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Why "40 Days of Water" Matters...

How does making tap water ones only drink of choice for 40 days affect a nation (Uganda) across the globe?

Well, frankly, it doesn't have any.  It actually has about the same affect as my having to wear the same Bama shirt every game day to hopefully steer the Crimson Tide to a win.  Despite whatever shirt I wear, or whatever drink I choose, it has no earthly affect on my team or on any nation and people that I have never even met.

 So why Need Not Thirst, and why "40 Days of Water"?  Great question... so consider this:

"40 Days of Water" is designed to do a couple of things.  First of all, it's designed to be a fast.  While I'm no theological expert on fasting, I do know that fasting is a way of getting us to deny our flesh and to focus on Christ by bringing our flesh into submission to His Spirit.  So while I'm drinking tap water instead of my much beloved favorite cup of java in the morning, I become mindful that there's a bigger purpose that I'm called to by Christ than to just fulfill my every craving and want upon this earth.  He's called me to be His only and to forsake this world by taking up our cross daily and following Him, and, frankly, as a Christian that so often gets lost to the cravings of whatever it is my flesh desires.  By denying my fleshly desires, for instance in drinking only tap water instead of indulging my caffeine addiction, I'm forced every morning, afternoon and evening to think, "Why is it I am doing this again?"  Then I remind myself that I'm submitting myself to Him and that I want Him more than anything else this world has to offer.  Therefore I'm becoming more aware of His moment by moment Presence that I'm so prone to forget.

Secondly, it's a 40 day call to prayer.  So while I'm fasting and drinking only tap water I'm mindful to be in prayer for the people of Uganda.  If most of us will admit it, we are often only drawn to prayer when something devastating or troubling is happening directly to us.  Through "40 Days of Water" we are calling ourselves to pray for others that are facing the most dire of circumstances -- little to no access to clean, safe drinking water.

Most Ugandan women and children, begin their day with a long hike to a watering hole.  This hike can be as long as two-and-a-half miles, sometimes longer, to get their daily supply of water.  This water will be disease ridden which causes their infant mortality rate to be 130 of every 1000 babies born.  This compares to the America rate of 6.39 per 1000 live births.  The life expectancy of an average Ugandan is 53.24, while the life expectancy in America is 78.5 years.  And 26,000 children under the age of 5 die each year due to diarrhoeal diseases alone because they don't have clean drinking water.  We are jaded to these numbers because, well, they're just numbers.  But each number represents a little child that didn't have to die, a mother that doesn't have to mourn and a father who shouldn't have to bury their child just because they don't have access to safe drinking water.

It is estimated that $20 billion dollars a year could provide every single human on the face of the earth clean, safe drinking water.  That sounds like a lot of money... it did to me as well, until I found out that Americans will spend around $20 billion dollars a year on ice cream.  

So, during our "40 Days of Water" we fast and pray that God will help us to be aware of those who suffer and that we do something about it without just shrugging our shoulders and moving on to watch another TV show, read another article or get on with life as usual.

Thirdly, "40 Days of Water" is a call to give of the resources God has given us so graciously.  My wife and I estimate that we spend around $15-$20 dollars a week on sodas, coffees and teas, whether at home or going out to eat.  So we're setting aside the cost of what we normally would spend anyway to donate to effective, well stewarded clean water projects through Blood:Water Mission.  Every dollar or penny we collect at the end of 40 Days will be donated to help the people of Uganda.  Blood:Water Mission works year round to construct water catch basins, water treatment plants and to educate the people of the nations they serve to become stewards of God's resources, and they do it all in the Name of Jesus.  What better demonstration is there of the gospel than for Christians to put their hands in the dirt and show others the selfless love we learned from Jesus.

Lastly, by fasting, praying, and giving we are praying the "Lord of the harvest" send His laborers to spread the gospel to these nations.  This is the most crucial and important step in the process... to give the Living Water of Jesus, so that no one Need Not Thirst again (John 4 paraphrase mine).  Please look us up on facebook at www.facebook.com/neednotthirst and "Like" our page.  Then begin praying, fasting and giving with us.  It's okay that we started on February 14th... join with us and agree and pray with us now.  Jesus said that even a cup of water given in His Name won't go unnoticed (Matt. 10:42 again paraphrase mine).

Need Not Thirst

In February, I launched on Facebook a new ministry called "Need Not Thirst".  NNT is designed, prayerfully, with the goal in mind to "Bring both eternal and earthly water to all thirsty nations...".

Need Not Thirst is a recognized campaign of Blood:Water Mission, and we are partnering with them to help the people of Uganda through B:WMs water mission projects to that nation.

On Tuesday, February 14th, the day of love... we'll be beginning "40 Days of Water".  During 40 Days of Water you simply make tap water your drink of choice.  That's right... trade out sodas ("cokes" for all my southern family), coffee, teas and bottled water for tap water.  When normally you would make a dash to Starbucks for that grande-yummy-tasty-latte-concoction-to-keep-your-life-moving-forward with foam add caramel sauce, put that money away and save it!  At the end of 40 Days of Water, on March 24th, join us for Water:Walk (details to be posted on Facebook) where we'll simulate a several mile hike (like so many make daily in Uganda) to a water source to collect water for the day.  We'll donate all of our money at Water:Walk on March 24th, and then donate every penny to Blood:Water Mission.  All during the 40 Days of Water fast, we'll be praying for the people of the world, specifically Uganda, who are thirsting for water.  More importantly, however, for the eternal water from Jesus we all need.  He told the lady at the well, "I have water, that if you drink it, you need not thirst again" (John 4 paraphrase mine).  It's that simple.

Please check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/neednotthirst and "Like" our page.  Begin something great, "pray and do" for those who are in need...