Today, on my birthday, I’m using the little bit of (very much appreciated) attention to help highlight and raise awareness for a VERY big problem: the lack of clean drinking water for 800 million people around the world.
I turn 30 today. For years, it has been my goal to drive a Ferrari on my 30th, and I found a place to do it. Leah Beth called and had it set up. I was very excited.
But then I read a book called The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision president Richard Sterns. It’s a long read, but the info is compelling. Jesus teaches us to feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked and resist evil. So how am I doing?
Not good:
- A child dies from hunger roughly every nine seconds
- from water-related illness every 20 seconds
- from malaria every 30 seconds.
These are people, and more than that to me now after having children of my own, these are people’s children. If somebody chose to drive a Ferrari knowingly instead of helping my kids…
I decided to let the dream die. And it’s hard, because I love cars.
Although I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do this until I logged on to Charity: Water‘s website and saw that every September they ask people to give up their birthdays to fund a new well water project somewhere in the world. I had no idea that this was the case, but I took it as a sign that this is what I am to do.
You probably weren’t planning on giving me a present for my 30th birthday–or any birthday, for that matter.
But please consider.
In lieu of presents this year, I’m asking that you donate to my page I’ve set up to give clean water to the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic. Access to clean water can immediately cut child death rates in half. And 100% of money given to Charity: Water goes straight to building wells for clean drinking water. That’s what I’ll be doing with the money I was going to spend on the Ferrari.
Here in in the desert that is SoCal, I think about the water supply a lot. Thinking about having to dip water from a shrinking puddle full of deadly bacteria and having to chose whether to let my boys Joel and Silas die of thirst or of sickness is a nightmare for me. No parent should have to make that choice.
Any amount you can give can help. $1, $5 or more can give people water.
$20 gives one person water for 20 years
$5000 gives a village water for 20 years
Here’s a great video to show the program:
My favorite part is at the end when they are playing in the water from the new well.
Thanks for your generosity,
David
PS. By the way, the stats above are depressing but so much better than they were 30 years ago! Maybe on my 60th birthday, there will be no need to refuse the Ferrari drive…
David Moore is the coordinator of the Berry Center for Lifelong Learning at Fuller and the publisher of The Burner Blog. He frequently (well, always) blogs as The Burner.
