A People Made of Water

Water. Such a basic necessity. Without water, we thirst. Without water, we dry up and die. Without water, we return to dust. (Do you know what percentage of our bodies is made of water?)

When we travel -- far or near, we need to carry water with us. Whether we are driving from SF to San Jose, or whether we're driving from California to North Carolina, or whether we're flying from the U.S. to Africa, we all need some form of liquid in our bodies to keep us revitalized, rejuvenated, alive. We could not live without this vital element.

On this Uganda trip, our mission team members will be traveling a great distance, and they will surely need water to sustain them. Due to airport regulations, they won't be able to bring liquids through the airport security check point, but luckily there will be water available inside the airport terminals. Imagine, however, if they had no water or liquids for the 15+ hours of their trip! How parched their tongues would be!

As we think about our beloved team members needing water for their trip, think also about the people of Uganda who also need this life-giving, life-sustaining resource. Think, too, about the millions of people -- and so many of them children!! -- who do not have access to clean water. Did you know that "Water-related diseases are the most common cause of illness and death among poor people in developing countries"? And, "according to the World Health Organization, 1.6 million deaths per year can be attributed to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene" (source: Global Wash Statistics ).

We all know (do we?) that unclean water might lead to diarrheal diseases which might cause death. Do we know how dangerous this is, especially when we live so far removed from this "danger"? When you travel this summer, do you worry about drinking unbottled water that might have bacteria, parasites, or other nasty contaminants that might make you sick? How do you prepare for this? (Check out some tips from the CDC about water needs while camping, hiking, and traveling.)

Consider this: "Unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases, or more than 1.5 million of the 1.9 million children younger than 5 years of age who perish from diarrhea each year, mostly in developing countries. This amounts to 18% of all the deaths of children under the age of five and means that more than 5,000 children are dying every day as a result of diarrheal diseases" (source).

That means 5,000+ children die every day because of disease caused by unclean water. These are very sobering facts. (Read more here.)

But there is hope.

One of the major targets (#7) of the Millennium Development Goals is to "halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation".

What are these Millennium Development Goals, you ask? And how do we actually achieve these goals? Read here!

Why are these goals important? "Achieving the Goals will mean 350 million fewer people are without safe drinking water and 650 million fewer people live without the benefits of basic sanitation, allowing them to lead healthier and more dignified lives." Do you want to know more? Click here.

As Christians living in a divided and complex world, and as stewards of God's creation and all its creatures, and as United Methodists who answer God's call to ministry and mission, we must do something, we must act. As we move toward our "launch date", as we help our team members prepare for their departure, think about how wonderful this mission opportunity will be for us to learn more about our roles/responsibilities in helping create a safer, cleaner world.

Have you heard of the project headed by the CDC and the Ugandan Ministry of Health? One thing that the project did was to distribute Basic Care Packages that enabled families to disinfect water. In fact, "Population Services International (PSI)-Uganda has distributed more than 120,000 Basic Care Packages throughout Uganda to HIV-positive people and their families. Studies conducted by CDC and its partners have shown that [...] use of a simple home-based safe water system reduced diarrhea by 25 percent."

So the formula is: disinfected water - diarrhea = less deaths + healthier children.

Ok, you're thinking that here at CCUMC we do not have Basic Care Packages to distribute. You're right. In a world as connected as ours, what can we do as a team, as a community, to help? What concrete steps might we take? What suggestions do you have?

Come back next week to found out...

I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. - Genesis 9:15