dies of a preventable water-born illness.  Why?  You would think in our day & age this is so preventable.  The reality is that many around the world do not have access to clean water.   I would like to introduce you to Tibika.

Tibka grew up in Ethiopia in a town without a source of clean water. As young as four years old, she — like all of the girls in her town – spent many hours every day with a large clay pot strapped to her back, collecting water from a dirty river. Fortunately, when she was ten years old the town installed a water system with hand pumps. That single change allowed Tibka’s opportunities to blossom. Since she no longer had to spend all day collecting water, she was able to attend primary school, then high school, and was eventually accepted into the animal health program at the local university.

Lifewater is going into those rural communities drilling wells, teaching sanitation, standing up maintenance programs, & planting churches.  Digging wells and leaving does not work in the long term because when they break down no one is there to fix them.  Lifewater invests years into a single village to create a sustainable clean water culture.  Then, at the same time they plant churches and share the love of Christ.   Check out the video below for their approach:

For His Glory, 
Ryan Welch
Founder, Hope Outfitters